"It's Garry Shandling's Show": Was Garry the world's greatest comedian, bisexual, both, or neither?

I have fond memories of It's Garry Shandling's Show (1986-1990), but it's mostly nostalgia for those heady halcyon days, when I first moved to West Hollywood and everything was fresh and new: brunch at the French Quarter, buying books at the Different Light, cruising at Mugi, Sunday beer-and-soda busts at the Faultline, seeing celebrities at the gym,  and very occasionally visiting someone who had the cable network Showtime for:

This is the theme to Garry's show

The theme to Garry's show

Garry called me up and asked if I would write his theme song

I recall it as pleasant but not remarkable, one of many standup-comic-gets-a-sitcom vehicles from the era.  Garry played himself as a less-successful Seinfeld, with various job and romantic problems.  Sometimes he broke the fourth wall to comment on the situation.   

His George was the nebbish next door neighbor Pete (Michael Tucci), who had a wife and a nebbish teenage son, Grant (Scott Nemes).

His Elaine was "platonic" neighbor Nancy (Molly Cheek), who dated and eventually married Ian McFyfer (Ian Buchanan).

His Kramer was Leonard Smith (Paul Willson), the owner of his condo.

There was a steady stream of other friends and associates, including a lot of Garry's girlfriends, and a lot of celebrities playing themselves: Rob Reiner, Tom Petty, Martin Mull, Red Buttons, Chevy Chase, Norman Fell, Jeff Goldblum, Gilda Radner.

Plots were mostly about "nothing."  Garry babysits.  Garry gets a pet.  Jeff Goldblum visits.

Sometimes they were elaborately self-referential:

Grant wins a trip to Hollywood, where he goes to a taping of his own show.

Grant is accused of beating up a kid at school, but the a member of the studio audience saw what really happened, and tells the principal.

Garry and Pete had a nice gay subtext romance going on, and we all assumed that Pete's son Grant was gay.  Notice his obvious interest in Garry's basket in this shot.

 Like Seinfeld,  he had a "will they or won't they?" love interest and a dumb sidekick, cute next door neighbor  Pete (Michael Tucci).  We all assumed that Pete's teenage son Grant (Scott Nemes) was gay.

The only episode I actually recall involved Grant squashing our gay reading by getting a crush on a girl named Shelby Woo, and serenading her with a song parodying the lyrics of "Hooray for Hollywood."  That character does not appear in the IMDB cast list, so I don't know which episode it was.

After the show ended, I didn't hear anything about Garry Shandling for many years, until word of his death came in 2016.  I assumed that he moved back into stand-up obscurity.

In 2020,  the It's Garry Shandling Book appeared on Amazon.  Oh boy, a small paperback with interesting trivia about the show!  I clicked on "one-click ordering" withou investigating any further. 

More after the break

The Testament of Ann Lee: The origin of the Shakers, with a female Christ, energetic dancing, gay guys, and a lot of n*de men

Link to the n*de men

In high school I read Escape to Utopia by Everett Webber, about Icaria, New Harmony, and the many other attempts to create a perfect society that sprang up in 19th century America. They were usually founded by a reincarnated Jesus Christ, or God himself (or herself).  Most were communal, s*xually adventurous, and, at least according to Webber, wacky.

The Koreshans believed that "we live inside," on the concave surface of the cosmic egg, even after the Messiah Cyrus Teed failed to come back to life three days after his passing.

Thomas Lake Harris and the Brotherhood of the New Life worshipped Lady Pink Ears, queen of the rabbit fairies.

The Shakers practiced a radical separation of the men and women (they could never touch each other) and regulated everything (climb out of bed on the left side, with your right foot hitting the floor first).  Their energetic dance-worship drew the attention of many ghosts, iincluding Founding Fathers George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, who chatted with them and recited poetry.

Could we go back to the "never touch a woman" rule?  

I read more about the Shakers later, and visited one of the restored Shaker Villages, Sabbathday Lake in Maine.  And last night I saw The Testament of Ann Lee (2025), a sort of musical biopic about the founder of the Shakers.

Yes, it has gay interest.

Ann Lee was born in Manchester, England in 1735, and went to work in the cotton factory when she was five years old.  She had seven siblings, but she was only close to her younger brother William, who followed her everywhere.

She longed to be close to God, but didn't know how.  The rituals in the Anglican Church were meaningless.  Women were not permitted to learn to read, so she couldn't consult the Bible.  All she knew was that a barrier of some sort kept her broken, unable to experience Divine Love.

One night Ann saw her father (Willem van der Vegt) engaging in marital relations with her mother.Points for showing all of Dad's body and none of the wife's..   

 It was a sordid, bestial act; she imagined the Serpent tempting Adam in the Garden of Eden.  The next morning, when Ann called him out on his sin, he beat her.  

Years passed, and  the young adult Ann took a job as a cook in an infirmary, where she was overwhelmed by human suffering.  But she also heard about the Shaking Quakers or Shakers, a radical group that believed that God was male and female, so men and women had equal access to the Divine. 

One night she and her brother William attended a meeting.  The Shakers trembled uncontrollably as they confessed their sins to the group, and then as they were overwhelmed by the joy of God's forgiveness.  They also performed energetic, intricately-choreographed dances.  I imagine that these were not historically accurate, but they are worth the admission price.

Ann and William had found a home.

  

 She married a fellow Shaker, the blacksmith Abraham (Christopher Abbott, top photo), but was disgusted when he insisted on performing the same sordid, bestial act that she saw her father performing years ago.  

One of his apprentices loaned him a book about b*ndage and s*x games.  Maybe adding pain to the act would make it a sort of penance and ease her disgust?  But she didn't enjoy the n*de spanking.  

Ann bore four children, but they all passed away in infancy.  This proved that the act could never be holy.  

More after the break

"Luis Miguel": TV Series about the Latin Singing Sensation Doesn't Skimp on the Gay Subtexts

 

I naturally assumed that the tv series Luis Miguel was about a fictional Latin American singer, until a brief glance at Wikipedia revealed that he is real.  His songs have sold 60,000,000 copies. One album sold 320,000 copies the day of its release.  He has won multiple Emmies.  He sings at sold-out concerts at vast arenas.  And he's still alive, about 60 years old: this is an authorized biopic.

Trying to determine if he is gay, I searched on "gay" and "homosexualidad," and came up with only "Luis Miguel's songs play during a gay pride parade" and "Luis Miguel comes out" (but that was an April Fool's story).  So I'm concluding heterosexual.  But he has two brothers, Alex and Sergio. Maybe one of them is gay?  Or a friend from the past?

I watched Episode 6: "Luis goes to military school to learn discipline," hoping to see some military school hunks.

Scene 1: Holy cow, a hot naked guy for the first two minutes, rear nudity and bulges in speedos!  Sometime around 1990, Luis Miguel, here called Mickey (Diego Bonita, top photo and left),  awakens in bed with a woman and walks through his house, which is littered with sleeping people and trashed from heavy partying.  

Phone call on an old-fashioned 1990s model.  His brother Alex is in Italy, looking for their mother,who vanished years ago.  He has a lead: the whereabouts of Ridono, Mom's last known boyfriend.   

Scene 2:  In a room plastered with record albums, an angry man is yelling at Hugo (Cesar Bordon): "Did you think I would just go away?  I have proof that Micky was driving the car when it crashed into the sea!  My daughter could have died!"  Hugo agrees to a settlement, but he has to fly to Argentina for a few days.  After that?  No deal!  

Scene 3: Holy cow, more hot semi-naked Mickey, sunbathing with a girl.  You'd think someone that rich could afford a shirt.  He goes into the house.  His agent tells him about the permits and permissions he needs to film his new music video at the Military College: if he wants to set foot on a plane or a tank, he has to go through basic training.

Micky: Let's do it.

Agent: But afterwards you film the music video, then immediately start on a world tour.  If you are injured and have to cancel, we'll lose millions.  There's a lot at stake.  But Micky isn't listening; he's kissing his girl.

Scene 4:  Hugo and his staff discuss what to do about Luis, Micky's Dad, who was embezzling from the company.  Micky will get mad, but they have to do something.  They suggest an internal audit.

Scene 5:  12-year old Mickey surrounded by letters and gifts from fans.  He's exhausted from shooting a movie all day and doing concerts all night.  A younger Hugo thinks he needs a break, and goes to ask his Dad, Luis (Oscar Jaenada) 

"No way!  When I was young, I was performing twice as much!  He has the rest of his life to take it easy!  Now it's time to work!"

Hugo: "He just needs a week off!  He's 12."

Luis: "You're not his manager, or his uncle, or his friend.  You're nobody!" Apparently Hugo becomes his manager later.

Scene 6:  12-year old Mickey in a hospital bed during a scene in the movie.  Luis gives him direction: "Scream, bang things. Be loud!"  But when the filming begin, Mickey just stares into space. The actress playing his nurse doesn't know what to do.  Cut!

Scene 7:  The studio doctor, Doc (Gabriel Nuncio), tells Luis that Micky is exhausted, and needs some time off.  Cancel the show tonight. "No!  We already sold the tickets!  Give him some ephedrine!" (Whoa, the precursor drug to meth).  Doc resists: giving dangerous drugs to a child is...then Luis pulls out his checkbook.

Scene 8: Back to 1990 Micky in the office, double-taking at girls while Rene the Financial Manager try to get him to focus.  The "Aztec Top Gun" music video will be very expensive, but he doesn't care; it will be cool.

Cut to the Military College, where the gruff Commander tries to get Mickey to focus: "This isn't a game! The Military College isn't an amusement park. Tanks are not toys!"  He calls for a cadet named Tello (Jorge Antonio Guerrero, who doesn't appear nude here, but gives us a full frontal in Roma):  "Do everything he says.  One hint of insubordination, and goodbye to your music video." 

As they walk through the campus, Micky asks Tello if the nurses on the base are good in bed.  Oy vey, does he ever think of anything else?  The taciturn cadet merely says: "Training starts tomorrow at 6 am.  Be here."

Scene 9:  A giant office building.  Luis and his buddy discussing Cantinflas.  Suddenly some suits from WEA Corporate Offices arrive to investigate allegations of embezzlement.  Luis and his buddy are screwed!  They have to stop this investigation right now!   Call Rene! (Rene is the whistle-blower, you saps.)

Scene 10:  Micky dozing on the way to the Military College.  Doc, from Scene 7, apparently now his assistant, awakens him and helps him inside.   He double-takes at boys, too.  Maybe Micky is bi?  

Montage of Micky trying to run, do pushups and jumping jacks, and failing badly.  For a guy with a hot body, he's completely out of shape!  The guys buddy bond over discussions of their family.  Tello  sees his Mom only once a year, because she lives far away and he doesn't get much time off.  Awww.  Micky notes that he hasn't seen his own Mom for a long time.

Scene 11: A seamstress shop in Italy, 1982.  Marcela comes in and tells Micky's Mom that they have more costume orders.  But no more sewing tonight.  It's her birthday, and they're celebrating at the Los Angeles Club.  

Meanwhile, Luis and his buddy are discussing the rumors that his wife, ...is making costumes for a kid's band.  Gee, that's not what I expected.  The Doctor comes out and notes that the ephedrine is ready.

Meanwhile, a very frazzled-looking 12-year old Micky is doing homework.  His Mom comes in and wants to know why he's still up.  She storms into Luis's bedroom to demand to know why he's working Micky to death.  Luis: "If you care so much, why don't you give up that other job to take care of him?"

Scene 12: Mexico City, 1990. Luis tells Micky about the internal investigation.  They're screwed.  "I wanted you to find out from me," Luis says, "Not from rumors or Hugo."  

Mickey: "I'm not with Hugo, anymore, so..." SAY WHAT????  Were Micky and Hugo dating?

Luis:  "I heard that you two were arguing."

Mickey: "More heated than that.  It got hot."

Luis: "Hot enough for him to hurt you?"  Mickey doesn't answer.  Domestic abuse!

Scene 13: At the Military College, the Doctor does double-takes at the hot guys running while waiting for Mickey.  Cut to Mickey and Tallo discussing his performance in the pool.  Tallo asks "Being so famous, do you ever go out?"  Planning to ask him for a date?  Mickey: "Sure I go out.  Why not tonight?  Dinner, whatever, and the Doc will bring you home."  

Tallo hesitates -- roll call is at 7:00 am.  But they stare into each other's eyes with obvious sexual tension.  "Ok, let's do it.  Just give me five minutes to throw on something nice."

Scene 14: Tallo is expecting a restaurant, but instead Micky brings him home (shouldn't you eat before the sex?).  They stand close enough to kiss and gaze into each other's eyes, but no kiss.  Instead Micky points downstairs, where a gigantic celebrity-filled party is going on "In your honor!"  Tallo accepted the date like twenty minutes ago.  How did Micky have time to arrange all this?

They mingle, get drunk, dance, hug guys, take turns kissing a girl.  

Scene 15: The 12-year old Micky on the movie set, singing "Mom, we can't take back yesterday."   Suddenly he collapses.  

Cut to Mom and Luis discussing his collapse.  There were drugs in his system!  Luis: "I can't take care of him by myself.  If only you didn't have that other job..." Snarky, manipulative bastard!

Scene 16:  Back in 1990, Tallo wakes up in his underwear in the bathroom, and rushes out into the detritus of the party.  It's late in the morning, he missed roll call, and he can't find the Doctor to take him home!

Scene 17: Italy.  Auntie drives Micky's brother Alex (Juanpa Zurita) to Ridone's house, where his Mom is supposed to be. The lady who answers the door says that Ridone was her husband, and dumped her for...another woman!  "No, I don't know her name."

Scene 17: The Military College, with the Doctor doing double-takes at the hunks.  Since Micky completed the training, the General will allow him to film there.  

"Where is Tello?" Micky wants to know. 

 "He was suspended yesterday for missing roll call. He also missed the big exam, so he'll be out the whole year."

Micky catches up with Tello just as he's leaving, bag in hand.  Tello: Growl, growl. Micky: I'm rich and famous.  I can make things happen.  Let me help. Tello: No way, dude.  It's over.  I imagine Micky loses a lot of boyfriends that way.

Scene 18: Mickey complaining to his agent: "I'm rich and famous, I offer to fix it, and he still refuses!  What's up with that?"  Agent: "Well, you betrayed his trust by keeping him up all night. And what about Hugo?  You betrayed him even after he cancelled a trip to Argentina to stand by you."  

Scene 19:  Back in 1982, Micky's Mom at the costume shop in Italy, saying that she has to quit due to Luis's emotional blackmail.    

Scene 20:  1990 Mickey pulls some strings and gets Tello's suspension lifted.

Scene 21: Tello brings his bags back into the dorm.  Micky has left an autographed album for his mother, , and a note, "To Tello, with love."  Awww

Scene 22: Luis and his dad having dinner with a third guy.  Third Guy asks who Micky will be staying with while Luis is away.  Hugo?  This upsets Micky, and Luis yells at him.  

Phone call from Alex in Italy: "Dude, Ridone died three years ago. And his last girlfriend wasn't Mom.  They lied to us!"  The end.

Beefcake: Just Micky...sigh...but he's plenty.

Other sights: Some establishing shots.

Gay Characters: I'm sure that Micky is canonically bisexual, which seems odd if the real Luis Miguel isn't.  

Will I Continue Watching: Heck, yes.