Watch TikTok stars The Old Gays steal Hoda and Jenna’s hearts on TODAY – Today.com
Aging doesn’t seem so bad when you see all the fun that The Old Gays are having.
The four friends and TikTok sensations from Cathedral City, California, who range in age from mid-60s to late 70s, had Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager beaming on TODAY Tuesday as they described their journey to social media stardom and their outlook on getting older.
Michael “Mick” Peterson, Bill Lyons, Jessay Martin and Robert E. Reeves have amassed more than 3.2 million followers and 320 million views across their social media platforms for sharing everything from their hilarious reactions to Cardi B’s “WAP” music video to their coming out journeys. They also speak about what it was like growing up gay during a time of much less acceptance.
“I think the greatest thing we do is when we read, ‘Oh, I woke up this morning and you guys just made my day,’ and those kind of things just warm my heart because it’s so nice,” Lyons said.
Lyons and Reeves reconnected in 2003 after having previously been friends, then Peterson moved into the house in 2013, followed by Martin moving across the street in 2014.
The four friends shot their first video in May 2018, but their following didn’t take off until they joined TikTok in December of that year. They became a modern day version of the “The Golden Girls,” instead as wisecracking, fun-loving gay men.
“I just never fit into ‘The Golden Girls,'” joked Martin, who is Black.
Their families also have gotten a kick out of seeing them do everything from reenact Lil Nas X’s video for “Industry Baby” to talking about their colonoscopies.
“They’re very supportive,” Peterson said. “They’re having a laugh.”
The men are all adjusting to their newfound fame.
“I sing at this church, I have a gig there, and all of sudden they started coming up to me (saying), ‘We saw you, we saw you,’ so I gave up, I said, ‘It is what it is,'” Martin said. “It’s allowed me to come out and just be more me and not worry about what people are thinking.”
Their popularity has gotten to the point that they have signed with Brian Graden Media (BGM) to develop a docuseries about their personal and professional lives.
The men also lent their expertise to Hoda and Jenna on Tuesday, selecting a pair of outfits for them for upcoming appearances.
Most of all, they showed all the fun they are still having as they get older.
“So many of the comments are, ‘We no longer fear getting old,’ and I think that’s so big,” Reeves said.