Here's Lucy--Lucy and Jim Bailey

[C L A U D E]

That's great, not quite the same here except I'm old enough to know that Liberace was famous and popular here on US television in the 50s and 60s but it was soooooo obvious he was gay, to a lesser (if ever so slightly) degree, the same for Paul Lynde but back then, cool as it was they seemed to be not only accepted but embraced, it was also always the unspoken (pink?) "elephant in the room": everyone -- except for the old blue hairs who should have known better! -- knew but it was never brought up. Things are so much better today, Lynde should still be around, and I'd love to see how he'd go over today.

 

Sad we'll never know; Rip Taylor, one of his contemporaries is still around and still performs, popping up on TV occasionally....would love to hear his thoughts on the subject since he's lived to see such great change in attitudes and acceptance.

O M G yes, Liberace was adored by my mom and audiences all over the place, yet this obvious oppulance and flamboyant appearance and lifestyle, loved by everybody, followed by Elton John in popular music. And Rip Taylor, loved him then and miss him now, he and Richard Simmons are such a HOOT to see do their shtick.

[C L A U D E]

That's great, not quite the same here except I'm old enough to know that Liberace was famous and popular here on US television in the 50s and 60s but it was soooooo obvious he was gay, to a lesser (if ever so slightly) degree, the same for Paul Lynde but back then, cool as it was they seemed to be not only accepted but embraced, it was also always the unspoken (pink?) "elephant in the room": everyone -- except for the old blue hairs who should have known better! -- knew but it was never brought up. Things are so much better today, Lynde should still be around, and I'd love to see how he'd go over today.

 

Sad we'll never know; Rip Taylor, one of his contemporaries is still around and still performs, popping up on TV occasionally....would love to hear his thoughts on the subject since he's lived to see such great change in attitudes and acceptance.

Well, yeah, they were all entertainers, non threatening, Paul was hilarious and the best thing about Hollywood Squares. And Rip would come out on a show and liven things up, doing jokes while throwing confetti, saying outrageous things that made people laugh. These guys were so funny they made you love them regardless of anything else going on that might normally make you feel uncomfortable. I've heard lately that Carrot Top is gay, you know what, i've watched him for years and have laughed at his act for decades, in my mind, it doesn;t change anything, he's funny and makes me laugh, maybe straight people feel teh same way.

[Lucyilove]

That's great, not quite the same here except I'm old enough to know that Liberace was famous and popular here on US television in the 50s and 60s but it was soooooo obvious he was gay, to a lesser (if ever so slightly) degree, the same for Paul Lynde but back then, cool as it was they seemed to be not only accepted but embraced, it was also always the unspoken (pink?) "elephant in the room": everyone -- except for the old blue hairs who should have known better! -- knew but it was never brought up. Things are so much better today, Lynde should still be around, and I'd love to see how he'd go over today.

 

Sad we'll never know; Rip Taylor, one of his contemporaries is still around and still performs, popping up on TV occasionally....would love to hear his thoughts on the subject since he's lived to see such great change in attitudes and acceptance.

 

 

Honestly I don't think the general public picked up any "gay" vibes from Paul Lynde in his lifetime, he was just a sassy, smart-aleck comedian and there's been plenty of straight ones from day one in Hollywood so it didn't occur to them that La Lynde was just a touch more fey. And the networks tried a couple of times to give him is own sitcom, playing a traditional father/husband, so I don't think they would have even considered that if a lot of people could read him as gay. Gay adults however undoubtably could recognize the roots of his humor and personality. I was a teenager during the last years of Paul's life and it never occured to me he might be gay. Kids, including homophobic bully types, loved him because he was such a smart-ass.

 

Liberace - well, I think most people suspected he was gay but since there was almost nothing about homosexuality in the media in his era except in his last decade it was never really an issue. To his most devoted fans, those older "blue hair" women he was just an overage mama's boy, the perfect little Little Lord Faunterleroy even in his senior years. I think the general public saw him as just a harmless eccentric.

 

BTW, I thought I read somewhere that Rip Taylor has never officially come out even though there's not a closet in the world big enough to hold him.

[C L A U D E]

Honestly I don't think the general public picked up any "gay" vibes from Paul Lynde in his lifetime, he was just a sassy, smart-aleck comedian and there's been plenty of straight ones from day one in Hollywood so it didn't occur to them that La Lynde was just a touch more fey. And the networks tried a couple of times to give him is own sitcom, playing a traditional father/husband, so I don't think they would have even considered that if a lot of people could read him as gay. Gay adults however undoubtably could recognize the roots of his humor and personality. I was a teenager during the last years of Paul's life and it never occured to me he might be gay. Kids, including homophobic bully types, loved him because he was such a smart-ass.

 

Liberace - well, I think most people suspected he was gay but since there was almost nothing about homosexuality in the media in his era except in his last decade it was never really an issue. To his most devoted fans, those older "blue hair" women he was just an overage mama's boy, the perfect little Little Lord Faunterleroy even in his senior years. I think the general public saw him as just a harmless eccentric.

 

BTW, I thought I read somewhere that Rip Taylor has never officially come out even though there's not a closet in the world big enough to hold him.

You never knew Paul Lynde was GAY? Okayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. I happened to watch Paul in one of those sitcoms where he was the dad and that's what annoyed me, i could never picture him as a straight dad. Even when performing his Broadway tune KIDS, WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH KIDS TODAY . . .he does it incredibly well, but all i see is a gay man singing someone else's lament. Although, nowadays, gays are often parents so . . .

[Lucyilove]

You never knew Paul Lynde was GAY? Okayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. I happened to watch Paul in one of those sitcoms where he was the dad and that's what annoyed me, i could never picture him as a straight dad. Even when performing his Broadway tune KIDS, WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH KIDS TODAY . . .he does it incredibly well, but all i see is a gay man singing someone else's lament. Although, nowadays, gays are often parents so . . .

 

He was so asexual like most comedians from that time, it's hard to picture them having any sort of sex life. I think one back then would have had to know adult gay men like him to understand the roots of his campy edge. With Paul it was all about sass, there was no hint of him being attracted to men in his comedy. And he was basically a "semi-celebrity", a game show person, who really pondered him or Charley Weaver or Arlene Francis or any those people. It's not like he was Rock Hudson where everybody speculated why this handsome man then in his early fifties only had one brief marriage decades ago.

[C L A U D E]

He was so asexual like most comedians from that time, it's hard to picture them having any sort of sex life. I think one back then would have had to know adult gay men like him to understand the roots of his campy edge. With Paul it was all about sass, there was no hint of him being attracted to men in his comedy. And he was basically a "semi-celebrity", a game show person, who really pondered him or Charley Weaver or Arlene Francis or any those people. It's not like he was Rock Hudson where everybody speculated why this handsome man then in his early fifties only had one brief marriage decades ago.

And yet, what went on in his REAL life would boggle the mind of anyone knowing all the details of his secret life. This guy made Bob Crane look normal.

[JoeySanJoaquin]

He was so asexual like most comedians from that time, it's hard to picture them having any sort of sex life. I think one back then would have had to know adult gay men like him to understand the roots of his campy edge. With Paul it was all about sass, there was no hint of him being attracted to men in his comedy. And he was basically a "semi-celebrity", a game show person, who really pondered him or Charley Weaver or Arlene Francis or any those people. It's not like he was Rock Hudson where everybody speculated why this handsome man then in his early fifties only had one brief marriage decades ago.

 

Wellll...not quite, I'll let your "theory" about no one suspecting Lynde was gay go as that may well be your perspective based upon your sex/gender/age/gay or straight orientation as I honestly have no idea about you (and of course, is none of my business) but trust me, many fans over the course of his career "wondered" about his being gay. Of course, his closest friends and colleagues here in the industry, as with many like him, certainly knew which way his wind blew!

 

I do take issue though with the "semi celebrity" description however, as he was a fine actor, especially a comedic one, making many memorable appearances on variety shows (e.g. Donny & Marie) and sitcoms of the 60s & 70s, including The Munsters, I Dream of Jeannie and of course, most fondly as Uncle Arthur in some of the most memorable episodes of Bewitched.

[C L A U D E]

 

I do take issue though with the "semi celebrity" description however, as he was a fine actor, especially a comedic one, making many memorable appearances on variety shows (e.g. Donny & Marie) and sitcoms of the 60s & 70s, including The Munsters, I Dream of Jeannie and of course, most fondly as Uncle Arthur in some of the most memorable episodes of Bewitched.

Yeah, i had the same thought, what about his work on Broadway AND the fact that Hollywood Squares was viewed by Presidents and Kings, and mostly to hear his replies which were the main reason to tune in.