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Avenue Q writer lays into chat show host Jay Leno
Jay Leno
Accusations of homophobia after Ryan Phillipe interview
"He attached a selection of faces of gay men with injuries from homophobic attacks to illustrate what this sort of casual anti-gay joke often leads to"
Jeff Whitty, the writer behind smash hit Broadway and West End show Avenue Q, has laid into popular American chat show host Jay Leno for gay jokes he made on his show during an interview with actor Ryan Phillipe. The chat show host, during an interview about Phillipe's early role as a gay teenager on an American soap, asked the star to give him his "gayest look" much to the studio audience's amusement.
In the attack on his web site, Whitty wondered whether Leno would have asked a guest to give him their "blackest face" or their "jewiest face". He also attached a selection of faces of gay men with injuries from homophobic attacks to illustrate what this sort of casual anti-gay joke often leads to.
Whitty also revealed details of a conversation he had had with Leno the last time he had called him on homophobic remarks on the show: in the conversation Leno is revealed to be largely ignorant about gay history, referring to the Stonewall riots as "the Stonehill rebellion" and assuming all gay men know about fashion. Whitty finishes his open letter with his own personal "gayest look": a shot of him with his middle finger raised at Leno. Read the letter here.
It remains to be seen whether Whitty will now take on UK chat show hosts such as Jonathan Ross, whose casual homophobia extends to having a house band called 4 Poofs and a Piano.
