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Ron Wilson brands Mardi Gras “disgusting”

Updated: TEN News presenter Ron Wilson apologises for comments made during an interview with Mardi Gras co-chair Peter Urmson.

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TEN News presenter Ron Wilson today branded elements of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade “disgusting” during an interview with New Mardi Gras co-chair Peter Urmson.

“Some of the spectacles you’re seeing, I’m assuming would even make you cringe,” he said. “It becomes an exploitation almost of a sexual image rather than trying to explore the diversity of lifestyle.”

“Our community is extremely colourful, and we celebrate our diversity through-” began Urmson.

“With respect, there’s a difference between colourful and disgusting, in some cases,” Wilson interrupted.

“I don’t think I would necessarily agree that any of it was disgusting, though,” replied Urmson.

“This year it was very flamboyant.”

Wilson disagreed, saying that some of the Parade “crossed the line.” His editorial seemed to contradict other elements of the interview that acknowledged a wider acceptance of homosexuality as well as screening clips from the “Say Something” campaign.

But his comments have already sparked a reaction on Facebook and Twitter.

Updated: A TEN spokesperson told TV Tonight

“TEN Morning News featured 8 minutes of overwhelmingly positive coverage of Mardi Gras. Ron Wilson congratulated organisers on the success of the 2011 event.

“One small section of the interview raised a question about behaviour by some participants. The phrasing might not have been ideal, and TEN apologises if any viewers took offence.

“However, it is not unreasonable for alternative views to be put to organisers and the interview talent agreed that while he didn’t hold the view, some sections of society may.”

UPDATE 2: Ron Wilson has since said, “As a journalist my job is to present an issue from different perspectives. If anyone took offence at anything I said during the interview I apologise. I fully support the gay community in its campaign to promote the issue of gay marriage and I congratulate the gay and lesbian community on the success of Mardi Gras.”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmqaCQM90aQ[/youtube]

UPDATE 3: apology

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpn_9eeqpQA[/youtube]

96 Responses

  1. kristi, just because it’s Mardi Gras doesn’t mean common decency can be ignored. He did not call the event disgusting. He did not call homosexuals disgusting.

    Try watching closely without trying to get your knickers in a twist, that is if you would wear any while doing the parade. Many did not. was there, and I saw many bare breasts, penises and vaginas. Great fun, except it was public. I have no problem with naked women, but as I said, I think you’d have a problem with a naked me lol, it’s ok though, I won’t take it personally ;)).

    But, because it’s a gay event, and David has chosen to get more clicks with the headline (like any journalist would to be fair), the hackles get raised. So kristi, please point out to me the exact time on the video when Ron calls your one day disgusting 🙂

    Cherry picking one sentence or one small thing isn’t fair. For example, I could argue that, based on your comment, homosexuals by and large don’t use capital letters ;), yet I know plenty who do use them.

    They also think the Mardi Gras parade is anachronistic and unfitting of the modern homosexual lifestyle. Do most gay women walk down the street topless? No. So why do it for one day?

    And Mardi Gras is a festival lasting almost a month, you don’t get just one day. Every day is a great day to be gay 🙂 And one day (soon one would hope!), you’ll be able to ruin the institution of marriage like all us straight people have lol.

    Sorry for the long post David, I just wanted to be careful with my words, it’s hard to say exactly what is right with just text!

    1. Josh: I do take issue with the suggestion I have written this for “more clicks.” TV Tonight as a brand started over 8 years ago in the gay media, following my earlier writing work. At least two other gay media articles today took a similar line to this one, having found it diappointing that such editorial from a news presenter went to air. I have noted elsewhere Mardi Gras night is not “any other night,” it has been staged for over 21 years and those in attendance know what to expect. Those watching on Pay TV are consenting subscribers and have parental locks -far different from FTA. It did not breach classifications. Ron Wilson asked why it didn’t explore diversity. In fact it did. Look at the diverse community representation it had in orientation, race, age, class, location, etc. There were thousands of ordinary gay men and women surrounding some who were more overt.

      A naked bike ride took place in Melbourne on the weekend. I have no idea of their orientation (let alone their “lifestyle”) but I haven’t seen any outrage, and I doubt it was an event where those who saw it were attending in support. I am also reminded that Steve Price was a longtime critic of the event but after attending last year at the invitation of The 7PM Project changed his mnd.

      At the end of the day my disagreement with what aired was not that Ron Wilson had a different viewpoint but that in a television interview he couched it in an editorial fashion. Any news director will tell you the same result could have been elicited from asking “What do you say to criticism that controversial elements of the Parade undermine the message?” Fair question. No offence would have resulted. After 35 years in broadcasting I find it surprising he did not adopt a similar line. I guess we all drop the ball sometimes.

      I also have no issue with news commentators who editorialise (ie Clive Robertson, George Negus…. even Graham Kennedy did this on Coast to Coast in the 1980s) but TEN Morning News does not pitch itself in this manner and the subject would unlikely have agreed to the interview without full disclosure. Ultimately, I ask myself, was Ron Wilson’s editorial really the best means to an end? “Say Something” indeed.

  2. With diversity comes adversity.
    I’d rather have Mardi Gras and a comment like this, than no Mardi Gras at all.
    We may not agree with everything we see or hear, but tolerance can be a hard balance.
    Perhaps Ron would feel more comfortable if nudity was in a ‘titty bar’? After all, that’s acceptable in society, isn’t it??

  3. This is such a overreaction. Get over it. Some scenes were very inappropriate and “disgusting”. No-one wants to see a guy walking around the CBD with his penis hanging out of his underwear. Its beyond gross!

    As Tarquin M said, no men in any event are allowed to walk around the CBD with their penis hanging out or stripping down to underwear… Im certain in a situation like that, a lot of by-standers would be saying its ‘disgusting’ and you would be arrested for public discloser in a public place.
    Before making comments about what Ron said, think about the same thing in another situation. Would you like if Ron walked down the street with his private parts hanging out? Didn’t think so, it would be “disgusting”.

  4. The gay marriage bit was appalling and the use of the word disgusting not appropriate, but it is too sexualised and perpetuates stereotypes and for some paints us all as “disgusting freaks” who don’t deserve equal rights, when we do.

  5. disgusting comments- such a low blow to judge and belittle the parade so soon after its success! which is exactly what the segment was supposed to be about- save the negative opinions for the debates and discussions.

    we get One day out of the whole year- cant you just let us celebrate and enjoy it??

    and to be honest, i dont care if he was at the news desk reporting the first ever mardi gras or how shocking he thought it was- he gets paid to Read the News …not to give his own closed minded opinions about the headlines!

  7. Heres a tip for Ron…
    if your trying to put alternative views out there…
    why didnt you say to Peter
    ‘What would you said to anyone who had this view?’ or ‘Some people might think this, what is your response?’

    The way it was said made out it was Rons opinion and therefore Channel 10’s opinion….
    now it just looks like He has realised that he looks bad and is trying to back pedal….

    Major Fail….

  8. Love how the gay people complaining want tolerance, but don’t return that tolerance when somebody has an opinion that differs from theirs.

    As a straight man if I waved my wang around in the street, I’d be arrested.

    I know quite a few gay people and shockingly none of them act like the walking cliches featured in the parade. The Mardi Gras is disgusting and is not furthering the cause for acceptance.

  9. How can he be surprised he has offended people, using the word ‘disgusting’?? Footy players brawling is disgusting. Dictators bombing their own citizens is disgusting. People expressing themselves in a forum for such expression is just that. A celebration of the diversity of human sexuality. Maybe gay people who feel they are misrepresented by the flamboyance should also march and show their more reserved version of their sexuality? Just a thought…

  10. The headline is a poor reflection of the content of the actual interview. Ron Wilson did not ‘brand Mardi Gras “disgusting”‘ as you assert, David. He suggested that the antics adopted by participants “in some cases” could be construed as disgusting. The two ideas are completely different. Analogously, just because I believe that some US Republicans are racist, that does not mean I’m calling the Republican Party a racist institution.

    I don’t claim to know your thought processes, David, but I think your headline has “poisoned the well” and encouraged people to get angry before they even read what he says: this makes it less likely that commenters would evaluate Wilson’s comments more carefully.

    As it happens, even though he didn’t actually describe the Mardi Gras as “disgusting”, as you assert in the headline, I do in fact agree that he shouldn’t have said what he said. I am also not a Ten News watcher, so I have no particular attachment to Wilson or the bulletin he presents.

    But especially when it comes to “controversial issues”, we should approach the matter fairly rather than trying to make inaccurate accusations in blog headlines.

  11. While I sorry that I don’t have time to read everybody’s comments, it seems that, like usual, the bastions of political correctness are the ones that have an issue with the “disgusting” comment, not anyone from the gay community (and yes, I realise I’m paraphrasing & generalising).

  12. From what little I’ve seen of this guy (being from Melb) he’s terrible at his job anyway. Not sure why Ten needs guys like this, it’s the opposite of their audience.

  13. I agree with Ron. Some of the behaviour was disgusting, especially the public nudity. If this was a “straight” event, this behaviour wouldn’t be tolerated.

    Personally, I think the Mardi Gras should be renamed to “Annual Sydney Mari Gras”, and drop the Gay and Lesbian part. Then it can be a proper celebration of Gay and Straight Australians……

  14. For a network that embraces the community as Ten does (its inclusion of a tolerance CSA during the Masterchef finale for eg) its a shame to hear the word disgusting from one of its prominent news readers. It is not a surprise to hear it come from his mouth however, the only surprise is that he hasn’t tripped himself up earlier.

  15. Let’s call for a boycott of 10 news, and Ron Wilson.

    This after 10 removes relgious programming over anti-gay remarks.

    Wait, this network is last in the ratings, and in finacial strife, so they won’t be around for long anyway.

    Maybe a little trimming of the redneck fat.

  16. I agree with Ron- i htought this year’s commentators were pretty off. It’s usually a fun broadcast to watch but it went too far this year.

  17. Everyone on here can have an opinion on this and not be ridiculed yet he says one word (which everyone has taken out of context) and gets slammed?? calm down! He meant no harm….the theme of Mardi Gra was “Say Something”…. Ron said something and looked what happened……

  18. Wilson made a similar comment a few weeks ago when he was interviewing someone else from NMG about gay marriage.

    He said he a strict catholic and blamed his religion for his view….. i think its a poor excuse

  20. I find Mr Wilsons comments completely discriminatory and quite idiotic really, suggesting that “time” would take care of gay marriage issues is not only a stupid thing to say, but suggests gays should stay quiet about their “alternative lifestyle”. Maybe he should suggest that same line of thought to the people of Libya, dont stand up for anything you believe in, just let time take care of it!
    When a community of people are punished, discriminated against, repressed and demonized like the gay and lesbian community have been, is it really that suprising that some of this community would want to express themselves in the extreme when they get their chance?? How is that “disgusting” Ron? Disgusting is the way gay and lesbian people Are continuing to be denied equality..!
    You’ve shown yourself to be a right twat Ron Wilson. I’ll vote with my remote.

  21. I find Mr Wilsons comments completely discriminatory and quite idiotic really, suggesting that “time” would take care of gay marriage issues is not only a stupid thing to say, but suggests he is a bigoted old cod who thinks gays should stay quiet about their “alternative lifestyle”. Maybe he should suggest that same line of thought to the people of Libya, dont stand up for anything you believe in, just let time take care of it!
    When a community of people are punished, discriminated against, repressed and demonized like the gay and lesbian community have been, is it really that suprising that some of this community would want to express themselves in the extreme when they get their chance?? How is that “disgusting” Ron? Disgusting is the way gay and lesbian people Are continuing to be denied equality..!

    You’ve shown yourself to be a right twat Ron Wilson. I’ll vote with my remote.

  22. the mardi gras parade isnt there to showcase the different aspects of every gay individual.. those that think we are all running around wearing feather boas and chaps are very very wrong…

    if you find it “disgusting”, don’t go.

    i respect that everyone has an opinion and they are entitled to it, but as an interviewer it is not ethical for him to put forward his personal points of view… especially when that point of view is slandering a community.

    and ron, to say that we should sit back and just wait for something to happen (gay marriage) rather than pushing for it means waiting what… 20-50 years? so everyone in the meanwhile should just be happy with inequality..? no way sunshine!

  23. I think what Ron said is a non issue. Most of you have said it’s not a problem, but why do you gay guys need to proclaim that you are commenting as a gay person? Whether you are straight, gay or bi your opinion should have equal weighting no matter your sexual preference.

  24. He’s entitled to an opinion. So you don’t agree with him? Thats ok, you are entitled to your opinion on his opinion as well.

    By lashing him for saying what he thinks smacks of hypocrisy. The interviewee handled the comment with good grace and diplomacy, more people should learn from his example.

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