UPDATE: Brett Ratner just resigned as a producer for the Oscars in the wake of making an anti-gay slur, saying, “as painful as this may be for me, it would be worse if my association with the show were to be a distraction from the Academy and the high ideals it represents.”
Academy President Tom Sherak flip-flopped from his previous support of the Tower Heist director and agreed stepping down was the right thing to do. “Words have meaning, and they have consequences. Brett is a good person, but his comments were unacceptable.”
+++
Filmmaker Brett Ratner has committed plenty of sins, both personal and cinematic—bragging about banging Olivia Munn and Lindsay Lohan, foisting Horrible Bosses and The Family Man on the American public, hiring Eddie Murphy to host the Oscars.
But he really stuck his foot in it during a Q&A for his new crime comedy, Tower Heist. When asked if he rehearsed his cast a lot, Ratner replied, “Rehearsal? What’s that? Rehearsal’s for fags.”
How about we take this to the next level?
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Um, what?
Maybe the guy who’s in charge of producing the 2012 Academy Awards—and who’s hoping to get a film adaptation of Wicked off the ground—shouldn’t be tossing around the F word?
After the shit hit the fan, Ratner gave a tepid public apology to TheWrap.com on Monday. We guess apologizing is for fags too?
“I apologize for any offense my remarks caused. It was a dumb way of expressing myself. Everyone who knows me knows that I don’t have a prejudiced bone in my body. But as a storyteller I should have been much more thoughtful about the power of language and my choice of words.”
Ugh, we’d curse Tower Heist, but judging from the previews that clunker is gonna bomb all by itself.
The real question is whether Ratner should be axed from the Oscars for the slur. Academy President Tom Sherak has accepted his mea culpa, saying, “the bottom line is, this won’t and can’t happen again. It will not happen again. … The apology he gave I truly believe comes from his heart.”
But, as writer Mark Harris points out on the site Grantland, there’s a double standard at play. “If he had used an equivalent racial or religious slur, the discussion would go something like, ‘You’re fired.’ Apology or not. The same rule applies here. You don’t get a mulligan on homophobia. Not in 2011.”
GLAAD is being predictably soft-fisted, issuing a statement saying, “This apology is a good start, but we’re working with Ratner’s people for more action, to clearly send a message to Hollywood that the anti-gay slurs used by bullies and bigots have no place in the world of entertainment, or anywhere else.”
If the storm of criticism continues, we wouldn’t be surprised if Ratner voluntarily steps down from the Oscars gig. But we won’t hold our breath waiting for any celebrities to censure him publicly. in fact, Hollywood would probably remain silent if Ratner replaced Murphy with Tracy Morgan.
Image via David Shankbone
spider_orchid
Bret Ratner said something douchey…Quelle suprise…
fredo777
“hiring Eddie Murphy to host the Oscars…”
I’m looking forward to Murphy hosting.
iDavid
“YOUR FIRED!” The End. GLAAD needs to grow a pair and kick up a media storm. Blacks women gays, no way. You. Are. Out. Done.
Ugly Psycho freak.
phallus
Amazing… no one including GlAAD considers the source. What do you expect coming out of a douchebag? Accordingly, other news stories I’ve read have said that GLAAD has come out strong…. yet this article states they are soft fisted. So what is it?
Jack E. Jett
Brett Ratner is a goddamned pussy eating breeder whose dick barley fits into the clit he is fucking.
Now we are even.
Michael
Bretts always said stupid things this does not surprise me at all.He’s a moron.
timncguy
@Michael: @Michael: Really? When was the last time he said the N-word? Because if he has enough control over his vocabulary to not use the N-word in public, then he should have the same control over using homophobic slurs.
We should not be satisfied until everyone is just as unwilling to say “fag” as they are unwilling to use the N-word. period.
Robert in NYC
To make matters worse, arch homophobe Eddie Murphy is to host the Oscars. He once said he’d kick his wife down the stairs if one of his children were gay. I wonder what he’d do to any who were? GLAAD ought to bring that up. A poor choice indeed.
ke
He’s an asshole. I won’t be watching the Oscars this year.
Kyle
Why was this asshole on Howard Stern?
Aiden
What? No comments telling gay people to get over it? No one on here saying that they have gay friends who call each other fag. No complaints about being too pc?
blatherer
Well, the Oscars have pretty much hit rock bottom, with this trash producing.
Gayity
Rupert can FUCKING BLEEP his own propaganda cross dresser!
IMAX
Sign the petition to have Brett Ratner fired.
http://signon.org/sign/fire-anti-gay-2012-academy?source=c.url&r_by=1492698
lucifer arnold
Gays are running things, he should be careful what comes out of that fat mouth of his.
Michael
@timncguy:
That was implied by what I wrote.I don’t have any respect for the man being stupid enough to throw a homophobic comment out there like he did this time.I remember an advocate interview they had with Brett and he proved how ignorant he was.Ignorance is bliss as they say.
Kyle
@lucifer arnold: This asshole needs to go.
Jim Hlavac
So if Hollywood is filled with this sort of anti-gay crowd how come the anti-gay groups keeps saying Hollywood is “promoting homosexuality”? It strikes me that we still haven’t seen a romantic comedy of a “Sleepless in Seattle” sort for gay folks. The last big “gay” movie — Brokeback — one gets killed, the other lives lonely ever after. “Chuck & Larry” doesn’t even come close, since they’re two heteros. Tell me again why so many gay guys I know rush off to every new flick with the obligatory soft-core hetero sex scene even among the gore of the most violent flicks?
Perhaps the best quip on this is, “Yes, darling, rehearsals must be for fags, we’re still practicing homosexuals, right?” I mean really.
xander
“Imagine if he’d used the C word that rhymes with blunt? He’d be handed his walking papers.” — a line that comes directly from my favourite neighbor.
Cam
Brett Ratners only sin was in saying exactly what everybody in Hollywood thinks.
Remember, when the complaint FIRST came out that Modern Family would never allow the gay couple to kiss, the FIRST response was to attack gays. The actor who played “Cam” said that gays were lucky the show even HAD a gay couple.
Belinda Carlisle’s son pointed out one particular actor who was out, and is now back in the closet after landing several roles because the studio heads told him specifically that they wouldn’t hire him if he was out etc…
Ratner was just stupid enough to be a douchebag outloud instead of hiding it like the rest of the industry.
David Ehrenstein
@Cam: How can anyone go back in the clsoet once they’re out?
Didn’t work for that twerp who’s in the new “Three Musketeers” movie.
Cam
@David Ehrenstein:
Originally he gave an interview years ago, but now says things like “I don’t discuss my personal life” and his publicist announced that he used to talk about his personal life but is more mature now…as if being honest was wrong.
I’m trying to find the article.
timncguy
Is he off the show because of his “fag” comment or because of all the sexual comments that he made on Howard Stern’s show that weren’t about gays?
the crustybastard
@Cam:
http://truthquake.com/2011/09/14/taylor-lautner-outed-gay-belinda-carlisle-son-james-duke-mason/
lucifer arnold
That was fucking fast.
Red Meat
@Kyle: …because Howard Stern is an asshole?
Hephaestion
Ratner is a dumbfuck loser. And fuck “Tower Heist,” too.
JayKay
So just to recap…
Brett Ratner, white, uses the word fags one time in an offhand comment during an interview: Fired.
Tracy Morgan, black, says he would murder his son if he turned out gay, in front of a live audience as part of a planned stand-up routine: No professional repercussions.
Kieran
Guaranteed Brett Ratner will be the next “celebrity” to put out a “It gets better” video.
Kyle
@Red Meat: I’m a Stern fan and he’s very, very pro-gay. You’re wrong, buddy.
And, good. Fuck this asshole piece of shit.
ke
@Kieran: Fuck him.
Queer Supremacist
@ke: I wouldn’t fuck him with a strap-on.
@Jack E. Jett: You beat me to the punch.
BTW, what’s “dick barley”? 😀
@Robert in NYC: Eddie Murphy stopped doing gay jokes when Bush the elder was president. I recall reading about him saying that he was not personally homophobic around that time. Around that time he also stopped making good movies; he’s been making shitty kid’s movies for 20 years as restitution, and since 1990 he’s done at most three movies I can stomach; did all the top comedians of the 1970s and 1980s make a pact to stop making good movies around that time?. If he was as homophobic as the gay jokes in his old comedy routines suggest, would the openly gay Bill Condon have hired him for “Dreamgirls”?
DALI
Wow! So many of you need to get a life!
Josh Lane
@iDavid: GLAAD basically got the guy fired and to agree to do whatever they wanted from the sounds of it. What would growing a pair look like in this scenario. They got one of the biggest directors in hollywood fired. What more are we looking for? Tougher words?
Phil
“I apologize for any offense my remarks caused…I should have been much more thoughtful about the power of language and my choice of words”
vs
“I apologize for my offensive remarks…I should have been much more thoughtful about the power of language and my choice of words”
And that’s how you know an apology is sincere. One is accusatory and shirks responsibility onto the offended. The other admits a wrong committed and asks forgiveness.
Jean
Non-apology aside, if you’ve seen Eddie Murphy Raw, it’s kind of hilariously ironic that he’s hosting.
ke
@DALI: Fuck you, and fuck your Brett Ratner apologist ways, you gay Uncle Tom asshole.
ChrisM
@Josh Lane: That comment was obviously written before the update was included.
jason
Brett Ratner is your typical Democrat. When caught off-guard, they’re very homophobic.
It’s typical of liberals to pretend to be gay-friendly after they are caught out on using homophobic slurs. Oh, and that’s even before they start using the “I’ve got gay friends” fallback position.
jason
Hollywood is extremely homophobic. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Hollywood was built on male heterosexual fantasy and the desire of women to obtain approval from men. Thus, you had the coming together of natural straight male sleaze and natural female approval-seeking. Women are constantly seeking approval from men, even the feminists.
In fact, I’d say the feminists are the worst.
fredo777
Having read more on his comments (including the digs at Lohan + Munn), I agree that the dude is a bit sleazy. However, I am going to go out on the skinny end of the branch + say that I believe his apology for the “f-bomb”.
According to another source with more of his apology:
Ratner has now put out a statement. “To everyone I’ve hurt and offended, I’d like to apologize publicly and unreservedly,” he wrote. “As difficult as the last few days have been for me, they cannot compare to the experience of any young man or woman who has been the target of offensive slurs or derogatory comments. As a first step, I resigned as a producer of the 84th Academy Awards telecast. As painful as this may be for me, it would be worse if my association with the show were to be a distraction from the Academy. I am grateful to GLAAD for engaging me in a dialogue. I deeply regret my actions and I am determined to learn from this experience.”
——————————————
Call me an apologist (though it’d be misplaced since I’m not particularly a fan of his, in general), but I’ll reserve claims that he’s not sincere until/unless he repeats his sin.
John
Is this why straight people hate us? Jesus…who started this boycott of this guy? He didnt say anything to offend me
Ryan
I feel very engaged in this vital social issue….sooooo who’s the hot guy on left?
Politically Incorrect Thug
@John: Yes, but he’s a white guy who said something politically incorrect. In America that’s grounds for lynching.
meego
@Ryan: Scott Caan, who is also a closet case.
JoeyB
The Oscars? Does anyone still watch that anachronistic, piece of crap?
the crustybastard
@Politically Incorrect Thug:
Holy shit. Of all the stupid and offensive shit you’ve said here, that may be the dumbest, most offensive thing yet.
Could you at least try to use some fucking headwork once in a while?
Q
@Aiden: well actually those are my sentiments exactly as a gay. This society is getting wayyyy to sensitive. this is way overblown ancertainly not worth him losing a job over. Good Lord America. now wonder we are a nation who can’t raise men from boys anymore. we are too damn sensitive and pc.
Q
@John: @Aiden: completely agree!
Michael
@Q:
Oh shutup already you are just one of those macho gay dudes who thinks gay teens should suck it up and deal with being bullied and grow some balls.That’s not called being sensitive or pc thats called making a difference in this country.If we give people like Brett a pat on the back and give him a pass for saying stupid homophobic shit then more and more people will continue to think its acceptable and right in this country and it’s NOT.The more excuses are made for this kind of stupidity the more people will think that being homophobic is A-OKAY.When people like Brett have stuff like this happen to them it TEACHES them a valuable lesson about the power of words and that for every mistake you make there will be consequences for said actions.The only way homophobes will ever change is if they see that their words do indeed have an effect and impact that they do not even realize.They need to be taught that homophobia has no place in this world nor in a civilized society.They need to educate themselves in more ways then one.
iDavid
@Q John Aiden
I almost went with that ideology as “fag” is tossed about in jest, and it’s highly probable that Brett was just punching fun with zero malice intent. But with gay/bi kids sooooo sensitive and confused about sexuality to the point of bullying and suicide, I thought, this can’t fly with his culture war raging. Maybe in ten years with a caveat attached. If Brett stayed on with the Oscars, (he stepped down last night) the rel right would chock it up as a win. But I get what you are saying, I could care less, but I still have to think of others and how they feel in this, and it is pretty treacherous.
Michael
@iDavid:
But with gay/bi kids sooooo sensitive and confused about sexuality to the point of bullying and suicide,
Wow what a class act you are to write something like that NOT.
Robert in NYC
No. 39,and you’re point is? Your beloved GOP tea party scumbaggers and civil libertarians aren’t much better either. Rick Santorum spews his venom and in the same breath says he’s not homophobic because he has gay friends. Name one piece of equality legislation the GOP intends to introduce at the state and federal level if it wins the White House next year? In fact name any piece of LGBT legislation it’s authored over the past 30 years? I can’t think of one. Enlighten us please.
ke
@John: F you Uncle Tom. EEFFFFF YOU!!!!!!!!!
iDavid
@Michael
Ah yes, the gay ignorant. You’re a true head in sandbox. Go work at Trevor Project and get back to me.
Michael
@iDavid:
Funny you mention that considering you don’t know a damn thing about the Trevor Project to begin with.Keep your pseudo intellectual opinions to yourself moron your comments were not only classless but also pathetic.I dare you to go up to one of these parents who lost a child due to suicide and bullying and say what you wrote here.Pathetic.The ignorant one is YOU not me gutter trash. 🙂
iDavid
@Micheal
Either you entirely missed my point or you’re a true wak job. With your illiterate use of the english language, I assume the latter. Cheers!
fredo777
LEAVE BRETT RATNER ALONE!
Speaking of which, has anyone seen Chris Crocker’s porn efforts yet or did that not come to pass?
Michael
@iDavid:
Whatever you say you arrogant peasant.I am not the one mispelling btw the word is wackjob you idiot you are not even capable of writing that word correctly.I do not except common sense from a moron like you who sits up on his pedestal looking down at all us commoners either. :)Get professional help start with your ego and work your way down unlike you I made perfect sense.You were stupid enough to make a sarcastic comment about gay teens who have committed suicide.Yeah right as I said I dare you to go up to their parents and use that humor.Moron.
Tim
Well Eddie dropped out too -PC out of control . I’m sure noone on this sight has ever used the term fag,queer,sissy- right?
iDavid
@Michael
Here ya go sugar-rush, from the “peasant” who looks down on the “commoners”, which is actually almost cute. I promote Brett Ratner being fired/stepping down because his words hurt gay youth who are struggling with their sexuality, getting bullied and committing suicide, not to mention the gay adults he trashed. No humor, no sarcasm, just facts. So if you took it another way, which hopefully you obviously did, then maybe this will set your mind clear. Now, if you are too crazy angry, which you seem to be, to use engaging rational language other than “idiot peasant and moron” then I will talk with you, otherwise, rage on at someone else who enjoys your twisted perceptions and ill-educated ramblings.
Michael
@iDavid:
Thanks for the pompous response never expect anything less from your kind. 🙂
Shawn
@Michael
Dude you are way off base and very irrational. Seems you are the one who needs professional help. We really don’t need your crap here or your stupid smiley smirks. Get real or get lost.
Michael
@Shawn:
Why don’t you fuck off asshole? I am beyond sick and tired of you arrogant bully gay dudes think you can push people around treat them like shit and talk down to them? Hell no.Its not my fault I was raised with something that most of you on this site lack: HUMILITY.Do not ever tell me what to do again either the only crap ive seen is from assholes like you on this site who get off on acting like you’re all such badass intellectual pricks.Get real and lose your damn ego already you’re nothing special but god knows most of you here sure see yourselves as just that.
Thats the main issue with this community you are mostly hypocrites claiming you’re against bullying yet you idiots do it to people from your OWN community.Talk about pure and sheer HYPOCRISY at its lowest form.You’ve said enough little boy my mentality is perfectly fine what I have witnessed from hypocrites like you and a lot of people here and within the gay community however is not something I will EVER tolerate nor respect.
Shawn
Yeh….Get. Lost.
Michael
@Shawn:
No fuck off yourself.
ewe
@Michael: Calm down Michael. There are no enemies here. No one is against you.
Michael
@ewe:
I have proof that what you just wrote is incorrect I do indeed have people against me here.
SEXXYJAMAICAN
@Politically Incorrect Thug: So sad… Well Karma is a Biiitch.
What?
@JayKay: You “forgot” Isaiah Washington, but that would’ve killed your “point” before you typed it.
JoeyO'H
This man is a fat disgusting pig who claims to be fantastic at oral sex.Nothing like tooting your own horn. Hmmmm he’s 42, st8 and unmarried. Wonder why?
astonia
How about banning the sexist slur “bitch” when we are at it?