I'd agree with Mary K. that there's no need to talk of a lapdog press
as if it's a thing of the past in regard to Hollywood. Though I'm not
that surprised at the lack of mention that sexual preference receives.
It simply shows how strongly ingrained the taboo is and points up how
much the press still depends on the star's good will as much as stars
depend on the press.
If a mainstream publication decided unilaterally
to "out" someone, how many star interviews would they be given?
They're not going to cut their own throats. So things are different
now and perhaps the press is somewhat less beholden, but they're
definitely not unbeholden either.
Michael Kaufmann
Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne