Newlywed Game To Have First Gay Couple! George Takei and Husband Brad
George Takei With Husband Brad Altman
Everyone remembers the “Newlywed Game” which was hosted by Bob Eubanks. Their first show aired way back in 1966. Who could forget Eubanks with his corny personality and dorky questions? For instance… where was the strangest place you ever made whoopee? (I always hated that word). Even dorkier by far, were the newlywed couples that were on the show.
I used to marvel at the couple’s answers. It was the kind of show you loved to watch, but the dorkiness also made you cringe.
Well the “Newlywed Game” was revamped a year ago, with a brand new host. Carnie Wilson, the new host, known for her participation in the defunk 1990’s group Wilson Phillips is getting ready for season 2. (fact :Wilson Phillip’s song Hold On was used in “Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle” )
They are jazzing things up a little this year and having a celebrity edition, which will have the likes of newlyweds Christopher Knight and Adrianne Curry, former Monkee, Davy Jones (wow!) with his better half and others.
And for the first time in Newlywed history, a gay married couple will be contestants on the show when George Takei aka Sulu of the famed Star Trek will be joined by husband Brad Altman.
Young George As Sulu On Star Trek Set
George finally came out to the world when he was 71. He married Brad last September and the couple has just shared their first one year anniversary.(Happy Anniversary guys!) But these two have been together much longer than one year…try 22 years! So they must be doing something right.
George met Brad through Front Runners, an LA based gay running club. George’s family and friends had to make some adjustments to his coming out and most were very supportive. One of his siblings wasn’t too accepting of George’s life style and he had some difficulties with his mom at first, but she eventually grew to really like Brad.
George’s Mom suffered from Alzheimer’s and he had his mother move in with them, where she spent her last four years before her death. Living with someone with Alzheimers is an extremely difficult journey and Brad was George’s rock of Gibraltar, standing right by George’s side the entire time. George referred to Brad as a saint for his role in helping him to care for his Mom. True love over comes all obstacles. Click here to read about it.
George and Brad married on Sept 14th of last year and the guest list included fellow Star Trekers, Leonard Nimoy, aka Spock, Walter Koenig, aka Anton Yelchin Chekov, who was George’s best man with Nichelle Nichols aka Uhura as the maid of honor.
Wedding Party Trekers Uhura, and Chekov with George and Brad
Fellow Trekers, the late James Montgomery Doohan aka “Scotty” and the late DeForrest Kelly aka “Bones” who passed away some time back were hopefully there in spirit.
There was another Treker who was not present at the wedding. William Shatner aka Captain Kirk, who was not invited to George’s wedding and it caused quite the riff between the two to say the least.
Apparently George was not a big fan of working with Shatner during the Star Trek years, and according to Takei, Shatner supposedly did not accept Takei’s coming out as well as the other cast members.
So I guess George snubbing Shatner sent him a big message. I was never a fan of Shatner. I always found him creepy and pompous, perhaps George felt the same way.
George even spoke at Shatner’s roast in 2005, but I think George’s insults were more on the serious side compared to the other roaster guests.
On George’s website, you can watch a fabulous video and hear George and Brad talk about their wedding, their rings, their fight against Prop 8 and they also included some actual footage from their wedding.
So back to the Newlywed Game…..
The airing of this show is such a wonderful step towards the acknowledgment of equality for gay marriages. Kudos and a big round of applause for GNS for airing this show.
The new format of the show has not strayed too far from the original format. I would imagine that some questions had to be updated due to the changing times and there are only three couples on the new show instead of four like the original. So Bob Eubanks will be very happy that the show stayed pretty true to the original.
A snippette from EOnline :
GSN is boldly going where no Newlywed Game has gone before.
Star Trek’s George Takei, he of the mean Jon Gosselin impression, and partner Brad Altman will be the first same-sex couple ever to participate in the game show when the cable net airs a celebrity edition later this season.
So anyone interested in knowing the weirdest place they’ve “made whoopee,” be sure to set your TiVos.
The couple recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of their marriage but have been together for 22 years.
Joining them in the celebrity editions of the show this year will be Dancing with the Stars pros Edyta Sliwinska and Alec Mazo; Christopher Knight and Adrianne Curry; Survivor’s Jonny Fairplay and his America’s Next Top Model wife, Michelle Deighton; and the Real Housewives of Orange County’s Lauri Waring and George Peterson.
The Takei show, which has yet to be taped with new host Carnie Wilson, is expected to air sometime in October.
Not sure why did ”E” put such emphasis on tuning in to find out where was the strangest place George and Brad made whoopee? Why? Do they think George and Brad’s answers will be any stranger than the other couples answers? Frankly, I am more interested in Davey Jone’s answer. So shame on “E” for being so square and semi-insulting to George and Brad.
I really didn’t know anything about George. I really only knew him as Sulu, and I was not a Star Trek follower. So I was curious and I dug a little.
George, had a tough life when he was young and he grew up with a lot of discrimination. In his earlier years, it was due to his Japanese nationality. He was brought up in two American internment camps also called the War Relocation Camps. Now I am not going to get into all the different names of these camps, their locations and history. If you are not aware of what these camps were all about, click here and educate yourself.
Surprisingly, George’s memories of the camp were fond memories. Something you would not expect to hear. But due to his very young age, and because he knew of nothing else, thankfully he was spared from what was really going on around him and the real reason why he was placed there. No child should ever have to endure that sort life style and live in a compound with guards and be surrounded by fences with barbed wire and be held prisoner. The mere notion of people and children in those horrid internment camps is despicable and cruel.
Now when I was reading about the internment camps, I was reminded of the modern day horror which is still sadly going on today in the US and other countries. Where is this going on in the US you may ask? There is an actual compound in California. There is slave labor being carried out in Clearwater Florida also. By whom? SCIENTOLOGY.
Scientology’s Sea Organization members live at a very similar compound in Gilman Hot Springs, California called Golden Era Productions aka Gold Base or Int Base. The Sea Orgers live within a compound with guards, razor fencing that points inwards, and are not allowed to leave.Want to see actual footage of this compound?
Have a look at this beyond creepy place on this Youtube video where you can hear the organ tone that the cult started to play on the arrival of the TWO people filming it.
Tom Cruise has been there SEVERAL times. The leader of the cult, David Miscavige, even had an apartment built there for Cruise by Sea Orgers.
The difference with Gold Base and the internment camps? Gold Base is much worse. Sea Orgers are subject to the RPF. (Rehabilitation Project Force) which is bestowed on any members who disobey in ANY way and this punishment lasts for YEARS. Someone can be put on RPF for as little as looking at someone the wrong way.
Many Sea Org members have also been disconnected from their families. Members as well as young teens are assigned to hard labor, sleep deprivation, mind control, humiliation, human trafficking, sexual abuse, beatings, forced abortions, improper medical care and the list of abuse goes on and one. Now the Florida location is not set up like a compound in the middle of the desert like Gold is, but it’s abuses are the same. And ALL members must sign a billion year contract with Scientology. No joke.
Sorry to get side tracked, but the internment camps reminded me of Scientology’s Gold Base so much, and if people are outraged by the cruelness of those internment camps, then the Sea Org should horrify you even more.
The internment camps only lasted a few years, and then the government put an end to them because it abused people’s civil rights. Then, why are they allowing Scientology to continue on with this abuse? The only reasons can be hush money and Scientology’s “religious” cloak.
The internment camps ended in 1945. And it wasn’t till 1988 when the US government finally apologized for the internment camps and offered some reparation to it’s victims. Scientology’s Sea Org members world wide have been suffering since L. Ron Hubbard created it in 1967. First Sea Org members suffered on Hubbard’s ships, and then they were brought on to land.
Gold Base was built over thirty years ago.
When will the government apologize for turning a blind eye to the suffering of Scientology’s Sea Org members and finally put an end to the entire Sea Org and all it’s abuses? So do your homework people! Speak up for those who can’t!
Ok, I got that off my chest.
Now back to George.
George is known to be a very quiet man, but he agreed to be the Grand Marshall at the 37th Annual Pride Parade in Chicago in 2006, less than a year after he came out publicly.
Congrats to George for his courage in publicly supporting gay rights. I hope to see the day where people finally realize that all people should have the same rights as any other couple. People should have the right to openly celebrate their love for one another and get married without any laws telling them who they can or can not marry. I certainly don’t want any laws telling me or my family members who they can marry. How horrible would that be? Now think of the pain and anguish for same sex couples who are told that marrying someone they love is wrong, just because they happen to be the same sex as them. The laws are idiotic and obsolete. Besides, love has nothing to do with law. Marriage is about love and commitment, plain and simple. This is 2009 people, not the dark ages.
So again, thank you “Newlywed Game” for boldly going where other networks fear to tread.
Now I know this is only a very small step in helping to see the dream of gay equality becoming a reality, but every little bit helps to break down the ignorance that so pollutes our society.
So to everyone … open your minds and your hearts. Embrace individuality.
To couples everywhere… in the words of Star Trek…
Live Long and Prosper!
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The John Gosselin comment is about a sketch he and Kathy Griffin did for the Jimmy Kimmel Show, where they portrayed the Gosselins.
Comment by delilahbrat — September 21, 2009 @ 11:39 am
Speaking of gay Star people and Scientology, I think Scientology should have called itself “Star Church.”
Like Star Wars, they could say:
“May the farce be with you.”
“Cursed be the Xenu, and his evil psychiatrists.”
Comment by Ian — September 21, 2009 @ 11:40 am
I don’t understand how this post went from George Takei (Who is AWSOME), to gay celebrities to way left field on the topic of Scientology…….. Doesn’t that seem strange to anyone?
Comment by Summer — September 21, 2009 @ 12:44 pm
“Gays are no use to society and should be quarantined.” — L. Ron Hubbard
Comment by Jim — September 21, 2009 @ 1:14 pm
Summer, maybe you didn’t read the article?
The reference to Scientology was because of the internment camps that George Takei was in as a child. I guess it only seems strange to you.
The writer says they were reminded of Gold Base when they read about the internment camps and also mentioned side tracking a bit. Did you miss those parts Summer?
The writer was obviously trying to show that it is ironic that people were so outraged by the internment camps, but yet Gold Base is a much worse camp that is able to stay under the radar today and is allowed to continue its abuses because of Scientology’s lies of being a religion. IT’S A BUSINESS.
Summer, this is your second comment complaining about Scientology references. To me that seems strange and VERY obvious. Summer you are either a scientologist yourself or a scientology sympathizer. Either one is totally dilusional.
Comment by Righteous Retrobution — September 21, 2009 @ 3:21 pm
Righteous, Summer is a well known Scilon. As for the camps, FDR did not move people there to be tortured, work 15 hour days or even be disconnected. He did believe that they needed to be relocated because some might be spies; history has correctly criticized this policy because it was done to Japanese but not Germans, Italians, Bulgarians, etc. who we were also at war with, and the error was admitted by the US Congress. Our govt. knows it’s not perfect (not to get off on another tangent). By contrast, Co$ will not admit any errors in its ways, not admit that a gay person can be talented (as Summer admits Takei is), and so on.
Comment by Jim — September 21, 2009 @ 4:38 pm
[...] Queen Related Posts:Sulu is California Dreamin About Trek To Altar With Gay PartnerGeorge Clooney Keeps [...]
Pingback by Celebrity Blog | Babelogs | Celebrity Gossip » Blog Archive » Newlywed Game To Have First Gay Couple! George Takei and Husband Brad — September 21, 2009 @ 7:57 pm
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Pingback by Celebrity-Gossip-Inside-Out.com » Blog Archive » Newlywed Game To Have First Gay Couple! George Takei and Husband Brad — September 21, 2009 @ 9:51 pm
Mr. Takei is a great guy with a good sense of humor and a class act, he was great sitting in on the first week of the the Sirius Stern show.
I don’t usually swear but F**k Prop 8 and the homophobes who voted for it. I’m a hetero and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with two people who love
each other wanting to make a commitment.
Comment by bob dobbs — September 22, 2009 @ 12:54 am
Amen Bob Dobbs!
Comment by Righteous Retrobution — September 22, 2009 @ 8:24 am
Hey! Ease up on Shatner!
Pompus he may be, but I’m quite certain he knows when he is being pompus and is intentionally doing it for comic effect.
Comment by AnonymousNow — September 22, 2009 @ 10:09 am
While I totally understand, and agree with, the anti-Scientology sentiments, I do think this article really could have done without that. We should be focusing on the positive, which is that this is a GREAT step in pro-gay rights! I hope I live to see the day where seeing a gay married couple on TV is no big deal. Welcome to the 21st Century America!
Comment by J.R. LeMar — September 22, 2009 @ 10:54 pm