After weeks of indecision, ABC announced on May 12 that it would renew the Catholic-bashing sitcom "The Real O'Neals," which is loosely based on the childhood of zealously gay sex columnist Dan Savage. But then, Noah Galvin, the 22-year-old gay actor who plays the gay son, Kenny, gave an interview to New York Magazine's Vulture blog that was so rude that The Hollywood Reporter said ABC is considering its options, like reducing the number of episodes ordered for season 2.
An executive producer who spent four years getting the series on the air was "begging the network not to take action," said a source to The Reporter. Another source added: "He caused a grade-A s--- show. ABC screamed at him all afternoon."
So what did Galvin say?
First, he said that "X-Men" director Bryan Singer "likes to invite little boys over to his pool and diddle them in the f------ dark of night." This accusation was so explosive that Singer's representatives forced Vulture to remove it from the story. Child sexual abuse allegations in Hollywood are to be swept under the rug.
Second, Galvin slammed "Modern Family" star Eric Stonestreet for playing his chubby gay character, Cam, as "a caricature of a caricature of a stereotype of stereotype on 'Modern Family.' And he's a straight man in real life. And as hilarious as that character is, there's a lack of authenticity." That had to really bother the executives at ABC, who likely believe that both shows are dragging a backward America into modernity and sexual diversity.
But it's also ridiculous that "The Real O'Neals" routinely presents a "caricature of a caricature of a stereotype of (a) stereotype" of American Catholics. The mother makes pancakes in the shape of Christ, and she once put a statue of the Virgin Mary on the toilet to encourage her kids to put the seat down.
Galvin was also catty enough to attack fellow gay actor Colton Haynes, star of the CW show "Arrow," for not coming out strongly enough in his Entertainment Weekly interview (it tumbled out in the seventh paragraph). "That's not coming out. That's f------ pussy b-------."
But when asked how he could help gay youth, he sneered: "I'm still figuring out my own b-------. I've got struggles of my own. I don't have time to be your f------ soothsayer."
It was most likely either ABC executives or Galvin's agent (or both) who quickly forced Galvin to issue a fulsome apology: "The entire interview I gave to Vulture has hurt the LGBTQ community and the industry I feel truly fortunate to be a part of. My only intention was to try and empower and promote honesty, but I fully understand that comments I made were brazen and hurtful."
The LGBT magazine The Advocate reached out to Savage, but found out that he was all clammed up. "We wanted to let you know that we received your request, but Dan is not commenting at this time," said a Savage representative.
In his controversial interview, Galvin gushed about Savage, who is an executive producer on the show. "I love him a lot. He's the smartest gay man you'll ever meet in your life. He's the most articulate."
Could Savage be the unnamed executive producer who is allegedly begging ABC not to punish the show? Perhaps he's telling them Galvin's interview proved the young actor was a "caricature of a caricature of a stereotype of (a) stereotype" of a catty gay activist. He's looking more like Dan Savage every day.