As a lesbian trapped in a man’s body, I gotta say I loved this…
246 comments on “The comedy stylings of George Takei”
I love the fact that ever since his announcement that he is gay, he has been in the spotlight more and more. Why should only Shatner get all the attention 40 years later? ^_^
P.S.: for some strange reason, I would love to see him and Ian McEllan in a movie together 🙂
Gee, I love seeing George Takei in the spotlight, too. He’s been blessed with such a distinctive voice that grabs my attention everytime I hear it. I think it’s right up there with people like George C. Scott, Alan Rickman, and especially James Earl Jones. The world needs more human beings who care about life like Takei.
Takei’s performance on the Shatner roast was great and his Howard Stern appearances always leave me adoring him more and more as a human being.
I actually know someone who was born a man, became a woman, and then married a woman here in Massachusetts.
As disappointing as it was to hear Hardaway’s comments, I don’t think he should apologize if that’s how he feels. I wonder if he simply did so to exert some damage control over his future endorsement and public speaking prospects.
Okay, I admittedly posted this off-topic passage in the blog entry below, but had I known that there’d be a gay-related blog entry here, I’d have waited.
Say what you want about my home state, Peter, but now we’re a safe haven for gays who wish to marry (even if they’re not calling it marriage).
heheehheee.
Funny celebirty gay man.
heheehheee.
Funny celebirty gay man.
heheehheee.
Funny celebirty gay man.
I was at a convention a few years back where George Takei was speaking. A rather short woman who I went to school with talked for ten minutes about how she was sure that he was gay, how annoying that is, this that and the other thing. Now, as remarkably prescient as her statements were, I STILL don’t care. Now, all these years later, George Takei is out, seems to be revelling in it, and the Sulu audio adventures are still one of the most played CD’s in my car.
And she’s still short.
Frickin’ priceless! Thanks for sharing it! ^_^
That was freakin’ awesome! 🙂
George Takei’s awesome. That’s funny!
Oh yeah, I really wish somebody else from the NBA–not David Stern, but one of the players–would go on the record denouncing Hardaway’s rant against John Amaechi (whose book on life in the NBA as a gay man, “Man in the Middle”, is released tomorrow) and all gay people.
It would help the NBA’s image so much for a guy like Shaq, or LeBron, or Ray Allen, or Dirk Nowitzki, or SOMEBODY to say “This guy’s a bigot and what he said was inexcusable. There’s no good reason to hate gay people.”
But instead of saying something like that, here is what LeBron James said when Amaechi came out of the closet:
“We spend so much time together, we’re like family. You take showers together, you’re on the bus, you talk about things. With teammates, you have to be trustworthy. If you’re gay and you’re not admitting that you are, you’re not trustworthy. It’s the locker room code; it’s a trust factor.”
I have been a huge fan of George Takei ever since Howard Stern decided to make him an honorary member of his team on Sirius. Granted, thats not very long…But this mans personality and sense of humor are incredible. Not only is he incredibly funny, but the man also takes a joke very very well. I loved this video…and something about his voice in general leaves me hysterical whenever i hear it 🙂
Mike
*shrug* It’s a *good thing* that he can laugh about it in public and no longer risk getting stoned for it. But I can’t say I found it especially funny. A tad predictable, I guess. But, kudos to him for standing up about it.
Heartnut – Distinctive voices? Agreed. Add William Windom to the list. Just saw him in a ’62 TWILIGHT ZONE where a thick mustache and younger face had him unrecognizeable. But I just knew it had to be him from the voice.
Man, that is priceless.
You’re a lesbian trapped in a mans body. I’m a drag queen trapped in a womens body. It’s a tough world.
Go Zulu!
I saw the punchline coming from a mile away. Doesn’t matter. It was till drop-dead funny. Why? Takei’s delivery was spot-on perfect in all respects. When he was supposed to sound serious, he did. When he segued to the funny part, he adjusted his delivery seamlessly and perfectly.
That was awesome. Thanks for sharing, Peter.
Heh… Good one.
🙂
And of course, the whole “shtick” will likely make Hardaway squirm in the extreme, which I feel is the real payoff, on top of the great delivery of Mr Takei. Turn the tables and spin ’em often. Nice.
Sometimes I find George a little over the top, but he really can be funny. I love how this bit shows him serious and reasonable before he delves into the lecherousness.
I remember some show had him in a fake movie trailer awhile back. In the fake trailer he was the villain of a movie called “Blowd up!” and he would talk about how soon the whole world would be blowd up. Then he’d laugh manically, and I’d bust a gut watching him.
Talk about dying by the sword you live by.
Holy dump, that was hilarious. Thanks for posting it.
The Starwolf wrote:
Heartnut – Distinctive voices? Agreed. Add William Windom to the list. Just saw him in a ’62 TWILIGHT ZONE where a thick mustache and younger face had him unrecognizeable. But I just knew it had to be him from the voice.
S.C.: “Five Characters In Search Of An Exit” and especially enjoyed him as Commodore Decker in “The Doomsday Machine”
Kirk: Where’s your crew?
Decker: On the third planet.
Kirk: There is no third planet.
Decker: Don’t you think I know that?
Sorry for straying seriously off-topic, but …
Steve – Did you see the fan-produced sequel to DOOMSDAY? IN HARM’S WAY. They managed to have Windom reprise his Decker role – albeit a much older Decker. OK, PAD’s VENDETTA was much better as far as I’m concerned, but for a fan effort it was pretty darn good. Just seeing someone ‘drive’ a Constitution-class starship through an industrial-sized Guardian of Forever was pretty neat. 8-))
“As disappointing as it was to hear Hardaway’s comments, I don’t think he should apologize if that’s how he feels.”
Honestly, I agree. From what I understand, he was on a shock-jock-style radio talkshow, and they asked him how he felt about gays, particularly in locker room settings. If that’s how he REALLY felt, should he have lied? If, for instance, this guy was raised to embrace the Bible, then his breeding tells him to abominate gays and also not to lie. So he was doing was he thought was right. Maybe we should hunt down his parents and ask him what they were planting in their kid’s mind.
Should he have hedged it? “How do you feel about gays?” “No comment. I’d rather not talk about it.” Well you just KNOW that if he’d gone that route, the media would have sensed blood and piled on looking for a quote.
It’s not as if he beat up a gay guy, was arrested, and by way of defense he said he hated gays. He feels a certain way, he was asked about it, he answered honestly. Let’s face it: The things he said were no different than the drafters of the military code of conduct, and that’s a situation where those who hold that opinion really have an impact, unlike a basketball player.
Yes, the irony doesn’t elude me that there’s plenty of people who would answer the same way when asked about African-Americans, and I doubt Hardaway would be so sanguine about that attidue. I wonder if anyone’s brought that to his attention.
At any rate, I certainly think his comments warrant a big, fat, shoulder-shrugging, “Okay, well…sorry you feel that way.” After all, pro sports brought it on themselves: They make players sign off on morality clauses. So if they’re going to force issues of morality on pro athletes, they then don’t get to bìŧçh if those same players advocate positions based upon Bible-taught morality.
PAD
Not much of a joke if I were just reading the script, but Takei makes everything better.
O my…..
For some reason, I never watch Voyager. So with Spike TV now showing it in sequence, I got my first chance to see Takei’s Sulu episode for the first time a while back…reminding me once again that Paramount really missed the boat in not developing the Sulu character into at the least a more-often used recurring character.
I don’t fault Hardaway for his words…I’m surprised we haven’t had some big-name star say something like it before this. We’ve got states preventing same-sex marraige…open discrimination…so there must be a good number of people that hold views similar to Hardaways. And I think his apology was ok, too…mostly he apologized for saying he hated gay people. That’s fine…hate is a strong word, and when used with “crime,” land people in jail, so I can see why he’d want to back away from the H word.
And I think this is a perfect response. Because, deep down, I have to think that most anti-gay sentiment comes from the fear that gay people can “infect” their gayness on heterosexuals. That they secretly want us all.
And now, thanks to Takei, we know the truth. 😉
“From what I understand, he was on a shock-jock-style radio talkshow”
For the record, Dan Le Batard, who was asking Hardaway about gays on his radio show, is not exactly what I would term “shock jock”.
He’s a sports columnist for the Miami Herald and occasionally for ESPN The Magazine, does sports radio there in Miami, and is a regular guest host for ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption.
But maybe I just need “shock jock” redefined for me. 🙂
“Should he have hedged it? “How do you feel about gays?” “No comment. I’d rather not talk about it.” “
I don’t know. I can see what you’re saying about honesty. The real problem is that he feels that way, not that he said it.
But saying it is a problem too, even if it is a smaller problem. It’s basically accepting the belief, when he should be working to be a better person. Saying what he said to a broadcast audience is basically telling them that it is OK if they feel that way, too.
If he felt that way but kept it to himself, he’d at least be admitting on some level that this is something that needs to change. Being proud of being ignorant makes it worse.
Craig-
That would be my bad since I was pulling the story from memory from hearing about it on the radio and a short article about his being pulled from the All star game. Thanks for the clarification.
Kath
And just to show how far the understanding of homosexuality has come in today’s ‘age of enlightenment’:
“I have heard the argument that “Being gay is so tough and I’m so persecuted”, why would I choose that lifestyle. Maybe they like that abuse and attention. Some weirdos are into that stuff.”
– poster on another forum I read
“It’s basically accepting the belief, when he should be working to be a better person. Saying what he said to a broadcast audience is basically telling them that it is OK if they feel that way, too.”
To which they would say that who are you to say that it’s wrong for them to feel that way? Their point of view would be that there’s something wrong with you for *not* being abominated. And they’ll claim that their position is backed up by the word of God. So you’ve got a tough road ahead of you.
PAD
“Someday, when you least expect it, we will have sex with you.”
Awesome!
Hurry and talk about heroes! Mondays episode was really well done….the whole show feel as if I am reading some of my favorite comics. Its a blast!
So is it wrong for the NBA to ban him from all star games?
ON the one hand it is highly disturbing to ban someone for expressing their free speech, even when that speech is repugnant. And as PAD points out, what he says even has the official sanction of certain government agencies, so it seems hypocritical to be all shocked, shocked, when an athlete expresses it in raw language.
Then again, we’ve seen similar things done to people who expressed racist opinions–John Rocker, Jimmy the Greek, etc. I doubt a holocaust denier would be welcome at most events. One can legally join NAMBLA but don’t expect not to lose any and all endorsement deals.
It’s a slippery slope though. Given his apology I think they should let him compete if he is qualified to do so. Certainly anyone who felt that the Dixie Chicks were wrongly treated should have sympathy to this guy, however odious his views.
The Star Wolf wrote:
Steve – Did you see the fan-produced sequel to DOOMSDAY? IN HARM’S WAY. They managed to have Windom reprise his Decker role – albeit a much older Decker. OK, PAD’s VENDETTA was much better as far as I’m concerned, but for a fan effort it was pretty darn good. Just seeing someone ‘drive’ a Constitution-class starship through an industrial-sized Guardian of Forever was pretty neat. 8-))
S.C.: Missed out on that one, but it sounds cool.
Also, Takei was cool on that episode of Voyager, and it’s a shame that Paramount didn’t do a show based on Sulu and his crew.
Bill, just FYI, Hardaway is a retired baller, who was working for the NBA as an analyst/presenter. He wasn’t going to play or compete in any of the events.
As public representation of the league..not just a player, but an employee, I don’t have any problem with the NBA deciding to terminate their relationship with him. Whether you’re for or against his position, it’s one that’s bound to draw criticism. As a business, you generally don’t want a public representative that’s going to cost you customers.
Had he been a player, it would have been interesting what the league would have done. Certainly, they couldn’t bar him for playing. Or rather, they could, but the negative response would probably be great enough that the league wouldn’t. But exclude him from the ASG events? Maybe. His apology would probably have earned him a player pass, like Tyrus Thomas’ comments on participating in the Dunk contest.
I don’t feel that what the DXC went through was wrong…free speech doens’t mean you’re immune to the consequences of making use of that right. If you express an unpopular opinion, and your job relies upon some level of public acceptance, that opinion might cost you some business. I don’t think they deserved to receive death threats, and those folks, should they ever be caught, will learn that free speech doesn’t apply to everything you say. But if radio stations and concert venues want to cancel DCX songs because they said something more and more people agree with every day, that’s their decision to make. We can agree or disagree with the motives behind that decision, but it’s not a matter of right or wrong for society to correct.
Enjoy it while you can. This was the funniest thing ever produced on Jimmy Kimmel Live,” with an appearance by Jack Black and Tenacious D a close second.
Problem is that the rest of Kimmel’s shows aren’t anywhere near this level. It’s a talk show where most of the talking is done by Kimmel and his cheesy supporting cast, sounding like imitation Letterman. The ratings are low, the show is losing money for Disney, and I’ve heard that ABC News has shot some pilots for an hour-long edition of Nightline for the possible time that ABC pulls the plug on this turkey. News won’t make them any more money, but it’s cheaper to produce, has some nobility, and it’ll get those imitative LA club bands that Kimmel inexplicably loves out of the network’s hair.
I hate gay people…. I’m homophobic. It shouldn’t be in the world, in the United States, I don’t like it.
Certainly anyone who felt that the Dixie Chicks were wrongly treated should have sympathy to this guy, however odious his views.
The NBA wants to distance itself from a former player who indulged in celebrating the isolation of a minority — however crude the NBA’s manner.
Radio stations organizing public demolitions of a preformer’s album for saying “Just so you know, we’re ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas” in itself indulges in isolating her.
Comparing the two agendas only makes sense if you consider any public criticism of white patriarchy to be predatory. That’s not a compassion shared among the oppressed, but the privileged.
Bobb, I hadn’t realized that he was in a position other than a player. Well, then, of course they have the right to boot him off, and it’s probably smart business to do so. An analyst/presenter is of value only in as much as they increase one’s enjoyment of the game and having someone who is deliberately turning off viewers on account of his obnoxious opinions serves no purpose.
It really is great to see him getting so much love now.
“I don’t feel that what the DXC went through was wrong…free speech doens’t mean you’re immune to the consequences of making use of that right. If you express an unpopular opinion, and your job relies upon some level of public acceptance, that opinion might cost you some business. I don’t think they deserved to receive death threats, and those folks, should they ever be caught, will learn that free speech doesn’t apply to everything you say. But if radio stations and concert venues want to cancel DCX songs because they said something more and more people agree with every day, that’s their decision to make. We can agree or disagree with the motives behind that decision, but it’s not a matter of right or wrong for society to correct.”
Wait a second. I think there’s a difference between a consumer who decides to boycot artists (like the Dixie Chicks), and when a radio station or record store does it.
Secondly, it’s true that in principal both the case of Haraway and the Dixie Chicks are cases of freedom of speech, but it seems to me that there should be a difference in the public preceptionand the public’s attitude toward someone using freedom of speech in order to criticize a policy or a political figure and when someone uses it to voice hatred toward a group. We shouldn’t get too relativistic.
Anyway, George Takei showed that a sense of humor used in the right way can be more effective than public outrage by some humorless advocacy group.
Secondly, it’s true that in principal both the case of Haraway and the Dixie Chicks are cases of freedom of speech, but it seems to me that there should be a difference in the public preceptionand the public’s attitude toward someone using freedom of speech in order to criticize a policy or a political figure and when someone uses it to voice hatred toward a group. We shouldn’t get too relativistic.
Agreed but since prejudice against gays is tolerated and even to a degree encouraged in government–witness the bipartisan support for both the Defense of Marriage Act and the Don’t Ask Don’t tell policies–it becomes a bit hypocritical for society to come down hard on some athlete who simply speaks the same prejudice, without the fancy rhetoric and justifications.
I covered an NBC press conference with George Takei recently, re: his stint on “Heroes.” But he really had a lot of fascinating things to say, from growing up in Japanese American interment camps to coming out a few years ago.
“Agreed but since prejudice against gays is tolerated and even to a degree encouraged in government–witness the bipartisan support for both the Defense of Marriage Act and the Don’t Ask Don’t tell policies–it becomes a bit hypocritical for society to come down hard on some athlete who simply speaks the same prejudice, without the fancy rhetoric and justifications.”
Isn’t there a difference between opposing gay marriage and saying you hate gays?
And should one case of pejudice justify another? If you’re going to fight against prejudice you have to start somewhere. It is only hypocritical if the people doing the criticizing of the athlete support the other forms of discrimination.
…of course they have the right to boot him off, and it’s probably smart business to do so. An analyst/presenter is of value only in as much as they increase one’s enjoyment of the game and having someone who is deliberately turning off viewers on account of his obnoxious opinions serves no purpose.
…since prejudice against gays is tolerated and even to a degree encouraged in government–witness the bipartisan support for both the Defense of Marriage Act and the Don’t Ask Don’t tell policies–it becomes a bit hypocritical for society to come down hard on some athlete who simply speaks the same prejudice, without the fancy rhetoric and justifications.
First you say the NBA is justified in getting rid of a commentator because his opinion is offensive — in your words “turning off viewers.” Then you say they’re being hypocritical because the commentator opinion was nurtured by society — ie not “turning off viewers.”
Are you capable of establishing a boundary — whether Hardaway’s comments are a “turn off” or not — before attempting to speak with any pretense of knowledge?
Hmm, looks like Mike is back to commenting on my posts again. Or maybe just attacking people’s kids–since I don’t read him any more I’ll have to wait for someone else to tell me. Let me know if he comes near a valid point (and if I’m wrong and nothing he says refers to me please forgive the display of ego!)
Micha–Isn’t there a difference between opposing gay marriage and saying you hate gays?
There is. I would not advocate firing someone over not supporting gay marriage. I’m aware that I’m in the minority in supporting it and not everyone who does not support it is doing so for hateful reasons. I think most genuinely, if (in my opinion) needlessly think that gay marriage would be harmful to families. But it is still a prejudiced view and it is hurting people who have done nothing to deserve it. Ditto on the ban on gays in the military–I honestly can’t see how this can be justified. When this policy is revoked–and it will be–people will wonder what the hëll the whole fuss was about (remember the huge controversy over gay teachers? Well here in my little North Carolina backwater we have several openly gay teachers and 2 of them have been teacher of the year, respected by their peers and loved by their kids).
Ok, I’m preaching to the choir, I know. Hardaway said a hateful thing and is paying the price. When you are representing a company you had better be careful about announcing disdain for any segment of the paying customer. Honesty is fine, but don’t be surprised to become the most honest guy on the unemployment line. But who has really done the most harm–Hardaway with his openly declared bigotry or the politicians who give lip service to the rights of gays even as they limit their career choices and the fundamental right to marry the person you love and live out the American Dream (albeit with a modification undreamed of by Ozzie and Harriet)?
We tend to focus on the overtly bad bigots while tolerating the everyday slights. It would be like getting all righteous against a Bull O’Conner while shrugging at the less clearly vicious injustices of the Jim Crow south.
Anyway, I’m not arguing that anything I’ve said is something you agree or disagree with, Micha–you just gave me the stimulus to break out the soapbox again. Back to our regular program…
• 
I love the fact that ever since his announcement that he is gay, he has been in the spotlight more and more. Why should only Shatner get all the attention 40 years later? ^_^
P.S.: for some strange reason, I would love to see him and Ian McEllan in a movie together 🙂
Gee, I love seeing George Takei in the spotlight, too. He’s been blessed with such a distinctive voice that grabs my attention everytime I hear it. I think it’s right up there with people like George C. Scott, Alan Rickman, and especially James Earl Jones. The world needs more human beings who care about life like Takei.
Takei’s performance on the Shatner roast was great and his Howard Stern appearances always leave me adoring him more and more as a human being.
I actually know someone who was born a man, became a woman, and then married a woman here in Massachusetts.
As disappointing as it was to hear Hardaway’s comments, I don’t think he should apologize if that’s how he feels. I wonder if he simply did so to exert some damage control over his future endorsement and public speaking prospects.
Okay, I admittedly posted this off-topic passage in the blog entry below, but had I known that there’d be a gay-related blog entry here, I’d have waited.
As of midnight today, it’s official:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/G/GAY_MARRIAGE_PARTNERS?SITE=1010WINS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Say what you want about my home state, Peter, but now we’re a safe haven for gays who wish to marry (even if they’re not calling it marriage).
heheehheee.
Funny celebirty gay man.
heheehheee.
Funny celebirty gay man.
heheehheee.
Funny celebirty gay man.
I was at a convention a few years back where George Takei was speaking. A rather short woman who I went to school with talked for ten minutes about how she was sure that he was gay, how annoying that is, this that and the other thing. Now, as remarkably prescient as her statements were, I STILL don’t care. Now, all these years later, George Takei is out, seems to be revelling in it, and the Sulu audio adventures are still one of the most played CD’s in my car.
And she’s still short.
Frickin’ priceless! Thanks for sharing it! ^_^
That was freakin’ awesome! 🙂
George Takei’s awesome. That’s funny!
Oh yeah, I really wish somebody else from the NBA–not David Stern, but one of the players–would go on the record denouncing Hardaway’s rant against John Amaechi (whose book on life in the NBA as a gay man, “Man in the Middle”, is released tomorrow) and all gay people.
It would help the NBA’s image so much for a guy like Shaq, or LeBron, or Ray Allen, or Dirk Nowitzki, or SOMEBODY to say “This guy’s a bigot and what he said was inexcusable. There’s no good reason to hate gay people.”
But instead of saying something like that, here is what LeBron James said when Amaechi came out of the closet:
“We spend so much time together, we’re like family. You take showers together, you’re on the bus, you talk about things. With teammates, you have to be trustworthy. If you’re gay and you’re not admitting that you are, you’re not trustworthy. It’s the locker room code; it’s a trust factor.”
I have been a huge fan of George Takei ever since Howard Stern decided to make him an honorary member of his team on Sirius. Granted, thats not very long…But this mans personality and sense of humor are incredible. Not only is he incredibly funny, but the man also takes a joke very very well. I loved this video…and something about his voice in general leaves me hysterical whenever i hear it 🙂
Mike
*shrug* It’s a *good thing* that he can laugh about it in public and no longer risk getting stoned for it. But I can’t say I found it especially funny. A tad predictable, I guess. But, kudos to him for standing up about it.
Heartnut – Distinctive voices? Agreed. Add William Windom to the list. Just saw him in a ’62 TWILIGHT ZONE where a thick mustache and younger face had him unrecognizeable. But I just knew it had to be him from the voice.
Man, that is priceless.
You’re a lesbian trapped in a mans body. I’m a drag queen trapped in a womens body. It’s a tough world.
Go Zulu!
I saw the punchline coming from a mile away. Doesn’t matter. It was till drop-dead funny. Why? Takei’s delivery was spot-on perfect in all respects. When he was supposed to sound serious, he did. When he segued to the funny part, he adjusted his delivery seamlessly and perfectly.
That was awesome. Thanks for sharing, Peter.
Heh… Good one.
🙂
And of course, the whole “shtick” will likely make Hardaway squirm in the extreme, which I feel is the real payoff, on top of the great delivery of Mr Takei. Turn the tables and spin ’em often. Nice.
Sometimes I find George a little over the top, but he really can be funny. I love how this bit shows him serious and reasonable before he delves into the lecherousness.
I remember some show had him in a fake movie trailer awhile back. In the fake trailer he was the villain of a movie called “Blowd up!” and he would talk about how soon the whole world would be blowd up. Then he’d laugh manically, and I’d bust a gut watching him.
Talk about dying by the sword you live by.
Holy dump, that was hilarious. Thanks for posting it.
The Starwolf wrote:
Heartnut – Distinctive voices? Agreed. Add William Windom to the list. Just saw him in a ’62 TWILIGHT ZONE where a thick mustache and younger face had him unrecognizeable. But I just knew it had to be him from the voice.
S.C.: “Five Characters In Search Of An Exit” and especially enjoyed him as Commodore Decker in “The Doomsday Machine”
Kirk: Where’s your crew?
Decker: On the third planet.
Kirk: There is no third planet.
Decker: Don’t you think I know that?
Sorry for straying seriously off-topic, but …
Steve – Did you see the fan-produced sequel to DOOMSDAY? IN HARM’S WAY. They managed to have Windom reprise his Decker role – albeit a much older Decker. OK, PAD’s VENDETTA was much better as far as I’m concerned, but for a fan effort it was pretty darn good. Just seeing someone ‘drive’ a Constitution-class starship through an industrial-sized Guardian of Forever was pretty neat. 8-))
“As disappointing as it was to hear Hardaway’s comments, I don’t think he should apologize if that’s how he feels.”
Honestly, I agree. From what I understand, he was on a shock-jock-style radio talkshow, and they asked him how he felt about gays, particularly in locker room settings. If that’s how he REALLY felt, should he have lied? If, for instance, this guy was raised to embrace the Bible, then his breeding tells him to abominate gays and also not to lie. So he was doing was he thought was right. Maybe we should hunt down his parents and ask him what they were planting in their kid’s mind.
Should he have hedged it? “How do you feel about gays?” “No comment. I’d rather not talk about it.” Well you just KNOW that if he’d gone that route, the media would have sensed blood and piled on looking for a quote.
It’s not as if he beat up a gay guy, was arrested, and by way of defense he said he hated gays. He feels a certain way, he was asked about it, he answered honestly. Let’s face it: The things he said were no different than the drafters of the military code of conduct, and that’s a situation where those who hold that opinion really have an impact, unlike a basketball player.
Yes, the irony doesn’t elude me that there’s plenty of people who would answer the same way when asked about African-Americans, and I doubt Hardaway would be so sanguine about that attidue. I wonder if anyone’s brought that to his attention.
At any rate, I certainly think his comments warrant a big, fat, shoulder-shrugging, “Okay, well…sorry you feel that way.” After all, pro sports brought it on themselves: They make players sign off on morality clauses. So if they’re going to force issues of morality on pro athletes, they then don’t get to bìŧçh if those same players advocate positions based upon Bible-taught morality.
PAD
Not much of a joke if I were just reading the script, but Takei makes everything better.
O my…..
For some reason, I never watch Voyager. So with Spike TV now showing it in sequence, I got my first chance to see Takei’s Sulu episode for the first time a while back…reminding me once again that Paramount really missed the boat in not developing the Sulu character into at the least a more-often used recurring character.
I don’t fault Hardaway for his words…I’m surprised we haven’t had some big-name star say something like it before this. We’ve got states preventing same-sex marraige…open discrimination…so there must be a good number of people that hold views similar to Hardaways. And I think his apology was ok, too…mostly he apologized for saying he hated gay people. That’s fine…hate is a strong word, and when used with “crime,” land people in jail, so I can see why he’d want to back away from the H word.
And I think this is a perfect response. Because, deep down, I have to think that most anti-gay sentiment comes from the fear that gay people can “infect” their gayness on heterosexuals. That they secretly want us all.
And now, thanks to Takei, we know the truth. 😉
“From what I understand, he was on a shock-jock-style radio talkshow”
For the record, Dan Le Batard, who was asking Hardaway about gays on his radio show, is not exactly what I would term “shock jock”.
He’s a sports columnist for the Miami Herald and occasionally for ESPN The Magazine, does sports radio there in Miami, and is a regular guest host for ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption.
But maybe I just need “shock jock” redefined for me. 🙂
“Should he have hedged it? “How do you feel about gays?” “No comment. I’d rather not talk about it.” “
I don’t know. I can see what you’re saying about honesty. The real problem is that he feels that way, not that he said it.
But saying it is a problem too, even if it is a smaller problem. It’s basically accepting the belief, when he should be working to be a better person. Saying what he said to a broadcast audience is basically telling them that it is OK if they feel that way, too.
If he felt that way but kept it to himself, he’d at least be admitting on some level that this is something that needs to change. Being proud of being ignorant makes it worse.
Craig-
That would be my bad since I was pulling the story from memory from hearing about it on the radio and a short article about his being pulled from the All star game. Thanks for the clarification.
Kath
And just to show how far the understanding of homosexuality has come in today’s ‘age of enlightenment’:
“I have heard the argument that “Being gay is so tough and I’m so persecuted”, why would I choose that lifestyle. Maybe they like that abuse and attention. Some weirdos are into that stuff.”
– poster on another forum I read
“It’s basically accepting the belief, when he should be working to be a better person. Saying what he said to a broadcast audience is basically telling them that it is OK if they feel that way, too.”
To which they would say that who are you to say that it’s wrong for them to feel that way? Their point of view would be that there’s something wrong with you for *not* being abominated. And they’ll claim that their position is backed up by the word of God. So you’ve got a tough road ahead of you.
PAD
“Someday, when you least expect it, we will have sex with you.”
Awesome!
Hurry and talk about heroes! Mondays episode was really well done….the whole show feel as if I am reading some of my favorite comics. Its a blast!
So is it wrong for the NBA to ban him from all star games?
ON the one hand it is highly disturbing to ban someone for expressing their free speech, even when that speech is repugnant. And as PAD points out, what he says even has the official sanction of certain government agencies, so it seems hypocritical to be all shocked, shocked, when an athlete expresses it in raw language.
Then again, we’ve seen similar things done to people who expressed racist opinions–John Rocker, Jimmy the Greek, etc. I doubt a holocaust denier would be welcome at most events. One can legally join NAMBLA but don’t expect not to lose any and all endorsement deals.
It’s a slippery slope though. Given his apology I think they should let him compete if he is qualified to do so. Certainly anyone who felt that the Dixie Chicks were wrongly treated should have sympathy to this guy, however odious his views.
The Star Wolf wrote:
Steve – Did you see the fan-produced sequel to DOOMSDAY? IN HARM’S WAY. They managed to have Windom reprise his Decker role – albeit a much older Decker. OK, PAD’s VENDETTA was much better as far as I’m concerned, but for a fan effort it was pretty darn good. Just seeing someone ‘drive’ a Constitution-class starship through an industrial-sized Guardian of Forever was pretty neat. 8-))
S.C.: Missed out on that one, but it sounds cool.
Also, Takei was cool on that episode of Voyager, and it’s a shame that Paramount didn’t do a show based on Sulu and his crew.
Bill, just FYI, Hardaway is a retired baller, who was working for the NBA as an analyst/presenter. He wasn’t going to play or compete in any of the events.
As public representation of the league..not just a player, but an employee, I don’t have any problem with the NBA deciding to terminate their relationship with him. Whether you’re for or against his position, it’s one that’s bound to draw criticism. As a business, you generally don’t want a public representative that’s going to cost you customers.
Had he been a player, it would have been interesting what the league would have done. Certainly, they couldn’t bar him for playing. Or rather, they could, but the negative response would probably be great enough that the league wouldn’t. But exclude him from the ASG events? Maybe. His apology would probably have earned him a player pass, like Tyrus Thomas’ comments on participating in the Dunk contest.
I don’t feel that what the DXC went through was wrong…free speech doens’t mean you’re immune to the consequences of making use of that right. If you express an unpopular opinion, and your job relies upon some level of public acceptance, that opinion might cost you some business. I don’t think they deserved to receive death threats, and those folks, should they ever be caught, will learn that free speech doesn’t apply to everything you say. But if radio stations and concert venues want to cancel DCX songs because they said something more and more people agree with every day, that’s their decision to make. We can agree or disagree with the motives behind that decision, but it’s not a matter of right or wrong for society to correct.
Enjoy it while you can. This was the funniest thing ever produced on Jimmy Kimmel Live,” with an appearance by Jack Black and Tenacious D a close second.
Problem is that the rest of Kimmel’s shows aren’t anywhere near this level. It’s a talk show where most of the talking is done by Kimmel and his cheesy supporting cast, sounding like imitation Letterman. The ratings are low, the show is losing money for Disney, and I’ve heard that ABC News has shot some pilots for an hour-long edition of Nightline for the possible time that ABC pulls the plug on this turkey. News won’t make them any more money, but it’s cheaper to produce, has some nobility, and it’ll get those imitative LA club bands that Kimmel inexplicably loves out of the network’s hair.
The NBA wants to distance itself from a former player who indulged in celebrating the isolation of a minority — however crude the NBA’s manner.
Radio stations organizing public demolitions of a preformer’s album for saying “Just so you know, we’re ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas” in itself indulges in isolating her.
Comparing the two agendas only makes sense if you consider any public criticism of white patriarchy to be predatory. That’s not a compassion shared among the oppressed, but the privileged.
Bobb, I hadn’t realized that he was in a position other than a player. Well, then, of course they have the right to boot him off, and it’s probably smart business to do so. An analyst/presenter is of value only in as much as they increase one’s enjoyment of the game and having someone who is deliberately turning off viewers on account of his obnoxious opinions serves no purpose.
Certainly.™
The ad for Blow’d Up – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td4VEGiIQmk
Darrik-thanks. That was funny.
It really is great to see him getting so much love now.
“I don’t feel that what the DXC went through was wrong…free speech doens’t mean you’re immune to the consequences of making use of that right. If you express an unpopular opinion, and your job relies upon some level of public acceptance, that opinion might cost you some business. I don’t think they deserved to receive death threats, and those folks, should they ever be caught, will learn that free speech doesn’t apply to everything you say. But if radio stations and concert venues want to cancel DCX songs because they said something more and more people agree with every day, that’s their decision to make. We can agree or disagree with the motives behind that decision, but it’s not a matter of right or wrong for society to correct.”
Wait a second. I think there’s a difference between a consumer who decides to boycot artists (like the Dixie Chicks), and when a radio station or record store does it.
Secondly, it’s true that in principal both the case of Haraway and the Dixie Chicks are cases of freedom of speech, but it seems to me that there should be a difference in the public preceptionand the public’s attitude toward someone using freedom of speech in order to criticize a policy or a political figure and when someone uses it to voice hatred toward a group. We shouldn’t get too relativistic.
Anyway, George Takei showed that a sense of humor used in the right way can be more effective than public outrage by some humorless advocacy group.
Secondly, it’s true that in principal both the case of Haraway and the Dixie Chicks are cases of freedom of speech, but it seems to me that there should be a difference in the public preceptionand the public’s attitude toward someone using freedom of speech in order to criticize a policy or a political figure and when someone uses it to voice hatred toward a group. We shouldn’t get too relativistic.
Agreed but since prejudice against gays is tolerated and even to a degree encouraged in government–witness the bipartisan support for both the Defense of Marriage Act and the Don’t Ask Don’t tell policies–it becomes a bit hypocritical for society to come down hard on some athlete who simply speaks the same prejudice, without the fancy rhetoric and justifications.
I covered an NBC press conference with George Takei recently, re: his stint on “Heroes.” But he really had a lot of fascinating things to say, from growing up in Japanese American interment camps to coming out a few years ago.
http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=9590
“Agreed but since prejudice against gays is tolerated and even to a degree encouraged in government–witness the bipartisan support for both the Defense of Marriage Act and the Don’t Ask Don’t tell policies–it becomes a bit hypocritical for society to come down hard on some athlete who simply speaks the same prejudice, without the fancy rhetoric and justifications.”
Isn’t there a difference between opposing gay marriage and saying you hate gays?
And should one case of pejudice justify another? If you’re going to fight against prejudice you have to start somewhere. It is only hypocritical if the people doing the criticizing of the athlete support the other forms of discrimination.
First you say the NBA is justified in getting rid of a commentator because his opinion is offensive — in your words “turning off viewers.” Then you say they’re being hypocritical because the commentator opinion was nurtured by society — ie not “turning off viewers.”
Are you capable of establishing a boundary — whether Hardaway’s comments are a “turn off” or not — before attempting to speak with any pretense of knowledge?
Hmm, looks like Mike is back to commenting on my posts again. Or maybe just attacking people’s kids–since I don’t read him any more I’ll have to wait for someone else to tell me. Let me know if he comes near a valid point (and if I’m wrong and nothing he says refers to me please forgive the display of ego!)
Micha–Isn’t there a difference between opposing gay marriage and saying you hate gays?
There is. I would not advocate firing someone over not supporting gay marriage. I’m aware that I’m in the minority in supporting it and not everyone who does not support it is doing so for hateful reasons. I think most genuinely, if (in my opinion) needlessly think that gay marriage would be harmful to families. But it is still a prejudiced view and it is hurting people who have done nothing to deserve it. Ditto on the ban on gays in the military–I honestly can’t see how this can be justified. When this policy is revoked–and it will be–people will wonder what the hëll the whole fuss was about (remember the huge controversy over gay teachers? Well here in my little North Carolina backwater we have several openly gay teachers and 2 of them have been teacher of the year, respected by their peers and loved by their kids).
Ok, I’m preaching to the choir, I know. Hardaway said a hateful thing and is paying the price. When you are representing a company you had better be careful about announcing disdain for any segment of the paying customer. Honesty is fine, but don’t be surprised to become the most honest guy on the unemployment line. But who has really done the most harm–Hardaway with his openly declared bigotry or the politicians who give lip service to the rights of gays even as they limit their career choices and the fundamental right to marry the person you love and live out the American Dream (albeit with a modification undreamed of by Ozzie and Harriet)?
We tend to focus on the overtly bad bigots while tolerating the everyday slights. It would be like getting all righteous against a Bull O’Conner while shrugging at the less clearly vicious injustices of the Jim Crow south.
Anyway, I’m not arguing that anything I’ve said is something you agree or disagree with, Micha–you just gave me the stimulus to break out the soapbox again. Back to our regular program…