While the notion of AIDS being “shocking” or even (as) stigmatized in the present drifts ever further into the ether of the past (the 1980s gradually disappearing from the coke-rotted brains of those who actually lived through it), the fear it once instilled throughout Hollywoodland cannot be denied. When Rock Hudson became the first celebrity–nay, star–to come forward publicly in 1985 and admit to having the disease, it rocked not only the world, but the colony known as H’wood (a.k.a. the U.S.’ Babylon). The fear that had managed to stay suppressed could no longer remain so, with many stars formerly believing they lived in a sanitized bubble that was cordoned off from the “fag disease” in San Francisco and New York. But Hudson’s diagnosis and sudden death provided proof that no one was immune. Nor was anyone immune to getting the cold shoulder when the time came to offer help (as was the case between so-called “pals” the Reagans and Hudson).
In the present context, COVID-19’s pandemic status might be of a different caliber than AIDS (mainly because gay men alone aren’t deemed “responsible” for and most susceptible to it), yet certain parallels are undeniable, particularly in Hollywood. That Hudson had shared a kiss with Linda Evans multiple times in the filming of an episode of Dynasty was one of the chief sources of the phobia’s intensification, for everyone assumed that the spread of the disease could be propagated by kissing alone (among many other wives’ tales about its transmission that led to gay men being treated, for all intents and purposes, like lepers). Hollywood was further scandalized by the fact that Hudson was aware of his condition at the time, and didn’t inform others, or at least Evans, of it. The idea that anyone, anywhere “on the lot” could have it without being obliged to inform their co-stars imbued many sets with an intensified paranoia, one that led to refusal on some people’s parts to engage in even the slightest besito. There was no sympathy for those who might have the disease, but rather, a “how does this affect me and my health?” viewpoint. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? What’s more, the original assumption that AIDS could only “get” gay men echoes the initial misinformation that COVID could only affect the more advanced in age.
Being that the clientele of Hollywood is what it is (a gaggle of faux bleeding hearts who think their shit don’t stank and they’re above what happens to everyone else outside of their moneyed and privileged realm), their particular brand of phobia regarding the fate of Rock was more amplified than the average citizen, for they had previously believed money and fame could get them out of anything–including a premature visit from the reaper. This, too, mirrors the events of COVID-19, with its first celebrity hit being Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson (arguably the calmest out of any documented person to have been slapped with the Rona). A slew of, shall we say, more B- and C-rate celebs were struck with COVID in the months that followed, yet their “tier” was never as high as Hanks and Wilson’s (save for Madonna, who seems to think she has the antibodies), which has perhaps led to an increased false sense of security via the protective mechanism of cush reclusivity. Especially of the last of the classic Hollywood A-list, including Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Angelina Jolie and Leonardo DiCaprio. The only major who has really been forced to come out of a wealth-tinged sequestering is Johnny Depp for his Britain-based libel trial.
The differences between the AIDS and corona paranoia start to bifurcate noticeably when taking into account that the latter is more contagious among all “walks of life,” and, to this point, every aspect of film and television creation is contingent upon the gathering of crowds, most especially in terms of the product’s end game being sellable in a theater setting. Thus, the reckoning that has been felt throughout Tinseltown is about more than just health concerns, but an entire questioning of whether the industry can go on as it has. Yes, this time around, the panic is of an altogether divergent breed, thanks to the mass shutdowns that never occurred when AIDS was raging through the land during the 80s and 90s. There is an additional underlying and unspoken fear that comes with being afraid to go on set and be among a legion of potentially infected extras or, worse still, having to kiss someone “contaminated” like Linda Evans did. That extra layer of dread and anxiety stemming from the knowledge that the jig is up. This is the thing that leads to what the suits have long been gunning for: doing away with “talent” (and, more to the point, their salaries) altogether.
Why pay top dollar for an enterprise that is no longer profitable when the purse strings could instead invest in the AI entity that will never tire and never ask for a raise (it’s some straight up S1M0NE shit)? And oh, never get sick. The fact that celebrity likenesses can be used to make movies without them anyway (see: James Dean) also contributes to the dawning of a new era ushered in and propelled by the limitations of corona. In short, celebrities aren’t just fearing for their fucking life on a health level, but on a livelihood one, with this reckoning being far more impacting than AIDS was as it could be more seamlessly swept under the rug and attributed to a population that could easily be “locked out” of the studio gates.
Ironically, one of Hollywood’s ultimate cliches, “the show must go on,” might end up being its very undoing as non-AI folk once knew it. Sure, streaming services (most notably Netflix) have garnered plenty of benefits from the “stay at home” mantra, but that doesn’t mean they can’t segue into content that phases out the conventional filming structure altogether (just look at the success of Tiger King). This also extends to animation experiencing an uptick. And it’s all because, as Madonna controversially put it, “COVID-19 is the great equalizer”–at least in terms of putting people out of a job, no matter how ironclad they believed the profession. So yes, let us hope all of these celebrities saved some of their money (whether from actual work or shitty endorsements) for something other than cocaine and prescription drugs… because the industry is about to go toe-up far more than that blip when everyone thought AIDS was going to be spread single-handedly by Rock Hudson.
