Avenue Q writer tells Jay Leno to go F himself

[ingi]

Avenue Q Writer Tells Jay Leno To Fuck OFF.
About two years ago, after I wrote a letter to you, we had a half-hour phone chat. Over the course of our discussion, I managed to convince myself you weren't such a jerk after all.
But based on recent evidence, I realize my first instinct was right!








Not everyone can stomach you, I fear, so for those who can't, I'll do a little transcription. You were interviewing Ryan Phillippe, whose first acting job was as a gay teenager on One Life to Live. So naturally you honed in on how WEIRD and HILARIOUS it was that he played a GAY PERSON -- while Phillippe reasonably tried to shift the conversation to the larger issue of how weird it was to be on a soap opera.
But you couldn't be stopped! You went for the comedy gold!
JAY: Can you give me like -- say that camera is your gay lover -- number two --
PHILLIPPE: Wait a second. Wait a second.
JAY: Can you give me your gayest look? Say that -- say that camera is Billy Bob -- Billy Bob has just ridden in shirtless from Wyoming.
(Your sycophantic audience hoots with laughter at the idea of a strapping lad like Phillippe giving a "gay look.")
PHILLIPPE: Wow. That is so something I don't want to do. Are you just going to embarrass me tonight, or --
JAY: No, I got more stuff. This is the least of it.
I've gotta ask: would you ask a guest to make their "blackest face?" Their "Jewiest face?" Why not? (I charitably imagine your answer to be, "Not all black/Jewish people are the same, so it's kind of offensive to think there's a 'black/Jewish face.'") Very good!
I'll back off. I received some criticism for being too heavy-handed with my last letter, so I won't mention this gay face or this gay face or this gay face or this gay face or this gay face or this gay face or this gay face or this gay face or this gay face or this gay face or this gay face or this gay face or this gay face or these gay faces or not to forget this gay face. Which one's the gayest to you?
I bring those faces up because there's a group (with whom you are supposedly sympathetic) undergoing a major civil rights struggle, and you seem to adore using the stereotype that we're laughable and really, all the same in the end.
Like these gay faces:

(None of these guys ever came out of the closet, by the way.)
But back to our phone call! To be honest, when we talked two years ago, there were a couple of moments in the call when you sounded like an ignoramus. But I promised myself, in the spirit of generosity, not to share them with anybody. In public, I said something like: "We both agreed that comedy is tough."
But now, since I'm convinced that you think gay people are just a little subhuman, that we're friendly but ultimately sad, and that moreover that all of us are the SAME ...
... I've decided to share the parts of our phone call that made me laugh a little inside. They're of course based on recollection, but the main wording is emblazoned in my memory:
ME: I don't think you really understand that gay people have a long history, beyond being a bunch of hairdressers --
YOU: I know about gay history. I know about the Stonehill rebellion.
"Stonehill rebellion?" Bitch, please. And then this comment:
YOU: I have to say, I really think gay people have made a lot of progress. There used to be a time when a straight guy would never go to a gay guy for advice on how to dress or look good, but it's totally different now.
Oh, those fashiony gays!
I don't know why you annoy me so much, Jay. While the "South Park" guys go way further than you ever do, they're also, well, funny. Maybe that's the difference.
Anyway, Jay, here's MY "gayest look":

Yours truly,
Jeff



Source

[frazzled]

Well, Jay Leno is an asshat. Does this surprise anybody?

[Just Kill Me]

Awesome!

[KandyKorn]

^^ I hope Jay receives more letters like this, he deserves them. He sounds like an idiot.

[Bellatheball]

Has anyone else ever noticed that Jay is always reluctant to shake hands with Ross too? Almost like he's afraid he'll catch something. Ross is freakin' hilarious too. Jay should be thanking him for making parts of his show interesting. This writer is probably on to something.

I don't watch Leno much anymore mostly because I think Carson did a much better job of being funny without being so vulgar.

[Sweetie]

I can't stand Jay Leno.

[buttmunch]

Excellent letter, especially since I cannot stand Leno. He's just not good. And does anyone else think he's the real father of the Willis/Moore children? Then again, he's never had kids...could he be GAY?

[smf]

jay leno is an ass ,oh well he dont have much time left on talk show anyways

[Beeyotch]

Well, Jay Leno is an asshat. Does this surprise anybody?

Agreed on Leno's asshattery. No surprise here.

[sparkly]

Ok, I love this writer.
Funnily enough, his fuck you sign was heartwarming.


BTW, I'm glad Philippe didn't cave in, which makes me think he's not as big of a douchebag as I originally thought. What the hell is a "gay face" anyway?!

[pacific breeze]

I think this writer is an asshat, too, and not very professional. I don't say that because he reported that Jay was an ass -- although he's pretty mild as these things go in Hollywood -- but because he seems to live his entire life through his gayness. I'm a woman, and I don't preface every thought with "I'm a woman, how should I think about this as a woman?" I use my brain, NOT my sexuality, to do my thinking and talking and writing for me. I guess very few straight people would be "acceptable" to someone who seems to think everyone should be an expert on queer history etc.

[sparkly]

^I disagree with you. He's not using his "gayness" (great word, btw) as a means of viewing life. Of course he had to talk about it in those terms for this article because he was rebutting what Leno said on his show. The whole article was based on stereotypes of homosexuality made by Leno through the last few years. Unless you've read every article by this writer, you shouldn't assume that he's using his sexuality to skew his perception about life in general.

[pacific breeze]

^^Have you read every article by him to know for sure that he isn't? lol

[sparkly]

^No, and obviously you haven't either.

[Beeyotch]

I didn't get that he was using his homosexuality "as a means of viewing his entire life." I agree that he was talking about it in context of what Jay did was asinine and insensitive against gay people.

And I don't think his expectation was that Jay or anyone know a lot about gay history. He was calling him out on his general ignorance, on not even getting the infamous Stonewall rebellion right. I know very little about gay history, but I sure know about that.