Ancient Diva Carol Channing Disses Her Fan Base (Gays)

[ruggerson]

On the lighter side of the news:

You know what the Bible says

Broadway legend Carol Channing
shares some startling views about her gay fans

by Kaizaad Kotwal

This was not the story I thought I would write. This wasn’t the interview I was expecting.

When I heard that Broadway legend Carol Channing was coming to Springfield with her one-woman show, I was excited at the opportunity to see this long-lasting performer and to possibly interview her about her legendary life and iconic work.

The 85-year-old chanteuse has a large gay following, and has done events with the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus and West Hollywood Pride Day. She has praised her gay audience in the past.

“Gay people are my favorites,” Channing told the Windy City Times last year. “Gay people just know people that are talented. They just know. I’m their queen!”

(more)

http://www.gaypeopleschronicle.com/stories06/november/1110067.htm

[saracat]

1. Wow! I find this very hard to believe. Is she senile?

I met her onece and she is a frined of a gay friend of mine and I have NEVER gotten this impression. Something is very wrong here.

[ruggerson]

4. My first thought

was that she may be suffering from sort of senility. But then again, she never made much sense when she was younger either. :)

[Puglover]

2. How very very weird.

She is 85. Her comments sound as if they are coming from an older person.

Actually, who cares? I never could stand her. :evilgrin:

[Zambero]

3. Good-bye Dolly!

Or good-bye fan base I should say. Yikes, this makes me sort of concerned about what state my brain cells might be at age 85, if I make it that far! Is there a critical mass in functional brain cells, below which point a previously sensible person starts acting like a Republican?

[saracat]

7. I do have to wonder if her remarks are being quoted quite accurately? No one seems

to question that aspect.

[Mabus]

5. and her comments about race?

KK: As revealed in your biography “Just Lucky I Guess,” you found out later in life that your father was of African-American origins. Did you ever feel betrayed that you weren’t told that right from the start?

CC: No. I didn’t even know it would matter, that reporters would ask questions. (It did) not change my relationship with him at all. But I did finally realize why I sang so well, why I danced do well. Everyone’s race is something to be proud of. I’m terribly proud of it. I was very close to him and loved him dearly. He was the kindest, most spiritually minded person I knew.

I wonder if this has to do with the ideas of her latest husband?

[teenagebambam]

6. Me and my partner

can't stand her. She scares the beejeesus out of us, with her giant puppet eyes.

[Imagine My Surprise]

8. Well, she's an aging Christian Scientist...

and she doesn't "need" her gay base anymore. Christian Science is not inherently homophobic, though they tend to be staunch (and oddly never sick.)

[saracat]

9. These remarks "were" misquoted!

http://bigcelebritynews.com/gay-gay-gay/carol-channing-speaks/


Carol Channing Speaks!


The actress’ publicist issued a statement in regards to this controversy.

Read it….after the jump!



It’s a sad statement on our community when they so quickly choose to
believe bad things about people without checking the facts. Especially
when they are about individuals to whom we have received nothing but
support over the years. In this case the less than accurate interview
done with Carol Channing comprised of a series of half quotes and
twisted statements.

The reporter misquoted Tim Rowe and me and clearly misquoted Carol.
Feel free to call me if you want 323-xxx-xxxx or call Tim Rowe the
event director at 937-xxx-xxxx.

He says he is quoting from a transcript which he doesnt have. He was
asking questions of Carol that were clearly traps. She initially
thought she was doing an interview with The Springfield News. I hadnt
told her I had switched the two and when the reporter started asking
questions about her gay friends, she thought it was going to be one of
those interviews where she would have to defend her friends, but when
she realized it was a gay trade, her defenses were already up and
confusion ensued.

When I spoke to the reporter afterwards he told me that Tim Rowe of the
organization producing the Springfield event, had said that because of
his interview, Carol wasn’t going to do the event. When I immediately
called Tim he said he never said anything of the sort and when Tim
spoke to reporter, the reporter told him equally outlandish things that
I never said. The comment about how she wasnt going to do any future
interviews is crazy, because she did two more immediately following
his. The guy was clearly trying to bash an Icon and make a name for
himself. Sadly these people with ulterior motives exist and have since
before Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper. I suppose this gentleman has
a great future at the National Enquirer.

FYI - what she actually said when asked about gay marriage was that she
wasnt necessarily pro gay marriage, because why would we want the
government involved in our business and most of her gay friends were in
agreement - this include myself. She thought civil unions and civil
rights were more important, but “if this is what gay men really want
then its their business and I dont care, they can take care of
themselves.”

With reference to the Bible - she said about gay marriage “You know
what the Bible says about it … Nothing.” The interviewer failed to
add that last comment in the quote to the interview.

Her history of support speaks for its self. As a gay man myself, who
has worked for her for years, she has supported my 7 year relationship
from the beginning and of her other gay friends and colleagues agree.
For example, longtime friend, Mr. Blackwell, says that she was one of
the first to be there for he and his partner Spencer and continues to
be for what will soon be their 58th anniversary.

Original post by Perez

Written by on November 13th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Gay Gay Gay.

/bigcelebritynews.com/gay-gay-gay/carol-channing-speaks/

[Puglover]

11. Gosh I wonder

Just what the interviewers "ulterior motives" were?

[Ian David]

12. It looks like you're right... she WAS misquoted. n/t

[ruggerson]

13. Hard to say who's telling the truth and who's trying to cover for her

the original reporter has this as the transcript:

KK: You seem to have a very large gay following. Have you ever thought about why?

CC: I don’t think about them. I’m grateful that they seem to like me. They’re terribly loyal to me. But I’m knee-deep in the Bible and you know what it says about that.

KK: Alright.

CC: Oh, dear. Is this for a gay publication? Have I offended you?

KK: Yes. For the Gay People’s Chronicle. Right now, it’s really not my job to be offended or not be offended. I am just asking questions and reporting answers. I read that you have fought for gay rights. Do you think that the things gay people are fighting for are important?

CC: I don’t think about it. If they can’t take care of their own problems, why should I bother. It’s not my problem.

KK: I see.

CC: At one time there were seven men doing me in Las Vegas. I began to wonder if I had a glandular problem. But you know that the Bible says that that’s not the way it’s supposed to be.




And it seems her p.r. agent spun into overdrive after the fact:


No more than ten minutes after I hung up with Channing after a 35 minute chat, the marketing people with the Springfield Arts Council (hosts for her November 14 show) called. They said that Channing’s people said that she had been most upset with the interview and interviewer, and was canceling all her other interviews connected to the Springfield visit.

As soon as I had hung up with the Springfield marketing office, Boll called. After discussing Channing’s confusion about the Chronicle’s identity, he noted that she had gotten into another gay media fracas a month ago over things she said about gay marriage versus civil unions.

[Ian David]

10. About 30 years ago, she tried to have my family thrown out of her show

When she was doing Lorelei on Broadway.

We had orchestra seats close to the front, and my sister (who was about 4 at the time) knew almost all the words to all the songs in the show. And she was singing along the whole time.

Channing insisted that we be removed from the theater, because it was distracting her.

The orchestra conductor intervened, however, (he thought she was cute!) and had us moved to a balcony seat, without Channing's knowledge.

[saracat]

14. As an actor /director myself I would have had your little sister removed.

It is distracting and insulting to the actor to have a child "sing along". People pay big money to see the result of many hours of hard work and the audience and the performers ought not to be subjected to the antics of a child. Sorry. And the orchestra conductor was probably just being polite. I think Ms.Channing wouldn't have cared where you sat as long as the child was quiet.Of course it would have depended on the family's reaction as well.I would have shushed my little girl or removed her myself.I would never have let her sing along the "whole time". And BTW, not only would Ms.Channing be distracted but it would interfere with the concentration of all the actors on the stage.It is not "cute"' for hardworking actors to be disrespected that way.

[Ian David]

15. You're probably right. n/t

[closeupready]

16. I don't think this is entirely fair.

She's an 85-year-old entertainer, and she was solicited for her opinion about a controversial political topic. That's kind of a weird thing to pull on her, considering everything.

[sui generis]

17. just the same the dear old withered apricot should keep her

opinion about us ass jockeys to herself in all forums, or else live with the consequences.

She's been in theatre/show biz her entire life. She has NO EXCUSE.

[closeupready]

18. Yeah, granted.

It was surprising to read that interview.

[Obamarama]

19. The old bag looks like Yoda on crystal meth or something....

I've never cared for her, but always sort of kept my big trap shut because I always THOUGHT she was probably supportive of what is probably one of her larger fan bases: gay men.

But if those are her true colors, the daft old bitch can go to hell.

[elehhhhna]

20. Two little known facts about Miss Carol: She's black, passing for white, and

her husband of several hundred years was gay. She knew it and she's claimed that the marriage was never consumated.

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_20_102/ai_93974696

She's at least 150 years old and probably a little gaga.

Just put the poor old thing on ignore already.

[tonekat]

21. I had a landlady who was her twin

Not really of course, but she looked and sounded just like her!