‘Coming Out’ in Hollywood – Helping to Re-Launch Celebrities’ Careers
As seen on People.com
The acceptance of homosexuality in Hollywood has come a long way in the past decade. From Ellen Degeneres, to Lance Bass, T.R. Knight and Neil Patrick Harris, the embracing of gay celebrities by the media has worked in their favor to bolster their careers.
If proclaiming his homosexuality to the world wasn’t enough, sticking his never-before-seen son on his arms was a priceless decision of his publicists. As seen by the recent covers of Ok! magazine and US Weekly, a newborn celebrity baby picture sells. Therefore, by coupling the brief, direct headline with the money shot, Clay Aiken’s status may have jumped from the C to perhaps the B-list.
Is any publicity good publicity? I believe that coming out to the public has proven to be a positive form of public relations that has, in turn, enhanced the careers of fading stars.
Take Lance Bass from the boy-band ‘N Sync. Two years after ‘N Sync broke up, Lance Bass had practically fallen off the face of the planet. However, coming out in July 2006 on the cover of People magazine re-launched his career. From Hairspray on Broadway, to appearances in blockbluster hits including Tropic Thunder and I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, Lance’s public ‘outing’ proved to help his career.
Another case study from the past to consider is the former child doctor, Neil Patrick Harris. Known simply as NPH by his fans, Harris’ career has been a roller coaster for the past 15 years after Doogie Howser, MD was canceled. After a series of flopping films, Harris came out to the public on the cover of People magazine in November 2006. Since then he has been nominated for two Emmy Awards, a People’s Choice Award and a Teen Choice Award for his supporting role on the hit comedy How I met Your Mother. Is the sudden upturn of events a coincidence or the result of much needed publicity?
As the past has proven, coming out in Hollywood is positive publicity. Furthermore, coming out on the cover of one of America’s top weekly publications is even better. The top responsibility of Aiken’s publicist is to book as many primetime interviews and magazine covers as possible. This will ensure that Aiken’s press worthy story doesn’t fade in the light of other events.
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