aTypical Joe: a gay New Yorker living in the rural South

Friday, November 10, 2006

A diamond in the rough

A close friend, a chorus boy in the first Hello Dolly revival, was Carol Channing‘s personal assistant in the late eighties and early nineties.

He said she was nuts.

Apparently; now more than ever:

KK: You seem to have a very large gay following. Have you ever thought about why?

CC: I don’t think about them. I’m grateful that they seem to like me. They’re terribly loyal to me. But I’m knee-deep in the Bible and you know what it says about that.

KK: Alright.

CC: Oh, dear. Is this for a gay publication? Have I offended you?

KK: Yes. For the Gay People’s Chronicle. Right now, it’s really not my job to be offended or not be offended. I am just asking questions and reporting answers. I read that you have fought for gay rights. Do you think that the things gay people are fighting for are important?

CC: I don’t think about it. If they can’t take care of their own problems, why should I bother. It’s not my problem.

KK: I see.

CC: At one time there were seven men doing me in Las Vegas. I began to wonder if I had a glandular problem. But you know that the Bible says that that’s not the way it’s supposed to be.

I never much liked Hello Dolly, Carol Channing or her rendition of Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.