It looks like karma has come to bite Russell Tovey in the butt (literally!) after questionable comments he made about effeminate gay men to The Guardian earlier this week.
Tovey received heat for calling effeminate gay men “tapdancing freaks” who like to “prance around” and “sing in the street.” Many accused the Looking star of perpetuating the idea that that femme is bad and masculine is good.
He later took to Twitter to apologize for the remarks, saying he didn’t articulate himself well. But that didn’t stop self-proclaimed “professional effeminate homosexual” Alec Mepa from releasing a statement in defense of “young sissy boys” and expressing his “disappointment” with Tovey.
Well, we can all relax now. Because Mr. Tovey has been sufficiently punished for his misguided behavior.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
While in Australia filming his new BBC series Banished, the 33-year-old revealed that he developed “a crusty bum cheek.”
During an interview with the U.K.’s This Morning, Tovey talked about what it was like to film Down Under during the height of summer: “I did have a grub on my tongue and I could feel it pulsating… I was retching. It was gross.”
“We had leeches,” he continued, “and there was one time we were filming in the bush and production rung me up and said, ‘Someone has got six ticks on their body that they’ve found, so can you check yourself?’ and I said I was fine and went back to the U.K.”
Turns out, he wasn’t fine. A week later, Tovey found a tick feasting on his butt cheek.
He was in the shower when he made the startling discovery, which sent him into a panic.
“I twisted it around and then went on Twitter and they were like, ‘No, you’re not meant to twist it – you’re going to get Lyme disease’,” he said. “So I called my mum who said, ‘Go down to A&E’ and it was fine. I had a crusty butt cheek for about a week which I was paranoid about.”
We’re glad that happened. The scores have been settled. Now we can go back to loving the heck out of him. (Although it might take some time to get those images of blood-sucking leeches and grubby tongues out of our heads.)
Related stories:
Wrong Message: Russell Tovey Thankful He’s Not More Femme Because Dad Didn’t Let Him “Prance Around”
Russell Tovey Baffled By Becoming “Worst Gay Ever,” Half-Apologizes For Comments
Cam
Used to like him, bored with his act now. NEXT!
MarionPaige
Every time I look at him I don’t understand. Why’d he pick such a backward time and such a strange land.
BB45
he new still, give him a break. everyone is aloud to screw up from time to time
wagnerwallace
I love Russell Tovey. He represents the average gay man and I didn’t see anything wrong with his comments, especially when we praise every proud effeminate guy out there.
lauraspencer
That certainly wasn’t punishment enough. It also happened in the past. He needs a good ass whooping on his crusty bum in the present day from a bunch of “femme” guys to teach him a lesson.
I’m sticking to my guns and no longer supporting his career.
Kieru
It’s a shame Queerty continues to treat this like real news; but it’s worse that their writers continue to credit Russell Tovey with remarks that were actually his paraphrasing of his fathers homophobia. The remark about ‘tapdancing freaks without qualifications’ for example; that was Russell explaining his fathers refusal to allow him to attend Sylvia Young, a school he professes to have greatly wanted to attend in the same interview!
I get it… Tovey stuck his foot in his mouth when trying to discuss how his path opened up doors for him as an actor that he feels WOULDN’T have been opened if he had ended up going to Sylvia Young but holy hell… stop trying to spin this like it’s the latest political scandal.
Taskebab
@wagnerwallace: we do? Tell that to all the effeminate men who are outcasts in their families, at schools, at work, on the streets etc. and then have the gay community itself having a big “no femms” movement going on right now…having an actor say he’s grateful for not being effeminate and saying that effeminate gay men do not have the talent to play versatile roles on TV and in film is not exactly something they need on top of that
Giancarlo85
Tovey will be irrelevant in a few years anyways. He is already starting to look like an old troll.
Effeminate gay men have more talent and versatility than this self hater.
sfhally
@Kieru: That’s exactly what I think of this whole mess. Queerty is desperate for clicks apparently and the TMZ media model is their ideal. All those queens carrying on like trash about a non-issue.-
Gruffling
Yes let’s misquote articles and laugh at people’s pain. That won’t make you look scummy at all.
aliengod
Stupid article! He didn’t say anything wrong in the first place so there’s nothing to forgive. Move on…
Giancarlo85
@aliengod: He said a lot of stupid things, but he is already irrelevant.
drumstick
This story is old and now borders on character assassination. They misquoted a discussion about how his father’s homophobic attitude had the inadvertent effect of opening roles to him because he had to learn to pass. He grew up in a place where they cut his skull open because he was wearing a cardigan sweater. Now we are blaming him because his father wanted him to pass.
Stop hating the player…hate the game!
drumstick
@Kieru: I agree entirely!
Giancarlo85
@drumstick: He wasn’t misquoted. He was quoted correctly. And I read his entire interview… was pretty loud and clear. Anyone else want to make excuses for him?
dhmonarch89
he’s good on Looking and he has a nice body, but I never got people saying he was attractive- the face just doesn’t do it for me….oh, and what a sissy/fem for getting grossed out by a grub (he’ll find those the harshest insults, from what I’ve heard) 😉
Avery Alvarez
that’s not a very masculine way to handle things, Tovey.
gandalf74
He said nothing wrong, I dont see all the fuss..Ill still watch him..
Jacob23
How despicable that Graham Gremore celebrates a gay man’s suffering a physical condition that causes pain and discomfort. I guess that’s what you do when, like Gremore, you have no morals and you can’t form an argument. Graham, you’re a petty, malicious failure of a man. It is worth noting that if Mr. Tovey’s career were to go into a nosedive and he were to be brought to the lowest point of his professional life, he would still be immeasurably better off than Graham Gremore, who earns a few dollars per post at Queerty, less than most high school kids earn at their summer jobs. lol!
Cam
I see Tovey’s little fans are continuing the typical tradition of fangurls everywhere and lying to try to mitigate the stupid things their heroes do.
Look, you can pretend that Tovey was saying he is happy with who he is as many times as you want and that doesn’t make it any less of a lie. You can also lie and say he was paraphrasing his father’s homophobia, and that doesn’t make it any less of a lie.
He stated, that he was glad he wasn’t one of “Those”, and was grateful to his father for not letting him become that. That isn’t paraphrasing, that is praising.
It’s also great to see people trying to pretend that a mugging he experienced is somehow tied up in the comments. Well, it is, if only in the way that he embraced the self loathing in thinking that him wearing something like a cardigan was the excuse for it.
So again, your defenses of Tovey would seem far more realistic if you would stop lying about the underlying nature of his comments. The fact that you all won’t do that, seems to indicate that the comments themselves ARE bad, because if they weren’t you would not have to try to pretend he said something different.
But you know, nice try guys.
JROBGF
Have had much pleasure from ‘Queerty’ for the last several years. This, unfortunately, will be my last contact – certainly, their erstwhile moderator will never attempt a follow up. Thing is, I did not realize ‘Queerty’ was a Fox outlet – their bias and clear slanting of the news is appalling. Just as I am allowed to agree or disagree with Mr. Tovey, just as I am allowed to agree or disagree with Mr. Mapa, I have the right of expectation of unbias. ‘Karma’. For shame! Subsribe to ‘Querrty’s’ newsletter? I’ll tune in to Fox first!
JROBGF
@Cam: Cam – ye’re one of those black face queers Billy Crystal bemoaned!
charlie_jackpot
@BB45: He’s not new – he’s been in this business for 20 years
JJinAus
@BB45: Aloud? I didn’t realise he shouted.
Giancarlo85
@JROBGF: Wow. Just because you don’t agree with one of their articles you will run away and cry about it? Yes, it is obvious you can’t stand criticism of one of your favorite actors… Who is average looking and is really at best an average actor. Somebody said Tovey represents most gay men, and I am willing to say BS on that. Unbias? If you are going to demand something, why don’t you write an article? And how about showing some objectivity yourself? You just insulted someone in this thread for criticizing that idiot Tovey.
Cam
@JROBGF: said…. “Cam – ye’re one of those black face queers Billy Crystal bemoaned!”
_____________________-
LOL!! THIS is why the little fangurls of these people are so idiotic and fun to watch.
So lets see here JROBGE, I pointed out that Tovey’s comments were not taken out of context, and rather than pointing out where you thought I was wrong, you attack, obviously because you couldn’t point out where I was wrong…because I wasn’t.
Now lets explore your comment. Because I pointed out that Tovey made a disparaging comment about gays, you said that I was a “Blackface gay” and used as your backing “Billy Crystal”, the guy who just said that there was too much gay content on TV?
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh man, quit while you’re only way behind.
IvanPH
If he acts like a flamboyant fairy in real life, he would have not been offered that role in Banished in the first place. He is a well loved actor especially in the UK. It’s not as if a few haters could possibly hurt his career. Dear whining queens, you are not relevant.
Giancarlo85
@IvanPH: More nasty bigotry from the guy who bashes on feminine gay men. And your comments on Neil Patrick Harris are ridiculous too. Only whining one here is you.
Jacob23
@Giancarlo85: As someone who was bullied, you now seem to wink at bullying yourself. This piece celebrates Mr. Tovey’s being physically injured by a tick. The author takes enjoyment out of the fact that Tovey suffered a week of anxiety over a possible Lyme disease infection. One of the commenters here openly calls for Tovey to be physically assaulted. And none of this bothers you. You are fine with it. Your only comments are to continue the attack on Tovey. It is pretty clear that you, Gremore and others are either mentally unstable or morally warped or both. You are so invested in defending your effeminacy from any perceived slight that you will justify or excuse any behavior, including gay bashing.
Perhaps gay men who are not deficient in masculinity should return the favor. If a fem is bashed or gets an HIV diagnosis, let’s all write in to share how it makes us “happy” that “karma” has “settled the score.”
CNYMASC
I like my men to be men,
Cam
@Jacob23:
And the rounds and rounds of verbal masturbation continues, desperate to pretend that Tovey is being attacked for not being a “Fem”.
Once again, if you have to take so much effort to lie about the situation or what he said, then obviously your point is probably not valid.
Giancarlo85
@Jacob23: Oh wow more verbal diarhhea. I am not bullying Tovey. I never called for him to be assaulted, and I didn’t even really comment on the original premise of this article. My issue are the people who constantly defend Tovey whenever and however they can. Jacob, you are full of crap and I should have known that the moment you asked how many sexual partners I have.
I can’t stand hypocrites like you. Don’t bother replying to me again, you won’t get a reply, asshole.
Giancarlo85
@Jacob23: Examples of hypocrisy in your post:
“Gremore and others are either mentally unstable or morally warped or both.”
This is actually bullying itself.
“Perhaps gay men who are not deficient in masculinity should return the favor.”
Another moronic remark… worded as if being “deficient in masculinity” is some kind of disease.
I should have known. Your fake compliments in the other thread were nothing more than fake.
Bauhaus
Tovey doesn’t seem very self-actualized. Much like the people defending him.
Gruffling
I wonder how many of the people crying victim and over sensationalising this story were all too quick to spout negative comments about chubby guys in those other topics. It would be an interesting experiment to see who is really deserving of karma.
AtticusBennett
the most interesting thing about this whole debacle has been how the people “defending” Tovey are proving everyone else right, and themselves wrong.
“misquoted”? not in the slightest. i’ve read the whole interview a few times, and those of you defending him on it are just revealing that, yeah, you’re probably a lot like him – still trying to prove to your homophobic fathers that you’re “real men” .
his misogynist homophobic father stifled him, and now in his thirties he’s still not been able to shed the fear of being “one of those gays” that his dad had mocked and denigrated for years.
just because you’re OUT doesn’t mean you’re secure and proud – *ahem* those GOProud wimps, anyone?
it’s worth noting all the anonymous-internet commenters touting their own supposed “masculinity’ from a place of anonymous cowardice.
but as others have pointed out, the problem is not Tovey – the problem is a misogynistic homophobic culture that leads far too many gay men to view “masculinity’ through the prism of anti-gay male heterosexuality. you think being a man is like being like a straight homophobic boor. things deemed “effeminate” are actually in no way inherently, or even tangentially, FEMALE – they are, in fact, uniquely and classically GAY MALE.
you broken boys know who you are – your desperation for people to think that you’re “masc” – which is actually a rather unmasculine mindset – “masculine” men, truly confident and secure ones, tend to not worry about whether or not people think they’re “masc” , nor to they put standards of What is Masc and What Isn’t onto others.
some gay men are so weak and wounded that they need to insist that others are “fem”, in order to feel better about themselves.
so keep it up. all you’re doing is letting everyone know that you’re still worried that your dad won’t think you’re a real man.
IvanPH
@Giancarlo85: My comments about Neil Patrick Harris are hilarious? Says the cretinous creature who thinks NPH is effeminate but cannot explain why.
Gruffling
@AtticusBennett: Homophobia and misogyny are not related. That is a very tumblr mindset.
AtticusBennett
@Gruffling: homophobia, misogyny and transphobia are all-too-often very much related. there’s a reason the most homophobic straight men are also misogynists, and their oft-used insults towards gay men centre on comparing gay men to women, pejoratively.
it’s also the reason why the most insecure wimpy gay men continued to attempt to reassert their own self-styled “masc”-ness; they’re terrified of being seen as, or compared to, women. you know, the way their homophobic fathers made them feel.
Giancarlo85
@IvanPH: You can’t explain why he’s masculine. You just spout off… and say he’s masculine because you say so. You are full of shit just like Gruffling.
Giancarlo85
@IvanPH: Get pass your uber-masculine fake bullshit and get back to reality.
Gruffling
@Giancarlo85: And you embody every negative stereotype which hampers equality.
AtticusBennett
@Gruffling: what do you embody? provide the URL to your page or youtube channel so we can see you.
Gruffling
@AtticusBennett: I’m not on social media and if I were it would be foolish to provide a URL here given the likelihood of spam attacks from people who disagree with my views.
AtticusBennett
i’m not surprised, as that’s what cowards always say.
but thanks for proving my point – people with your “views” have capers for testes. magically, those fears of yours don’t end up being a problem for me. oh well.
Gruffling
@AtticusBennett: I do not have a webpage to show you so as such there are no fears associated with it.
You do seem to be providing a lot of negative stereotypes yourself, if we went by your example every effeminate man is bitchy, hostile, inflexible, self-obsessed. If every effeminate man were like that ‘masculine for masculine’ would be justified.
Fortunately I do not believe you and your ilk on here to be indicative of the whole. Dicks will be dicks.
Giancarlo85
@Gruffling: You are so full of shit. I am out and open. I am not closeted. You want hostile, bitchy and inflexible? Look at your own posts. It seems like you are more pissed off that feminine guys and guys who take care of their looks won’t give you the chance of day. Plus your attitude says it all. Your hatred of feminine men says it all.
Gruffling
I would never hate a group of people, hate is much like respect it is derived from specific actions of the individual. I also have no desire to be in a relationship with an effeminate man, mainly because I don’t know if we’d have anything in common, and what good is a relationship without communication?
At the end of the day you may view me as you please, that is your prerogative. We will never meet so it’s impossible for you to insult me.
Gruffling
Also if we’re going down that route, a complete assumption here, I don’t have skinny guys physically attractive.
AtticusBennett
@Gruffling: and guys like you aren’t masculine, just cowardly, wimpy, and more than likely extremely homely. right? 😀
AtticusBennett
@Gruffling: but you’re not masculine. you’re another dumpy wimpy boy with daddy issues, who “wouldn’t’ date a fem”, but at the same time, you probably won’t ever date any man, of any type, ever.
just because you’re out of shape and unattractive doesn’t mean you’re masculine. just because a guy has a trim waistline doesn’t mean he’s a “fem.”
AtticusBennett
@Giancarlo85: ten bucks says he’s about as physically attractive as an anal wart.
Gruffling
@AtticusBennett: At what point did I claim to be this image of masculine you have? Do you believe there are only two personality types that a person can be placed in and that there’s no spectrum of types?
I’m also far from having daddy issues, I grew up in a single parent household without a mother.
Gruffling
@AtticusBennett: I would also be the first to call myself unattractive.
robho3
Why would anyone broadcast to the media that they had a tick embedded in their ass? If that happened to me I’d certainly keep it to myself. I just don’t get
people today that have to broadcast every little detail of their life to everyone…. And he is a giant douche too by the way.
Giancarlo85
@Gruffling: You have clearly showed your contempt towards several posters on here because they don’t agree with your view on the world. Grow up.
Robho, I’m with you on that one. Tovey is an attention whore and an average looking one at that.
Gruffling
@Giancarlo85: And the pot calls the kettle black.
nemesis9
I think you would have to have a particularly hypersensitive mindset that parses every sentence that someone utters—waiting for the moment where you can be offended—to read that Guardian article and conclude that Russell Tovey was insulting effeminate gay men. His mistake was apologizing.
Gruffling
@nemesis9: It is fashionable for people to cry victim and make themselves look oppressed these days. Sad really.
Giancarlo85
@Gruffling: Blah blah blah… more nonsense you say?
And I read the entire interview, nemesis. Saw everything he said. He clearly isn’t too bright of a person. It has nothing to do with hypersensitivity but seeing what he clearly said (where he was glad he wasn’t effeminate because he thinks that would be bad).
Gruffling
@Giancarlo85: “he was glad he wasn’t effeminate because he thinks that would be bad” and there lies the hyper-sensitivity, just because it would be bad for him doesn’t make it a personal attack.
If I said I’m glad I’m not straight, am I being heterophobic? Misogynistic?
The only one who isn’t too bright here is you.
nemesis9
@Giancarlo85: No. Where he is glad he wasn’t effeminate because it has broadened his career choices. He was talking about his own set of circumstances. And it does have to do with hypersensitivity: “Oh my God, he just said he feels like he could have been really effeminate. When he says really effeminate, does he mean it’s ok to be kind of effeminate? Am I really effeminate? I think he just insulted me. I think that when he was talking about himself and what turned out to be good for him, he was really insulting me and every effeminate gay man.”
Gruffling
@nemesis9: Don’t bother flogging a dead horse, dude. These people will just claim you hate effeminate men and there’s stuff wrong with you bla bla bla.
DuchessOfMilton
@Gruffling: You mean, like people like you crying that Russell Tovey is a victim of “the gay left” and “political correctness” and “effeminate gay men?” That kind of crying victim…?
DuchessOfMilton
@Gruffling: When you say “dude” in real life, how hard is it to force your soprano voice down to a baritone in order to sound like a “bro,” dude?
Gruffling
@DuchessOfMilton: Your vision of me is amusing. If you wanted to imply your think I have a high pitched voice that would be falsetto not soprano. Who calls themselves a bro? Is this an American thing?
Giancarlo85
@nemesis9: You’re not reading right. Sorry. And there is no hypersensitivity. I read the entire interview over several times. He said he’s glad he didn’t go down that route… as if there is something wrong with it. Your statement is nonsensical bullshit sorry.
vive
@nemesis9, @Gruffling, what if he had said, for example, “Thank god I’m not black, because now I get to have all these privileges over black people.”? Do you now see what’s wrong with it?
Gruffling
@vive: No one mentioned the word privilege.
ApolloDionysus
LOL you are all a bunch of hypocrites! You know damn well if you could choose to be more masculine you would, and if you could choose between dating an effeminate fairy guy or a masculine rugged guy you would always choose the more masculine guy.
nemesis9
@vive: No. That’s a poor analogy. His comments were about modifications to his own behavior. If he had said, “Thank God I’m not gay,” you might have a better argument.
Giancarlo85
@ApolloDionysus: You sir are an idiot. I would choose being the way I am over being a conformist any day. And most of all I am a fem androgynous guy who prefers other fem guys. I don’t go for the rugged ugly types like you.
nemesis9
@Giancarlo85: No, he said he’s glad he didn’t go down that path “because it’s probably given me the unique quality that people think I have.” And how you infer an insult from this proves my point about hypersensitivity. But, I’m glad you apologized.
Gruffling
@Giancarlo85: Being masculine is being a conformist = being masculine is a choice = being gay is a choice. Homophobe. Maybe when you stop hating gay men for being who they are your opinions will hold more weight.
Or as YOU would say – you must hate men because you’ve chosen to be androgynous.
Giancarlo85
@nemesis9: That is totally incorrect. And that itself is inflammatory. So feminine gay men don’t have that “unique quality” he has? So feminine gay men are inferior and at a disadvantage? Stop trying to dodge the facts please. Tovey is fooling himself though and he’s having delusions. He has never been that great of an actor. And even in the movie Pride, did he have a primary role? Not really. Ben Schnetzer was probably one of the bigger roles in that film.
That film was a bit sugarcoated and revisionist… what they didn’t say about Mark Ashton was that he was a strong leftist (communist some would say). But that’s a different topic.
Giancarlo85
@Gruffling: Masculinity is a sexual orientation? Oh yeah? Since when? You’re a bigot yourself. A total idiot and a bigot who makes things up. Masculine is a GENDER ROLE assigned to you by SOCIETY. Sexual orientation is not.
I am a non-conforming leftist who exposes the severe damage that societal norms do to the gay community. And being androgynous is something I’ve always been… by the way, being androgynous means I am going AGAINST societal norms.
You’re a total and complete hypocrite.
Tebn
Why so much hatred? There is nothing wrong with what he said. These attacks are unjustified and disproportionate.
This is clearly an example of MISANDRY.
ApolloDionysus
@Giancarlo85: You know damn well guys that are masculine, look masculine and ruggedly handsome would never even look at you at the club. You are just mad, pressed, suicidal and green with envy.
Giancarlo85
@ApolloDionysus: And I would never look at them. Why? Because I have a boyfriend who is also feminine. And I have dated fem guys in the past too. Why would I be envious? Of what? Keep your own damn superficial preferences to yourself. Not everyone fking thinks the same way as you. People like you are the problem in the gay community.
ApolloDionysus
@Giancarlo85: LMAO, you know damn well “femme” is the best you can do, but it’s like…two bottoms together, what do you do? re-enact the final scene of “Requiem for a dream”? LMAO.
Giancarlo85
@ApolloDionysus: I am not a bottom, you tool. Are you really that dense? I generally a TOP. If that’s too much for your little brain to process… that’s not my problem.
Douchebag!
nemesis9
@Giancarlo85: I think that either you read this article three times but have the memory of a goldfish or you’re being completely disingenuous. Let’s look at your own post. “I read the entire interview over several times. He said he’s glad he didn’t go down that route.” (Tovey actually said “path”). I then quoted you the VERY next sentence in that quote.But you’re saying that I’m “totally incorrect.” Really? Who’s getting the facts wrong here? And you’re doing just what I said. “He said he’s unique. Wait, does that mean that I’m not unique? He just said all effeminate gay guys are not unique.”
Giancarlo85
@nemesis9: And you are a sugarcoating BS artist who isn’t looking at what was said. Route and path are the same. I guess route is a more sophisticated word. The meaning is the same. I was paraphrasing, idiot. I am allowed to paraphrase. You are BSing yourself and you are covering up what was actually said.
Tovey is about as dumb as a sack of rocks (much like yourself) and looks like an old bridge troll.
Giancarlo85
Anyways, I’ve had said enough about Tovey who is yesterday’s news. His mediocre career is not my concern. What I will continue to defend effeminate and nonconforming gay men from the blistering attacks from bigots on here.
spiffy
Boy, there are A LOT of mean girls on Queerty lately.
Gruffling
@Giancarlo85: Rocks are inanimate objects and lack internal organs, therefore without a brain upon which to determine their intellect, they are in fact not dumb at all.
Giancarlo85
@Gruffling: It is a saying. Do you take everything so literally?
I should say you’re about as dumb as Bush. That makes more sense. In fact, I think you make Bush look like Einstein.
MarionPaige
I will say that Tovey maybe needs some counseling in re being a crime victim. People shouldn’t under estimate the impact of being randomly selected for a violent act out of pure malice.
nemesis9
@Giancarlo85: You’re the one that can’t accurately quote an interview you read “over several times.”
regina4aregina2037
I have often wondered where some individuals get off and do they really fully understand the consequences of their ill times words. So Russ is anti effeminate gay guys, so what. If he things that it is better for being a different type of gay then we should respect him.
Too often we give the appearance of being at war within our community. Too often we fail to appreciate that there is room in the Rainbow for all manner of things. We all should be more careful when we say things whether we are a quasi celeb or just one of the tatterdemalion.
Giancarlo85
@nemesis9: I was paraphrasing, you idiot. The word I used has the same meaning. Do you have mental problems? Are you just that stupid?
Regina, why the heck should we respect him? I won’t give him any respect for disrespecting others. We can’t be accepting when some fool says something intolerant and ridiculous within our community. And since when was Tovey a spokesperson for anyone?
Cam
And AGAIN, Enough with the fake vague defense commentary of “Nothing wrong with what he said, he was just saying it’s ok to be masculine”
That isn’t what he said, and if you can’t respond directly to this commentary then don’t bother.
He didn’t say “I’m happy I’m me”. he said “I’m happy I’m not like THEM”. That isn’t an affirmation, that is buying into the stereotype that there is something wrong with them.
And the attempts at trying to say that he was a victim so he was talking about that…no, he wasn’t. That was in a different part of the interview.
And lastly, reporting somebody’s statements word for word is NOT chopping up their statements are reporting them out of context.
So again, nice try folks.
jjose712
@Giancarlo85: Giancarlo, if he was irrelevant you won’t be here posting your dislike for him again and again and again.
What he said was wrong but he is not irrelevant, he has in fact a long career behind
Gruffling
@Giancarlo85: The only stupid one here is you but I’m going to chalk it up to you taking too much oestrogen in your latest hormone treatment. Don’t worry soon you can do away with your penis altogether and then you’ll never have to worry about the world of men again, since you obviously hate men.
Giancarlo85
@jjose712: He is pretty much irrelevant and since his looks are declining quite rapidly, he’ll probably be in one of those exercise bike or energy wristband commercials in a couple of years. And is he a key protagonist in the films he has been in? Not really. Come on dude, he’s 33 years old… not 23. He isn’t that RELEVANT. What was a primary role he last had in a film? Which one? History Boys? Not sure. And don’t name me “Pride” because that certainly WAS NOT a key role.
And my issue isn’t even what the blockhead Tovey said… it has more to do with the ignorance of some posters on here that I take more of an issue with.
vive
@nemesis9: “No. That’s a poor analogy. His comments were about modifications to his own behavior. If he had said, “Thank God I’m not gay,” you might have a better argument.”
Your argument that fem guys can just “modify their own behavior and be masc for the attendant privileges” is the same as the old “gay guys can just modify their own behavior and marry women for the attendant privileges.” Of course they can. That is not the point.
vive
@Gruffling: “No one mentioned the word privilege.”
It is implied by Tovey and his defenders who stated that it was better for his career to have turned out straight-acting. How is that not an argument about privilege?
nemesis9
@vive: That’s not my argument at all. My argument is that he I saying that, in his particular set of circumstances, it worked out for him. Not you. Not all “fem guys”.
nemesis9
@Giancarlo85: Insult is the tool of the loser.
Giancarlo85
@nemesis9: You never answered my question, nor did I really expect you to do so. What was a primary role he had last in film? And please don’t bring British TV shows which only a limited audience watches.
I don’t think it worked out that well for him as some would claim.
crowebobby
Has any one of you, butch or femme, ever known another gay man, butch or femme, who hasn’t said something that could be construed as offensive to femmes? Did you say “Yes”? Well, you’re full of sh*t!
Ditamo
Still don’t get why many are trying to crucify him? Doesn’t everyone have faults, insecurities, and say things that might be offensive to others because of it? That shouldn’t be an excuse for him to of said what he did, but it seems like most people here commentating think of themselves as immaculate beings that have full right to judge and punish him because of this one bad thing he said. Putting in question his character as a human being, and trying to discredit his body of work as a professional. It’s pretty ridicules all these comments. Maybe worry more about bettering yourselves instead of preoccupying about someone you don’t even know.
Giancarlo85
I am only saying people are overstating his own success. I don’t recall a film where he played a key role. His time has passed. So, expect to see him in a boflex commercial in a few years when he is even more washed up.
Mark
“Although it might take some time to get those images of blood-sucking leeches and grubby tongues out of our heads”
Just focus on the image of Tovey in the shower. Hmmmm yes.
NJjoe
I don’t see anything wrong with his quotes.Moving along… Check please!
Cam
@Ditamo: said… “Still don’t get why many are trying to crucify him? Doesn’t everyone have faults, insecurities, and say things that might be offensive to others because of it?
__________________________________________
That isn’t the problem, the problem is that rather than saying “He said something stupid and now is learning.”
They come in and pretend that what he said was something completely different, or lie and say what he said was actually a good thing, blah blah blah.
So here is a note to his fans, and it’s something that fans never learn. When they come in and lie about the person they are a fan of, trying to alter what they said, or pretend they’re something they aren’t, they just irritate people who otherwise might not have cared.
Jacob23
Cam said:
“He didn’t say “I’m happy I’m me”. he said “I’m happy I’m not like THEM”. That isn’t an affirmation, that is buying into the stereotype that there is something wrong with them.”
So what? Why can’t he be happy to not be like someone else. He has to want to be just like everyone? He owes it to you to want to be like you? Please. Why don’t you just affirm yourself and stop trying to tone police the world.
Giancarlo85:
If someone uses a phrase you don’t like, that’s not bullying. If that’s what you meant by that “bullying” that you experienced in high school, then maybe you weren’t so courageous after all. As for the phrase itself, effeminate men are by definition deficient in masculinity. Similarly, masculine men are deficient in effeminacy. No masculine man would deny his lack of effeminacy. Yet you take great offense at the notion that fem men are deficient in masculinity. Why? It’s almost as if, deep down, you grasp that the 2 are not equal in value.
Jacob23
@crowebobby: Inferiority breeds defensiveness.
Bromancer7
@AtticusBennett: If they’re terrified of being seen as or compared to women then maybe they should stop acting like them. Or at least caricatures of them.
There are all types of gay men. All colors of the rainbow. And not everyone is going to appeal to everyone else. Saying you don’t like fem men or chubby men is no different than saying you don’t like muscle twinks or shaved guys. Some men like effeminate guys and some don’t. Some like Black guys and some don’t. Some like Asian guys and some don’t. Trying to shame people because of what they do and don’t find attractive certainly doesn’t bolster ANY cause.
If you’re happy with who you are, then tell anyone that dislikes you to fuck off. If you’re unhappy with the way you are, then change yourself. At no time do you get to blame society for your lack of self-esteem or self worth. That is all on you.
Cam
@Jacob23: said…
“Cam said:
“He didn’t say “I’m happy I’m me”. he said “I’m happy I’m not like THEM”. That isn’t an affirmation, that is buying into the stereotype that there is something wrong with them.”
So what? Why can’t he be happy to not be like someone else.”
_____________________
Oh, are you all trying to change the topic again? Because at first it was “He said he was proud of who he was” Now that that argument got tossed, you are trying to come at it from a different direction.
How about this, if you all had given up trying to tie yourself into knots to pretend he didn’t say anything this story would have died 10 minutes after it happened.
IvanPH
@Giancarlo85: I already gave you a reason why he is masculine. Unsurprisingly, you and your microscopic brain failed to debunk it. Moreover, you refuse to give any reason why you find him effeminate because you’re afraid that what you may say will show how narrow-minded and unquestionably ignorant and foolish you are.
>Get pass your uber-masculine fake bullshit and get back to reality.
I will, if you get pass your pretentious knowledgeable and intelligent fake bullshit and get back to what you really are… stupidity in its human form.
AtticusBennett
@Gruffling: yeh, no doubt. it comes across in your comments. “you’d never date an effeminate guy”, and i have no doubt that you will never find a guy who will ever want to date you. so, no problem there.
Bromancer’s comment is the perfect encapsulation of how Internet Morons need to say their comments Anonymously – so stupid, and so incorrect, that they know damn well if they attached their face to their statements they’d be made a laughingstock, and justifiably.
“its’ all on you” – say the wimps who don’t have the balls to ever be visible. typical.
jheryn
@AtticusBennett:
There are a lot of posts here I do and do not agree with, but one thing I find pathetic is your stance on posting anonymously. Being “visible” by posting your picture and name isn’t brave or something to be lauded. In many cases it is just plain stupid.
Many people post anonymously for many different reasons. Security being mine. I am out and have no problem telling the world I am gay. As far as looks go, I am attractive and have no problem ever getting a man.
What is horrible, is that you are trying to be so noble defending feminine men thinking it makes you sound like the hero in a crusade, then you proceed to rip apart people who are not attractive. So let me get this correct. It is not OK, to say that you are glad you are a masculine acting gay but it is OK, to make fun of people because of their looks? How hypocritical. Situational ethics abound.
It isn’t only for security that I don’t show my name and picture. It is also because of hateful comments like the ones you are making that I find no value in doing so. If you and others were as accepting of people as you try to make yourself out to be, then maybe no one would have a problem being “visible”. But the truth is that people like you make being visible for anyone not worth the effort. The only “ugly” people here are you and people like you.
Bromancer7
@AtticusBennett: Yeah, cause being a no-name blogger means you’re important. Oh wait, that’s right, it doesn’t. And you’re not.
I’m sorry the truth hurts. But it’s the truth nonetheless. Stop blaming society for your misery and start blaming yourself. And sugartits, I’m not hiding from anyone, least of all you.