May 7th, 2011
That Chrome/”It Gets Better” ad premiered during Glee last week. Of course, Glee is gay friendly and has a large gay-friendly audience. I suppose it could be argued that this was the audience least in need of the message. A lot of gay kids who are picked on for being gay probably wouldn’t be caught dead watching the show or admitting they like it. And, as an indirect audience for the message, a lot of bullies probably aren’t fans either.
Yesterday, the ad went to a much wider audience, appearing on ESPN during the National Basketball Association playoffs. (I would have written NBA but, admit it, many of you would not have known what that was.)
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Priya Lynn
May 7th, 2011
I would have known what NBA means. As a child I wanted to be a pro basketball player.
tiqueboy
May 7th, 2011
(I would have written NBA but, admit it, many of you would not have known what that was.)
A Very stereo typical comment not appreciated. You do not give the GLBT community enough credit for liking sports.
Jim Burroway
May 7th, 2011
Actually, it looks like I may have given the LGBT community too much credit for having a sense of humor
KZ
May 7th, 2011
I thought it meant “National Breeder Association.”
What is this game that involves baskets and balls?
Timothy (TRiG)
May 7th, 2011
I’d have known what it means, and I’m not even American. I just read far too much American media. But I appreciated the humour.
TRiG.
Leonard Drake
May 7th, 2011
@ Jim Burroway: I, for one, very much appreciated the humor. I sometimes believe the PC police within the LGBT humor run rampant.
There are MANY times I am either reluctant or have flat out refused to post a comment because I am afraid I will either use the wrong noun or improper verb tense. In so doing, some PC police-person. (Oh, wait, I can’t say person, because it ends in -son, thus validating some -ist power structure… that someone will jump all over me for using. What IS the right term?)
You see what I mean? All from — at least from my honest intent — an innocuous posting.
Leonard Drake
May 7th, 2011
Oops, forgot to finish sentence… some PC police-person will jump all over me for something I didn’t even intend on meaning in the first place.
Anyhow, the fact the ad went to a wider audience is absolutely what is required.
Jaft
May 8th, 2011
Leonard – if you didn’t intend it to begin with, I’ll simply correct you and explain the correction. But, in most cases, there’s generally a reason for the correction.
Also, I enjoyed the joke, Jim. Made me chuckle.
Hunter
May 8th, 2011
It’s interesting to watch the growth of — I don’t know if I can call it “pro-gay,” but maybe “anti-homophobia” messaging in professional and college sports lately. The UK seems to be much more aggressive on it, but it also seems to be catching on here.
Good show, and thanks for the report.
enough already
May 8th, 2011
I’ve been in many movements over the years and one thing which has always been a constant.
When we were winning, the nasty comments and belly-button gazing, the mandatory trainings on how to run an APACHE server were pretty much nowhere to be seen.
When, however, the PC-Police and the how-many-angels-can-sit-on-a-pin crowd had the upper hand, we were in trouble.
There’s way too much wheel spinning and not enough winning in our American gay and transgender rights movement. Otherwise, nobody would have time to be offended by Jim’s daring to possess a sense of humor.
Time to get to work, darlings – we are so not winning.
Leonard Drake
May 8th, 2011
enough already wrote, in part: “When, however, the PC-Police and the how-many-angels-can-sit-on-a-pin crowd had the upper hand, we were in trouble.
There’s way too much wheel spinning and not enough winning in our American gay and transgender rights movement. … ”
Precisely the point I was trying to make in my earlier post, only MUCH better stated. Thank you!
enough already
May 8th, 2011
Leonard,
No, thank you.
I usually get nailed, immediately, with “wrong! we are making wonderful, fantastic, incredible progress!”
Now, I understand the value of agit-prop and I understand the American tendency (without sharing it) to apply hurrah-hurrah, we’re the best! BS to every action.
That said – let’s be honest here.
The sole values of our current civil unions, domestic partnerships and marriages in the few states which grant them is:
a) The minor protections they sort of grant.
b) The agit-prop effect of making it harder for courts to say “no”.
But that’s it. Everything, every single solitary thing depends on whether the Supreme Court finds against us or not.
Right now, we have four Justices who would rather spit in our faces than talk to us.
One conservative, Kennedy, who may or may not decide for right above religion.
And four non-conservatives, at least one of whom is not certain to be on our side.
Kennedy wants to retire. Badly. He is only hanging on until a Republican is back in office.
By sitting on our hands in 2010 – or, worse, by actually voting Teapublican or “one’s conscience”, as 1/3 of us gays and transgender did we opened the way for the hateful ones to attack us.
If Obama loses in 2012 – and I am not optimistic, the polls show most people have already forgotten who caused this mess (hint: I wasn’t a Democrat), then the game is up. Kennedy will step down, at least one if not two of the conservatives and one of our liberals, sadly, well almost certainly not be around until 2018 and the Republican president will install a six or seven vote extreme-religious-right conservative court.
The next months count more than ever before. We are that close to loosing everything in the US for decades to come.
enough already
May 8th, 2011
Leonard, that “no, thank you! wasn’t clear – I do thank you for your kind words.
Amicus
May 8th, 2011
oh, you bitch.
On the other hand, face it, NBA is invisible because it’s just not possible to be fashion forward on the court (Dennis Rodman aside, perhaps).
Meanwhile, lycra has … oh, nevermind.
Christopher Eberz
May 9th, 2011
“Actually, it looks like I may have given the LGBT community too much credit for having a sense of humor”
This.
PC
May 9th, 2011
I saw it at the end of “The Amazing Race” as well – which is another very gay friendly show (they always have gay racers – the current season had at least 3 or 4 gay individuals racing).
Désirée
May 9th, 2011
The Amazing Race is incredibly gay friendly (although they have been generally lacking in lesbians and trans people are nowhere to be seen), but this seasons only gay people were father-son duo Mike & Mel (unless Kynt has finally come out as well)
Ryan
May 9th, 2011
Yeah, but which one is “basketball” again?
Timothy Kincaid
May 11th, 2011
oh pooh, did I miss an entire season of Amazing Race?
My stupid DVR recognizes each season as though it is an entirely new television show and I just don’t watch enough network TV to keep up on which shows are upcoming. I had a vague sense that there was a ‘reunion’ series upcoming…. but I missed it. Pooh!!
Désirée
May 11th, 2011
TAR is the only reality show I watch, but this season was weak. You didn’t miss anything Tim
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