Comments on: Jerry Lewis Under Fire By Gay Group For Slur

By: AustinRoth

AustinRoth — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 14:06:17 +0000

The question isn’t was it offensive or not, but was the reaction appropiate.

IMHO, it was way over the top. If GLAAD had said something like ‘we are saddened by the use of such a derogatory in a public forum by Mr. Lewis. We believe such language has no place on the airwaves’, I don’t think there would be much objection to that.

Saying it ‘feeds a climate of hatred and intolerance that contributes to putting our community in harmâ€™s way’ is just plain over the top.

By: domajot

domajot — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 07:26:30 +0000

“Grow up” is an argument used by someone who has run out of anything reasonbale to say.

A slur is used by someone who is oblivious to how he affects people around him or is too self absorbed to care. Obviously, even Mr. Lewis recognized that to use the word in public (not in private) is offensive to others, since he was grown up enough to aplogize..

By: cosmoetica

cosmoetica — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 06:59:27 +0000

Doma- it was an in joke to a colleague.

If every person who called a pal or lover a dirty word, affectionately, had to apologize, there wd be no time for the affection.

Grow up.

By: domajot

domajot — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 06:18:19 +0000

On the other hand, we are having such a torrent of apologies lately, that maybe we should just have a National Aoology Day, so that everyone can get it off therr chesst at once.

By: domajot

domajot — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 06:15:28 +0000

No, such lapses should not go unremarked. It was not so long ago that those offended by the N word
were ridiculed and accused of protesting only for their ‘hidden agendas’.
I wouldn’t hang anyone for using bad language. but those who find it offensive have every right to say so. If enough people speak up, maybe it will finally seep into our culture that using slurs is an ugly practice..

By: Mr.Moderate

Mr.Moderate — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 23:40:18 +0000

GLAAD needs to get over itself already. When they throw a fit over this sort of trivial thing it makes it hard to take them seriously about anything at all.

By: AustinRoth

AustinRoth — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 23:22:50 +0000

We have become a country dominated by hypersensitive special interest groups who look for opportunities to be offended, and to leverage those into publicity.

Sorry, but it is people like Neil Giuliano overreacting that keeps things inflamed. I mean, really, an 80 year-old comic says ‘fag’, and THAT, ‘feeds a climate of hatred and intolerance that contributes to putting our community in harmâ€™s way”???

I think a sense of proportionality is missing here.

By: cosmoetica

cosmoetica — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 22:54:04 +0000

‘And an out-of-bounds wisecrack not tolerated in the 21st century will dominate the news cycle more than the record funds he helped raise.’

Perhaps if there were less linking to such things there would not be such a brouhaha. But blogs will be blogs.

By: Davebo

Davebo — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 22:28:47 +0000

Well, gay or not, I don’t think there’s any place for offensive words in a telethon of all places.

Not a very bright way to raise money.

By: Holly in Cincinnati

Holly in Cincinnati — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 20:49:51 +0000

I don’t really care what he said and doubt that any gay person with a life cares much either.