Ryan = Stupid. But we already knew that
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News
Fans of Big Brother are debating whether a comment during last night’s Friday Night Live from presenter Ryan Fitzgerald was homophobic or not.
During the episode both Fitzgerald and Mike Goldman were shirtless, prompting Fitzgerald to comment that it was a “Good thing Zach wasn’t evicted last week. We’d have been mobbed by now.”
Zach is an openly gay-contestant in the BB house.
The implication, suggests the Behind Big Brother website, is that Fitzgerald implied by association that gay men chase the first bit of male skin they see. Of course that’s a stereotype.
Frankly, we’re racking up a lot of stupid comments lately on our box. Xzibit was stupid last week to suggest Rove was racist. Rove himself made a silly aside about dads not wanting to find out their son was gay on Father’s Day. Grant Denyer was stupid to suggest he felt like he’d had sex with a black man. And Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson was stupid to suggest a lightweight car was a bit of “ginger beer” (rhyming slang for queer in the UK) last year. But homophobic? It’s a bit of a stretch.
Tune into an episode of The Footy Show on any given week and you’re likely to see more stupid comments.
Isaiah Washington, on the other hand, currently deserves the title as TV’s biggest homophobe by referring to TR Knight as a “fa***t.” It was a select and derisive term intended to humiliate, in the same way as racists used to use the “N” word. Despite using the word again at the Golden Globes Isaiah went on to make amends with gay groups (conveniently, as part of his penance). Since being dropped entirely from Grey’s Anatomy he has laughably suggested it is TR Knight who should have been dropped.
He’s even suggested his axing was because, “I was a black man who wasn’t a mush-mouth Negro walking around with his head in his hands all the time. I didn’t speak like I’d just left the plantation and that can be a problem for people sometime.”
What’s more of a problem for me is that Isaiah Washington just doesn’t know when to pipe up. Is anyone actually advising this guy?
Meanwhile, penance for Ryan Fitzgerald for his dumb comment is to please sit on the interchange bench for the rest of the season.
11 Responses
I think you’ve misunderstood me. I get that certain jokes can be a little “touchy”, and I’m not trying to “tell” you what you can and can’t get offended by. I agree with you that Rove does often make distasteful and often insensitive remarks, but that’s not the point I was trying to make.
Despite Ryan being a total dope/tool, I don’t see ANY reason why his fleeting remark would have offended anybody. It’s not like he said it out of hatred or spite towards gays. Hell, he was referring specifically to Zach and his blatantly flirty/cheeky behaviour. The line was completely innocent IMO, and the FNL trio have made far worse remarks towards the other housemates.
i don’t think neither Rove’s nor Ryan’s comments were homophobic or stupid.. in Rove’s case i think it had some truth to it, and in Ryan’s it was a gag that was not meant maliciously.
SILLYGOST – , HOMOPHOBIA defined as a “fear” is something the right-wing nuts use to justify their hatred.
Homophobia is “fear, contempt, or prejudice against homosexuals or homosexuality.” Don’t use the stereotypical right-wing cliche, “I don’t fear gays….” Try something new.
Rove going on about how Dad’s don’t want to have gay sons. Do you know how offensive that is? How many people really are rejected by parents who don’t like them? Zach’s own father struggled with Zach being gay (had you actually watch).
Until you’ve been the victim of homophobia you aren’t really in a position to tell gays what they can and can’t be offended of.
How imaginative for a heterosexual male to tell gays what they should and shouldn’t take offence to.
I am not denying there are homophobics in Australia but these examples to me are not.
The joke was said in jest but came out bad and inappropriate.
The “humour” in the joke came from knowing Zach’s playful character in the house.
The “joke” couldn’t have been said about the previous gay character, Nick, as he acted very differently to Zach.
It’s a very subtle line, but it’s there. You can read the joke whichever way you want but the intention wasn’t a malicious dig at the gay community
Well, I’m gay, I hate how we are treated by the government and other meat heads in this country … but I thought that Ryan’s comment was funny and true and perfectly appropriate as it is exactly what Zach would be thinking if he were there … though I am sure he would not actually “mob” them as they are both a bit tragic … nothing like Billy!!!
I loved the scene where Zach got new shoes from BB and clicked his heals together, making a wish …” …Billy, are you gay yet…??” So beautifully honest.
Jack!
Mike Beckham, would anyone make fun of Aborigines in Australia? Nope, why? Because of the lack of equality between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
Until you know what it’s like to be gay in this country given the hostility of conservatives and politicians to refuse to make things equal … you don’t know what it’s like to be gay in this country, nor the victim of someone else’s hatred.
OMG, how was Ryan’s remark even REMOTELY homophobic? Yes, I think he’s a dopey, boof-headed moron, but he’s far from homophobic.
Frankly I think the gay community uses the term “homophobic” as a way to criminalize any straight person who says ANYTHING negative about them, even if it’s used in a light hearted, or even innocuous fashion. Grow up. There will ALWAYS be straight people making fun of gay people and vice versa EVEN if they have nothing against them. Black people for instance make fun of white people all the time. Do we get offended? No. But if a white person did the same, would they? Unfortunately, yes. But far be it from me to challenge this socially accepted ideal.
There will ALWAYS be those stubborn people who immediately dismiss the gay community, and frankly that is their business, but they should learn to keep their mouthes shut. Particularly Isaiah Washington. Just when I think he’s said the absolute stupidest thing ever, he continues to talk s**t. 😛 Rove hasn’t done ANYTHING wrong as far as I’m concerned.
Agree with Luke on what he said about it being a “spur of the moment” joke. I do however think that Zach takes his “gayness” a little too far. Sure, he can perve on the guys all he wants as far as anyone’s concerned, but being gay shouldn’t give him the right to make those inappropriate remarks that he often makes towards the guys. I think it’s distasteful and disrespectful, and it wouldn’t be any more acceptable for any of the other housemates to talk that way to anybody else either IMO.
Homophobia is defined as a FEAR of homosexuality or being homosexual. Making a joke here and there or even disliking them does not instantly make somebody homophobic. There are people out there who HARM gay people, or downright HATE them; now THAT is homophobic behaviour. I think anybody who feels that people who take the piss out of the gay community should lighten up and learn to make fun of the straight community for a change. 😉
Err… end rant lol. 😛
When I heard it, I thought it was simply an inapropriate comment but certainly not homophobic. If you want to hear bigoted comments tune into the footy show – but where’s the news in that?
Ryan expressed his love for Zach and even backed him to win FNL that night!
I think the PC crowd is taking it all far too seriously – especially when you take into consideration the context of the show and how Zach has jokingly expressed his interests in ogling the bare chested males in the house.
I don’t think Ryan was being homophobic. It was just a joke not supposed to be taken seriously. Just a spur of the moment kind of thing.
I think it is rubbish to say Ryan’s or Rove’s comments were homophobic.
Even though Grant Denyers comment was inappropriate I don’t think it was homophobic (racist maybe).
The way I think everytime I hear these accusations is gay people should be immune from being made fun of.
The whole part of acceptance is that gay people aren’t any different from straight people. That means they should be open like the rest of us to jokes. Men are made fun of being skirt chasers and always wanting some. I assume this joke was the same sort of joke. My advice is lighten up, there are far worse offenders around.