'Gay' vs. 'Retarded' and suspensions

[thebiglead]

An ESPNU announcer uses 'gay' on-air and is suspended a game.
Venerable Tom Jackson calls Irvin 'retarded' on-air and simply apologizes.

2 questions, and that's without bringing Steve Lyons into it:

-Is 'gay' that much worse than 'retarded'
-Should the mentally-challenged community be outraged

Just curious. Seems like a capricious decision.

 

[blondebomber]

Gay vs. Retarded. Now that's a pay per view I'd buy.

It would be a battle between retard strength and prancing agility.

 

[Mystery_Meat]

Sometimes I split the difference and go with "gaytarded"

 

[MU_was_not_so_hard]

I'm going to hell for simply reading this thread.

 

[Flying Headbutt]

You never say something is gay to someone who is really gay. Just like you don't say handicapped people are retards. You call your friends retards when they're doing something retarded.

 

[cranberry]

Actually, the thread poses a very legit question. As some of you know, one of my kids has Down Syndrome, so perhaps I'm biased. Nonetheless, I find the use of retarded (when it's used as a pejorative) offensive. However, as someone who used both words in a pejorative sense for many years before I came to know better, I think a little bit of a side discussion on sensitivity is a more equitable solution than firing someone over it.

 

[MU_was_not_so_hard]

Cran, I agree, I think teaching someone how to thing before they talk would do more than cutting them lose.

 

[Ace]

The truth is a strong defense.

 

[50 scent]

You never say something is gay to someone who is really gay. Just like you don't say handicapped people are retards. You call your friends retards when they're doing something retarded.

Thank you Michael Scott, I am sure Oscar appreciates your sympathy

 

[Flying Headbutt]

Well he did get a trip to Europe out of it.

 

[Armchair_QB]

Gay vs. Retarded. Now that's a pay per view I'd buy.

It would be a battle between retard strength and prancing billies.

Did somebody say Prancing Billy?

 

[Bruce_Shoebottom]

There seems to be a real air of desperation to people who go out of their way to defend using the word "gay" or "faggot," as if they're angry they can't get away with using other slurs anymore, so they're going to bitterly cling to gay-bashing for what all it's worth.

 

[BYH]

Tom Jackson wasn't fired because he was telling the truth.

 

[Gold]

I read about the "gay" comment from the ESPN talking head. I hadn't heard about Tom Jackson.

The person who used the "gay" comment should have been suspended. It was unprofessional before a microphone.

With the Tom Jackson comment, maybe he should have been disciplined also. I think there are a couple of mitigating circumstances. First, Tom Jackson apologized. Second, TJ made the comment in the heat of a disagreement and I presume he said it to Irvin's face. The other thing is the trash talking is part of the show - I don't like it but presumably this is done to attract the younger demographic who will go out and buy a lot of beer. The word is as bad, but the circumstances are different.

The other thing is the anchor made the comment as an individual. With the ESPN crew, it's a whole group who are trash talking so you kind of have to blame everybody.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I think ESPN is gay and retarded...

 

[Nathan Scott Phillips]

Fire everyone and start over!!!

 

[JBHawkEye]

The difference is, Brian Kinchen is an ESPNU peon, and Tom Jackson is Berman's buddy.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Also, didn't Jackson call Michael Irvin gay? That gives him a pass as far as I'm concerned...

 

[jfs1000]

You never say something is gay to someone who is really gay. Just like you don't say handicapped people are retards. You call your friends retards when they're doing something retarded.

Calling someone Gay is a perjorative. It fits into sterotypes about macho, manliness and that gay males are somehow less than men. They are sub-male. It is a derogatory slur. When you consider the discrimination and hate homsexuals have experienced then it is easy to see how that goes over the line.

As far as retarded, it is in poor taste and not very nice, but it isn't the same. Calling someone retarded is another way to call them stupid. Not very classy and articulate, but it is hardly a slur. It is just mean to retarded people.

And by the way when you call someone retarded, the defense is just like a libel defense, truth is an absolute.

 

[Flying Headbutt]

You can watch The Office sometime.