So Denis Leary, who is the toast of New York City if you believe the Rescue Me promos FX is running (Derek Jeter cameo! Alicia Keys track!), was on The Daily Show last night, and used the word “fags.” As in, “sissy fairies!” Drama for yo’ mama!
(Cue to 4:05)
Re-telling a story about Jeter shooting the promo spots, Leary says the Yankee went on about how much he admired what they did on the show. To which co-star Steven Pasquale (pictured, right) responded: “What’re you talking about? We’re fags! We pretend to be brave guys, what are you talking about?” So that was just Leary sharing something somebody else said!
Then, Leary says to Stewart: “If one of my kids caught on fire, I would probably start screaming louder than them, and then roll them around and scream and cry.” Like a big faggy sissy fairy nelly pussy fag!
How about we take this to the next level?
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Leary has previously defended his use of the word “fag,” which he used for his book chapter “Matt Dillon Is a Giant Fag.” And when asked by a reporter if he could name one guy he’d have sex with if his life depended on it, he replied, “I’d shoot myself in the head. I’d have to have my wife dress up as a man. I never met him, but I always really loved Paul Newman – not only as an actor, but also the way he carried himself . . . So I guess I’d have to dress my wife up as Paul Newman.”
Ahhh. The whole incident could’ve been avoided if Stewart was smart like that Stephen Colbert and took a three-day weekend like everybody else.
UPDATE: Pasquale responds, saying Leary effectively made that shit up: “I am an actor, and I live and work in New York City. I can honestly say that half the people I know, love and respect are gay. I simply didn’t say it. I’m not capable of saying it, anymore than describing my black friends as the ‘N’ word. I can’t take any responsibility for it. None. I’m afraid Denis got his wires a little crossed in remembering that story.”
Mike
I thought that show got canceled a long time ago. Hmm, this is news.
a
seriously? that was so unnecessary, so offensive, and it’s really upsetting that John Stewart laughed at this.
Tony G
What if he said they were all a bunch of NIGGERS? Would any faux douche liberals be laughing. For instance, a scene where there are African Americans playing doctors or lawyers, and the actor said, “Hey they aren’t educated professionals, they are bunch of NIGGERS” How would that play out? Just sayin’.
Mr. Enemabag Jones
Yet another het gets a pass on being anti-gay. At least Pasquale did the honorable, and classy thing, and called bullshit on Leary’s pathetic posturing. It’s obvious which one is the real man.
ewe
Everything about Dennis Leary makes me think he walks around with a crusty asshole. Dirty motherfucker he is.
Michael @ LeonardMatlovich.com
Leary’s a pig who WOULD probably use ANY slur about any group… if he thought he could get away with it….to prove how uncompromising “butch” he is…”tough guys” are “supposed” to talk like that, don’t ja know….in 1810. Seems to me he “doth protest too much.” He’s just a thinner Andrew Dice Clay with a thinner accent [“I don’t see too many faggots in Philly, you know? Out in L.A., Manhattan, you got ’em all over the place. Brooklyn we don’t have any gay people. They’re all dead. They don’t know if they wanna be called gays, fairies, homosexuals. I call ’em cocksuckers! I think that about spells it out. The gays want their rights, I’ll give them their rights. 10% off of vaseline now get the fuck back in the closet!”] who bathes more often and is, therefore, more acceptable to upper class Love Me I’m A Liberals.”
The outrage isn’t him but Stewart who not only guffawed but didn’t so much as say, “‘Fags’? Really, dude, not cool!” despite having repeatedly demonstrated how non-homophobic he is himself.
Note, too, the producers BLEEPED other things Leary said, we assume “curse words”, sending the message that the “F-word” is “bad” but the “f-word” is AOK.
Before anyone here decides to post how much they think they are LESS deserving of respect than “niggers,” “spics,” and “kikes”….hateful words for others that unquestionably WOULD have gotten Leary BOTH dissed by Stewart and bleeped by the producers, consider this post by a very insightful poster on Towleroad:
Michael @ LeonardMatlovich.com
PS: Leary was called on using the word “fags” as long as three years ago.
Four years ago, when asked by “Elle” magazine which man he’d sleep with if his life depended on it, he said, “I’d shoot myself in the head.”
Jack E. Jett
dennis leary has a long history of using homophobic slurs……
as well as some really bad acting.
slobone
Why do you guys want to go around with a chip on your shoulder, so somebody can knock it off? I’m a faggot, I don’t care who knows it, so they can’t bother me by calling me that. If they don’t like it, it’s their problem, not mine. I’m not interested in playing victim, I’d rather get on with my life…
Michael @ LeonardMatlovich.com
@slobone:
If you don’t see the connection between not demanding respect and not GETTING legal equality then you’re, as the expression goes, a PART of the problem not the solution.
Kieran
Dennis Leary is the kind of asshole who, if you worked with him and he thought you might be gay, would be telling “fag jokes” all day long. The guy is a jerk-off. You can see that just by looking at his face.
hephaestion
Denis Leary isn’t a homophobe, he’s just painfully stupid.
I’ll never understand why anyone hires; apparently he gets hired because he’s relatively cute. Until he opens his mouth.
hephaestion
Comedy Central should be re-named Make Fun of Fags Central.
adman
Dennis Leary is the most desperate, cuckolded by fame, talent free hack in the “comedy game”. Everything he touches smells of failed eighth-grade bullydom rehashed into the failing middle aged unschooled lot of a “guy” (notice I didn’t say man) who has no clue what’s going on around him, inside him, or as a result of his own actions in day-today life. I like to watch him and snicker at the flop-sweat he has crafted a “career” out of. I’d loike to get next to him on a plane and corner him about lifestyle choices made in the throes of midlife while saddled with a “wife” and “faimily” who hate his guts and wish they had the guts to slit his throat in his sleep. I would counsel him towards caution, and fill his head with the exact paranoia he clearly wishes upon others.
CCCole
I’m so appalled! Jon Stewart has always promoted gay rights on his show, consistently and proudly. I can understand if he was caught off guard and didn’t know exactly what to say, but he kept going along with the ‘gays are sissies, haha!’ joke, which was just totally unnecessary. I’m guessing Denis is just an asshole in general because he was pretty obnoxious the whole interview.
MickW
I thought this group liked when straight guys used the word “fag”.
jeffree
Jon Stewart just slipped about nine rungs on the scale. I thought he was better than that. Leary isn’t funny or at least hasn’t been funny in 20 years.
All it would’ve taken was for Jon to hold his hand up, arch an eyebrow, and say “STOP” and put an end to Leary’s rant.
He didn’t. But he should have.
i keep imagining in my head how Rachel Maddow would have handled this situation. About five seconds into Leary’s r/a/n/t she would have put him in his place and rendered him mince-meat, speechless, mute, and over-powered.
WillBFair
Just because Leary used to be so handsome, he’s still getting away with this crap.
merkin
If you watched Rescue Me over the years (not as easy feat), there were a number of gay storylines–none of which were remotely normal or ended well. For a while there it seemed Leary, et al were obsessed with homosexuality.
Leary has said the show is alot about disecting American masculinity, so I guess homo stuff is a part of that–the problem with men being intimate with each other.
I dont think Leary is personal homophobic. I think his schtick is to come off like a blue-collar schmo, who doesnt use “fancy p.c. languaue” and tells it like it is. he gives every group a hard time, most ESPECIALLY the Irish.
He didnt call some gay guy a fag–he called himself a fag, meaning a coward. Still inappropriate but not as bad.
Carlton
Until we educate people on the importance of realizing that constantly using words like ‘fag’ and ‘that’s so GAY’ is insulting…….YOU WILL NEVER, EVER, EVER GET YOUR GAY MARRIAGE, or DADT repealed, or adoption rights in half of the states in the union much less Florida OR ANY RIGHTS!
Some gays refuse (or simple can’t) grasp this….UNTIL THE MASSES RESPECT YOU AS A PERSON, THEY WILL NEVER, EVER, EVERRRRRRRRRR TAKE YOUR RIGHTS SERIOUSLY!
There is so much correlation here and the gay communities flippant attitude over it is more alarming than the fact that the word “faggot pussy” is thrown around loosley like nothing else, while religion, something completely silly in theory and principle is not even allowed to be discussed (recent Lady Gaga vid, anyone?) without the masses writing a strongly worded letter followed by petition followed by subsequent apology.
Riley J.
Recently, Hollywood, the one pillar we had to stand on has become the most homophobic outlet and vehicle for homophobia. It used to be Hollywood would enlighten Middle America, now Hollywood realizes they can be as homophobic as they wish and there’s not a damn thing anyone will do about it and I do blame the Adam Lambert American Music Awards and GLAADS careless approach as one root reasoning.
Just this month alone, Variety wrote an article supporting the Newsweek article suggesting Hollywood actors sincerely can’t be taken seriously playing hetro roles upon coming out.
The View devotes a segment blaming all AIDS cases within Africian American woman toward closeted and out gay men (refused to clarify, much less apologize)
CNN devotes an entire segment to the EX gay movement with absolutely no rebuttal. Just a segment showing “your son or daughter can change too, if they so choose”
McDonalds PR firm in so many words says a gay oriented commercial will not be making an appearance on American television sets in the near future because the company is about “family values and ethics”
The Today show doesn’t believe gay couples deserve winning a wedding prize package, and will express it proudly.
And now the word ‘fag’ from Real Housewives on BRAVO! to the most liberal based show on television, is not only used like second nature but offensively and not at all to the dismay of show creator or host.
But that’s okay, right? After all, when they say “that’s so faggy and gay!” they don’t actually mean us? no! no! they mean like faggy as in….uh….faggy things. We’re like so in on the joke!
ThecapEngine
As a proud card carrying Liberal, Jon Stewart laughing at that vile comment actually makes me realize what my husband always tells me, which is me campaigning and promoting “Liberal” politicians is as beneficial for me as making friends with Ann Coulter. They’ll use you for a vote and spit out and laugh at homophobic drivel first chance they get. This could have been a clip from ‘Red Eye’ on FOX NEWS yet dare I say, even those twats have better sense at laughing hearty at something so disrespectful. Jon Stewart, this faggot and his 7 other faggot friends on facebook won’t be tuning in to another one of your shows. this whole thing was very eye opening for me in more ways than one.
carlton
When will gays ever grasp the concept that until people take you seriously they will never take your causes seriously. Until you educate the masses to refrain from using words like “fag” and “that’s so gay!” you will NEVER, EVER, EVER get your marriage license as there is such a poignant correlation between what society respects and what society rewards. To gays who pretend this is not offensive to them; I mean this with all due respect, but you’re a sad, sorry loser. The kind that gets made fun of to his face but pretends as though he is in on the joke to make himself sleep better at night.
You know how you get people to accept you as normal? when you unaccept being the punchline.
jeffree
@Carlton : #22
Against my better judgement, I clicked “thumbs up” on your post, because, I hate to admit this, you’re right.
I don’t want to be a punchline, a punching bag –or a fruit punch.
When you hear funny people on TV say funny things, well all I will say is that you now know one of the people who puts those words together. Enough said…..
(I soooo don’t wanna get sued here.)
Leary has been riding on his own resume for too long. He hasn’ t said much that’s interesting, funny, or relevant in years. To his credit, he did rise to the occasion on behalf of fire-fighters in the wake of 9/11.
But jumpin jimmney Christmas, Stewart missed the ship. To interrupt a raving lunatic takes +++ONE+++ syllable.
Examples:
–no!
–but?
–not….
–what?
Or my favorite word: “STOP”.
Sometimes you need to say that twice, with a full on stare.
It works.
Redeem yourself Jon!
Soon. Now. Please.
sharon falconer
et tu, Jon ?
Jake
So I’m hoping Jon was caught off guard, and the laugh seemed like an awkward, face-palm kind of laugh to me. Then again, I’m biased, I want him to be awesome, and he’s been a good gay ally in general. Denis Leary not so much. He’s an ass.
TonyG
Fuck Jon Stewart. He is turning into an old raisin lacking anything really relevant. We embraced him back in the day when there were few to embrace. Now we have a crop of younger, smarter, and cooler progressives to flock to. Take your old man protstate piss, rub some hemmoroid (sp?) cream on that sagging ass and embrace homophobia you old boring douchebag!
zzx
This is a thing of beauty, it is the paradise of the woman, man
http://www.gucciusaoutlet.net/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=70&zenid=aa7cf3c1c03ba16b9ac00c8cd2a23ef2
jeffree
Great job on the spamalot filter, Qty!
You let that shite pass through and mo-oder-ate multiple posts of mine?
That’s hardly fair!
CatholiccMunn
Leary wants it. …He prolly watches a lot of this show… http://www.atom.com/funny_videos/3EFBFFFF01DDCAA8001701013D29/
ddetts
I worked on that show for 4 seasons. It made me a very rich person. you fags can bite it. they all sucked at acting, but what the hell do i care.
BonnieF
DDETTS – I am sure working for Hitler could have made you rich too, and he was a good actor to boot.
YOU, SILLY INDIVIDUAL WITH LITTLE BRAINS AND LOTS OF ANGER can bite it. And by it, I mean the bitter realization that you will die alone, because this attitude of yours will drive people away from you.
Enjoy lonely cancer along with Dennis, as you smoke yourselves like a couple of idiotic dinosaurs.
HoboBoxerJoe
@Riley J.:
Am I the only one here who noticed he was telling a story and quoting someone else? Y’know, my brother is gay and I’ll freely admit that when I was a teen (I’m 24, now). I threw around words like “fag” and “that’s gay” more freely than I’d care to admit. But you people judging him as a bigot when he really isn’t, is not any better. I can see some who are acting like those idiots of all races, creeds, and religions that just look for reasons to be offended.
I support gay rights as much as I support the 1st amendment. So if anyone wants to say I’m a bigot for saying Dennis Leary is not, go right ahead. But it’s a bunch of bullshit and you should know better.
The people who made the point that homosexuals as a whole should stop using terms like “fag-hag” etc. are probably right, however…
With the exception of the word “nigger,” which I believe has only changed it’s meaning once. The word “fag” is a vastly different word, it not only has changed it’s meanings multiple times this past century, but depending on where you live it’s perfectly socially accceptable. In Britian you wouldn’t call someone a bigot for saying they are going to “smoke a fag.” Well, unless you are ignorant.
THAT is why the word “faggot” SHOULD be actively changed in our society. Not gotten rid of, not shoved under the carpet, but have it’s original meanings invoked, or just use the word to describe a douchebag, or a sissy/coward, whatever.
You people calling for the end of the usage of the word fag (as long as it’s not a legal ban) do have your points, and you have every right to make them. But I am going to respectfully disagree and say that trying to get rid of a word which has regionally different meanings in the same language is folly and knee-jerk in it’s reaction.