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So I read what Martin tweeted. I fail to see how that is offensive. Then again, I'm not an overly sensitive member of GLAAD.
This is the context in which I see the tweet: Guy is sitting around watching the SB and the commercials with friends (some of them guys). Commercials come on. Some commercials provoke the watcher to get excited. Maybe about the new Fiat (which doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the girl in the video). Or maybe the new Honda due to all the retro mentionings of Ferris Bueller's Day off. Or maybe they get excited about a new type of Doritos nacho chip.
I highly doubt they'd be getting excited about an underwear commercial. It's the Super Bowl. Chances are, most male members of the audience are watching mostly for the game and not for an underwear commercial.
GLAAD is reaching on this one. But that is what interest groups do. If anyone looks hard enough for a reason to be offended by something, they'll find it. And GLAAD found it in Martin's tweet.
Huh? His joke was about men who do get excited by commercials featuring fit, attractive, underwear clad men and that if you encounter such a men, you should smack him. In other words, his joke was about homosexuals (the setup) and physically assaulting them (the punchline).
Earlier during the Superbowl he tweeted another joke about men who wear pink and that if you encounter them, you should whip their asses. What kind of men are regularly stereotyped as wearing pink? Is it gay men? In other words, another joke about homosexuals and physically assaulting them.
You might not take offense at such homophobic jokes, but can you see how a gay man might take offense? Can you especially see how a gay man who's been the victim of an anti-gay assault (or anyone who knows such a man) might take offense? Can you see how the parents of a gay teenager might take offense? (something like 2/3rds of students who are out as gay or are perceived to be gay during middle or high school report having been physically assaulted for it by other students)
Last edited by hammertime33; 02-09-2012 at 08:06 AM..
Yes, I know CNN is a private company, and they can hire and fire whoever they want, but I still find it regrettable whenever someone is reprimanded or fired for simply making a statement in his private life that is considered controversial by some.
Public figures are often held accountable for private actions because it directly impacts their popularity, the shows ratings, advertisers etc.
With that said, I think most publicists would love to install an app on their celebrity client phones that breaks their fingers if they try to tweet.
With that said, I'm surprised that Roland Martin got in this much trouble because quite frankly there is a very strong anti-gay element in both latino and african american communities. They had to start implementing fines in the NBA after all the players anti-gay comments. Noah of the bulls got hit for 50k last year for one outburst, the NBA isn't fooling around anymore.
Huh? His joke was about men who do get excited by commercials featuring fit, attractive, underwear clad men and that if you encounter such a men, you should smack him. In other words, his joke was about homosexuals (the setup) and physically assaulting them (the punchline).
Earlier during the Superbowl he tweeted another joke about men who wear pink and that if you encounter them, you should whip their asses. What kind of men are regularly stereotyped as wearing pink? Is it gay men? In other words, another joke about homosexuals and physically assaulting them.
You might not take offense at such homophobic jokes, but can you see how a gay man might take offense? Can you especially see how a gay man who's been the victim of an anti-gay assault (or anyone who knows such a man) might take offense? Can you see how the parents of a gay teenager might take offense? (something like 2/3rds of students who are out as gay or are perceived to be gay during middle or high school report having been physically assaulted for it by other students)
Look at the hate crime statistics against gay males....something like 1/3 were committed by African Americans, it's a big problem. Hate crimes against other groups and classes like Lesbians, Jews and so forth have a vastly lower split and get closer to the % of population splits you'd expect to see.
Location: In a Galaxy far, far away called Germany
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I read those tweets and they weren't homophobic. CNN has their nose up GLAAD's butt so far they can't even breath. When guys say that they are going to bring out a can of whoopdatazz or that someone needs to get hit upside their head - these expressions aren't literal. It's guy-speak for saying they are crazy or stupid. We truly have become our own worst enemies of liberty. Liberty is NOT the freedom to not be offended - it is the freedom to speak freely even if it is offensive. Anything else is oppression. Liberty can be used to speak evil or good and you can't remove one side of the coin (or suppress it) without throwing out the whole coin. At least, Liberty gives us the freedom to ignore the ignorant and evil.
I read those tweets and they weren't homophobic. CNN has their nose up GLAAD's butt so far they can't even breath. When guys say that they are going to bring out a can of whoopdatazz or that someone needs to get hit upside their head - these expressions aren't literal. It's guy-speak for saying they are crazy or stupid. We truly have become our own worst enemies of liberty. Liberty is NOT the freedom to not be offended - it is the freedom to speak freely even if it is offensive. Anything else is oppression. Liberty can be used to speak evil or good and you can't remove one side of the coin (or suppress it) without throwing out the whole coin. At least, Liberty gives us the freedom to ignore the ignorant and evil.
Freedom of speech <> freedom from repercussions, it never has.
Roland still has free speech, he can say whatever he likes and there is nothing anyone can do about it.
However, CNN has the freedom to not employ him.
I have the freedom to say he was an idiot.
Sorry but you don't get to pick and choose whom gets to exercise their freedoms while hiding behind the banner of free speech.
I think the sad thing about this is that they are messing with this man's career, his income, his family by taking it to this level. You have to also think about Roland, he was their employee for freaking sakes. Whatever happened to treating your employees right? Having their back? Instead, these days, people are getting fired left-and-right because their employer wants to have an agenda and wants to keep a clean image. What about his career? What about his reputation? What about HIS image? I could understand if he did something really wrong here, but it is obvious that it was a good joke and his employer completely flipped and took it further than it was supposed to go.
If it had just been that one tweet I think he wouldn't have been in serious trouble. I agree the tweet about the Bekham ad could have been read multiple ways.
The problem was GLAAD was able to pull the earlier tweet PLUS some other things he's written in his column together that painted a picture of a possible homophobe. He wrote some pro conversion therapy things and he defended Tracy Morgan when he got in trouble for the "stab the gays" comedy bit. Added with the earlier tweet about guys who wear pink, it looks bad. So now CNN has to protect the brand.
Location: In a Galaxy far, far away called Germany
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mathguy
Freedom of speech <> freedom from repercussions, it never has.
Roland still has free speech, he can say whatever he likes and there is nothing anyone can do about it.
However, CNN has the freedom to not employ him.
I have the freedom to say he was an idiot.
Sorry but you don't get to pick and choose whom gets to exercise their freedoms while hiding behind the banner of free speech.
CNN does have that freedom, but they don't have the freedom to assist in labeling him a homophobe. CNN has every right to protect their brand and Roland has every right to protect his. His views or comments were not illegal and to say they were hateful is a big stretch. CNN has suspended him because of a big "maybe" and has undermined its own stance on being unbiased. CNN worries about its own freedom at the expense of others.
I read those tweets and they weren't homophobic. CNN has their nose up GLAAD's butt so far they can't even breath. When guys say that they are going to bring out a can of whoopdatazz or that someone needs to get hit upside their head - these expressions aren't literal. It's guy-speak for saying they are crazy or stupid. We truly have become our own worst enemies of liberty. Liberty is NOT the freedom to not be offended - it is the freedom to speak freely even if it is offensive. Anything else is oppression. Liberty can be used to speak evil or good and you can't remove one side of the coin (or suppress it) without throwing out the whole coin. At least, Liberty gives us the freedom to ignore the ignorant and evil.
I don't think anyone is suggesting that Martin meant these to be literal - that he was actually saying to go forth and when you encounter a homosexual to physically assault him. That doesn't change the fact that his jokes are routed in homophobia.
If somebody told a joke along the lines of "Guys, if your wife won't cook you dinner, just smack her around a bit" you might find it funny and might even categorize it under "guy-speak". Also, it's doubtful the guy meant it literally (although you never know). However, the underlying sentiment is that women are subservient to men and makes a "joke" out of the fact that many women have, because of this sentiment, suffered physical violence at the hands of men. It's a sexist joke, and it would offend many women, especially women who've been the victims of domestic violence.
In this case, Martin tweeted two jokes. They both had the same setup (if you encounter a gay man), and they both had the same punchline (then physically assault him). You might find that funny and categorize it under "guy-speak". It's very doubtful Martin meant it literally. However, the underlying sentiment is that it's not okay for men to be gay, and makes a "joke" out of the fact that many gay men have, because of this sentiment, suffered physical violence at the hands of violent homophobes. They are homophobic jokes, and are offensive to many gay men, especially the ones have have suffered violence because of being gay.
I think this pretty much says it all. Roland martin isn't entitled to his own cultural values because he works for a company that is owned and operated by liberal upper class whites.
I believe Fox News has suspended or fired employees for making controversial statements, and they're not owned by liberal upper class whites.
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Noah of the bulls got hit for 50k last year for one outburst, the NBA isn't fooling around anymore.
Hate crimes against other groups and classes like Lesbians, Jews and so forth have a vastly lower split and get closer to the % of population splits you'd expect to see.
