Joel Kim Booster Responds to Billy Eichner's Comments About Gay Streaming Content

Joel Kim Booster offered his thoughts on "Bros" star and co-writer Billy Eichner's remark about gay content on streaming platforms "which feels disposable, or which is like one of a million Netflix shows," as Eichner said.

The Hollywood Reporter detailed that Joel Kim Booster, the writer and star of this summer's streaming Netflix gay rom-com "Fire Island," shared his response in a Sept. 4 Twitter post that interpreted Eichner's comment as "pretty inarticulate," but defended the "Billy on the Street" star.

"It seems like he was pretty inarticulate in his excitement about his movie getting a theatrical release, which is really fucking cool and something I'm sure the studio and his publicist is making him constantly talk about," Booster said in a long post that explained the several-day lapse between Eichner's remarks to Variety and Booster's response.

Saying that he had been "in the desert with no phone" and he was "not entirely sure what happened," Booster stood up for Eichner as having been "my first comedy boss" and a "friend" who "has supported me in countless ways in the process of making Fire Island..."

THR recalled that Eichner told Variety "that his film felt historic because it would be hitting theaters, rather than being 'some streaming thing which feels disposable, or which is like one of a million Netflix shows.' "

"Social media users wondered whether Eichner might have been referring to such Hulu projects as 'Fire Island,'" THR explained, " ...or Hulu's 2020 holiday film 'Happiest Season' starring Kristen Stewart."

As previously reported at EDGE, Eichner hastened to Twitter to apologize for the gaffe and to explain what he had been trying to say. "I was not at ALL referring to the quality or monumental impact of streaming films," the comic posted. "I was referring to the way that, historically, LGBTQ+ content has often been considered niche and disregarded by Hollywood."

Pointing out that he has "been openly gay since the beginning of my career over 20 years ago, at a time when that was very challenging," Eichner added that he was "very proud Bros is one of many projects - theatrical, streaming, online, etc - where so many of us are finally getting to tell our own LGBTQ+ stories."

"God knows I've said plenty of dumb shit without a publicist's help," Booster mulled in his post, before adding that he was "so grateful it was accessible to so many people on streaming, and don't see it as any less valuable because of that."

"That being said, I'm also excited to see Bros on the big screen and wish Billy nothing but the best," Booster continued. "I truly hope you can enjoy both or neither of our movies without pitting them against each other (even though that is obviously a very fun thing to do and basically what gay Twitter was created for)."

Eichner replied to Booster's response, posting that he has "insane amounts of respect" for Booster, and saying, "you inspire me to be better and wiser and bolder in my work."

Then, switching to a lighter tone, Eichner added: "I'm sorry that I was cancelled and that our remake of I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY has been shelved."