Conan O’Brien flew cross-country to host his TBS talk show in New York City’s Beacon Theater this week, and topped off the East Coast festivities — and his show’s one-year anniversary — by officiating the wedding of two gay men, Scott Cronick and David Gorshein. Cronick, a costume designer, is a long-time O’Brien employee. As the two men are both Jewish, a chuppah was center stage and two glasses were broken. Bravo TV’s Andy Cohen walked Cronick down the aisle, of sorts.
The vows were beautiful.
“Anyone in the world would be happy to wear one of your designs, but no one is possibly happier than I am to wear your ring,” said Gorshein.
“I have only one vow for you. I vow to fill your every day with so much love. Cameras or no cameras, I am here today and I am yours forever,” Cronick pledged.
O’Brien said the magic words, “By the power invested in me by the state of New York,” then, his comedic wit not quite on hold, smirked and added, “and the Universal Life Church, I now pronounce you husband and husband. You can kiss the groom.”
No doubt, a good time was had by all.
Except the rabid right wing media.
Erin R. Brown at the Culture and Media Institute (CMI), Brent Bozell’s faux journalism watchdog — the same folks who ripped to shreds both J. Crew’s Jenna Lyons and Chaz Bono — summed up the right wing hysterics:
It’s unclear what’s “intimate” about having a famous comic perform a wedding in front of a theater full of people and, ultimately, millions of TV viewers, but let’s not allow reality to intrude on liberal triumph.
Some who reported on the marriage even went into detail about Universal Life Church Monastery, the source of O’Brien’s certificate. “The Universal Life Church Monastery strongly believes in the rights of all people from all faiths to practice their religious beliefs, regardless of what those beliefs are; so long as they do not infringe upon the rights of others and are within the law of the land and one’s conscience,” wrote PRWeb.com.
But outside the media, not everyone was quick to shout “Mazel Tov!” as gay marriage is still controversial this country. The Family Research Council said,”If Conan O’Brien thinks hosting a same-sex ‘wedding’ on his show will help its popularity, the joke’s on him. And in a desperate move for ratings, the host is taking advantage of the state’s new law by ‘marrying’ two of his male staffers on the program.” The Conan O’Brien camp has insisted the ceremony was not for ratings.
A comedian officiating a gay wedding (with a certificate obtained online) is a controversial event, period. Conan himself noted the “varied” reaction by playing a mash up of no fewer than 18 different news casts from across the country, all stating that “Conan O’Brien may be about to push the envelope on late night television.”
But clearly, the media’s treatment want the envelope pushed to advance a favorite liberal pet cause.
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