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Cracks in the Ice

Update: Extrovert US skater Johnny Weir is likened to "a bit of brokeback" by Eddie McGuire & Mick Molloy, while international media begins to pick up on the story.

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On Wednesday I watched the Men’s Figure Skating Short Programme on Foxtel. It was a world class event brimming with talent, and as the commentator observed, impossible to separate the top bunch.

One of the best athletes was US skater Johnny Weir, who I learned was one of the more colourful personalities in the finals. The extrovert Weir had already received death threats due to wanting to wear fox fur as part of his outfit. He decided against it. But he certainly put on quite a show, wowing the crowd with a theatrical performance and finishing sixth for his efforts.

He wasn’t the only showstopper. Japan’s Daisuke Takahashi put on such a performance he was likened to Michael Jackson by one commentator, while another was referred to as a “man’s man” amongst figure skaters.

Fortunately I didn’t have to hear the humour that Nine wheeled out later that night in its highlights package between Mick Molloy and Eddie McGuire. But by the sounds of things I missed quite a performance.

Yesterday Crikey ran a story on their chat which it quoted via this transcript:

EDDIE MCGUIRE: …what about the fashion at the ice skating?
…
MICK MOLLOY: They don’t leave anything in the locker room those blokes.
EDDIE: They leave nothing…
MICK: When they get out there…
EDDIE: They don’t leave anything in the closet either do they? [Laughs].
MICK: They [laughs], well they — careful you’ll get yourself into trouble there…
EDDIE: Sorry mate.

and

MICK: Look at this guy, it was like one of those fake tuxedos that you — even Prince saw that and went, oh hang on, you can’t go out wearing that. Oh look out, the hay seed look’s in this year. What is that?
EDDIE: A bit of broke back?
MICK: A bit of Brokeback Mountain exercise. You can’t wear it. They’re very flamboyant, they love a bit of colour as we said.

It’s now become a bit of a wildfire story, and it isn’t hard to see why. Out of context it’s hard to defend. In context it really isn’t any easier.

Several readers yesterday commented to TV Tonight that there were ‘homophobic’ comments in Nine’s coverage:

– “Their continual homophobic inuendo has convinced me to pay for the Foxtel coverage.. Seriously these two clowns should be barred off television.”
– “Unfortunately Mick Malloy had to waste time making homophobic comments last night and waste more time apologising for the same style of commentary on the previous night.”
– “They should call nines coverage of the Olympics, ‘The Footy Show on Ice’ disgusting appalling, sexist, homophobic, uneducated, uninformed.”
– “Just when Nine’s Olympic coverage couldn’t get even more terrible, now Eddie and Mick Molloy made gay jokes at a male figure skaters routine. Homophobia still alive and well at Nine.”

It has since been picked up by other media including News Ltd newspapers and gay press, as well as attracting fiery comment online. On the back of Nine’s NRL Footy Show comments being accused of vilification the timing is unfortunate. Of course rarely are such issues so black and white -Nine is also airing Dante’s Cove, showing no signs of any issue with sexuality.

Meanwhile, McGuire has already attracted criticism for his interview with Australian Silver medallist Dale Begg-Smith in which he appeared to prod the athlete into saying he was robbed of Gold.

Molloy and McGuire didn’t mention the Weir controversy last night during the Vancouver highlights package. Molloy is now travelling back to Australia to fulfill earlier commitments, which were in place before being booked by Nine.

TV Tonight contacted Nine over the issue which advised that there had been no complaints received prior to the Crikey article, which it declined to respond to.

Johnny Weir and the other amazing skaters take to the ice today for the Gold Medal in their event.

It should be quite a show, costume and all.

UPDATE:  The comments are now being picked up by overseas media including NBC Philadelphia, The Sun, Digital Spy.

Source: Crikey,

102 Responses

  1. Of course Eddie’s comments were politically incorrect, why are we surprised? It comes from the station who’s currently broadcasting 20-1 Sexiest Scandalous Nudilicious Moments. Oh and 2&1/2 Men, need I say more!
    It is interesting how Roy & HGs comments aka ‘Hello Boys’ during the male gymnasts and wrestling (Sydney 2000) aren’t being mentioned anywhere…. I think that’s what Eddie and Molloy were going for. Sadly they missed the mark by a longshot cos Eddie isn’t intelligent or witty. But let’s not get our gay knickers in too much a knot boys. Turn the other cheek (not the one on your face) these morons are not worth the time.

  2. the night coverage has been the only down point about their coverage. everything else has been good and they are doing a better job than 7 and that is a fact. 7’s coverage of the past 3 olympics looked like it was a backyard production of pinocchio. the only people complainin are the diluted 7 supporters.

  5. Why can’t people just relax? It’s getting to the point where people can’t say or do anything because with the internet and mobiles it’s so easy to make a mountain out of nothing… I’m gay and i love the olympics, i’m not a huge Eddie or Mick fan, but seriously, if this is what makes people upset you need to get a life. Isn’t it time that the gay community realises how much the world has accepted them in the past decade and instead of segregating themselves by complaining about straight people all the time, and having festivals eg. mardi gras to seperate them further from the straight community, just realise, if Eddie made a straight joke, you’d all be complaining he was sexist. Just deal with it.

  6. I think you’d better harden up if you found anything prior to the Broke Back and closet references offensive. But the Broke Back remarks are very ill advised given the meticulous scrutiny being exercised by Eddie McGuire haters and wowsers on sites like this one and Crikey

  7. Well considering Channel Nine are still living in the 1950’s I’m not suprised homophobia is alive and well over there. Just another reason not to take Nine seriously or watch them.
    Eddie and Mick have nothing to do with Olympics, there is no need for them to be commentators. They should have people who actually know the sports and play them, such as former Olympians, and not necessarily Australian ones if we dont have enough.
    What a shame the networks cant be fined for breach of common decency and respect for all people. Hopefully the new eComplaints gets bombarded with complaints from insulted people.

  8. I joined the facebook group “Eddie MCGuire is ruining the Winter Olympics”..already 1200 members..I also phoned up Channel 9 and complained about McGuires homophobic commemts.
    Maybe someone should sue channel 9 for his homophobic comments?

  9. See this is why Seven should have had the games. People kept saying take it all away from Seven but look at what the Nine Network serves up. I was watching and found it appalling!

    Eddie McGuire is a tool and Mick Molloy isnt much better either.

  11. And yet here it states:
    “Nine was inundated with complaints of homophobia after the pair quipped about Weir’s outfit.”

    I doubt they all read Crikey.

  13. I watched the Foxtel coverage on Wednesday night as well. It was fantastic! I can’t wait to watch the men’s figure skating tonight, should be tops. The Foxtel coverage across the four channels has been sensational. As for Mick Molloy and Eddie McGuire? Honestly, those exchanges sound pathetic and juvenile. “Poofter bashing” is always good for a cheap laugh, isn’t it? Mick Molloy has always been a talent-free buffoon and Eddie McGuire, the less said, the better.

  14. personally, I’ve found the coverage extremely homophobic. I couldn’t believe malloy and mcguire went on and on in such a homophobic tangent that night.

    And what was that with the interviewing of the 2aussie snow boarders last night? It was quite possibly the worst sports interview I have ever seen. Here you have 2 guys (one of them – scott i think was his name – is what, 15?) who have travelled to the other end of the world to represent your country – such potential material there for a great interview…….and what does mcguire spend his time asking them? He kept asking them about the #1 snowboarder (cant remember his name – but he’s the guy who got gold, and is apparently the roger federer of snow boarding). Like what the h3ll??? Here you have a 2 aussies who when not competing, are a highschool student and a courier. How about in their 15 minutes of fame (literally) asking them what it’s like to come from their respective backgrounds and represent their country? It’s like their interview was simply a “time filler”. Of course, if they won the gold, eddie’d have spent the time kissing their asses.

    I think there’s some sort of culture in the media whereby if you dont get the gold, you’ve Lost.

    Getting back to the homophobia, even this morning while watching the today show…you have Karl and Cameron knocking the double luge event. Yeah – 2 guys on on sleigh – one laying on top of another….so they Must be gay. WTF??

    I’m all up for making a laugh out of the events for whatever reason, but when most the jokes seem to revolve around the contestents being gay…….it’s just very poor taste.

  15. i didn’t see this, but one thing i did think was article worthy somewhere was what eddie said to kataina witt in a very long monotone interview during the highlghts the other day. i’m not sure what was agreed before that interview but she did seem quite startled when eddie brought up the playboy shoot. and was clearly uncomfortable with it but then eddie brought it up atleast another 3 times.

    if it was a disclosed celeb mag interview it would be ok. but it didn’t have any place in a winter olympics coverage. it was very unpleasant watching

  17. Peter Ford this morning on 2UE:

    “The joy of Eddie is that he works off the top of his head … it was a throw away line … leave them alone … get over it”.

  18. Gay jokes aside, I’ve got to say I’m really disappointed with Nine’s coverage. Too much of Eddie crapping on about nothing…show us the events!!

    Plus James Brayshaw…think he’s a top-notch talent, but added absolutely nothing to the snowboard half pipe coverage last night…..way out of your comfort zone here JB.

  19. It’s not just the homophobic comments, it’s the complete lack of knowledge of the sports/events they are commenting on. The interviews with the atheletes are appaulling, the coverage is pathetic. I have already moved to Foxtel’s coverage & it’s definately more professional, informative & the commentators actually know what they are talking about!

  20. 9’s coverage get’s worse. Just now on the Today show, king Carl has been saying that the two guys in the mens luge share a ciggy at the end of their run !!!!

    I really miss Bruce and the gang on 7.

  21. This infuriates me. Once again, Channel 9 allow homophobic, ignorant idiots on the air in prime time, giving them air space to present their bigoted and unfunny jokes against homosexuals. My issue with it is thinking about the young people who may have seen this. You could get a young male – who may be struggling with their sexuality, – and all of a sudden see this – they become even more confused, begin to hate themselves, feel more and more alone and are more likely to keep it a secret, which can lead to depression and worse.

    I don’t care what Eddie McGuire or Mick Molloy think. When they’re at home, or they’re out drinking with their mates at the pub, they can say whatever the hell they want to. But to deliberately go on air making these sorts of comments – even acknowledging that some of their previous comments had been inappropriate, only to use the fake apology as yet another punchline for their juvenile humour – is irresponsible to say the least.

  22. As a gay man, it was absolutely disgusting to watch. I don’t reallly expect anything less than a lost cause like Mick Molloy. But you’d think an intelligent, educated man like Eddie McGuire who’s been in the television world for 20 years would know a hell of a lot better. If channel 9 had any common sense, they’d make these two idiots issue an apology for their hurtful, backward remarks.

  24. Pretty terrible comments from McGuire and Molloy – but then again we’re talking about Ch 9 here.

    This is the same channel that put on that ‘roast’ for Molly Meldrum several years ago which was full of homophobic innuendo and overseen by people who thought such comments were ‘hilarious’.

    It seems 9 hasn’t moved on from then and seems to have gotten worse.

    A good reason not to watch the games on that ‘charming’ station!!

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