Boston sports radio station WEEI showed that segments of Massachusetts remain homophobic after it aired a segment both offensive and lame about the Gay Games possibly coming to Boston. Wrote the Boston Globe in an article about the fifth anniversary of gay marriage being legal in the state:
Even in Massachusetts, gays and lesbians have yet to achieve complete equality. On a sports radio talk show on WEEI-AM (850) last Wednesday [Nov. 12], callers reacted to the news that Boston had been named a finalist to host the 2014 Gay Games with a stream of homophobic jokes and slights, as the show’s hosts cackled with glee and added their own antigay wisecracks.
Thanks to Ted Rybka at GLAAD, I listened to a fake promo that station ran of an announcer commenting on the 2014 Gay Games in Boston (click here for a link). Here are some of the announcer’s choice “comedy” bits:
“The Gay Games flame is coming into the stadium. His name is Bruce and he’s from San Francisco.”
A 100-meter runner “loves to come from behind.”
“We’ll head over to the aquatics center for women’s diving. What kind of diving?”
“He’ll grip the pole for this upcoming vault.”
Have you stopped laughing yet? The jokes are offensive and homophobic, but they’re also incredibly lame and dated. “Bruce from San Francisco?” That wasn’t even clever 30 years ago.
I don’t mind a little humor at my expense if it comes from allies. For example, I laughed last week when Bill Maher on HBO, talking about Prop. 8 protests, wondered whether the gay political equivalent of “Joe the Plumber” was “Joe the Fudgepacker.” Risqué, but Maher’s show has been terrific in consistently puishing for gay equality and at least it was clever and topical. The WEEI morons, in contrast, are trotting out idiotic stereotypes that show they still fear and are ignorant of real gay people, especially those in sports. I wonder how many of these lamebrains would feel if suddenly one of their beloved Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins or Patriots came out?
The way to combat this is to both complain to the station management, while at the same time mocking them for their ignorance and total lack of comedic sensibilities. I am reminded of a “Seinfeld” episode where Jerry was upset by an anti-Semitic joke told by his dentist. “Are you offended as a Jew?” someone asked. “No, I’m offended as a comedian,” Seinfeld said.
on Nov 18th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
Sorry dude, but I thought it was pretty funny. Maybe I’m sick, but it cracked me up.
On a separate note, I don’t care who they are or what they believe, the fact remains though they were making fun of it because they believe the athletes that will show up for these games will be a joke. THAT IS WHAT UPSETS ME! I know I personally could probably bench and squat more than anyone in that studio, play better softball than all or most of them, and of course, one of my favorites….. STREET FIGHTING! I think they would be in for quite a shock having to fight this queer!
That being said, I did notice the glaadblog does mention these guys should see some gay rugby or hockey in action, but I think this put down stint needs much more than that!
Anyone remember last time a sports radio station tried to do this a few years ago??? Wasn’t it in Texas I believe???
Yes, I believe some gay sports teams need to play this studio in a few “exhibitions” and put them back in their place!
Let’s get something organized!
on Nov 18th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
Very interesting one. I wasn’t particularly offended - it just wasn’t very funny, to me. The skit even made fun of itself, saying how easy the jokes were. It’s good that we talk about this stuff and make people aware of it. But for whatever reason, it just didn’t hit me in the gut.
on Nov 18th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
I am kinda w/FQ. That s*@t still cracks me up, but.. my straight buds get pissed and offended for me. In reality it just helps perpetuate the sterotypes and we dont need that at all. My friends who are ‘mos and atheletes shouldnt be underestimated either. These dudes can dish it out.
on Nov 18th, 2008 at 10:19 pm
Lighten up, Jim!
on Nov 18th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
Well, I don’t think Jim needs to lighten up. It’s good that we point this stuff out. He’s not exactly calling for a nationwide protest, and his Seinfeld analogy is great!
on Nov 19th, 2008 at 7:12 am
Seriously, my highschool’s team name was the Trojans. When our football team played our main rivals, The Browns, there were defiantly some somewhat funny comments from the stands as I am sure you can imagine. These on the other hand are not funny.
Bill Maher’s comments weren’t funny either, but one is inclined to forgive him based on what he said in his introduction and has said in support of the gay community on a repeated basis more than makes up for it.
on Nov 19th, 2008 at 8:26 am
Howard Stern often points out when someone gets into trouble, the biggest problem usually is, they’re just not funny. Do you think Chris Rock could say half the stuff he says if he weren’t consistently hilarious? These guys are just recycling old jokes poorly and would make me do the worst thing possible to any radio station, turn it off.
on Nov 19th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Boston sports radio is homophobic? Say it ain’t so…
on Nov 19th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Relax …just a lame joke.
on Nov 19th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
Bill Maher’s joke was incredibly distasteful. It is wrong to excuse him because he is our friend. I may forgive but do not excuse my friends when they say stupid shit.
on Nov 19th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
No watersports joke? That would have been funny
on Nov 19th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
I’d venture that sports-talk radio is not the venue if you’re looking for sensitivity on gays or gay issues, particularly if the hosts involved are (or fancy themselves) comedians, which happens with typical morning drive shows. Even in that context, though, you may find some pro-gay commentary. It really depends on the individual hosts and on the context.
on Nov 20th, 2008 at 10:42 am
I agree that we need to lighten up a bit. Yeah the jokes were lame but you know what, at the end of the day most of these guys would stand with us not against us. I work with many of them at the Electric/Gas company. They are a bit immature when it comes to sexuality but on the whole, they’re very supportive of equal rights for gays & lesbians.
on Nov 21st, 2008 at 1:06 am
There are many more problems with WEEI than their homophobia (which manifests itself pretty regularly). The morning hosts tend to believe they’re not a sports show at all and venture constantly into ultra-right-wing news commentary. Luckily, Boston sports fans can get ESPN radio a couple of ticks up the dial. The level of discourse on WEEI has become so disgustingly low-bar that most of my friends have basically switched over to 890 AM unless they know of a specific event on WEEI (Curt Schilling calls in fairly regularly).
All that said, yeah, the biggest problem with this particular incident was simply that it was unfunny. That’s symptomatic of WEEI’s larger problem of a lack of imagination and creativity. Since that will inevitably lead to a departure of listeners, the station will either eventually be forced to improve or go under, so everyone wins.
on Jan 31st, 2009 at 8:31 pm
WEEI’s “jokes” and Bill Maher’s “joke” were offered up as entertainment for the same group, regardless of the source. To get you thong in a bunch over the former, yet excuse the later, minimizes your point completely.
In the long run, getting worked up over lame jokes, by labeling them “homophobic” tends to marginalize real homophobic actions. Have another Cosmo and wait for a real issue to come along.