Eldergays, tell me about Arsenio Hall

I was a bit too young for his original talk show. All I really remember was the perception that he was cooler than the "regular" talk show hosts and that he was more popular with younger audiences. And, of course, the stupid dog call thing his audience did.

I was a bit too young for his original talk show. All I really remember was the perception that he was cooler than the "regular" talk show hosts and that he was more popular with younger audiences. And, of course, the stupid dog call thing his audience did.

I was kind of struck by this 1993 interview with RuPaul. I can't imagine Leno or Carson or even Letterman acting this relaxed, mature and comfortable around an unapolgetic 6' 4" black drag queen. The homophobia was (and still is, of course) ingrained in the culture it's kind of startling to see Arsenio be so open as he fully embraces who Ru was.

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by Anonymousreply 132December 31, 2020 12:34 AM

I forgot RuPaul used to be fun...

Anyway, about Arsenio. My most vivid memory of Arsenio was his virulently homophobic reaction to the suggestion that Magic Johnson was infected with HIV through gay sex. I found him likable until that realization that he was likely a self-loathing homosexual.

by Anonymousreply 1December 25, 2020 4:07 AM

I've always found him distractingly strange-looking.

by Anonymousreply 2December 25, 2020 4:09 AM

Loved him in "Mannequin."

by Anonymousreply 3December 25, 2020 4:09 AM

I was in high school and college when he was on and the people who watched "Arsenio" tended to be hip and intelligent, and almost always liberal. People talk about everything being so polarized these days but it was polarized back then, too. And like R1 said, what was considered liberal and tolerant back then wasn't what we'd consider liberal nowadays. What's homophobic now wasn't back then, for instance.

I remember an interview with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp where they both came off as dumb as hell, just stupid people, and also very full of themselves, and we talked about it in class for a couple of days, even the professor said he was embarrassed for Arsenio for having to deal with those two.

by Anonymousreply 4December 25, 2020 4:11 AM

Didn't Jim Carrey have some kind of racist meltdown on Arsenio?

by Anonymousreply 5December 25, 2020 4:12 AM

He allegedly dated Paula Abdul. It was weird because Arsenio was on top with Coming To America and a popular talk show and then his career just died.

by Anonymousreply 6December 25, 2020 4:13 AM

When Bill Clinton came on and played sax that helped his image with the young crowd

by Anonymousreply 7December 25, 2020 4:14 AM

His show was huge. And then his career just died. I always felt he must have pissed off the wrong people

by Anonymousreply 8December 25, 2020 4:22 AM

I think he left the biz on his own, but the reasons why aren't clear. We were well into the 2000s before he started making noises about wanting a comeback.

by Anonymousreply 9December 25, 2020 4:26 AM

I remember certain moments from his show. I was a kid and my mom would watch his show sometimes. I remember when NKOTB were on, I remember when Brooke Shields was on, when Michael was on, when Madonna was on, but mostly when Vanilla Ice was on. I remember most people felt Arsenio was cold and came off bad in his interview with Vanilla Ice, and years later it appears people still feel that way.

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by Anonymousreply 10December 25, 2020 4:32 AM

Arsenio Hall added a soulful hipness to Late Night Talk that had never existed before. By the Late 80s, Carson was stale, bored & ready for retirement. Letterman mainly appealed to College pranksters & hipsters. And Leno was Middle America. They never would have invited a lot of the guests (rappers, R&B artists, supporting actors, etc) that Arsenio had on his show.

I have no idea why he walked away when he did? He could have went on for several more years. I tried watching a few episodes of his 2000s comeback and I couldn't. The magic & fun were completely gone! Even the set of his new show was dry & boring.

by Anonymousreply 11December 25, 2020 4:37 AM

I think he came back with another talk show around 2013 but he couldn't catch lightening in a bottle again

by Anonymousreply 12December 25, 2020 4:38 AM

Arsenio had a contract that supposedly prevented him from doing a late night talk show for a while. Then I think he tried two separate sitcoms, both of which got on network TV but were cancelled in first season.

His show was syndicated, he made insane amounts of money. $20 MIL per year for the last few years....If he walked away from that with $20 mil in his pocket and a mansion, he was set for life. 1990s showbiz money also went very far because there were lots of opportunities to invest in tech.

by Anonymousreply 13December 25, 2020 4:39 AM

Arsenio Hall Show hit the airwaves with a huge bang in 1989, but by 1993 it was having ratings problems for a host of reasons. It was Mr. Hall himself who simply said "It's time" and his show was ended.

Wiki page spells out things in great detail but long story short AH's show was caught between some very heavy weight late night talk show competition (Tonight Show hosted by Jay Leno, and then David Letterman's new show (after he was passed over for hosting Tonight Show). Making matters worse Jon Stewart's new show it airwaves as well.

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by Anonymousreply 14December 25, 2020 4:46 AM

R5 I think Jim was trying to pull an Andy Kaufman 🙄🙄

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by Anonymousreply 15December 25, 2020 4:47 AM

Arsenio is gay. So obvious.

by Anonymousreply 16December 25, 2020 4:52 AM

Jim Carrey is a troubled soul

by Anonymousreply 17December 25, 2020 4:54 AM

R10, in his way Arsenio was just expressing the resentment among Blacks towards Vanilla Ice at that time. They felt he was a White boy who stole their musical art form and (for a short period) became more successful than every Black rapper around.

Arsenio also was good friends with Vanilla Ice's primary competition MC Hammer, so that may also have had something to do with his rudeness/arrogance during that interview.

Poor Vanilla Ice. He really was/is a handsome, incredibly sexy guy (in a White Trash sort of way). It's a shame that he couldn't extend his success a little longer. Hip-Hop was even more fickle back then than it is now. And once violent Gangsta Rap (Snoop Dogg, Dr.Dre, 2Pac, etc) took over in 1992, most of those dancing, New Jack Swing rappers (including MC Hammer) had a hard time ever reaching the charts again.

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by Anonymousreply 18December 25, 2020 4:54 AM

He once had a young white girl singer who wore a tight yellow dress and she had a really good voice, but I've never been able to figure out who it was. I don't think she became famous. She sang near the front of the audience and maybe didn't actually do a full song on the center stage.

by Anonymousreply 19December 25, 2020 4:57 AM

Vanilla Ice was never gonna last long. His skills weren’t good enough and he only did well because he stole music from others, and was a white trash hot young white boy.

by Anonymousreply 20December 25, 2020 4:58 AM

What has surprised me is how the Wahlbergs have managed to stick around

by Anonymousreply 21December 25, 2020 4:59 AM

R19, you're not referring to Kylie Minogue are you?

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by Anonymousreply 22December 25, 2020 5:00 AM

R20

Vanilla Ice is nothing more than the poor white Florida trash he always was; lacking even the common sense of some POC "rappers" like Ice Cube, Snoop Doggy Dog, Dr. Dre and a few other "thugs" who have become multi-million or billionaires .

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by Anonymousreply 24December 25, 2020 5:05 AM

Here's the performance part of RuPaul's 1993 Arsenio Hall appearance.

One thing I always respected about Arsenio is that he DEMANDED that all his musical guests perform completely live. This was the era of the Milli Vanilli scandal and he was notorious for not allowing the performers to add any additional tracks. Everything had to be live! I think that may be the reason that Madonna almost never performed during her appearances. I seem to recall her only being interviewed.

The end result is that we got a chance to hear what acts like RuPaul actually sounded like with live musicians. I'm assuming that she usually worked Voice to Track and not with a live band. This performance was fabulous and surprisingly Ru's a competent vocalist.

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by Anonymousreply 25December 25, 2020 5:20 AM

Arsenio vs Queer Nation

Is anyone here familiar with this organization? Are they still active? Or has everything involving Gays been swallowed up by GLAAD?

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by Anonymousreply 26December 25, 2020 5:28 AM

I was surprised to find out Arsenio had a kid in 1998. I thought he was as gay as the day is long.

by Anonymousreply 27December 25, 2020 5:30 AM

Arsenio discusses Gay Rights & his Gay guests years after the confrontation at R26

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by Anonymousreply 28December 25, 2020 5:34 AM

Having a kid tells you someone's sexuality?

by Anonymousreply 29December 25, 2020 5:35 AM

Gay men who have kids don't generally get into custody and child support disputes about it with their ex girlfriends who they have to get restraining orders against, R29.

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by Anonymousreply 30December 25, 2020 5:40 AM

A messy personal life is a heterosexual trait? Who knew.

by Anonymousreply 31December 25, 2020 5:53 AM

Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!

(fist pump, fist pump, fist pump, fist pump, ...)

by Anonymousreply 32December 25, 2020 6:18 AM

What killed it was Julia Roberts doing the Woof Woof thing in Pretty Woman

by Anonymousreply 33December 25, 2020 6:26 AM

[R3], That was lookalike Meshach Taylor (Anthony on Designing Women), not Arsenio, who played Hollywood, in Mannequin.

by Anonymousreply 34December 25, 2020 8:34 AM

When Bette Midler was on Arsenio Hall's show to promote "For The Boys" in 1991, he talked about the start of her career and pretended that he didn't know what bathhouses were.

Even if he were straight, most straight people in show business were by then at least aware of bathhouses and what went on in there, thanks to the coverage of the AIDS epidemic.

He was either a complete idiot or pretending to be so ultra-straight that Bette had to explain to him what bathhouses were.

by Anonymousreply 35December 25, 2020 8:48 AM

He's gay. Had a kid with his personal manager....like Clay Aiken....but its known he's gay...

by Anonymousreply 36December 25, 2020 8:56 AM

"Gay men who have kids don't generally get into custody and child support disputes about it with their ex girlfriends who they have to get restraining orders against, [R29]."

Bitch, are you for real?

by Anonymousreply 37December 25, 2020 9:03 AM

Like others have stated, he absolutely ruled the late '80s and early '90s, and then - poof - he was gone. He seemed to peak with the Bill Clinton appearance. That was a big moment for his show, for pop culture, and for politics. It proved how big and influential his show had become. And then it wasn't.

Actually, Madonna did perform on his show r25. She sang Fever and a song with Anthony Kiedis.

He had some memorable interviews. I remember when Sinead O'Connor appeared, you could barely hear her she was so quiet. I remember Arsenio being kind of rude to Sheena Easton. I remember Sheila E. was on and describing when she toured with Diana Ross and Miss Ross was being a bitch and didn't like Sheila's wardrobe and Miss E wasn't having it with Miss Ross so she quit. Arsenio was uncomfortable and was defending Miss Ross but Miss E still wasn't having it.

by Anonymousreply 38December 25, 2020 9:07 AM

I also remember Arsenio seemed to have a feud with Jay Leno. I remember the headline on EW (I think) "I'm gonna kick Jay Leno's ass".

Of course, Team Hall here. Couldn't stand Leno.

by Anonymousreply 39December 25, 2020 9:09 AM

I loved when he visited Janet during his show, who was rehearsing for her Rhythm Nation tour at a nearby studio.

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by Anonymousreply 40December 25, 2020 9:12 AM

Arsenio essentially took over 'The Late Show' on Fox after Joan Rivers was fired in '87. Of course, there were several other guest hosts, but Arsenio was so popular that he got the show/time slot later.

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by Anonymousreply 41December 25, 2020 9:19 AM

I still don’t understand how it was a hit from ‘89 to ‘93, and then all of the sudden ratings just plummeted and it was cancelled in ‘94. Usually ratings for a popular show slowly drop in ratings over time but it was like this show dropped in ratings overnight.

The only thing I can think of is that maybe the set needed to be changed and updated to give it a fresh feel.

by Anonymousreply 42December 25, 2020 9:27 AM

R42

It's very complicated but Wiki page linked above spells things out nicely, if not in a complicated manner.

This NYT piece however gets right down to the nitty-gritty:

"His six-year contract was to expire in December. There were no negotiations to renew the deal, said a Paramount executive who spoke on condition of anonymity. Worried about declining ratings, Paramount was considering pulling the show after the May sweeps, the executive said."

Arsenio Hall was going up against Letterman and Late Night with Jay Leno; that is some stiff competition.

Adding to mix late night talk shows often benefit greatly from whatever lead in program proceeds (people lazy to change the channel, or whatever), and Arsenio Hall kept losing or couldn't find strong lead in programming. In certain markets AH's show kept getting pushed back further into late night, in particular markets where David Letterman had as part of his contract the 11:30 PM time slot.

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by Anonymousreply 43December 25, 2020 9:44 AM

[quote]Having a kid tells you someone's sexuality?

[quote]A messy personal life is a heterosexual trait? Who knew.

Not sure what you're trying here, this attempt to scold me for not being "politically correct" or whatever doesn't really jibe with the "all blacks look alike" joke you told earlier in the thread where you confused Arsenio with Meshach Taylor, or the other racist jokes you were making on multiple threads last night. You actually posted a racist slur for the Irish I'd never heard before on the John Mulaney thread, and I've been on this godforsaken board for 20 years, so that's saying something. So, uh, well done, I guess.

by Anonymousreply 44December 25, 2020 11:17 AM

He was later on The Jay Leno Show so I think they must have made up, R39. There was something like 15 or more years between the talk shows and the Jay Leno Show though.

It's weird that his career just ended, because I don't know of anyone who doesn't like Arsenio. Everyone likes Arsenio.

by Anonymousreply 45December 25, 2020 11:19 AM

[quote] I was a bit too young for his original talk show

And yet, here you are with all these details. Your the eldest of the elder gays. Own it.

by Anonymousreply 46December 25, 2020 12:04 PM

Will always remember Arsenio for a chilling interview he did with a blitzed and traumatised young Corey Haim. Corey didn’t know who or where he was, and it’s obvious Arsenio was heartbroken for the poor kid and didn’t know what to do. So sad.

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by Anonymousreply 47December 25, 2020 12:38 PM

I remember the minor kerfuffle when it was revealed that he wore eyeglass frames for fashion and not to correct his vision. “Scandals” were different in the early 90s.

Arsenio had cool guests while Dave and Johnny had Love Boat-type guests.

He hated the “I’m gonna kick Leno’s ass” headline. He was joking and the interviewer knew it yet it ended up as the headline and supported the notion among whites that blacks are violent. That headline was very upsetting to him.

He’s a proud Clevelander.

by Anonymousreply 48December 25, 2020 12:42 PM

That's terrifying r47, I couldn't watch much of it.

by Anonymousreply 49December 25, 2020 12:54 PM

The playful banter about “football” and “farting” in this interview with Fred Dryer is fun to watch. I can easily picture Fred topping him.

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by Anonymousreply 50December 25, 2020 2:05 PM

The legendary Jason interview

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by Anonymousreply 51December 25, 2020 2:14 PM

I love how he told those troublemaking queens off at R26.

by Anonymousreply 52December 25, 2020 2:15 PM

His extra long fingers fascinate me.

by Anonymousreply 53December 25, 2020 2:15 PM

In Living Color spoof - hilarious.

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by Anonymousreply 54December 25, 2020 2:18 PM

Am I misremembering it or did he once do an interview with Whitney Houston where he asked her about the time she was booed at the Soul Train Awards and referred to as Whitey Houston because of her pop albums?

by Anonymousreply 55December 25, 2020 2:24 PM

That Corey Haim interview is sad to watch. Kid seemed messed up.

by Anonymousreply 56December 25, 2020 3:24 PM

Arsenio had all the cool, young entertainers that Carson and Letterman wouldn't have. It was a very youth-oriented show. He also got all the big A Listers who didn't normally appear on talk shows. It's hard to believe now, but many big stars back then, like Tom Cruise and Madonna, didn't do many talk show appearances so on the rare occasions they did it was an EVENT.

by Anonymousreply 57December 25, 2020 4:53 PM

R56 indeed. Arsenio back-pedalled faster than Lance Armstrong when he saw Haim’s reaction to what should have been an innocuous gay joke.

By the time of that interview, Corey had been serially raped and molested by at least several different older men (we still don’t know exactly whom), at intervals for a good five or six years (abuse for him began at age eleven). Anyone else would have to get stoned to the eyeballs just to keep living with that pain, let alone go on network television as a teenager and act upbeat and functional for a youth talk show - he was stronger and more resilient than people give credit.

It speaks to how cruel and inhuman the A&E biz is, that Corey was even put in front of cameras to promote a movie in that emotional state burdened with all those demons. There was no-one looking after or looking out for that kid, not even his parents.

It was actually Corey’s birthday a couple of days ago; had he lived, he would have turned forty-nine years old. I always spare a passing fond thought for him this time of year, as I was a big fan growing up.

by Anonymousreply 58December 25, 2020 5:39 PM

Aresenio's show not only had Hip Hop and young New Jack R&B artists but he had young black comedians and actors like Martin Lawrence, Wesley Snipes and Will Smith the shows like The Tonight Show and Letterman wouldn't dream of having. It ushered in the "Urban Contemporary" entertainment of the 90s.

by Anonymousreply 59December 25, 2020 5:40 PM

Arsenio is a DL queen, but was openly homophobic. Madonna killed him when she said she had heard that Arsenio was dropping Eddie Murphy's pants in an interview on his show. He was mortified and was like - why did you say that?

His show was hip and he had a wide array of stars. It was refreshing - a stark contrast to the old white people talk shows.

However, the real reason his show went into decline is that he, right or wrong, started using his show as a platform for black-only actors and musical guests. I remember when it became so slanted - and a lot of 2nd and 3rd tier performers, not people you gave a shit about.

It went from being everyone's show to being black and hip-hop. It was noticeable. Surely I'm not the only person who noticed this?

by Anonymousreply 60December 25, 2020 5:50 PM

No, r22, this girl could actually sing.

by Anonymousreply 61December 25, 2020 5:58 PM

Back in the day, most people believed Hall was canceled because he gave his entire show to a fawning, even groveling interview with the gay-hating, Jew-hating, white-hating Louis Farrakhan, because it was extremely controversial--not just having Farrakhan on his show, because F had been on other shows withoutn controversy. But because Hall crawled and cooed and worshiped. I saw part of this show and remember vividly how disgusting it was.

Nowadays, no one would even mention it, no doubt. But back then this was huge, angry news, and Hall was off the air in three months. He has tried several comebacks, but nothing has taken.

Whether or not Hall was in fact dropped because of the Farrakhan show is unknown. Maybe that was the cause or maybe not. No one who is talking seems to know for certain, and Hall apparently doesn't bring it up.

I checked Wikipedia just out of curiosity, and found that none of this is in the article, which is ridiculous and stupid considering how big a scandal it was in its time.

by Anonymousreply 62December 25, 2020 6:09 PM

R62, R60 here. That was just part of the last season. Like I said, the show became more serious and black activism - he also had Sistah Souldjah on and others.

It's one thing to have it sprinkled in, but he went in hardcore that season. It was no longer light entertainment for everyone.

He was also more serious as a host as well.

by Anonymousreply 63December 25, 2020 6:50 PM

And? R63

White hosts have almost all white guests. Why can’t he have more black guests?

by Anonymousreply 64December 25, 2020 8:15 PM

R64 - he can do what he wants, but when you change your show and shift to a smaller focus, then don't be surprised that your ratings go down. And he was #1 for a couple of years.

by Anonymousreply 65December 25, 2020 8:21 PM

[quote]but he couldn't catch lightening in a bottle

Oh, dear.

[quote]He could have went on

And again.

by Anonymousreply 66December 25, 2020 8:34 PM

Maybe Arsenio dropped out for a while by choice. He certainly had enough cash. It's a lot of pressure and also what about stalkers etc. Maybe he decided to lay low. Maybe he had a drug addiction. Unless he tells we'll never know.

by Anonymousreply 67December 25, 2020 8:45 PM

R47 Are you joking? He was a piece of shit to Corey in that interview, especially when he said, “Looks like you gonna make love to the brotha in the second row!” Even in the comments section under the video people talk about what a prick he was to Corey in that interview. And honestly, it wasn’t that bad of and interview for Corey considering he had just turned 17.

by Anonymousreply 68December 25, 2020 11:13 PM

One of the guys who was part of Queer Nation said in a mid 1990s interview that Hall ambushed them. They had discussed Hall having people like Andrew Dice Clay on he show and they came up with the plan to have QN protest in the audience and Hall would open a debate. Instead Arsenio attacked them and had the audience turn against them as if they were villains. That's why the lead guy for QN looks so surprised in the confrontation, because it did not go the way Hall said it would.

by Anonymousreply 69December 25, 2020 11:24 PM

Sinead, as always, knew what time it was.

She just got caught saying the quiet part out loud.

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by Anonymousreply 70December 25, 2020 11:29 PM

One of the few times he actually showed respect to someone who deserved it (and needed it).

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by Anonymousreply 71December 25, 2020 11:31 PM

R69, so you're saying that Queer Nation staged this "protest" with the complete cooperation of Arsenio Hall and his producers. And instead of the friendly debate they were promised, they were instead attacked by Arsenio & his audience?

On one hand your claim is believable, because Arsenio seemed to be too prepared & confrontational for someone who's getting ambushed

On the other hand it makes no sense at all. If QN had access to Arsenio and his producers, why was a protest necessary? Why couldn't they just have a discussion off air?

by Anonymousreply 72December 25, 2020 11:44 PM

I believe R69 - Arsenio uses any chance he can to deflect the gay rumors away from him. If he had stood by Queer Nation, all of the existing rumors would have lit up again.

He's been linked with exactly ZERO women. Plus, he just acts like a full-on queen.

by Anonymousreply 73December 26, 2020 1:46 AM

*sigh* R73, supposedly he dated Paula Abdul in 1988.........LOL

by Anonymousreply 74December 26, 2020 1:53 AM

And Emma Sams (is that her name? The one from Dynasty)

by Anonymousreply 75December 26, 2020 2:35 AM

R60: Why did Madonna say that? You think that's an ok thing to say to the host of a show you're on? And if you call her out on it, you're homophobic? Did he seem homophobic on that Rupaul interview in OP's link?

by Anonymousreply 76December 26, 2020 2:43 AM

R76, Madge was always saying inappropriate, homophobic shit. Remember on "Truth Or Dare" she outed / embarrassed that male dancer of hers, who obviously was struggling to come to grips with his sexuality.

by Anonymousreply 77December 26, 2020 2:50 AM

He gave one hell of a finger bang.

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by Anonymousreply 78December 26, 2020 3:06 AM

r71 Phyllis Hyman was a tremendous talent and deserved so much more than what she got. LOVED her.

by Anonymousreply 79December 26, 2020 3:19 AM

Surprised NBC still has these up on their site. How did Rob Lowe escape #cancellation over this?

Even so, it reminded me how obnoxious the show became. He literally tried way too hard. The real Arsenio show was just as cringe inducing.

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by Anonymousreply 80December 26, 2020 4:20 AM

Really enjoying this thread. Thanks, OP.

I always thought it was just me who thought it odd that his show was gone within five years when it was so huge the first few years. It's always been a mystery to me.

by Anonymousreply 81December 26, 2020 4:37 AM

r66

To catch lightning in a bottle means to accomplish a nearly impossible task, to trap something elusive or fleeting. This is usually but not always in reference to something creative. Often, the term is used to explain the difficulty of accomplishing something, in the simile like trying to catch lightning in a bottle.

by Anonymousreply 82December 26, 2020 5:12 AM

Madonna said the comment to Arsenio because he asked if she was dating Sandra Bernhard. She said no, it's not true - that's just a rumor. And he persisted and she said - well I heard you're dropping Eddie Murphy's pants!

by Anonymousreply 83December 26, 2020 6:06 AM

r82 There is no expression "catching LIGHTENING in a bottle."

by Anonymousreply 84December 26, 2020 6:40 AM

R84 Here's some "lightening in a bottle" for you.

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by Anonymousreply 85December 26, 2020 6:50 AM

We all know the poster meant "lightning," we could all understand what he meant. You fucking grammar nazi prisspots are beyond tedious. If you're so obsessed with minor spelling errors, you need to stay the fuck off of internet forums.

by Anonymousreply 86December 26, 2020 7:02 AM

[quote] lacking even the common sense of some POC "rappers" like Ice Cube, Snoop Doggy Dog, Dr. Dre and a few other "thugs" who have become multi-million or billionaires .

“Some people of color rappers”

You really CAN just say ‘black’, you know. They’re all black people you mentioned. It’s not a sinful word, to them or anyone else.

by Anonymousreply 87December 26, 2020 7:10 AM

All I remember about Arsenio is how he figured in this one bit Roseanne Barr did circa 1990 in her HBO special, where at the end she railed against Hall, calling him something like an “Eddie Murphy triangle-headed motherfucker.” I really liked that special, thought it was the absolute height of comedy—but then I was like 11 years-old.

by Anonymousreply 88December 26, 2020 7:12 AM

That Arsenio Show set design sure makes me feel nostalgic though.

by Anonymousreply 90December 26, 2020 10:47 AM

I used to stay up late to watch Arsenio as a tween.

by Anonymousreply 91December 26, 2020 10:53 AM

I recall that during an interview with the always wacky Kirstie Alley, they got into a cake fight. Johnny, Jay, and Dave would never.

by Anonymousreply 92December 26, 2020 1:50 PM

R72 the leader of that chapter of QN had confronted Hall outside the studio a week earlier about him having comedians on doing anti-gay jokes. Apparently Hall was open to discussing this and came up with the idea himself to have QN protest in the audience.

They showed up wearing QN shirts and had a banner. How else could they have made it into the audience with those things without raising suspicion or a curious eye?

Instead Hall used it as a chance to trash Leno and Letterman and make himself the victim.

Even today he blames gay people for "attacking" him and presents himself as the most gay friendly person in show business. He further blames us for "now knowing ourselves" in that we didn't know who was gay. How could we when so many celebs were closeted then and still are today?

I had the interview bookmarked years ago but have since lost the link and have not been able to find the interview. It was with the old Frontiers magazine.

by Anonymousreply 93December 26, 2020 1:52 PM

I remember Arsenio saying "I'm not homophobic, I had Elton John on the show and I have gay friends" and it was ridiculous, but a lot of people accepted that kind of "logic" back then. Groups like Queer Nation were seen as evil outcasts, "extremists" who shouldn't have rocked the boat.

The whole thing happened because Andrew Dice Clay was on that night, something that gets lost in the discussion of the incident these days. Everyone says QN was being petty and stupid because they think they showed up randomly, but they didn't, they were there specifically for Clay.

There's some good info in this thread from earlier this year, though also quite a bit of the "Queer Nation was tacky and inappropriate, and gays are all bigots" kind of trolling you have to wade through.

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by Anonymousreply 94December 26, 2020 2:06 PM

This is SLIGHTLY before my time as a Millennial, but my Mom always said Arsenio got canceled because of the Jay Leno comment, and that the powers that be didn’t like that statement.

Reading this thread through sounds like a combination of all of the above.

Higher Ups frustrated with the Jay Leno comment.

Drop in Ratings. Sometimes people just get over the hype.

Farrakhan appearance. I’m actually NOT surprised you can’t find information on this drama, I am certain there WAS much to do.

My favorite part of the RuPaul interview is at the top when Ru calls him out “I’ve seen you in drag!!” Cue, the photo!

by Anonymousreply 95December 26, 2020 2:13 PM

QN was also angry about a joke Hall made about pride parades and he tried to pass it off as making fun of people who were afraid of them. All in all Hall set up QN to promote himself, trash other talk show hosts and make QN out to be villains.

by Anonymousreply 96December 26, 2020 2:16 PM

There are a ton of articles from 1994 still out there about Farrakhan appearing on Arsenio, you can tell people were really angered by it.

On top of that was the now-forgotten sexual harassment claims where one of Arsenio's writers made up a fake skit about butts to get men to drop trou for him in auditions.

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by Anonymousreply 97December 26, 2020 2:26 PM

Three actors said writer Lawrence Amoros fondled them as he auditioned them for a fake skit for Arsenio's show.

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by Anonymousreply 98December 26, 2020 2:28 PM

[quote]Eldergays, tell me about Arsenio Hall

It was the cool dorm at Howard.

by Anonymousreply 99December 26, 2020 3:01 PM

Enty has a new blind item abt Arsenio supposedly recently marrying hos boyfriend.

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by Anonymousreply 100December 26, 2020 6:27 PM

I remember Madonna and Arsenio discussing beds and Madonna saying Arsenio slept in a Queen, with the usual implication. He did a slow burn take and didn't have a comeback, just went onto another subject.

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by Anonymousreply 102December 26, 2020 8:40 PM

There was a blind on ACG from CDAN yesterday that said he just married his boyfriend.

[quote] Although this back in the day A list talk show host has never come out, he got married to his boyfriend last week. Arsenio Hall

by Anonymousreply 103December 26, 2020 8:46 PM

This was a really great time for black entertainment. You had the Arsenio show which was like the cool, black, edgier alternative to the Jay Lenos and Dave Lettermans of the world. You also had In Living Color which was the cool, black, urban and funnier alternative to Saturday Night Live. The late eighties and early nineties was arguably the period when black culture and entertainment became fully mainstream.

by Anonymousreply 104December 26, 2020 11:23 PM

Interesting article from the time the show was ending.

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by Anonymousreply 105December 27, 2020 10:12 AM

r54 LOL I remember this. The butt is the best part.

by Anonymousreply 106December 27, 2020 10:43 AM

Arsenio was also syndicated while Tonight Show was on a network. There was nothing on late night TV except for Tonight Show - NBC totally owned the timeslot and everyone else was just programming whatever they could get their hands on. In Chicago we got Arsenio opposite Tonight Show on CBS - I was a kid and had no idea what the difference was.

That's what's really so impressive about Letterman and years later I'm so glad he didn't get the Tonight Show. Him going to CBS changed television in a major way - suddenly another network was making a serious play for 11:30. No one's really ever managed to do it on Saturday but Letterman broke down the gates for weeknights. Arsenio and his syndicator trying to sell the show station to station were totally shut out. ABC had Nightline so there was no other place to go except Fox, except the local Fox stations made way more ad revenue with sitcom reruns that they'd already paid for and had no interest in another competing talk show especially after the Joan Rivers disaster.

I was a whitebread midwestern teenager who graduated HS the same month Carson retired and I always preferred him. I think it's hard for younger folk who weren't part of that era to understand how iconic he was and how he really related to the widest group of people possible. In Chicago we got TV an hour early so I often managed to stay up through the monologue and the comedy bit and there was something just so comforting and non-controversially friendly about Carson. He really was the immovable object in late night and once he was gone nobody ever really filled that slot. It wasn't the show, it was him. Arsenio was too black and edgy for my suburban household - that was for "other" people, not us. But he was the only person to ever really hold his own against Carson in any serious way and I think that's a cool thing.

by Anonymousreply 107December 27, 2020 11:43 AM

What he did to QN should turn every gay person against him.

by Anonymousreply 108December 27, 2020 1:06 PM

r107 in elementary/junior high during the summer I would sneak back up after my parents were asleep and watch the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and then the Charlie's Angels rerun they would play afterwards. Back then I was not into Tom Snyder but grew to appreciate him when he came back to tv in the 90's. I loved when Joan Rivers guest hosted.

by Anonymousreply 109December 27, 2020 9:00 PM

One of my all-time favourite celebrity hug pictures is this one, of Vince Neil (vocalist of Motley Crue) and Arsenio sharing a jokey embrace like they're teen girls.

Not sure of the year it was taken; from the clothes they're both wearing and the lack of makeup/cosplay silliness on Vince, guess it was around 1989-1990.

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by Anonymousreply 110December 27, 2020 9:42 PM

I’ve recently wondered why you don’t have some of the Kings of Comedy on Late Night and I think Arsenio is the answer.

Steve Harvey doesn’t need a game show, he needs a Late Nite show, although didn’t he have a talk show??

Where’s D.L. Hughley been??

Does Dave Chappelle want steady work with a low-speed??

I’ve tried Kimmel, Fallon, Colbert, Myers, Ferguson...they’re just not funny!!

Chelsea Lately was a kick and I miss it! Handler in that round table was good!!

Fire Fallon, hire Fey!!!

by Anonymousreply 111December 27, 2020 10:54 PM

Maybe Arsenio had Marfan syndrome. And didn’t he date Mary Frann?

by Anonymousreply 112December 28, 2020 12:23 AM

After Rivers was fired, they had a rotating group of hosts. Arsenio was a co-host , sort of like Ed McMahon. He was great and was promoted to host. He just took off. He also started booking rap and hip hop artists on the show so obviously, that younger audience that Rivers promised and never delivered was finally showing up. Barry Diller was already working on The Wiltern North Report as a replacement (featuring very young David Spade and Conan O'Brien) so by the time he realized what he had, it was too late. Arsenio went into syndication and was a huge hit, even something of a phenomenon if you count Bill Clinton's appearance. But it was a mistake to try to return.

by Anonymousreply 113December 28, 2020 12:37 AM

r10 I was in the audience for that interview....you should have seen it when they went to commercial.

by Anonymousreply 114December 28, 2020 12:44 AM

Two of my Arsenio memories are about young tween actors. Danny Pintauro was about 13 or so and told Arsenio he had a car in his parent's driveway waiting for his16th birthday. Arsenio said no you don't. Danny squealed "Yes I do!!" Purses flew out so far they landed in the audience. Second was Elijah Wood I think promoting his Huck Finn movie. He talked about getting some shot in his butt. He indicated he liked getting it in the butt.

One other thing. Arsenio hosted the "Star Search" revival that introduced us to David Archuleta.

by Anonymousreply 115December 28, 2020 1:17 AM

I don’t know where people are getting this “Dave Letterman interviewed Love Boat cast offs” type thing. Or that he was staid.

Dave was ALWAYS edgier (to say nothing of smarter, funnier, and more innovative) than Arsenio. The issue with Dave (in his 12:30 incarnation) is that publicists never wanted their stars to go on his show. Enough did anyway, because they knew it looked cool (and like you had a sense of humor/fun about yourself) to go on. But Dave in those days wasn’t following a script and kissing ass.

Once Hall started to do well in the ratings, stars went on there for one major reason: he was the most kiss ass interviewer ever to walk the face of the Earth. And he had this “talent” if you will of sounding deadly serious and deep while asking the most softball of questions. Celebrities ate that shit up.

He did have some seminal moments, no doubt. Clinton appearance is of course the major one. But at the end of the day he was someone of his time (who had a nice little run) and no more; he wasn’t a groundbreaker and he didn’t have the talent (as Dave did) to transcend trends and be one of the “greats.”

It’s funny if he really didn’t want that Leno quote going out there. If we were playing word association with celebrities, the absolute first thing I think of is that EW cover.

by Anonymousreply 116December 28, 2020 4:38 AM

Spill R114!

R115 I also remember that Danny interview the line about buying himself a BMW. I always wondered what happened to that car.

by Anonymousreply 117December 28, 2020 5:59 PM

[quote]Once Hall started to do well in the ratings, stars went on there for one major reason: he was the most kiss ass interviewer ever to walk the face of the Earth.[/quote]

It wasn't just that R116. Arsenio's show really had huge appeal among a younger demo. I was about 14/15 when it debuted, and it was the only nighttime talk show kinds my age were interested in and would watch no matter who the guest was. Carson/Leno was for our parents and Letterman was for our older siblings. If you wanted/needed to appeal to teens and young adults during that time, you went on Arsenio, just like you'd show up at the MTV Music Video Awards (which Arsenio not coincidentally also hosted a few times) or do a voice on The Simpsons. It was straight up fucking genius for Clinton to play sax with Arsenio's band. It set him up with first time voters not only in 1992 but 1996 as well.

by Anonymousreply 118December 28, 2020 6:10 PM

[quote]I’ve tried Kimmel, Fallon, Colbert, Myers, Ferguson...they’re just not funny!!

"Ferguson?" Try to keep up, love.

by Anonymousreply 119December 28, 2020 6:46 PM

[quote]Dave was ALWAYS edgier

Being a smug asshole makes one edgy????

by Anonymousreply 120December 30, 2020 8:21 AM

The first 4 years of Arsenio's run coincided with my college years. He was huge among my peers, all of us white. The person defending Letterman as edgier than remembered is correct; he was the only other late night host any of us watched. Leno, Carson, etc, were all stale and "old school." Letterman and Arsenio Hall were cool and funny, much more so than the hosts our parents loved. They had better guests, too; comedians and musical acts that our age group liked. Johnny Carson was fine for what he was and he had the biggest guests by far, but he was so OLD and had been on SO LONG. We were born in the early 70s, Carson had been on since before we were born.

Arsenio flamed out though, and I remember the Farrakhan interview being cited as a reason for his loss in popularity.

by Anonymousreply 121December 30, 2020 4:48 PM

I was 15 when the show premiered and I'm pretty sure I watched every episode.

The one that really stands out in my mind is when he had Nancy Kulp on as a guest on his first show. I seriously doubt Dave or Leno would have ever given airtime to someone like her, but Arsenio did.

by Anonymousreply 122December 30, 2020 6:03 PM

I loved when Chuck Connors appeared promoting his show Werewolf, a short lived but wonderful hour long horror serial that aired in the early days of Fox.

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by Anonymousreply 123December 30, 2020 6:07 PM

Kurt & Sly promoting Tango & Cash. The interview is good, but Kurt’s crotch is the star.

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by Anonymousreply 126December 30, 2020 6:10 PM

R122 That's the best he could get for his first show? Nancy Kulp?!

by Anonymousreply 127December 30, 2020 8:11 PM

I was only two years old when the show premiered, but I remember it being "Must See TV" for my family.

Did anyone watch the late-night dance show he produced called The Party Machine with Nia Peebles?

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by Anonymousreply 128December 30, 2020 8:18 PM

Now that others have mentioned it, I do recall Arsenio being a real kiss-ass. It was annoying when he would fawn over them.

Just look at his interviews with Madonna compared to Dave Letterman.

Arsenio would smile and say "But Madonna you're so nice in real life" whereas Dave wasn't putting up with her shit.

by Anonymousreply 129December 30, 2020 8:30 PM

Last week there was a Blind Item saying that while Arsenio never came out publicly, he recently married his boyfriend.

by Anonymousreply 130December 30, 2020 8:33 PM

The Coming To America 2 trailer looks promising.

by Anonymousreply 132December 31, 2020 12:34 AM

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