A&E announced Friday that Coming Out, a one-time reality special a la Hollywood publicist Howard Bragman that will be famous people doing just what the title says – coming out of the closet. Bragman handled the cases of Chaz Bono and Meredith Baxter when they decided to publicly announce their sexual orientations. He confirmed with PRNewser that he is currently casting, and is aiming for a late 2010 airdate.
The show could turn into must-see TV. Coming out is almost never easy, which provides for plenty of drama. Having kept these secrets from everyone in their lives, for their entire lives, the celebrities will be telling everyone in their lives, in addition to hundreds of thousands of fans, only adding to the pressure.
How will they reveal the truth? What is the perfect moment? How will the people they tell react? Is there anything that a celebrity can do to avoid having this characteristic, unknown until this point, define them entirely from now on?
People still lose their jobs for being gay, like Dan Choi. Studio chiefs and music executives have millions of dollars invested in projects, and could be less willing to risk that on the unknown quantity of a gay star than a straight one. In some ways, it’s just business. In others, it’s the choice to continue publically living a lie by a celebrity.
How exactly the show will show the celebrities coming out has yet to be announced. PopWatch pondered some good possibilities: “Will the show air live, with celebrities A, B, C, and D — and I think all of us have potential candidates in mind, whether or not we’re willing to admit it — wait backstage, and one-by-one pop out from behind the curtain with a “Yep, I’m gay, too!”? Or will it be a more behind-the-scenes look, with the cameras rolling while a particular celeb grapples with the decision, plans his or her PR strategy, perhaps breaks the news to mom and dad before popping up on the cover of a celebrity magazine?”
Kudos to A&E for finding a nice way of outing a bunch of celebrities!
