Last night, Broadway leading lady and gay Icon Patti LuPone guest starred on ABC's "Ugly Betty" in what proved to be the best, and most wonderfully gay, thing on basic TV.LuPone was appearing as Marc Weiner's mother, visiting NYC and her son for a cat competition. Marc asks Betty to be his "beard" because his old "girlfriend" Mandy and he had been together too long to not break up. Betty agrees to help him out, but doesn't realize what she has gotten herself into when her father ends up calling and inadvertently inviting Mrs. Weiner and her son to dinner a la Casa De Suarez! Hilarity ensues!
All I have to say is Thank GOD for this show. Marc Weiner, played by Michael Urie, is the first character on PrimeTime television since Jack McFarland to create a stereotypical yet lovable gay role. Sometimes the stereotypes are painful (like the many drag-queen-esque moments that the show has provided thus far…) but it is episodes like this that remind us that these "types" are very real. When Marc stood up to his mother in defense of Betty's "swishy" nephew, Justin, I almost cried.
I know, I know… I'm a dork.
But it was so very real to me. I once had to tell my own mother to stop talking shit about my own "swishy" friends. I was 14, and my mother had taken issue with the fact that two of my friends were obviously gay, and she didn't have very many nice things to say about it. I had to tell my mother to look at her own "swishy" son.
So I can relate.
I've never really been able to relate to closeted gay men, because I came out so early in my own life. Marc tells Betty "I can't just tell her. All we have is lies, and if I tell her the truth then we will have nothing."
Good for you, Marc Weiner, and every other closeted gay man, who decides to risk losing a false relationship for a chance at true connection.
It makes my heart smile
(Watch the episode of "Ugly Betty" here!)
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