# TV & Movie Characters Who HAD to Have Been Gay, but Weren't **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 17, 2003, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436 "2003-12-17T01:11:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/121 "2003-12-20T05:30:54Z")
In ROTK, Merry and Pippin come off gayer than Sam and Frodo. And that’s sayin’ a lot. ---
**Author:** ![HDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/bb73d2/32.png) [@HDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HDS)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/122 "2003-12-20T13:15:56Z")
I can’t wait to see ROTK. I heard Sam and Frodo had a very sweet scene in it…awwww…have to re-re-re-read the Secret Diaries again. Those two are just something special. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/123 "2003-12-20T13:58:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Little Nemo \* > \*\*Dennis Finch in _Just Shoot Me_ \*\* He’s totally not gay. Just a perpetual adolescent starved for attention. I’ll tell you who _is_ gay though: Nina. What do you think she’s _really_ doing with her “friend” Binny all the time? Uh huh. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/124 "2003-12-20T22:13:55Z")
Three of the four I want to mention have been taken: Leather Tuscadero, Snagglepuss, and the Great Gazoo. But at least I’m the first to come up with Willie Wonka. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/125 "2003-12-20T23:56:20Z")
Darlene from Roseanne. Gayest woman in the world. Poor David was just a skirt. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/126 "2003-12-21T00:26:07Z")
In the _Star Wars_ novels, Face Loran and Ton Phanan. They’re not-in fact, both of them are pretty much “ladies’ men.” But the slash possibilities are ENDLESS. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/127 "2003-12-21T03:45:51Z")
John Steed from The Avengers. Come on, he even called his boss “Mother.” Corporal Agarn on F-Troop. And Wrangler Jane was all about misdirected pent-up sexual energy, just looking for the right partner. ---
**Author:** ![Nichol\_storm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Nichol\_storm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nichol_storm)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/128 "2003-12-21T09:21:25Z")
The two dads on _My Two Dads_. I mean, really. It’s obvious. ---
**Author:** ![GraceTX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c4cdca/32.png) [@GraceTX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GraceTX)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/129 "2003-12-21T15:28:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jayjay \* > \*\*Of course, looking over their aggregate cast list for this last run, it looks like they were offering lead roles to anyone famous who happened to be in the audience that night. Molly Ringwald? Joely Fisher? As Sally Bowles?! Not to mention Jon Secada (one-hit wonder Canadian singer guy, remember him?), Jon Stamos and Doogie Howser (!) as the Emcee. > > Anyway… \*\* I think John Secada is Cuban and he has a fantastic voice. BTW, I saw _Cabaret_ over Spring Break and Sally Bowles was played by Debbie Gibson and the Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser) was the emcee. It was absolutely fantastic and NPH was a very good singer and dancer. Back on topic… - Beaver - Frank from _Trading Spaces_ - That kid, Danny Pintaro, from _Who’s the Boss?_ ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/130 "2003-12-21T16:23:49Z")
OK, not really a character, but watching reruns of the Jack Benny Show, I allways wondered if he was gay. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/131 "2003-12-21T16:53:47Z")
Jack Benny was well-known for his incredible devotion to Mary Livingston. He was definitely a “should have been, but wasn’t”. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/132 "2003-12-21T17:07:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jayjay \* > \*\*Jack Benny was well-known for his incredible devotion to Mary Livingston. He was definitely a “should have been, but wasn’t”. \*\* Yeah, but Christopher Lowell is married too, what’s your point? 😃 😛 ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/133 "2003-12-21T17:17:33Z")
Heh…true enough… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/134 "2003-12-21T17:18:35Z")
Um, Danny Pintaro IS gay. Unless you mean his character on _Who’s the Boss_. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/135 "2003-12-21T17:22:24Z")
Just as an aside, Benny’s effiminacy wasn’t something nobody talked about. I wish I could remember who it was who said of Jack, “You put that man in a dress and you could take him anywhere”. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/136 "2003-12-21T17:31:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jayjay \* > \*\*Just as an aside, Benny’s effiminacy wasn’t something nobody talked about. I wish I could remember who it was who said of Jack, “You put that man in a dress and you could take him anywhere”. \*\* Wish I could help, but being only 30 I’ve only seen reruns and wasn’t around when people were still talking about Jack. Of course, you might be able to Google search the phrase. Oh hey, I just thought of someone else, although I don’t know if commercials count. There’s an add for Yellow Book (A telephone directory) where they show three people who work for “The Other Book” (clever, huh?) and one of the guys, the one who keeps saying “I told you, we’re in trouble people” seems very gay to me. Not so much the later adds, but more in the first couple of adds. Come to think of it, his character is never brought anywhere near the other two. Either he’s out on assignment, or even in the latest one the other two are sitting togeather, and his chair is off to the side. Hmmm… ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/137 "2003-12-21T17:44:44Z")
Heh…being 32, I’m no more help on the personal recollection thing than you are. I read the line somewhere and can’t remember who it was attributed to. And I did googlesearch, but it didn’t come up… ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/138 "2003-12-21T18:42:27Z")
Even Jack Benny joked about his effeminacy. On the _Tonight Show_ once in the 1970s he said to Johnny Carson, “I do everything like a woman. I walk like a woman, I talk like a woman.” Carson interjected with a smile, “I don’t think you mean _everything_.” Benny answered, “I do that like a woman too!” ---
**Author:** ![Dawne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Dawne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dawne)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/139 "2003-12-21T19:58:17Z")
Meg from Family Guy is in denial because she doesn’t want to be picked on at school any more than she is now. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436/140 "2003-12-21T20:52:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dawne \* > \*\*Meg from Family Guy is in denial because she doesn’t want to be picked on at school any more than she is now. \*\* Hmmmmm…Meg and Velma. I could see that happening. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-movie-characters-who-had-to-have-been-gay-but-werent/219436.md?page=8)