Post by a***@gmail.comScrolling through FB and found a discussion about who Mr M "dated" in the 1980's.
I am genuinely surprised to see fans who still are adamant in their belief that Linda Allen, Roberta Kent, and Dana Robbins were all at one time or another banging the Manilow
How can people persist with this after all this time and in light of Mr M openly being out about his 40 year relationship with The Handsomest One AKA Mr Garry Kief?
I thought the Manilow-Kief's coming out back in 2015 put this debate to rest. I mean, Mr M's marital status has been common knowledge since the big reveal.
Yet, people are still discussing this and in fact arguing about it? I don't get it.
Annie
Giving this more consideration, I think it's this, or at least partly this:
Some celebrities have a big presence on social media. Alec Baldwin, for one. I follow him on Instagram and his life is pretty much shared openly. Consequently it would be difficult to argue that his life is anything but what is already objectively out there: wife, kids, family man.
Now our Mr M is quite the opposite. His public image has always been carefully curated, and - unlike other celebs - the advent of social media platforms hasn't changed that at all. We all get that the public image put forth in the early days was out of necessity, times being what they were, but now that Mr M and his handsome husband are out and "free to be you and me" (shout out to Marlo Thomas!) keeping details of his personal life under wraps seems more of a deliberate choice.
Not that there's anything wrong with that.
But ironically the lack of details about the private life is, I think, what leads fans to project their own needs and desires on to 'Barry Manilow! - the legend! the showman!' By keeping all of his personal life hidden even now (ha! see what I did there?) Mr M continues to be a sort of Golem. He is whatever you want him to be.
Who knows, maybe that is an unintended but necessary role he plays for a subset of the fans. A figure for projection of their dreams and unfulfilled desires. Yes, he is out and proud to be married to his Bae, but the lack of reveals of daily life allows fans to subvert that aspect of his life, as central as it may be IRL.
And fans projecting their feelings on to him (and at times somewhat creepily) is what may, ironically, provoke and maintain his secretiveness. A continuous feedback loop, as we say in medicine.
Wow, this went deeper than I planned when I started writing. You'd never know I got hammered with friends last night out on the beach watching another September sunset....guess I didn't lose too many neurons to the Pinot Grigio......
Anywaaaay, in summary, more photos of the handsome hubs please. In the interest of public service to all concerned, of course......
Best,
Woke-up-sober Annie