Milton Berle : unpleasantness with rupaul

unpleasantness with rupaul

I hear there was some unpleasantness between Berle and Rupaul when they co-hosted an awards ceremony together. As I live in Britain I never saw any of this and would be grateful if somebody could explain what happened?

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Re: unpleasantness with rupaul

I saw it on some recap program, celebrity feuds or something, and yea, RuPaul made the diaper comment and Berle's shocked expression was priceless. He looked like he just got an electric jolt.

The comment was something about RuPaul wearing a gown and that Berle used to wear gowns and that RuPaul used to wear diapers (in infancy) insinuating that Berle was now wearing diapers. It sounded so staged coming from RuPaul, like surely Berle knew it was coming.

No idea why he would be so surprised tho. I'm sure there were those just as shocked by his attire in the 1950s when he wore a dress.

Berle then followed up with something about if RuPaul wanted to exchange insults, Berle would take out his own brains so they could start even.

ruPaul seemed unfazed.

Re: unpleasantness with rupaul

RuPaul caused a bit of controversy at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards when he was given the opportunity to present an award with legendary actor Milton Berle, who performed an altogether different type of drag early in his career. The two had conflicts back-stage, and when Berle inappropriately touched RuPaul's breasts, RuPaul ad-libbed the line "So you used to wear gowns, but now you're wearing diapers." The press picked this up as a crack in the "love everyone" message RuPaul presented, and depicted the incident as a young newcomer treating a legend poorly


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RuPaul

I saw the show.As far as I can remember it was staged.

Re: unpleasantness with rupaul

well in my opinion milton was disrespectful to rupaul,so he had what was coming to him.and just because ur a legend doesnt mean u have the right to disrespect people anyway u please.

keep it sexy!!!!!!!

Re: unpleasantness with rupaul

There was always a rumor that Miltie had a big dick, but the reality (from many who worked with him over the years) is that he WAS a big dick.

It astounds me that he passed himself off as Mr. Television and Mr. Tuesday Night, when the reality is that people watched him when there was NOTHING ELSE ON! As soon as Bishop Fulton Sheen came along with his competition, "Life Is Worth Living", the mass audience realized that life WITHOUT MILTON was definitely worth living.

Miltie spent the rest of his days as a "hanger-on", calling in favors to appear on whatever show Lucy was doing, a Love Boat here, a Donny and Marie there. He became a pathetic joke. I wish everyone could read Spy magazine's revelatory article on what a bitter, horrid man he became. If you think I'm exaggerating ahout what a dickwad he was, read any number of accounts about his appearance hosting Saturday Night Live, on the ONE edition of that show that Lorne Michaels resisted showing in syndication because it was SO bad.

I know I'm probably going to hell for my remarks here, and it saddens me to no end, because I know hell will be an eternity spent with Molten Boil.

(waving furiously) g'night everyone! Drive safely! I'm really a happy guy, in spite of the venom I've spewed here! Happy happy! Joy joy! I love everyone, really. Now that Milton's dead, anyway. :-D

Re: unpleasantness with rupaul

True, he might have been a dick, but he also got to bang Marilyn Monroe who said he was exceptional in bed and had a massive cock. I'd trade places with him in a second

You may want to reconsider that comment johneddie



You do know that he is dead?

Although you bring up a good point.

The sun shone, having no alternative, on the nothing new. Samuel Beckett

Re: unpleasantness with rupaul

Actually, Lorne Michaels also prevented the 1976 Louise Lasser edition of "Saturday Night Live" from airing in syndication because of his conflicts with her. She apparently wouldn't come out of her dressing room until just before the show started, and she appears in only two skits: one with Chevy Chase, another with a dog. But it's now on the Season One DVD.

I've read the Spy magazine story, though, and pretty much everything else you say about Uncle Miltie was supported there and in other accounts. He may have been funny in his heyday, but he apparently was extremely vicious and bitter at the end of his career (and life).

Re: unpleasantness with rupaul

tvgord ---

your remarks hit the nail right on the head. The man was desperate for attention. Check out his legendary camera-hogging near the end of "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World." And it's a shame because he gives a terrific performance throughout most of the film as this quiet, hen-pecked husband. But in the final chase sequence, Berle apparently feared that he wouldn't be noticed onscreen---that his character would get lost amidst all the chaos and be overlooked amongst all the other comics. The "neurotic ham" side of his personality took over and he started ad-libbing and overacting ("We're off the hook! We're off the hook!").

Berle even ADMITS to being a camera-hog in the 1991 documentary "Something a Little Less Serious: A Tribute to 'IaMMMMW'." Sid Caesar even does an impersonation of Berle's camera-hogging in this documentary. Very funny.

I remember his self-congratulatory acceptance speech when he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1984. He mentioned something Walter Winchell once said --- "the only thing greater than the people's love for Milton Berle is Milton Berle's love for the people." I think that's how the quote went. What a load of horses**t! The only person Milton Berle ever loved was Milton Berle.....and possibly his mother, who made him the way he was by push-, push-, pushing him.

I'll give him his due. He knew how to tell a joke. But he often ruined it immediately afterward by ad-libbing a comment about how the audience should have laughed more or how he was going to fire his writer. Often, these ad-libs centered around himself (who else) and his own "stature" as a TV star. Yeah, he had timing with a set-up and its punchline, but his overall timing during a monologue was thrown off balance by his constant references to himself. He could be funny if he followed a script written by someone else. But he was no genius or legend.

Re: unpleasantness with rupaul

To give the guy his due..I met him at the Friars Club in LA in 1998 and he couldn't have been nicer to me and the man had a very long and successful career.
He became a star in 1933 after a long climb up the vaudeville ladder. He was a huge star, mostly in nightclubs and theaters, long before television. He made films, appeared on the radio and starred on Broadway and in the Ziegfeld Follies. He also remained a big star on television for 7 years, not just when there was nobody else on and he influenced a generation of nightclub comics, who imitated his style.


Action Is everything!

Re: unpleasantness with rupaul

You guys act like you don't know how comedians are. This is really standard stuff.


I AM NOT MONTEL WILLIAMS.

Re: unpleasantness with rupaul

Nothing wrong with being a jerk later in life, especially if you chose the right people to be a jerk towards. Sounds like Uncle Miltie picked a good target for his wrath.

Re: unpleasantness with rupaul

There is a little hint of nastiness here, but Berle was always a lot edgier than most comedians of his era. Here is the clip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnMCZ55hzPU
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