My Gayest Look

On Thursday, March 20, 2008, Jay Leno welcomed as his guest on The Tonight Show the actor Ryan Phillippe, who, early in his career, played a gay character on the daily soap One Life to Live. During the interview, Leno hounded Phillippe, telling him to look into the camera, pretend it was his "gay lover…Billy Bob," who "has just ridden in shirtless from Wyoming" (still milking the Brokeback jokes), and give it his "gayest look."

The above was the inspiration for My Gayest Look, a website created by Jeff Whitty and Melissa McEwan and devoted to giving Jay Leno what he asked for. Ryan Phillippe may have been reluctant to offer his gayest look, but after watching the uncomfortable interview, more and more of us real gay folks were happy to practice our gayest looks in the mirror and then before the camera. (I'm not sure that I've perfected my gayest look ever, but the attempt is there, among the gay masses, along with Kevin's--his with an inspired touch of Crime & Punishment.) I sincerely hope Jay Leno's heart will be warmed by this big gay tribute.

Compare Jay's interview of Ryan with Ellen's; I can't imagine why Ryan seemed happier to be on her show: