What’s that they say about video killing the radio star?
Right wing talk-radio host Michael Berry, who was implicated in a hit-and-run outside a popular Houston drag bar, launched into an tirade about the incident on his show yesterday, calling reports of his transgression “hit pieces.”
According to AllAccess.com, our Douche of the Week winner proved he deserved the honor by talking about the incident, against the “very expensive” advice of his attorneys:
He said that “the fourth-place TV station” had “run out of house fires to report on, so they decided to do a hit piece on me,” using “unnamed sources.” Reading the story posted on KPRC-TV’s website, he noted the repeated use of the term “gay bar” and ripped the station for running the story on TV three nights in a row. He asserted that he has never “bashed gays” and called the TV station’s report “a smear campaign” and threatened to respond with his own “unnamed sources on you S.O.B.s… you will not smear my name and me go down without a fight.”
It should be noted that the TV station’s source was not unnamed—Berry allegedly hit the SUV of bouncer Todare Bennett, who went on camera to accused Berry of being the offending driver.
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Later in his rant, however, Berry cops to going to the gay bar, but only because he wanted a brewski.
Says Berry:
I went into a bar. There were gay people inside. You know why I went in to a bar? Let me confess. Because there was cold beer waiting inside. Is that a crime? The fact that I’m not afraid of the fact that some of the people inside may be gay makes it a bad thing? Would it have been better if I was at a strip club, or a Hooters? Well if it would then maybe you should now know, I don’t hate gays. I don’t fear gays. I don’t need to bash gays.
Here’s the full audio from the show:
Photo via KPRC
JAW
So… has this guy said nasty things about us??
I am not sure what the issue is
MKe
Well this is just sad really. I don’t think Berry has been very homophobic, although he apparently used to make fun of Adam Lambert and Elton John by twitter. But either way it doesn’t matter, because it’s his job and his fans who are going to let him down. Conservatives just can’t wrap their heads around his situation. He was either gay or drunk, or both.
wtf
I don’t understand the problem here, maybe because I don’t understand (like Jaw) if this man has “gay bashed” in the past. If he hasn’t, I applaud him for possibly losing listeners and standing up for gay people. If he has, he’s got some ‘splaining to do. My guess is that the “conservative” moniker alone has put him in the headline because of the fabricated “irony” of him being in a gay bar.
Please dig a little deeper and tell us all why it’s such a big deal that this “conservative radio host” was having a beer in a gay bar.
I’m unlike most gay men. I feel if straight men are in gay bars, that (gasp) they are straight. My experience has been that the straight men comfortable enough to be in a gay bar are the most straight, simply because they are comfortable enough in their own skin and with their own sexuality to be among the gays. It’s the “straight” men who gay bash that I feel pretty strongly, are gay.
TMikel
Oh my god! I am so very weary of closeted anti-gay men being caught with their pants down – so to speak – and then attacking our community rather than admitting who they are. No truly straight man goes into a gay bar innocently, no matter how cold the beer might be. This man is a major douche! Can we elect him Douche of the Week twice?
Flick
I’m with some of the above posters. Does this guy have a history of gay bashing? It doesn’t really look like it to me. Who cares why he went into the gay bar anyway? It isn’t like he came in to tell the clientele they were abominations and that they were going to hell. The hit and run thing is fairly irrelevant to us & does not really warrant a multi day news story. Lets save our ire for people like Rick Santorum and Maggie Gallagher. This guy isn’t really deserving of douche of the week (unless you are the guy who owns the car he hit).
Marie Cohn
“Cold beer” = hot cock.
GOD (gay old dude)
@JAW:
@wtf:
@Flick:
Apparently you guys missed the part that says he’s a CONSERVATIVE radio show host. That’s what makes him Evil Incarnate in the eyes of Queerty and many of its readers, not his history with the gay community. Had he been of the progressive persuasion, there would be no story here. His hit-and-run would be applauded as a courageous act of sticking it to the man.
Queerty: Free of an agenda . . . except that liberal one.
Kevin
The goal of the conservative agenda is to push their morality on the country GOD..that is why it is an issue. They have this false morality that they never live up to\, yet they think we all should have to.
JAW
@Kevin:
What part of his agenda… has he bad mouthed us about… or has he stayed quiet???
There are plenty of gay conservatives, as well as moderate ones… not all GLBT’s are radical Lefties
All I ask is to hear some of the hate he has preached against us. Or isn’t there any?
Morrisb
This is worthy because the guy mocks groups on a regular basis. You reap what you sow.
Dailymail.co.uk: Berry is a former Houston council member who is prone to incendiary rants and has called for the proposed mosque near New York’s Ground Zero to be bombed.
He also offended Native Americans when he said on one show: ‘We conquered them, that’s history – hello ?
‘You got to be against giving welfare to the American Indians because of the fact , that 200 years ago they were whipped in a war. Lets just call it what it is, they lost a war.’
Morrisb
Berry’s Twitter
Feb. 5: What Elton John is doing backstage right now would get him beheaded in Saudi Arabia unless the king joined in. #superbowl
Feb. 5: Eli Manning gets sacked more than Barney Frank’s interns
Feb. 3: I’m dying to know when Queen will endorse Mittens, since Adam Lambert has a mancrush on Mr Taxachoosits.
hyhybt
“The fact that I’m not afraid of the fact that some of the people inside may be gay makes it a bad thing?”
No, the whole hit-and-run part makes it a bad thing.
Trent
This guy does not make the douche of the week. I don’t see anything here that would make him a douche of the week. So he is conservative. Big Deal? I think you are reaching. I actually applaud him by saying; what does it matter if there are gay people there or not.
MO
@GOD (gay old dude):
Yeah, because when you think of supporters equality, thoughts naturally turn to conservatives.
Poor persecuted right wingers.
Jay
I think everyone is missing the major issue here that is not be reported. He was probably drunk and backed into the car and took off because what looks worse is a DWI accident, but the owner of the car caught him do it as he was trying to leave. He has been known to drink heavily on occasion. The bonus story is the person who committed this crime happened to be a conservative talk show host who is from a party who generally known for being anti-gay everywhere. The problem is people are looking at the bonus part of the story and not the main part…this is the problem here. The bonus part is just plain hypocritical, the main story is criminal, this is what needs to be investigated. I have no doubt he is a closet gay man, but hides under the persona as a mean race-baiting talk show host. Stick to the main story and the rest will fall into place!! He won’t be removed from the radio as he is the program director at 740am. Just attack the advertisers and he will go away. Start with Gulf-Coast Windows and move down the list.