Was Joseph Gay?

[Si Hunt]

Well surely he WAS and this biblical story, passed down to Christians through the ages and regularly sung out loudly by family audiences in theatres to this very day, is actually the tale of a very gay individual who used his camp charms to ascend from being an unfasionable farmer to a flamboyant royal.

Let's look at the facts - all Joseph's (or "Joe" - it even sounds a bit camp) brothers hate him, because he's supposed to be a farmer but instead parades round the countryside in a great big rainbow-coloured coat. They model themselves on Jack Sugden, he on Mystic Meg, telling them his flamboyant dreams all the time (which mostly involve him being great). So annoying is the prissy old Queen that his own family are forced to bludgeon him to death. I'm sure Jeremy Spake's family have felt like this occasionally.

But Joe escapes to Egypt, where his "charm and winning smile" get him in with a Pyramid millionaire. However - bother ahead! Phonty's wife tries the come-on. Does Joseph leap on her? No, he doesn't! Because he's not interested! "Please stop, I don't believe in free love!" he claims, according to the musical. More like "I don't believe in hetero love". He's flung into jail anyway, and come to think of it that Butler in the 1990's musical version is a bit fey too (the one Joseph frees). Meanwhile Joseph is "in with the guards" we're told. I bet.

Of course it isn't long before Joseph is schmoozing with royalty again and gets himself the biblical equivilent of a job in showbiz, with his "flair for planning". If he were alive today, he'd surely be a judge on "The X-Factor". He IS Louis Walsh. And what's the first thing he asks for when he's freed? Some food? A gorgeous wife? No, "a medal, a cloak and some signet rings". But of course.

And then, like the bitchy old queen that he is and being desperate to settle old scores, the first thing he does when he gets out is to stitch up his brothers to get his own back. Tsk!

It seems obvious to me that "brother Jo" is actually a big old gayer. And this from the Bible as well. What do you think?

Si.

[Paul Monk]

I think you are correct. I was watching the kids film Happy Feet the other day and it's about being gay as well!

[SiHart]

The evidence certainly seems to fit. Now all we need to do is invent a time machine and send si back to find out for certain.

Si xx

[Logo Polish]

Has anyone ever seen the film of the musical? It's got Donny in, I think. Forgive me if the old memory's playing tricks. Spent ages trying to work out who the woman in modern dress singing along with them was.

[P-Bal]

The contestants on the show all look like fans of manpuss.

[Darren]

Spent ages trying to work out who the woman in modern dress singing along with them was.

Maria Friedman.

And yes, it is Donny playing Joseph.

[Simon R]

When I saw it in the West End back in 1991 (or 2) Aubrey "Day of the Daleks" Wood was playing Jacob.

It's a fact, a thing you can't deny.