January 23, 2015
Video: Takei-Starred Spoof of 'My Husband's Not Gay' Beats TLC Audience Ratings
Bobby McGuire READ TIME: 2 MIN.
"My Husband's Not Gay," the controversial TLC TV reality documentary following the lives of Mormon married couples in Salt Lake City with "same-sex-attracted" husbands that drew fire in January from LGBT advocates for being "irresponsible and dangerous," has provided fodder for an hilarious video clip featuring social media maven George Takei.
In less than one day, the video spoof has already been seen by eighty percent more viewers than tuned in to watch the cable network's ratings bomb that inspired it.
"I'm George Takei, the host of the new homosexual reality show premiering on LOGO this summer -- 'My Husband's Not Straight,'" the actor turned gay activist says in the faux promo spot. "We'll follow three same-sex married couples with at twist. One of the spouses in each is a hetero."
The video is the brainchild of the creative team at The Social Edge, a Manhattan based marketing and management firm specializing in viral content, many of whom are involved with Takei's Broadway bound biographical musical "Allegiance."
"I always believe the best way to deal with idiocy is a good dose of humor. The TLC program was just asking to be spoofed," said Takei.
Following the structure of the "My Husband's Not Gay" promo spot, the parody features screen confessionals interspersed with montages of gay couples at circuit parties and trying out dance routines in place of the more wholesome activities chronicled in the TLC special.
"I know I like women," one of the straight husbands confesses. "But I choose to suck dick to be part of a community"
"We wanted to spotlight how ridiculous the premise of the TLC show really is," said Jay Kuo, the writer of the Takei spoof. "So we substituted in straight guys in gay relationships. It's preposterous of course, but no more so than gay men staying married to women."
TLC's "My Husband's Not Gay," which followed a group of Mormon men who "are happily married and attracted to their wives but also attracted to men," quickly drew fire from LGBT activists who saw the show as an endorsement of gay conversion therapy. A Change.org petition was launched and quickly garnered over 100,000 signatures in a matter of days.
"This show is downright irresponsible," GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said. "No one can change who they love, and, more importantly, no one should have to. By investing in this dangerous programming, TLC is putting countless young LGBT people in harm's way."
"My Husband's Not Gay" proved to be a bomb for TLC with a near thirty percent audience drop out rate from its lead-in show, the highly-rated "Sister Wives." The show finished an ironic 69th for the evening. With over 1.8 million views as of this writing, The Social Edge's send-up beats its source material's televised debut audience by more 800,000 thus far.