Congrats to Jonathan Bailey, who was named People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive.  It’s been noted that he is the first openly gay man to hold this title – although there are at least two non-openly gay men who have dabbled.  That aside, this honor has always troubled me.  They pick a new guy every year.  So does that mean that the previous “alive” titleholders are chopped liver?  Bailey now tops Pitt, Clooney, Idris and Jackman?  Now, there’s a visual I could get behind!  Last week, Jonathan proved he’s as beautiful on the inside as he is on the outside.  After Robert Irwin did a Wicked-inspired routine on Dancing with the Stars, Bailey sent him flowers with a note that said, “You are the shiz, Robert.  You’ve done all the Fiyeros proud.  Cheering you on from afar.  Big love.  JB.”  If that doesn’t tempt Irwin, then he must really be straight!

Did you know that Bailey had one very notable fan?  Marianne Elliott directed Jonathan in the gender-swap version of Company in the UK back in 2018.  Three days before Stephen Sondheim died, Elliott told him that she’d be directing Bailey in a revival of the play Cock in London’s West End (I saw the original production with Ben Whishaw and Andrew Scott).  Sondheim allegedly closed his eyes, put his hand on his chest, and said, “Be still my beating heart.”  Another casualty of Bailey’s beauty.

Another Jonathan made some news last week.  When asked if he thought his character in a Mean Girls sequel should be gay, Jonathan Bennett was pretty direct.  “I think Aaron would be straight because I wouldn’t want to change the narrative of Aaron Samuels because Jonathan Bennett is gay.”  Finally, someone talking sense.