Merv Griffin dies at age 82

[Guest Wetnwildbear]

I had the pleasure of meeting Merv as a teen (dont think dirty) A cousin by marriage was his personal assistant and later became Richard Pryors first wife.

 

Merv invited the extended family to the Foutain Bleu in Miami Beach (Circa 1973???) for lunch and tennis)

 

He was a lovely host - worked the crowd - made my mother swoon and plied my father with whiskey and cigars.

 

His son Tony was HOT HOT HOT and I got a good gay look at his 15yo

 

body in the showers that kept my 13yo cock hard for weeks.

 

He sang a few songs after lunch - pulled folks out of the crowd to

 

join him and was a delightful host and very down to earth.

 

Seems like the TV Guy translatetd to real life.

 

When I encountered him years later in AC he was just as charming a

 

host - said he didnt recall the earlier meeting but was glad my family

 

had had a good time.

 

AS a kid I loved his afternoons with Tootie Fields, Jack Cater and

 

Noki, Joan Rivers when she stil had a face, Ireali Alesha Kashi,

 

Charles Nelson Reilly, Monty Rock the 3rd (Who Later was a Regular at

 

my CLub in Ft Laud along with John Wayne's son Patrick)

 

and more, those of us who remeber his early show

 

recall his second bananna Arthur Treacher -

 

"AND NOW HERE HE IS THAT DEAR BOY HIMSELF MERRRRRRRRVVVVVVYYYYYYYN."

 

Closet Queen YEAH

 

Entertainer YEAH

 

Host - Most Definitely in every sense!

 

Subjected us to Ryan Seacrest and Deny Terrio

 

- YEAH - WELL WE ALL HAVE OUR FAULTS!

 

RIP Merv - Oh what a lovely bunch of Coconuts!

[+ purplekow]

and more, those of us who remeber his early show

>

>recall his second bananna Arthur Treacher -

>

>"AND NOW HERE HE IS THAT DEAR BOY HIMSELF

>MERRRRRRRRVVVVVVYYYYYYYN."

>

>I had almost forgotten about the chain of restaurants Arthur Treacher fronted, Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips. I can vividly recall being sick beyond all measure from something called the Giant Whale meal at local Arthur Treacher's. Once Arthur died, the restaurant chain did too.

As for Merv....not a fan.

[JasonK]

It has been said many times that within Hollywood circles it was widely known that Merv Griffin took a "special interest" in young pretty boy talent, often taking them aside and paying them very well; Among others, I suspect Tom Cruise's sudden rise to fame was a direct result. Other possible candidates include Ryan Seacrest, Jerry Springer, John Travolta...

[Guest zipperzone]

Careful what you say, Jason. A post like that could end up costing you 10 million bucks.:-)

[Luv2play]

You can't libel the dead.

[Guest zipperzone]

>You can't libel the dead.

 

I didn't know that Tom Cruise was dead....

[Guest alanm]

"As for Merv....not a fan."

 

I agree.

 

The only good things about Merv was his ability to fake humility.

 

It's understable that Merv's death is big news because his name was still in the news because of his successful game shows and very public realionship with Mrs. Reagan. Additionally, many baby boomers apparently watched his day time talk show after school in the 60s and 70s. Why they bothered to watch the show is a mystery to me.

 

I doubt that many people on this site are old enough to have stayed up until 1 AM every day night while in high school to watch "The Tonight Show" with Jack Paar, like me. Jack is the real thing, like Johnny Carson.

[Guest bighugbearphx]

from Michelangelo Signorile blog "The Gist" (URL at bottom):

 

Sunday, August 12, 2007

 

Merv Griffin's Dangerous Closet

 

The Hollywood mogul Merv Griffin died at the age of 82 over the weekend after a battle with cancer, and I was amazed to see The New York Times actually discuss his sexual orientation, the palimony lawsuit and the male-on-male sexual harassment lawsuit. I'm thinking perhaps the Times editors really took it to heart when many of us criticized them after Susan Sontag's death and the obituary cover-up of her sexual orientation and her relationship with Annie Liebovitz. So far, in the the rest of the obits on Griffin (Reuters, Associated Press) I've seen nothing about his homosexuality.

 

And yet, it is very important for reasons far beyond visibility or mere gossip. Merv Griffin was an example of how dangerous the closet can be -- and how the closet and power are a combustible combination that adversely affects so many other lives. We should point to his life for GLBT youth and say, "Don't let this happen to you. Don't let your closet compromise you to the point where you are actively harming your own people, even though you have the power to do so much good."

 

Griffin never acknowledged he was gay, though it became widely known in Hollywood, even as Eva Gabor played his beard. Yet, it was nothing discussed in the media and, apparently, in many of his own circles, particularly straight political circles. Though he'd quietly led a gay life -- and had his pool parties filled with hot young men in years past, as well as a parade of boyfriends -- that was viewed as "private" information that was not discussed in mixed company. I had interviewed many gay men who'd known Griffin as gay, as well as men who told stories about how his closet had him doing horrendous things -- and how he was threatened by openly gay people.

 

First off, Griffin's closet kept him shockingly silent while he had access to the president of the United States as his own people were dying. This man was intimate with the Reagans (and Nancy Reagan in particular) during the height of the AIDS epidemic in 80s, with few treatments available and fear-mongering having gripped the media. Griffin's gay brothers -- his friends, his lovers, his people across America, around the world -- suffered and met horrific deaths. And yet, because he was closeted it is highly unlikely he ever made the connection for the Reagans (between himself and those who were suffering and dying), pointed out the government negligence, or even talked openly as a gay person. They likely knew, but it was unspoken, and that allowed all involved to just rationalize things --to say to themselves that, well, Merv, is not like those other people, and to always believe that maybe it wasn't true anyway, and that he was truly dating Eva Gabor. He also stayed silent about the epidemic in the media -- ironic since he was a man very much at the center of the media industry and in shaping communications and television in this country -- when his voice would have made a huge difference.

 

Secondly, Griffin's closet had him engaging in workplace sexual harassment, something that, as I showed in my 1993 book Queer in America, is common among closeted powerful men, who often are simply seeking outlets for sex. That was not only focused on in the Denny Terrio lawsuit against Griffin but also was something that several Hollywood gay men told me about, offering first hand experience, while I was researching Queer in America back in the early 90s and some of this (though, for legal reasons not all) is reported on in the book.

 

Finally, Griffin's closet had him firing gay men who'd actually made it up through the ranks of his own company, simply because they were openly gay. There is a story in Queer in America about a man identified as "The Mogul" who did just that. I can now reveal that The Mogul is Merv Griffin. Open homosexuality is a threat to the closeted, and powerful people in the closet like Merv Griffin will often do whatever it takes to squash those who are open and who might advocate that all among the powerful should come out.

 

Merv Griffin accomplished a lot and is, in his death, being held up as a example of a stellar Hollywood businessman. But he should also be held up as man who, like Malcolm Forbes before him, was hugely influential and powerful and yet still allowed the closet and homophobia to manipulate his life, and to cause him to do harm to his own people. That should not be forgotten.

 

Posted by Signorile at 10:01 PM

 

http://signorile2003.blogspot.com/2007/08/merv-griffins-dangerous-closet.html

[JT Brooklyn]

VDN..Thanks for the Obit...

 

After all the chit-chat is over..R.I.P. Merv..You were Entertaining!

[Guest alanm]

Good summing up of a life that could have been lived so much more productively.

[Luv2play]

He's not, and you better watch what you say!

[Rick Munroe]

"Merv Griffin died a closeted homosexual"

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070817/people_nm/griffin_dc_1

[Guest alanm]

At least Merv got the cream of the crop,A List Hollywood, at his funeral

 

"Among mourners who filled the Church of the Good Shepherd were former first lady Nancy Reagan, Pat Sajak, Vanna White, Alex Trebek, Dick Van Dyke and Griffin's son, Anthony, and his family."

 

Guess staying in the closet was worth it after all.

[+ deej]

Since the funeral was invitation-only, he probably got exactly what he wanted: good friends and people he cared about, instead of suckup business near-acquaintances whoring for the cameras.

[Guest alanm]

Or maybe the invited big name stars who appeared time after time on his TV talk show had better things to do yesterday afternoon

[+ ArVaGuy]

>

>Or maybe the invited big name stars who appeared time after

>time on his TV talk show had better things to do yesterday

>afternoon

 

A good many of them are already dead. If they were to make it to Merv's funeral that would be really big news. But then again Merv always had a knack for the big "get" from time to time. }(

[+ deej]

>Or maybe the invited big name stars who appeared time after

>time on his TV talk show had better things to do yesterday

>afternoon

 

Somehow, I suspect there would be headlines:

 

<name> SNUBS MERV

<name> BLOWS OFF FUNERAL

 

Liz Smith and Cindy Adams would be having a field day!

 

I haven't heard of a single rejection.

 

I did notice Dick Van Dyke's first public appearance in ages. And I noticed Nancy Reagan showed up. (She's one of the biggest "gets" in the country right now with another Republican runoff coming up.)

 

I also noticed Ellen DeGeneris was on the list (and showed up). Hmmm... wouldn't someone actively promoting the closet shy away from Ellen? She is, after all, a self-described "Lesbian in a pants suit speaking to a room full of Jews".

 

With all due respect, I think you're being pretty fuckin' ridiculous.

[Guest zipperzone]

If the funeral was by invitation only, I wonder who drew up the guest list? Do you think Merv did when he knew he was on borrowed time?

[+ deej]

We'll never know for sure, but I'd bet he did plan it.

 

A business enterprise like "Merv Griffin Entertainment" could make big bucks from a big, splashy "everyone-and-the-kitchen-sink" affair. Can't you just see the footage on "Access Hollywood"?

 

I'm guessing Merv wanted it small and intimate.

[Bilbo]

I don't feel like my lover or I are living on borrowed time yet. But we have had several aspects of our "celebrations of life" planned for some time already. For example, the ashes of our last cat get buried with him. The ashes of our chow get spread down the side of Pikes Peak with me. Maybe we don't have the guest list and the seating arrangements down, but that's probably not the only way a successful mogul is more organized than I am.

[ValleyDwellerNorth]

>VDN..Thanks for the Obit...

>

>After all the chit-chat is over..R.I.P. Merv..You were

>Entertaining!

 

JT,

 

If I knew this poor man's name and lifestyle was going to be dragged through the mud I would have never posted this thread. No one needed Matlock to discuss his sexuality. That was clearly obvious, therefore, I thought past the point of discussion. He is an incredible entertainer and he brought a lot of happiness into people's lives. I am sure, in his time and his circles, he couldn't "wave his flag" and get all "Rosie" in public.

 

Rest in peace indeed. He was a true gentlemen.

 

And as far as Ryan Seacrest goes, well, I am unclear as to what his talent is aside from looking like a charcater from Spongebob's underwater world.

[Guest zipperzone]

>If I knew this poor man's name and lifestyle was going to be

>dragged through the mud I would have never posted this thread.

 

I don't think we dragged him through the mud - most posts were complimentary and I don't think the mention of his sexuality detracted in any way.

 

>And as far as Ryan Seacrest goes, well, I am unclear as to

>what his talent is aside from looking like a charcater from

>Spongebob's underwater world.

 

Now thems fighting words. You just insulted my hottie

[ValleyDwellerNorth]

>>And as far as Ryan Seacrest goes, well, I am unclear as to

>>what his talent is aside from looking like a charcater from

>>Spongebob's underwater world.

>

>Now thems fighting words. You just insulted my hottie

 

Looking like a friend of Spongebob is an insult? I didn't say it was negative. You are implying it is a bad thing to look like Patrick Star.

 

 

http://www.unitedspongebob.com/patrickbio.jpg

[dfw2sfo]

Merv's friend Jerry Lewis gave an indelicate but telling quote about Merv's death saying that Merv knew about his prostate cancer and did nothing about it. I see a link between living in denial about one's sexuality and living in denial about one's health.

[Guest alanm]

I had prostate cancer at 53, at that age surgery is the usual recommendation. I mention my own case just to show that I have had experience with the disease.

 

 

At Merv's age, 70s when it was discovered, doing nothing is a viable choice. Although I seem to remember that Merv did have some form of treatment.