Why is mommie dearest a gay classic

The following is an excerpt from the new book "With Love, Mommie Dearest: The Making of an Unintentional Camp Classic" by Hollywood historian A. Ashley Hoff, available now through Chicago Review. So what makes Mommie Dearest so campy to some people, especially gay men?

In the case of Mommie Dearest, it seems to be a combination of several things: first it's about Joan Crawford, who was already a gay super-icon in her own right. She was there, and it was kind of creepy watching this movie about her abuse knowing Christina was in the lobby.

Once again, Christina proved herself a survivor. In addition to buying the rights, Yablans agreed to pay her to write a first draft of the screenplay. I asked Hoff more about this. I took it seriously, as a horror movie and not as camp.

39 With Love Mommie

Now, a new book exploring this history is being published on May 7th. We dive into why this camp classic is a part of the LGBTQ+ cultural landscape. Even today, some reputable critics including Leonard Maltin and yours truly admire the film for its groundbreaking depiction of child abuse.

Her mother had died a year earlier at the age of approximately 73 Joan was notoriously cagey about how old she was and had left Christina and her adopted brother, Christopher, out of her will. How ‘Mommie Dearest’ Became Cult Classic and Gay Icon “It’s like Greek tragedy,” says actor Xander Berkeley of Faye Dunaway’s over-the-top performance as the celebrity mom from hell.

They did not see it as camp. To be fair, she gives a phenomenal performance! We had a nice conversation. With Love, Mommie Dearest: The Making of an Unintentional Camp Classic, by A. Ashley Hoff, details the writing and selling of Christina's book and the aftermath of its publication as well as the filming of the motion picture, whose backstage drama almost surpassed what was viewed onscreen.

Mommie Dearest has been an oft-quoted, queer audience favorite for 40 years. Thankfully, she recovered within a couple of months following risky surgery. Ashley Hoffdetails the writing and selling of Christina's book and the aftermath of its publication as well as the filming of the motion picture, whose backstage drama almost surpassed what was viewed onscreen.

Secondly, film Joan is extremely sassy, witty and has ton of great shady one liners, which is perfect material for drag queens, who have always been initiators of a lot of gay culture. Hoff has also been interviewed about numerous pop culture subjects on various talk shows and podcasts.

During a recent phone conversation with Hoff, this writer asked him when and where he first saw Mommie Dearest. So, I went out and talked to her. But she gives a truly operatic performance, which is what the director Frank Perry wanted.

I recall we both thought it was well-done, even if a few over-the-top scenes strained credibility. Christina subsequently felt compelled to write about her physically and emotionally abusive relationship with her late, Academy Award-winning mother.

And then I know some people who have watched the film hundreds of times and will always enjoy it as camp. She did so but he did not use it. Readers will learn that, shortly after her book was published, Christina was approached by producer Frank Yablans for the movie rights.

My late, beloved grandmother Phyllis was a fan of Hollywood legend Joan Crawford, and I fondly remember attending an opening weekend screening of the movie with her in September, I was a mere 14 years old at the time. She had suffered a massive stroke one month earlier and was given a one percent chance of survival.