Avid consumers of gossip are likely familiar with Jeannette Walls' column "The Scoop" on MSNBC.com. It runs Monday through Thursday, is five items a day, and generally consists of all "pick-ups", items that initially ran somewhere else.
But Tuesday, The Scoop delivered readers this:
Some gay fans of the original "Hairspray" movie want to leave the remake in the can.
John Travolta is starring in an update of the 1988 camp classic which is due to come out next month, and some gay leaders are calling for a boycott of the film because Travolta's religion has a tough stand on homosexuality.
"Travolta, a prominent Scientologist, has no business reprising an iconic gay role, given his [religion's] stance on gay issues," notes Kevin Naff, managing editor of the gay-oriented Washington Blade. "It's well known that Scientology rejects gays and lesbians as members and even operates reparative therapy clinics to 'cure' homosexuality."
Travolta plays mom Edna Turnblad in the flick -- a role originally played by drag queen Divine. Laments Naff: "Divine is spinning in her grave."
Thursday, two days later, Rush & Molloy, the flagship gossip column of the New York Daily News, led with the following:
John Travolta may live to regret squeezing into the house-dress of Edna Turnblad.
Gay critics are hissing at Travolta for inserting himself into the remake of 'Hairspray' because they charge that his faith, Scientology, is homophobic.
'It's well-known that Scientology has operated reparative therapy clinics to try to 'cure' gays,' says Washington Blade editor Kevin Naff, who is calling for a boycott of the movie, which opens next month.
'Scientologists are required to donate a hefty portion of their income to the church,' Naff tells us. 'So, by going to this movie, gay people are literally putting money into an organization that seeks to 'cure' them.'
Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard wrote in his 1950 best seller, 'Dianetics,' that gays were 'sexual perverts' and 'very ill physically.' In a federal lawsuit filed in 1998, ex-Scientologist Michael Pattinson claimed the church deceived him by using Travolta as an example of a satisfied member who'd gone straight. Reps for Travolta -- who has been married to Scientologist Kelly Preston for 13 years -- and the church have called Pattinson's charges 'meritless' and 'hogwash.'
Travolta's rep didn't respond to our e-mail yesterday. But John Carmichael, president of the New York branch of the Church of Scientology, told us, 'Scientology doesn't try to tell people what their sexual orientation should be. The emphasis is on helping people survive better in the world. If a person comes into Scientology and they are involved in doing anything that they consider detrimental to their survival, then they can change that compulsion.'
Naff considers the notion of remaking John Waters ' 1988 camp classic 'ridiculous. The role of Edna Turnblad was played brilliantly by Divine. I'm a huge John Waters fan, but shame on him for signing on to the casting of this film.'
The openly gay Waters wasn't available for comment yesterday, but we're sure he'll have some thoughts.
Is Naff an incredible salesman or do Rush & Molloy owe Ms. Walls an apology? You decide.