GLAAD's Media Awards: The Saddest Showing Yet

GLAAD, an organization that began with the best of intentions and is now, in my opinion, the gay world’s biggest fundraising non-profit disaster-with donation income of more than $12 million in 2008, and, for some reason, on-hand assets of more than $11 million at the end of that year, and with staff of at least 46, none of whom, in my experience, are remotely able to return phone calls in a timely fashion to a reporter on deadline-announced its Media Awards this week. Actually the most amazing thing about their announcement about the state of media is that it includes three media contacts: one in-house and also two out-sourced PR people at pricey PR shop BWR, one in LA and one in New York. Why can’t a media organization handle the media? Anyway: and their nominees are….

1. Mad Men. The historical television show with the sad sack closeted gay guy who only has sex with guys when he’s drunk and whose character only revolves around his gayness, to the point where New York mag asked the actor: “Do you think you’ll get a story line not related to Sal being gay at some point soon?” To which he replied: “I would love that.” Don’t hold your breath pal!

2. Tom Ford’s A Single Man. The historical movie about the sad sack closeted gay guy who spends the movie trying to kill himself.

3. Everything else that had a gay character. From RuPaul’s Drag Race to Glee to One Life to Live to Lady Gaga herself, if you had some gay in you, you are nominated for an award. Because there is a big party. To which these nominees come.

Stay tuned for next year, when the revival of Boys in the Band gets nominated. Since GLAAD hosted a screening of the film version-what they consider a “cultural touchstone that still resonates today”-just last year.