I was waiting for Scott to post one more time before I chimed in so that he would have the honor of writing the 1,000th post on his own blog. But now that that's over, let's talk about the Jerry Lewis incident. It's definitely something Scott would write about if he were here, and I think this incident speaks volumes of how far we've come -- or haven't.
Here's a recap for the few of you who might need a refresher: At about 18-hours into the 21 1/2-hour annual Labor Day telethon benefiting the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Jerry Lewis referred to a member of his production staff as "the illiterate faggot" while on live television, which led to one website to blog the headline, "Jerry Lewis Hates Gays Who Can't Read."
Feeling just about as awful as a human can, Mr. Lewis issued an apology on Tuesday. I would've forgotten about the whole thing in a few days time, but Richard Belzer, one helluvan actor from one of my all-time favorite television shows, Homicide, wrote to the Huffington Post today in defense of his friend and said this:
I'm sorry, but that's not cool. You can't excuse using a nasty, disgusting word for a homosexual man with "but everyone else is doing it." How is calling a straight man a derogatory term for a gay man a bonding exercise, anyway?
Recently, during an interview with Rush Hour 3's Brett Ratner -- in which the very attractive director reveals that his first oral sex experience came from a man -- the reporter from The Advocate laments the rise in Mr. Belzer's brand of "teasing" in action movies.
Mr. Ratner assures the interviewer that nothing is meant by the insinuations and winking locker room humor. It's all in jest, he says. But what does it say about our society when this increase in gay humor is acceptable?
And what happens when the joke is seen by someone who doesn't see it as being funny, but sees it as reinforcement that his small-minded bigotry is likewise shared by the crew of the movie? Perhaps it's asking a lot from Hollywood to stop making fun of the gays and move onto a group more worthy of ridicule like the GOP. But until a gay teenager doesn't see coming out as an opportunity for himself to get beat up, maybe we shouldn't encourage movie makers and comedians to make fun of him either.
Here's a recap for the few of you who might need a refresher: At about 18-hours into the 21 1/2-hour annual Labor Day telethon benefiting the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Jerry Lewis referred to a member of his production staff as "the illiterate faggot" while on live television, which led to one website to blog the headline, "Jerry Lewis Hates Gays Who Can't Read."
Feeling just about as awful as a human can, Mr. Lewis issued an apology on Tuesday. I would've forgotten about the whole thing in a few days time, but Richard Belzer, one helluvan actor from one of my all-time favorite television shows, Homicide, wrote to the Huffington Post today in defense of his friend and said this:
Jerry was joshing with his crew, (locker room humor is an age old harmless bonding between teammates, co-workers, firemen, police officers, soldiers etc) it was a teasing and harmless moment that did not have any vitriol or meanness involved.
I'm sorry, but that's not cool. You can't excuse using a nasty, disgusting word for a homosexual man with "but everyone else is doing it." How is calling a straight man a derogatory term for a gay man a bonding exercise, anyway?
Recently, during an interview with Rush Hour 3's Brett Ratner -- in which the very attractive director reveals that his first oral sex experience came from a man -- the reporter from The Advocate laments the rise in Mr. Belzer's brand of "teasing" in action movies.
Being gay has increasingly become a punch line. It happens several times in this film.
Mr. Ratner assures the interviewer that nothing is meant by the insinuations and winking locker room humor. It's all in jest, he says. But what does it say about our society when this increase in gay humor is acceptable?
And what happens when the joke is seen by someone who doesn't see it as being funny, but sees it as reinforcement that his small-minded bigotry is likewise shared by the crew of the movie? Perhaps it's asking a lot from Hollywood to stop making fun of the gays and move onto a group more worthy of ridicule like the GOP. But until a gay teenager doesn't see coming out as an opportunity for himself to get beat up, maybe we shouldn't encourage movie makers and comedians to make fun of him either.
1 comment:
I don't see the term of faggot as being any more unique or generous than the use of the infamous "N-word".
Likewise, we homosexual males must also stop using a term with each other when we don't want others coining our existence with the term.
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