For some reason, CBS’ “NFL Today” had the political pollster Frank Luntz on to dissect which players communicated well. Luntz was billed as a “language expert” for his use of meters to register how people feel when they watch other people speak.
In his dissection of a clip of Terrell Owens (in which the receiver scored very low), Luntz told T.O. to ditch the sunglasses and hat because millions of young people look to him as a role model and would start dressing how he did. He was then asked about T.O.’s earrings:
“That may work in San Francisco.”
GLAAD is asking CBS for an apology:
In one breath, Luntz speaks of being a good communicator and role model, and in the next, utters a slightly-veiled gay joke. It’s time that Luntz and CBS realize that men of all orientations wear earrings, that the LGBT community does not exist solely in San Francisco, and that the LGBT community can no longer be used as a punchline for tired old jokes.
I am less eager for an apology than for telling Luntz it’s 2009, not 1979. Men have been wearing earrings for years and no one thinks it’s gay. And the San Francisco line lost any snap years ago. As for T.O.’s wardrobe, if he thinks wearing sunglasses and a hat in public is the sign of a bad role model, he’s more clueless than I thought. My guess is that T.O. scored low in the clip not because of how he was dressed but because he is seen as a me-first diva who has been a lousy teammate.
I have always thought of Luntz as a hack who is out of touch with how the country is changing and his lame attempt at humor demonstrates that.
The Frank Luntz clip:
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 8:19 PM
I think the hat and glasses didnt help TO. It breaks eyecontact and the hat is a form of hiding. The attitude was reinforced because he appeared to be a punk bitch, so the reaction to it was typical.
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 9:01 PM
Remember that Luntz was a big player in the Ross Perot campaign, and people are still laughing about that one
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 9:04 PM
Why is this tool even on TV talking about it? I’m sorry, but when I watch sports – I wanna know about what’s going on in the game and things that affect the players / teams… I could care less about their image.
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 10:40 PM
Frank Luntz is much more feminine than most OPENLY gay men I know
on Nov 17th, 2009 at 11:19 PM
Talk about out of touch . . . that CBS would give that guy that forum is really puzzling. He comes across as a complete tool.
on Nov 18th, 2009 at 2:53 AM
That’s entertainment! Do fans expect serious statistical analysis? Sports shows are silly trifles, quite irrelevant to the games they purport to analyze.
on Nov 18th, 2009 at 7:52 AM
He’s a bigger douche than TO.
on Nov 18th, 2009 at 1:18 PM
I enjoy Frank Luntz and always stop channel-surfing when I see he’s on to hear what he’s dug up. I think he’s smart, insightful and analytical. I’m not sure he belongs on a sports show (but then again, if Keith Olbermann can, I guess Luntz can too). But his political analysis is generally great.
But yet still another San Francisco joke? It’s kinda tired. Still, I’m not sure it was a “gay joke.” San Francisco represents a lot more than “gay” to a lot of people in this country. It represents “alternative.” So I’m not sure Luntz’s joke was gay, as opposed to Jimmy Fallon’s San Francisco joke that WAS directly connected to gays.
on Nov 18th, 2009 at 2:48 PM
Cyd may be right this once, remember T.O. also played in SF for many years maybe that’s Luntz was referring to…..
on Nov 18th, 2009 at 5:05 PM
Cyd, Keith Olbermann started as a SportsCenter anchor, then went to political commentary.
on Nov 29th, 2009 at 9:23 AM
And then there’s the irony of a Republican hack who wears one of the worst looking toupees ever seen giving advice to pro sports players. Luntz has been exposed as a wanker more times than I can count.
He put together Republican-leaning panels on the cable news shows to gauge “public” reactions to political speeches and, surprise!, they always took the Republican side. He swore McCain would win the White House right up through election day. He’s one of the liars that is responsible for the myth that America is a “conservative” country because he creates false situations that demonstrate his position.
That makes him a language expert? The incest among these media companies and the villagers is disgusting.
on Jan 4th, 2010 at 1:13 AM
This is Frank Luntz. It’s probably too late to correct the record but yes, unlike the author of this posting, I DID know that T.O. played in San Francisco.
And to Pebo above, ALL THREE sessions I did for Fox had Obama winning, not McCain — and I asserted for a month before the election that Obama would in fact win.
Maybe that’s why so many shows have me on as a guest, and they don’t invite you, Pebo.
Sorry, dude.
on Sep 30th, 2011 at 10:25 AM
Luntz is a clueless idiot when it comes to politics, so why ask him to comment on sports. Then again, he did comment on a clueless idiot, Terrible Owens.