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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. Going on the number of comments here I am truly suprised that so many people are watching the Winter Games. As for the comments that started the frenzy c’mon it’s Mick Molloy and Eddie what did you expect – serious commentary? I am not agreeing with them but I’m tired of every word, expression, gesture, sigh, pause etc on television being scrutinised so intensely. Everybody take a deep breath, shake your heads, change the channel and get over it.

  2. hey.. Eddie was very supportive of the Pink Magpies (the gay and lesbian supporter group of the collingwood football club) which has since disbanded (although that was more of the internal handling of it .. nothing to do with Eddie).. and he is also a big fan of k.d Lang too as evidenced in his recent interview with her so no Eddie is not homophobic in the slightest but in saying that i still think he should have held back from making any inflammatory comments regarding the skaters.

  3. the funniest thing about all this is that people are actually setting up websites to say how much they “hate Eddie Maguire”…if only they used their energy for good instead of being bitter….

    think if you took a poll on who thought it was funny and who thought it was offensive, 95% would say funny and the rest…well they need to get a life…and that includes you David!…

    keep smiling everyone, life is too short!

  4. @s
    Olympic Official
    “Yes well Mr Gyngell I’m afraid any reference to Brokeback Mountain in relation to ice skating, is a direct breach of IOC regulations. The only appropriate course of action is to fine you $10,000,000 and re-award the Olympic Rights to some nice Australians like Bruce McAvaney and Sandy Roberts”

    Ya think? Ya really think?????

  6. @FJ

    Strawman. It’s like complaining about the fact that men are discriminated against because of the existence of women-only gyms. You’re making statements under the presumption that heterosexuals and homosexuals are on equal footing.

    If you want to justify intolerance under the thin veil of pub humour, fine, free speech yadda yadda, just don’t expect people to turn a blind eye and rightfully point out your ignorance.

  7. Wait a minute.. just yesterday you posted a story about wanting Roy & HG back! If I seem to remember they commentated on male gymnastics with moves such as “How’s your father?” and other non direct homophobic statements.

    I’m not sticking up for Eddie, he’s a douche, but some people need to lighten up and not have knee jerk reactions about these things or they will just ostracize themselves even more.

    And hey Eddie works in the TV industry he’s bound to have gay friends whether he knows it or not.

  9. I agree with David Knox when he says context is everything. Roy and HG give every athlete and every sport the same treatment and that’s what they’re know for. Besides, they are actually funny and Eddie McGuire is definitely not. What’s more, he wasn’t actually trying to be. It’s quite obvious when you watch the clip again that he’s just a redneck in a suit who thought he could slip in a bit of “poofter-bashing”.

    While most adults, straight or gay, can take this so-called “humour” in their stride, teen suicide figures prove many young men aren’t so ready to be the target of constant prejudice by goons such as McGuire.

    Lift your game Channel Nine. Your persistently boofhead attitude is an embarrassment.

  10. The Dream/Ice Dream was a comedy show with the appropriate rating. These comments happened during G rated Olympic games. They are basically bogans.

    I hope that when the IOC reviews the tapes (all broadcasters must supply a copy of what they put to air, for the IOC to review), they will impose a large fine, or remove their broadcast rights.

  11. Great opinions (no matter which side of the fence they are all valuable) and a fantastic forum. Has there been such traffic on another topic in recent times? Keeps me coming back. Thanks David

  12. Also, if Eddie makes another comment about money someone should pick him up on it on air. Every night he has brought up the issue of money at least five times, he seems so focused on it, most of the times it has nothing to do with what the viewer wants to know. I can understand him bringing it up but he makes it the central marker of the sportspersons achievments. How about he spends a little more time researching all the facts he seems to be lacking and the names he can never pronounce?

  13. I hate what a big deal people make out of jokes these days. It was just a joke, they are not homophobic. Get over it and get a sense of humour! Grow some balls and have a laugh, instead of whinging. You people must be a hit at parties, if you have any friends to party with that is. Just relax and stop looking for stupid things to complain about!

  14. The punchline was that he was gay and that was supposed to be funny. I’m the first to laugh at myself regarding gay jokes but what a lot of people don’t understand is the undercurrent at work in these sorts of jokes is that being gay is a negative thing, it’s something to be laughed at and ridiculed for.

    I’m old enough to stand up for myself and don’t have any trouble taking someone on regarding their bigotry but it’s young men and women in the playgrounds who feel the effects of these jokes the most. They struggle enough dealing with their emotions surrounding their sexuality that these sorts of comments enforce the idea that they should keep their feelings secret. I’m not one of the PC brigade, if anything i’m anti PC, but I had enough old men in the media telling me to keep it hidden when I was young that it makes me question how far we have really come?

  15. David, your Roy and HG response would seem to imply that it’s hilarious to brand a whole sport as effeminate but abhorrent to isolate one competitor in particular.

  16. There is no barriers in comedy in my mind, the thing is, they weren’t funny, at all. It didnt raise a single laugh in me. It was humourless and dumb, if that were made into a show like they planned it would be bloody horrible. You should only go to those kinds of places if it’s going to be funny, in a genuine spirit and not based on actually abusing the stereotype for laughs unless it is ironically. I watched this only to laugh at Eddie and the whole show, If I didnt know better you’d think he was presenting an ironic representation of a dreadful and cringe worthy broadcast of a historical event.

  18. I’m gay and I’m not offended.

    We can’t make fun of gay people now?

    Making fun of gay people does not equal homophobia.

    All this PC stuff has gone too far.

  19. once again it’s the stiffs in the world not thinking. you cant tell that hardly anyone wasn’t offended by this and these people are too stupid to realize this

  20. @craig. 7 professional. pigs arse

    7’s presenters aren’t any better than 9’s. they are worse by some way

    torah bright just won a gold medal. 9 showed it live. 7 would show it tomorrow night at 11:30 at night

  21. Eddie should have been given the boot after the comments he made regarding Dale Begg-Smith’s silver medal. Poor sportsmanship has no place in sports commentary or reporting, & neither does sexual bias.
    The difference between The (Ice) Dream & Vancouver Gold is that The Dream was, first & foremost, a light hearted look at the days happenings, Vancouver Gold is meant to be highlights of the days events with interviews with some of the sports stars. The only good bits are the ones without Eddie.

  22. As if blokey, sports-oriented men thinking artistic men are all gay is something new!?! I saw this as it aired and saw the chance to poke fun at the skaters costumes as being a cheap grab for laughs – much like Mick Molloy’s entire career really! Seriously, have you looked at some of the very loud body suits going around in the other sports? Why are they any more or less deserving of cirticism?? Grow up boys!

  23. The ‘coverage’ of the women’s snow board competition on the same evening consisted of Eddie replaying an American athelete’s crash from the last olympics a dozen or so times and saying things like ‘oh look at her – show boating for her family’ over and over and over and over and over – when the same athelete finally got to compete this time around we missed the start of the event – but they still found time to replay the crash from the previous games a couple more times.

    I guess I say this just to make the comment that nine’s coverage sucks and it really doesn’t come as any surprise that they incorporate homophobia into their big bucket of bigotry.

    That was my one and only night of watching nine’s coverage – won’t make that mistake again

  24. I wouldn’t classify these as homophobic comments, just plain stupid and old fashioned.

    They wouldn’t make fun of a woman’s costume if it was plunging and showing of her chest, they wouldn’t make fun of an indigenous skaters costume, so why is it necessary to make fun of a flamboyant guy’s costume?

    It’s not just nine that are guilty of this crap – we saw it on 7pm project the other week and David Koch’s jokes have casued rumblings several times too for being inappropriate.

    Gays are still an easy target in the media…

  25. @John B

    The punchline of the “joke” was that he was gay. Gay because of the flamboyant costumes he chooses to wear. Nobody is denying that his attire is camp- it’s the unnecessary juvenile attitude that seems so pervasive amongst the Nine team that is bothering people.

    It’s not a case of double standards. When ever is it the case where being straight is the gag of the joke?

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