Billy Masters 04.03.25

"I will go to bat for them because I think they are unjustly and unfairly attacked, as they are being again in this environment and administration. And I was a recipient of a GLAAD Award, which I'm very proud of. I'm more proud of that than I am of any other award I've gotten—including the Emmy—because it means that I actually meant something to somebody. That I did something good for some community, and I appreciate that. They appreciate me, and it's vice versa."

— Joy Behar discusses her connection with the gay community.


"I'm not a pedophile, but...," five words you don't ever want to say. Hearing them from a close friend ain't much better. And yet, I knew exactly who he was going to reference—the filial equivalent of a contemporary. While that tyke is well into his 20s, it's nonetheless an indicator of the passage of time. It was only moments ago when we were the young bucks on the town. Now, we are precariously close to those anonymous men of a certain age who looked on from the end of the bar. It should be noted that none of us have seen this tyke in the flesh. Perhaps it's simply one of those photographic anomalies—captured at the right place and time. It's happened to all of us. But some people live in the right place and time. Rather than be envious, why not take a little time to enjoy the view.

Which brings us to "Mid-Century Modern", a terrible name for a series The Hollywood Reporter described thusly: "Nathan Lane and Matt Bomer Lead a Hulu Comedy That's the Edgiest Sitcom of 1987". This sums up the show better than I could—and I say that having watched all ten episodes (there is no limit what I do for you, dear readers). In some ways, the show is very old-fashioned. There are setups you see coming a mile away, and stereotypes galore. It's a formula that has withstood the test of time. The situations might have been edgy in 1987, but they are tame by today's standards. The shocking terms and "jokes" (if one can call them that) seem to have been shoehorned in to get a rise out of people—but don't seem particularly funny or even shocking. In fact, it took 18 minutes for me to laugh out loud at the first episode. And, wait a minute—was that Miss Coco Peru sitting way in the back as...dare I say, an extra? Peru herself explains. "I had 2 lines when we filmed and I was happy they got big laughs, but they also ended up cut. Perhaps jokes about jizz aren't Hulus' thing...However, because I did the work, it's in the contract that I get a guest star credit. In the hotel scene you can see me in the office.

While the cast is fine, Nathan Lane cements his status as a national treasure. He's never less than committed, even when the writing routinely lets him down (his Bunny makes Albert in "The Birdcage" look like Chuck Norris). There is a plethora of talented guest stars—including the scene-stealing Cheri Oteri, who is an MVP whenever she shows up. Richard Kind and Zane Phillips made episode five a highlight—or was it the bleached-blond extra in a tank top he may have crocheted between takes? Regardless, it was easily the best episode of the bunch. That this episode all but ignored the late Linda Lavin highlights the problem. While her character had enormous potential, it was never fully-mined. She mostly operated in a vacuum, which makes her loss less than it might have been. Had this show aired while in production, it might have been tweaked based on feedback. Having a full season drop as it did robbed them of the opportunity to grow. Is it worth watching? Yes. Will it get a second chance? Stay tuned.

Much has been written about the connection between "Mid-Century Modern" and "Will & Grace". So much so that during a recent appearance on "Good Morning America", Debra Messing was asked about the possibility of yet another reboot. "I feel like the only thing that could possibly work is if in 20, 30 years we do a 'Golden Girls' where they're all living in Boca in caftans."Someone online quickly pointed out that Messing is 56, Megan Mullalley is 66, Eric McCormack is 61 and Sean Hayes is a youthful 54. When "Golden Girls" began, Betty White and Bea Arthur were 63, while Rue McClanahan was only 51! "You're already 'Golden Girls'," quipped the online poster. It should also be added that, like Bea and Betty, there is no love lost between Messing and Mullally—which certainly hastened the reboot's demise. Who is to blame will be debated by theologians for years to come. But we do know when Messing was promoting a 2020 benefit for Project Angel Food and someone asked if Megan would appear, Deb posted the following: "Eric, Sean and I have done many many many charitable things together. Ask yourself: have you ever seen Megan do anything charitable?" And, yes, we have the receipts—on BillyMasters.com.

One of the least-inspired moments in "Mid-Century Modern" is the cast lip synching to En Vogue's "Whatta Man". This leads to a story about the funky divas themselves. They're currently working as a quartet—with replacement Rhona Bennett in the lineup instead of founding member Dawn Robinson. Then came word that Dawn is homeless and living in her car! In People magazine, she "clarified" the situation. "I want to make it clear: I am not homeless. I am temporarily choosing car life as part of my journey of healing and self-discovery." Potato/Potahto!

Here comes another "Mid-Century Modern" connection. There is an opera called "Fellow Travelers", which is based on Thomas Mallon's 2007 novel (which, of course, was turned into a miniseries starring Matt Bomer). The opera, which debuted in 2018, was slated to be part of the Washington National Opera's 2025-2026 season. Alas, the composer and librettist felt it wouldn't be a good fit given the political climate. "We have made the impossibly difficult decision that the Kennedy Center is not a place the team feels comfortable having the work presented."

Last week, the Mark Twain Prize for Comedy was presented to Conan O'Brien at the aforementioned Kennedy Center. John Mulaney kicked things off by saying, "Welcome to the Kennedy Center—or as it will be known next week, the Roy Cohn Pavilion for big, strong men." Ouch (that's what he said!). Many quipped this could be the last Mark Twain presentation—certainly one of the last we'll see on TV (last year, the awards signed a deal to telecast on Netflix). This year, the rights for The Kennedy Center Honors telecast are up for renewal with CBS—which has aired every installment since its inception. However, the ratings have always been disappointing. Throw in the possibility of the evening being hosted by El Presidente himself, and it may not be worth the trouble.

As if to underscore the changes in our government, the White House Correspondents' Association has cancelled the tradition of having a comedian at its annual dinner, which takes place on April 26th. "The WHCA board has unanimously decided we are no longer featuring a comedic performance this year. At this consequential moment for journalism, I want to ensure the focus is not on the politics of division but entirely on awarding our colleagues for their outstanding work and providing scholarship and mentorship to the next generation of journalists," said WHCA president Eugene Daniels. I hope Amber Ruffin had a "pay-or-play" contract. Since they've had comics during worse moments (wartime, attack, recession, etc.), it seems to me the focus is on censorship and fear.

Chuck's little boy, Luigi Mangione, is once again in hot water. Before his court appearance on February 21st, he requested special accommodations for his "fashion needs"—how gay is that? His needs were a carefully chosen ensemble, which included a pair of argyle socks. Inside the socks were two love notes—one to Luigi, and one addressed to someone named "Joan"—perhaps his drag name. The one to Luigi said in part, "Know there are thousands of people wishing you luck." Although the notes were discovered before giving the clothes to Mangione, he was still allowed to wear them—including the socks. So why was he sans socks in court? He felt "they did not look good". No further questions, your honor. As far as I'm concerned, case closed.

In a brief "Ask Billy" question, Henry in Baltimore asks, "Is there any update in the Sean 'Diddy' Combs case? I heard more guys have come forward."

According to new testimony, a male photographer claims he was forced to perform oral sex on Combs. "If you suck right, I'll make your career take off," said the music mogul. The photographer did indeed perform the aforementioned act to...shall we say, "completion". Combs told him to keep the "semen in his mouth like a squirrel"—which is odd because one rarely sees squirrels with a mouth full of semen, except on Fire Island and parts of San Francisco. The photographer never saw Sean again—nor did the act result in anything "taking off".

When a man diddled Diddy, it's definitely time to end yet another column. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but you can find both on www.BillyMasters.com—the site that doesn't squirrel anything away! If you have a question burning inside of you, send it along to Billy@BillyMasters.com and I promise to get back to you before we find out where Luigi is hiding his sock! Until next time, remember, one man's filth is another man's bible.