It’s no shock that this week’s The Hollywood Reporter cowl story on Andy Cohen would garner some consideration — in it, the Watch What Occurs Dwell host and Bravo producer spoke candidly with co-editor in chief Maer Roshan in regards to the accusations that had been swirling across the Actual Housewives franchise, from on-set sexism to racism to alcohol and drug abuse, breaking his lengthy silence in regards to the controversy.
However the a part of the interview that will garner probably the most consideration had nothing to do with any of those claims: as a substitute, it was a fairly tangential question relating to the longtime friendship between the overtly homosexual Cohen and straight rock star John Mayer, a relationship that has spurred reams of coy tales in each tabloids and the mainstream press.
“Your friendship with Mayer has been the topic of intense hypothesis,” Roshan famous. “Folks appear doubtful {that a} straight rock star can have an in depth, platonic relationship with a homosexual TV character.”
“Allow them to speculate” Cohen replied. “I truthfully love John Mayer, and he loves me. However as a result of we’re so affectionate to one another, folks don’t know what field to place that in. They assume we’re sleeping with one another, which we’re most positively not.”
That transient snippet in a 5,000-word interview shortly went viral, with dozens of reports shops, from CNN to the Day by day Mail to Yahoo Information, choosing it up. Extra surprisingly, the query caught the attention of a sure rock guitarist — Mayer himself — who was moved to write down THR the next response, which is printed right here in full:
Hello Mr. Roshan,
I learn your interview with Andy Cohen, and was intrigued by your line of questioning relating to our friendship. You posited that “your friendship with Mayer has been a topic of intense hypothesis. Folks appear doubtful {that a} straight rock star can have an in depth platonic relationship with a homosexual TV character.”
I believe that is considerably of a specious premise. First, there’s a lengthy and storied historical past of “rock stars” (not mocking, simply received’t seek advice from myself as one) befriending homosexual icons and artists.
Second, I believe that to recommend that individuals are doubtful of a friendship like mine and Andy’s is to undermine the general public’s capacity to just accept and perceive variety in all sides of tradition, be it in artwork or in actual life. I’d prefer to assume they’re subtle sufficient to see a relationship like ours with out assuming it should embrace a sexual element. That turns the idea of being homosexual into an ignorantly two-dimensional one, which I do know you already know it’s not. I don’t query that in any respect.
I like clever discourse — as I hope you’ll discover this e mail to be — however I bristle at your selectively flimsy logic meant to coax a solution, when the premise itself is so deeply flawed — and fairly presumably not even quantitatively true.
Fairly merely, if somebody is doubtful of a platonic relationship between a straight man and a homosexual man, I don’t assume that shallow a view deserves clarification by anybody with self respect, be it Andy or your publication. Reinforcing the concept that any homosexual/straight relationship wants qualification that it’s not sexual devoids everybody concerned of their dignity.
Respectfully,
John Mayer