This is a non-political post. Usually, I reserve such posts for the weekends. But when one must, one must.
In our previous episode, we discussed Andrew Sullivan's assertion that Fred Thompson is a gay man -- even though FDT loves the company of women who make straight men think about making motorboat noises in their breasts. Readers commenting on this post kept returning to one subject: Tom Cruise.
Is there anything to the Cruise-is-gay rumor? How did that meme start?
Or is this one of those things that "everybody knows" -- but nobody knows how everyone came to know it?
In social situations, whenever I've heard this riff -- "Oh, everyone knows..." -- I've asked for the story's origin point. No-one has given me an answer. According to Wikipedia, Cruise has sued people making the allegation. Lawsuits invite discovery. If any evidence supported the idea, his lawyers would have advised against bringing the matter to court.
The other rumor holds that Cruise either is or is poised to become the new "head" of Scientology. Any evidence for that?
8 comments:
He must be gay. I saw it on South Park.
The gay male "community" has a very effective gossip network, and it's very accurate. Often the "rumors of gayness" are based on actual events. For example, a friend of mine when younger had (perhaps I should say claimed to have had) sex with TV host Tom Snyder. This information passes on until the whole gay community "knows" that Snyder is gay. Is he? I don't know, but I have considerable faith in my source.
In other instances, gayness is assumed because of a person's style and behavior. For example, gays believe that former CA governor Jerry Brown is gay. But I've never heard evidence that he is. He is, however, sensitive, thoughtful, and compassionate.
Then there is the fact that many straight celebs had dalliances with gays. Hollywood has always been a sexually open-minded kind of town, apparently. Cary Grant, Marlon Brando, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, Gary Cooper, Errol Flynn, Steve McQueen and Ali McGraw, Talluluh Bankhead, Jim Nabors, Judy Garland--all these names have various stories about their sexual predelictions attached to them, in gay circles. (they're not just gay behaviors, needless to say).
Gays also share info about who the extremely well-hung in Hollywood are. (E.g., for the gossip-lovers lurking here, Sinatra, Berle, Cruise, Woods, Wagner...)
I used to hear these stories back when I lived in SF. I can't say what's true and what's not, but some stories were later confirmed by events, like the one about Rock Hudson. So I am inclined to trust the gay gossip mill.
Count me among those who does not believe in the infallibility of the gay gossip network.
I can't speak with knowledge about most of the famous names on your list, uni. But my unbeloved stepfather did room with Brando, back before either man became well-known (Brando becoming much, much MORE famous, of course). And he -- my stepfather, that is -- scoffed at the rumor that Brando had an affair with Wally Cox.
That said, Brando was indeed friends with Cox. (Feel free to supply your own pun here.) Brando just thought the guy was funny as hell.
A waitress friend of mine got to know Patrick Knowles, who, in his old age, was a regular at her restaurant. Knowles (who played Will Scarlet in "The Adventures of Robin Hood"), was a good friend of Errol Flynn's. They often went out drinking and skirt-chasing together. Knowles was vehement in denouncing the rumors that Flynn was either bisexual or a Nazi sympathizer.
That said, I once met author Charles Higham, who was just as vehement in affirming those points. (For what it's worth, I think that Higham is gay.) I came away with the impression that Flynn was not really bisexual per se, but simply had an overwhelming interest in sex -- and he had reached a point where there were no new worlds to conquer, no novelties to be discovered, no surprises to be had, in the world of heterosexuality. Sort of like a compulsive traveler who visits Guam because he has already gone everywhere else on the planet.
Higham also divulged what he insists is David Lynch's deep, dark secret. I dare not mention it in public.
Next time you see "Wild at Heart," listen to the radio.
Damn, I couldn't put my finger on Wally Cox's name. But, yeah, and he was of course one of the especially well-endowed. As for Flynn, I was referring to his taste for the teen set, not any homosexuality.
What a teaser on the David Lynch remark! But it shouldn't surprise me, he is such a freaky genius. I must watch Wild at Heart again, soon!
why i used that expression, Joe: 15 years ago when i was a graduating film student i had a job as assistant editor for a few years with the "Roger Corman of Canada" (6 feature 35mm films in 4 years). The director would shoot everything in LA and then edit up here in Canada. He was a great boss, wouldn't pay much but always cooked for us and- flamboyantly bi- always had the lastest gossip from his contacts down in lalaland, and well, no other story he told me turned out to be a lie, they all played out, but he went on and on about nicole & toms "arrangement" way back then.... so it's not just South Park!
Ka-ching! Senator Vitter (R. from La.), apologizes for using Palfrey's escort service!
Republicans, get in line!
A friend of mine who works in Hollywood tells me that "everyone knows" that Tom Cruise is gay in Hollywood, not just in the general public. My friend also talks about the "gay mafia" that runs most of Hollywood, the most prominent member of which is David Geffen. Supposedly a lot of major male moviestars got their big breaks on the casting couch with Geffen - I think my friend included Kevin Spacey and Keanu Reeves in the list.
I have no idea whether or not this stuff is true, but again, these are rumors within the Hollywood community.
Rather famously I should think, LIBERACE sued (and WON!) against someone who alleged he was gay. Of course, that lawsuit was OVERSEAS (in Britain), where an entirely different standard exists for matters of slander or libel. Among other differences, evidently, truth is no defense to such charges (not that the party Liberace sued was able to prove the truth of what he was saying at that time). But, come to think of it, I believe Tom Cruise has sued OVERSEAS. Hmmm. ONLY overseas? I'm not sure, but possibly. If that is true, the fact he's sued does not do much to establish that he isn't gay, IMO. 'Discover' may not exist at all in the form we have it here to be worried about, and especially if truth is no defense, what use would discovery have?
But not to imply only Tom Cruise is a man who may be bisexual with gorgeous women companions-- how about this famous crossdresser musician from Minnesota? No, not Bob Dylan-- Prince. Sexual ambiguity was his calling card from his early days, and when he opened on the Stones tour (and got thrown off in favor of Tina Turner), he performed in a woman's teddie nightgown. And the list of stunning women he's been with is quite long.
sofla
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