Dan Avery, one of the editors at New York's gay nightlife guide Next Magazine named Logo's The A-List as one of the worst shows of 2010, just as we did. Here's his entire blurb.
The A-List: New York (Logo)
Where to begin? The "reality" show everyone loved to hate probably cancelled out 100 "It Gets Better" videos with its cringe-worthy depictions of Reichen, Rodiney and the other vapid queens trying to impress upon viewers why they're important. (Hint, if you have to explain why you're A-list, you're probably not.)
When the quote was picked up by gay gossip maven Michael Musto. Reichen flew off the handle, and sent a rant to my old friends at Next Magazine accusing them of "bullying" for calling him and his boyfriend Rodiney Santiago (above on the left) "vapid queens." Sorry, Reichen, that's not bullying, because it only happened once and it's just an observation, not malicious name calling. Is this gonna be the real legacy of "It Gets Better," that everything someone calls a gay something they disagree with they accuse the other person of bullying?
Anyway, Reichen says, "I can't even imagine speaking this way about other human beings. That you would reduce my existence to someone who is a 'vapid queen' says more about what you don't know about me, along with the kind of person you must be."
Here's Reichen's full email:
Dear Dan,
I just read in a column distributed by Michael Musto that you were quoted in saying that the reality show that I did over the summer, "The A-List New York", was merely "vapid queens" trying to impress on everyone why we are important. You specifically mentioned myself and my boyfriend, Rodiney.
First, I don't appreciate your bullying words. You can save your "vapid queens" comment for, well, no one. I can't even imagine speaking this way about other human beings. That you would reduce my existence to someone who is a "vapid queen" says more about what you don't know about me, along with the kind of person you must be. Is this seriously how a "senior editor" at a magazine talks about people?
Second, I'd like for you to point out which scene(s) depicted me or Rodiney trying to impress upon anyone how "important" we are. Is it that you IMAGINED scenes like this? Or do you just feel less important by default? Trust me, there are no scenes where we impress any sort of thing on anyone. We aren't like that as people, on or off the screen. We are humble, caring, HUMAN BEINGS, in case you forgot to explore that side of us. We lived our summer on a TV show and had 3600 hours of filming reduced to 3 hours that you actually saw, broadcast over 10 episodes that we watched, sometimes in horror, at all that was left OUT that would have depicted us as balanced people who react accordingly to situations. That you would make a public accusation that we would ever think we are "important" or "more important" than anyone else, is ridiculous. It's ignorant.
Statements like the one you made are without grounds, damaging, and simply not true. I'm asking you to retract your destructive statements. I'm asking you to apologize for calling anyone on the show a "vapid queen". It's a disgusting, self-hating, catty, and obnoxious way to speak about people within our community, especially for people who do not deserve it.
I just celebrated the end of DADT. I had a really rewarding morning on the Gayle King show, recounting the hard work we have all done to end this policy. I'm breathing sighs of relief as I reflect on my 9 years of military service, and the 10 years after that I spent fighting the ban. You don't get to see any of that on A-List. Surprise, surprise. But as I celebrate, it's a shame that I have to tune into a highly distributed publication to find someone who couldn't possibly know the first thing about me, calling me a name like this, and accusing me of doing anything close to trying to impress my "importance". If just being ourselves, speaking at charities, having a 3 day fight in our relationship (that was turned into a whole season), and working on projects that are important to us and the people we care about make YOU feel less important, that's not our problem. It's yours. It's horrible.
Please retract your statement. If you took the time and energy to actually find out who we are as people, I can only hope that you would feel sorry for saying what you have. You'd have a million more nice things to write than the fabricated garbage I just read on Michael Musto's column. Please also apologize for your foul use of bullying language on me, Rodiney, and the rest of the cast.
Very Sincerely,
-Reichen Lehmkuhl
Gawker re-acts...Apparently Reichen thought he was going to go on a reality show (NOT Amazing Race-style) and make the world a better place. That's not how reality shows work. What reality shows want are scenes of you fighting with people because they talked about your dick size, scenes of you fighting with your boyfriend, scenes of you talking about having threeways with your boyfriend, and scenes of you flirting with other guys while your boyfriend is nearby. That's what reality shows want, and that's what they got.
MK's reaction:
From someone who has met Reichen on several occasions (including having brunch with the guy), I recently saw him this past January at The Abbey. Reichen has always been very shallow and seems to think that his looks will get him stardom and opportunity. His looks are the only great thing about him (Ranked #4 in OUTview Top viewed Beefcake). He uses his fame for political activism in a way that only gives him the attention. While he was in Seattle in 2007, he was 'Paid" to appear at a fund raiser which made little money that actually went to the charity (according to eye-witness reports). The nearly-bankrupt Charity had to close its doors 6 months later. The Charity was already on shaky ground, but Reichen's failed, costly appearance and lack of interest (He was cozy with his BF and not mingling with potential donors, SEE Photo) in the cause was the last straw.
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