Is Fire Island Not a Fit for Misfits? Actor Nick Adams Weighs In
Views expressed in The Advocate’s opinion articles are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the views of The Advocate or our parent company, Pride Media.My favorite film is the comedy classic Arthur, starring Dudley Moore and John Gielgud, who was gay and won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Arthur’s butler Hobson.
I’ve seen the film almost 40 times.There is a scene in the film where Moore’s Arthur and Gielgud’s Hobson visit the super swanky Bergdorf Goodman store in New York City, where Arthur buys 30 pricey sweaters, all in the same color.When I moved to New York City in the mid-1990s, one of the first things I did was to seek out some of the locations that the film made famous, including Bergdorf Goodman; however, when I walked through the doors, I immediately felt like I didn’t belong.
Being a humble, middle-class kid from Pittsburgh, I was aghast at the prices of the merchandise and the attitude of the store's staff.When I walked in, no one approached me and said, “Can I help you?” That was sure sign that I was beneath the standards of Bergdorf Goodman.I sort of felt the same way when I went to Fire Island for the first time.
Everyone looked perfect, dressed — or minimally dressed — in attire that was fashion forward to someone like me, who could wear a burlap sack from Walmart.
