Comments on: Offensive Google App Removed, Developer Apologizes

By: Jason D

Jason D — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 16:14:22 +0000

Pomo, your post is a perfect example of “Cop-in-the-head”. Little ways in which we self-oppress. Is this the biggest issue facing the gay community? No, absolutely not, but I have every confidence that the gay community can walk and chew gum at the same time. This took minimal effort and had a resolution within a matter of weeks. In that time I probably spent a total of 3 hours on this. If all our battles were that fast, we’d have a transgender lesbian President(and her Wife) in the White House by now.

Werdna, Joe, despite the obvious language barrier I’m more than pleased with the response from Bendroid. It rang as clumsy but sincere to me.

By: Joe

Joe — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 05:40:33 +0000

Why is it that apologies sometimes seem more offensive than the thing a person is apologizing for?

When he says that he didn’t mean to “humiliate” anyone, what’s that all about. Does he think that the problem with the ap is that non-gay people who were told they were gay were humiliated and for that he is sorry?

Something tells me the author missed the point of what was wrong with his ap.

By: werdna

werdna — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 01:17:27 +0000

One thing that I don’t think has been mentioned is that the person who wrote the apology doesn’t appear to be a native English speaker. I think this may have more than a bit to do with how badly the attempt at a joke failed. It also makes me inclined to cut Bendroid a little bit more slack than I might otherwise. He/she/they may not have expressed contrition in quite the fashion we’d like, but there was an attempt at an apology and the offensive app. has been removed. Thanks for your efforts, Jason.

By: Pomo

Pomo — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 22:49:41 +0000

Jim, that clarifies. Thanks. I don’t personally take offense to the joke you made, nor did I take offense to the googe app.

Many people already see minority groups as whiners. Instances like this don’t help. I think more harm than good comes from it. Sure one small app is closed but the attitudes prevail and are only strenghtened by the fact that we “complained and got our way”.

I just don’t think its a battle worth fighting. We’ve got to be strategic.

By: Jim Burroway

Jim Burroway — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 21:57:27 +0000

Pomo,

I don’t think anyone here thinks that all jokes are out of bounds. You’re fighting a strawman that none of us have raised.

But a so-called joke where straights “win” the game but gays “lose” is not what I call funny. It’s the asymmetry of this particular joke that can reinforce the same attitudes which lead to taunting or worse. That’s the last thing we need to encourage.

I think Timothy put it best on the other thread:

It did have the potential to be funny.

Had the straight response been something like “Total Breeder. Grab a beer and watch the game” and the gay response been “Fly your rainbow freak flag, Supermodel” it might have made me chuckle. It could have played on stereotypes in both directions.

But to call one “THE MAN!” and the other “sweety” is offensive. And even worse, not at all clever.

And of course, the losing response wasn’t just calling someone “sweety”, but the more negative “sorry, sweetie…”

By: Pomo

Pomo — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 21:15:02 +0000

Well if we’re gonna be hyper-sensitive then all jokes are out of bounds or they’re not. Just yesterday (the same day this story was first posted) our very own beloved Jim Burroway posted a joke about lesbians an U-Hauls.

http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2009/02/19/8967

Now lets apply all the above comments to Jim and demand that he take down the ‘offensive’ joke and apologize to all the hurt people of the world…

Its a double standard and its unacceptable.

By: Emily K

Emily K — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 20:55:49 +0000

Oh please, Laura, I’m not saying this is equivalent to the Shoah. Quite the contrary. I’m saying that such an extreme event is what caused people to finally think twice for us Jews. And that such extremes needn’t happen in order for us to learn lessons. We can take civil routes such as informing and educating.

The google app makers aren’t “nazis” and I do not believe that a gay “holocaust” is happening as a result of our lacking in equality. I’m sorry you interpreted as such.

By: Jason D

Jason D — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 20:55:40 +0000

Laura, considering gays and lesbians were part of the holocaust, it’s hardly inappropriate.

Also, read her post again, she wasn’t comparing this particular issue to the holocast.

By: Gaydar

Gaydar — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 20:43:06 +0000

This reminds me of a funny app a couple of gay guys wrote for the Palm Pilot, they should re-release it for iPhone/Google.

http://www.alterheros.com/english/dossier/Articles.cfm?InfoID=340

http://www.palmblvd.com/software/pc/Gaydar-Deluxe-2000-06-27-palm-pc.html

By: Laura

Laura — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 20:30:04 +0000

Emily,

To compare this to the holocaust is going a little overboard don’t you think? That said, the app was offensive/ inappropriate.