Culture

Jedward – yes, Jedward – hit out at James Corden for his ‘offensive’ portrayal of a gay man in The Prom

James Corden JEdward

James Corden has been slammed by none other than Jedward over his performance as gay Broadway actor Barry Glickman in Netflix musical The Prom. (Dimitrios Kambouris/Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty)

Jedward have hit out at James Corden for his “offensive” portrayal of a gay man in Ryan Murphy’s new musical extravaganza, The Prom.

Corden, who is straight, has faced backlash from some critics for his performance as ailing gay stage actor Barry Glickman in the Netflix adaptation of the Broadway smash.

The British actor-turned-talkshow-host stars alongside Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and Andrew Rannells in the film – but critics have branded his performance as “gross and offensive”.

Now, Jedward, who have gone down in history as arguably the most likeable of all the X Factor contestants, have rowed in with their criticism.

“Meryl Streep in The Prom deserves better than starring alongside James Corden who is offensively playing every gay stereotype!” the Irish twins wrote on Twitter.

“There are incredible LGBTQIA+ actors that should have been casted for this role,” they added.

It’s safe to say that most of Jedward’s followers were in broad agreement with their criticism of Corden.

Jedward’s historic intervention comes after numerous critics hit out at the British actor for his turn as a gay Broadway star in The Prom.

The film, released on Friday (11 December), follows gay teenager Emma (Jo Ellen Pellman) as parents opt to cancel her prom altogether instead of allowing her to bring a girl. Four self-involved, out-of-work Broadway actors rush to her aid in an effort to dispel public perceptions that they are “narcissists”.

Critics who were given advance screenings of the film praised many aspects of the film – but Corden’s performance was roundly panned.

James Corden has been branded a ‘huge’ drawback in The Prom

Erik Anderson, founder of AwardsWatch, delivered his verdict on the film on Twitter ahead of its 11 December release date.

“Really liked The Prom. A gorgeous and vibrant production. Streep is hilarious and commanding. Keegan-Michael Key is dreamy. Kidman, Rannells and Washington are fun,” Anderson wrote.

He also heaped praise on Ariana DeBose and Jo Ellen Pellman, the teenage lesbian couple at the heart of the film. However, Anderson wasn’t impressed by Corden’s performance.

“The main, and huge, drawback is James Corden,” he added.

“His performance is gross and offensive, the worst gayface in a long, long time. It’s horrifically bad.”

The Prom debuted on Netflix after a bumpy production that was temporarily halted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Production on the film was shut down in March as COVID-19 began its rapid spread across the world. In September, Ryan Murphy announced that the film had wrapped in time for a December release, praising the cast for buckling up and finishing shooting, despite the pandemic.

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