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Coverage of Baxter’s coming out

December 8th, 2009
Meredith Baxter
Meredith Baxter

Interesting how every media source except one (that I found) treated Meredith Baxter’s coming out in a very matter-of-fact manner.

First, I think all the signs were there. Look at the list of films she starred in for Lifetime:

• Her Final Fury: Betty Broderick, the Last Chapter (1992) (TV) …. Betty Broderick

• A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story (1992) (TV) …. Betty Broderick

• A Mother’s Justice (1991) (TV) …. Lila

• My Breast (1994) (TV) …. Joyce Wadler

• After Jimmy (1996) (TV) …. Maggie Stapp

Second: all those failed, heterosexual marriages. Being straight? She just wasn’t any good at it.

While most news outlets covered it, the headlines were mostly pretty neutral. Here’s a sample from a variety of sources around the country:

Boston Globe: “Meredith Baxter comes out”

Los Angeles Times: “‘Family Ties’ Meredith Baxter is a lesbian”

Dallas Morning News: “Meredith Baxter’s revelation”

NPR: “Meredith Baxter: Coming out is both personal and political”

NY Daily News: “Meredith Baxter, mom on TV’s ‘Family Ties’, comes out on ‘Today’ show: ‘I am a lesbian’”

Then, there’s Fox

Always out for a sensationalist headline, Fox broadcast the news like Baxter’s coming out was news that would change the world.

Fox: Family Ties Shocker: Meredith Baxter says “I’m a lesbian mom”

The biggest shocker? After 20 years, the cast is still friendly. Everyone knew for years. A group of people who worked together like each other. Accept each other. Are happy when their friends are in healthy relationships. Well, I guess Fox didn’t see the signs. That headline writer probably doesn’t watch Lifetime: Television for gay men.

— David Taffet

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 8th, 2009 at 8:06 am and is filed under Entertainment, Things that bug me. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

3 Responses to “Coverage of Baxter’s coming out”

The following comments were posted by readers and were not edited by Dallas Voice. When you comment, stay on topic and treat others with respect. Posts deemed offensive will be removed.
  1. Arnold Wayne Jones Says:
    December 8th, 2009 at 9:03 am

    In related news, Brian Bonsall, who played adorable little Andy Keaton on Family Ties, was arrested for attacking his best friend with a bar stool this weekend. That follows him being on the lam for a 2008 court appearance he skipped. So I guess the lesbian is pretty well-adjusted, overall.

  2. Barbara Mattison Says:
    December 8th, 2009 at 12:45 pm

    David Taffet writes, ” all those failed, heterosexual marriages.Being straight? She just wasn’t any good at it.” Liz Taylor, among many others, had more failed heterosexual marriages than Baxter, so I have to ask, “Does that make Lizzy a lesbian also?”
    Frankly, I don’t care one way about Baxter’s sexual preferences, but Taffet’s “logic” I find disturbing.

  3. David Taffet Says:
    December 9th, 2009 at 5:55 pm

    Didn’t mean to insult all the happily many-times divorced heterosexual readers. It was nothing but humor. Her divorces added to the list of man-bashing Lifetime films, to me, add up to no big surprise.

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