In 1985, Madonna hosted the 11th season premiere episode of Saturday Night Live. In one notable sketch, she portrayed a soap star who refuses to kiss actors she doesn’t know out of fear of contracting HIV. Opposite her was Terry Sweeney — SNL’s first out gay male cast member, who would, sadly, hold that distinction for decades. Sweeney played a clearly queer actor who, to comic effect, tries to butch up his mannerisms in order to assuage the fears of the actress.
The sketch, “Pinklisting,” was a direct critique of stigma in Hollywood, referencing McCarthyism in a preamble: “Hollywood is again gripped by paranoia, this time provoked by the tragic AIDS outbreak.” Rock Hudson had died the previous month, a victim of the plague, and headlines obsessed over whether he may costar Linda Evans when they shared an on-screen kiss. Madonna’s character is named “Melinda,” a clear parallel.
