Billy Crystal probably did not intend for his comments to read the way they do. Nevertheless, he was toeing a fine line at a panel discussion for his new FX show The Comedians.
Crystal said regarding certain LGBT storylines that “Sometimes I think, ‘Ah that’s too much for me,’” then adding that “Sometimes, it’s just pushing it a little too far for my taste and I’m not going to reveal to you which ones they are.”
Crystal was actually one of the first people ever to play a gay recurring character on a TV series, which he did on the ABC comedy Soap from 1977 to 1981. Love scenes on television—LGBT and straight—have changed a lot since then, so it’s really not all that surprising that a 66-year-old man is going to be a little taken aback by some of what he sees.
Update: Crystal has elaborated on the comment following the controversy that arose from it: