Once a 'Doogie,' Always a 'Doogie'
While writing up an item on Bravo's Outzonetv.com study of how the American public's perception of the gay and lesbian community is shaped by television, I was struck by one line in Bravo's press release: "Americans most surprised when Doogie Howser's Neil Patrick Harris came out."
What struck me about that line? Well, Doogie Howser M.D. , while it certainly lefts a lasting impression on the American psyche, is a show that ended back in 1993. Since then, Harris has done quite a bit of work, and he is currently seen as Barney Stinson on the popular CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, now in its second season. Yet the press release didn't say How I Met Your Mother's Neil Patrick Harris…Instead, old Doogie reared his head.
This all got me thinking–can any actor ever truly transcend their first prominent role? If Harris eventually wins an Emmy, an Oscar and a Tony for three separate roles, will his gravestone still read: "Here Lies Doogie"?
Or, really, do people just love the way "Doogie" rolls off the tongue?
By Rebecca Stropoli
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Ben17 commented:
I think, as far as that study goes, people were just more surprised to hear that "Doogie" was gay than they were to hear that Stinson was.