The Advocate
![[advocate]](http://johnaugust.com/Assets/ryan_advocate.jpg)
Ryan and I did an interview for The Advocate about the movie, the business, and our trip to Malawi. It should be on stands now (or soon), with Ryan on the cover.
Yes, the headline reads, “Hollywood’s hottest young star runs off with his gay director.” They conveniently left off, “…to help paint an orphan center in Africa.” Ryan is straight; I’m spoken for. The innuendo is harmless, but a little tired.
Still, I’m really happy with the interview, which they didn’t edit down much. It’s worth picking up even if you wouldn’t, you know, normally buy The Advocate.
I also wrote up a sidebar article to go along with some of our Malawi pictures, which is available free online.
August 10th, 2007 at 1:42 pm
Didn’t realize that Ryan had gone with you - I suppose you didn’t mention it.
Your sidebar article was nice, and so were the photos. It’s a credit to you that you can speak powerfully about the experience without preaching and without the doe eyed wonder at the exotic that has always seemed insulting to me. Had I made the journey, the temptation to see a crude metaphor for my own life, instead of the truth of someone elses would probably be too strong.
Of course, in your little article there is a sideways maneuver to relate being an orphan in Malawi to being queer in the United States. It was poetic, but it felt slightly awkward. I wonder, did you feel a need to make that connection, because of the forum you were afforded? Or was perhaps the awkwardness simply a product of space constraints? It’s probably impolite to ask, so pretend I didn’t.
I look forward to the article and even more to the movie. I do want to ask - when do you get to be done? As an actor, the last night for a play always had such a strong sense of closure. You have distribution, picture and sound are locked, the premier is on the horizon, all creative decisions seem to have stopped, but there are still bits of promotion like this. When do you wake up in the morning, and the day gets to about something other than “The Nines”?
August 10th, 2007 at 3:53 pm
Hardly a headline worthy of a Pulizer.
August 10th, 2007 at 5:43 pm
You’re tired of innuendo? Try being a woman.
August 10th, 2007 at 6:52 pm
Going to Hawaii with Ryan Reynolds…
That’s like winning the lottery when you’re already rich.
August 10th, 2007 at 7:45 pm
You’re gay?
August 10th, 2007 at 8:59 pm
Jess (#4):
Um, Malawi. A tiny landlocked country in Africa.
Still (#5):
Yup.
August 11th, 2007 at 12:24 am
You’re not one of those hypersexual WeHo homosexuals, though.
August 11th, 2007 at 1:15 am
Wait, Ryan Reynolds is straight? Well who is this Alan Morrisette he was with for so long?
August 11th, 2007 at 3:21 am
Erik (#1):
I understand your point about reading an article focussed on children in Malawi, their orphaned status and the way they have reorganized their dynamic to resemble that of the family they no longer have, only to be led into an analogy with how the gay community does the same when confronted with rejection. On the face of it, it seems unrelated and even forced. But it’s not. For anyone who’s confronted that ostracism from their families or even the threat of it, the analogy is obvious. Deduct any mention of the word “gay” and what do you see? Loss is loss and in the wake of that, people make the best of what they have.
I don’t recall seeing comments directed to fellow readers and I don’t mean to flout convention, but I feel strongly enough about this to offer my two cents. Chances are that the readers of The Advocate will feel the same. ‘Nuff said.
August 11th, 2007 at 9:21 am
Don’t know who this Ryan guy is, and until now didn’t know who you were either, but I loved the photos on your Flickr page.
Have been to a number of places in Africa and loved it.. well except for being shot at as we took off in one place and a couple of scary mob moments in Sierra Leone and Cote d’Ivoire.
Would have loved to have gone and helped.
August 11th, 2007 at 11:50 am
As far as the whole gay community experiencing rejection goes, I’m straight and moved out to LA about two months ago and had the hardest time finding a place to stay because of my heterosexuality. All of my leads disappeared when people found out I was only “gay-friendly” and therefore probably wouldn’t be an ideal houseboy candidate.
The door swings both ways.
August 11th, 2007 at 1:03 pm
Erik (#1):
Good point, worthy of explanation. The text was written as a sidebar for the print issue of The Advocate, so that’s why there was the queer tie-in. I agree: it’s not a natural reach for the public-at-large — but it would resonate with the magazine’s readership. That’s why I included it.
August 11th, 2007 at 5:31 pm
Not only are you a talented writer, John, but you are very smart.
In your article the sharpest, most insightful moment is when you ask the reader to see the world as it is, instead of seeing their own baggage. You point out that if you put a white guy in a photograph with children, eating he becomes the father of the feast, but that easy conclusion takes credit away from a local program and gives it the Charitable Westerner. And in the next to the last paragraph you say “It’s tempting to try to equate what’s happening in Africa with the American experience, but it’s a mistake.”
But then you make direct comparisons to the queer experience. I know what the Advocate is and understand it’s a strong connection for their readers. It provides a nice way to conclude the article, and it lands with a solid call to action. In other words, it’s the exact choice I would have made as a writer. But in the light of what else you say in the article it seems a little facile, to me.
Given the space constraints, depth is not easily achieved, and yet you have done so. The conclusion is always likely to feel a little sudden and sharp.
August 11th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
I’ll admit: I’m unsure how to reconcile pointing out the fallacy of “equating the American experience” with those of the orphans, with a cheesy queer pitch immediately following. Judging from the quality of the rest of the magazine, I’m unsurprised, though.
(You’re very right. The innuendo is very tired, from both sides.)
You mention in the article that you were glad to have Ryan there. Without implying anything - Why is that?
August 13th, 2007 at 12:51 pm
Check out Perez’ blog ( http://perezhilton.com/ ). They have a picture of him and some story there at page 2 or 3, I think.
Not yours, though. None cares about screenwriters
August 26th, 2007 at 8:23 am
From a Malawian I would like to say thankyou. It pleases me to know that someone else recognizes our struggle. I have both parents but I have still been affected by AIDS, I have lost family and friends and the struggle seems endless. I love the way you describe my people. “For all its problems, Malawi is incredibly beautiful, as are its people. It’s like an island nation without an ocean.” The resilient attitude is what keeps us going. We may have nothing in terms of money/ adequate services but life goes on. I have a dream, that the cycle will not be continued. Hopefully my generation will get a wakeup call and fill the generation gap. I too will be home next summer working with FOMO. Hopefully the experience will be equally fulfilling.