Issue Number 1018 | Big Gay Following: Julia Louis-Dreyfus | Advocate.com Big Gay Following: Julia Louis-Dreyfus  |  | Advocate.com

Advocate.com health Channel
 
Big Gay Following: Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Seinfeld alum Julia Louis-Dreyfus loves bad words and gay marriage.
From The Advocate  November 4, 2008
Big Gay Following: Julia Louis-Dreyfus

The fourth season of the CBS sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine has added something borrowed and something blue to its bouquet with a lesbian wedding. The catch? Both characters are straight. Emmy-winning star Julia Louis-Dreyfus details the inspiration behind the same-sex subplot and revisits Seinfeld’s impact on gay people, even though her character, Elaine, was heterosexual. Not that there’s anything wrong with that!

The 1993 Seinfeld episode “The Outing” introduced the phrase “Not that there’s anything wrong with that” into the mainstream consciousness. Did it feel like a big deal at the time?
It did feel like a big deal. Yeah, it was groundbreaking, and from a writing point of view, it was spectacularly crafted. Somehow we were able to speak about taboo subject matters while poking fun at political correctness in a way that other shows weren’t doing at that time -- like the episode when Kramer refused to wear the AIDS ribbon.

Elaine once exclaimed, “I hate men, but I’m not a lesbian!” Looking back, though, is there any possibility that she was actually a big dyke?
No, there’s no way Elaine was a dyke. She was just a totally fucked-up heterosexual.

So it’s a total fluke that comedian Carol Leifer, on whom Elaine was partially based, now has a female life partner?
Yes, it is.

Did that revelation faze you?
No. But I have so many friends who are gay, it’s really like saying “She has blond hair.”

In the current season of The New Adventures of Old Christine your character marries Wanda Sykes’s character, who’s also straight, to prevent her from being deported. What inspired that story line?
Obviously, same-sex marriage is a hot topic these days, particularly in California, and it just seemed like a strong story line for Wanda and me to play.

By mining laughs from a sensitive issue, aren’t you running the risk of offending viewers?
There’s always potential for offending, and maybe we even will, although that’s not our goal. We do want to push the envelope because that’s the key with comedy, and that’s how you find great material. At the same time, all of us are very comfortable with and supportive of same-sex marriage. We don’t want to make fun of it. I’m all for it. I can’t imagine not being for it. That seems ludicrous.

Who’d make a better lesbian -- you or Wanda?
[Laughs] It would have to be a tie. I think we would both make wonderful lesbians. I have been hit on by women, so I guess I’ve been mistaken for a lesbian. I say, “Thanks, but no thanks!” -- just like Sarah Palin.

What’s your butchest quality?
My sailor mouth. I swear up and down.

What’s your favorite swear word?
The worst one.

Page: 1 | 2

Reader Comments

These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.

  • Name: Berta
    Date posted: 2008-10-15 6:51 PM
    Hometown: Butte

    Comment:

    There's no mention that this interviewer for the advocate forgets to mention that Julia's sitcom storyline involving same-sex marriage for immigration purposes is completely out of touch with reality. State gay marriage have NO bearing on federal immigraion. sadly - another fact of inequality ignored by mainstream media (Julia's show) and the advocate too.


  • Name: Ryan
    Date posted: 2008-10-15 2:48 AM
    Hometown: Huntington Beach, CA

    Comment:

    Am I wrong or hasn't Julia Louis-Dreyfus's costar Wanda Sykes been openly gay for the past few years? Why wasn't she interviewed for the article since they are both the subjects of the upcoming gay marriage storyline?


  • Name: barbara
    Date posted: 2008-10-13 4:32 PM
    Hometown: rhode island

    Comment:

    great interesting story, fast reading too. she is so open and honest and empathetic. bz


Back to top

Submit a comment for this story:

*Type your comment here (Required, 1000 characters max.):

*Name (Required): 

*Hometown (Required): 

*E-mail address: (Required, but will not be displayed)

Is this comment for publication? 
Yes   No

Daytime phone number: (Required for print publication only and will not be displayed)

Please enter the words you see in the box, in order and separated by a space. Doing so helps prevent automated programs from abusing this service.

  

If you would like to submit a comment for posting, please fill out the form above. 

All comments submitted via this form are subject to posting or publication. (To send a private letter to an Advocate editor or writer, please use the e-mail button at the top of the page, or use snail mail.) If you would like your comment considered for publication in The Advocate magazine, please include your full name, your city of residence, and a phone number where you can be reached during business hours so that we can confirm your identity. Your e-mail address and telephone number are strictly confidential and will not be shared or used for any purpose other than to contact you about your comment.

Comments that do not concern specific articles in The Advocate or on Advocate.com will not be posted or published. See the Contact page for sending comments for reasons other than responding to Advocate editorial and news stories.

Please note that comments sent by fax or snail mail are unlikely to be posted, although they will be considered for publication along with all letters received via e-mail or via this Web page. Comments that chiefly concern Advocate.com content will be considered for posting only on the Web site. The Advocate reserves the right to edit submitted comments for grammar, spelling, obscenities, or libel; we will, however, do our best to preserve the original comment's style and intent. Comments considered for publication in The Advocate magazine may also be edited for length.