SOUNDBITES — “Let me tell you something: We are the least racist, homophobic show in the world. What we do have, thank God, is a sense of humor. I hate political correctness. I wouldn’t go into any show saying anything is off-limits. If we have to abide by a ton of rules, we might as well call it a day now.” —Simon Cowell, addressing new co-host Ellen DeGeneres, in Entertainment Weekly
simon cowell
‘Let me tell you something: We are the least racist, homophobic show in the world’
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terrwill
Agree with Simon Jowels. They have made comments ’bout the
Gay kids (One of the best: Danny Noriega’s audition, when
asked what song he was singing, he replied “Proud Mary” and
Randy replied “of course”) In the early shows I think they
had a “no open gays” policy. However while I don’t think they
encourage it, they will allow Gays to participate and not
have to go way to the back of the closet……….
romeo
This show is run by a bunch of Englishmen. Don’t be fooled by the “sense of humor” crap. Racism and homophobia are so deeply engrained in that bunch that they don’t even realize it. Their snottiness and “humor” are just an excuse to get away with the worst shit. Any of the English import shows are going to be homophobic down to their very core. Their approach is just different than the American style of homophobia.
j
Hahah, romeo, are you serious? Out of curiosity how long have you spent in england? Now, I have my own reasons for disliking the english but this certainly isn’t one of them. Wise up.
romeo
Wise up, my ass. Been to England plenty on business when I worked in Europe and to hang out. Most hypocritical, smarmy bunch I ever saw. Always letting little asides and digs drop into conversations. Always letting you know you’re not quite as good. And it’s usually the queeniest bunch who do it, covering their asses. And the English women are worse than American women when it comes to thinking their vaginas are magic when it comes to gay guys. The English are no better than anyone else when it comes to us, but they WILL go on and on. At least with hate in this country you’re more likely to know where you stand, and with whom, so you have a chance of dealing with it.
romeo
That dickwad on “So You Think You Can Dance” is typical for the English “straights” (LOL) Which brings me to anything having to do with Rupert Murdoch. Next to Reagan, he was the second worst thing to happen to America. He brought a whole, hateful, fascistic classism back to this country that we were beginning to work out of. The English and Australians are born “subjects” not citizens. The distinction in modern society just twists their tiny little minds and comes out in all kinds of shitty ways. My opinion, the people of the former empire need to jettison their aristrocracy and get beyond that mind set. The English are no less confused than we are. That said, the English do have many fine qualities, I just don’t go for their notion that they are superior to us. The whole concept of gay equality came from America forty years ago. Europe followed our lead. We were the ones with the sense of fair play then. And it was because American gays dared to speak up and take the blows to change our lives.
terrwill
As to Nigel on SYTYCD…….I actually think he has a thing
for black guys and wants so desparatley for them to make
it to the final. Watch next season, he is constantly giving
high praise to any black guy and absolute opposite to any
of the white guys…………
John from England(used to be just John but there are other John's)
@ Romeo
Despite my loathe to comment and partake on this site.
I agree with you.
Lived here all my life, had working class, middle class and upper class friends. Worked in bars/clubs to big media companies.
I may loathe Americans for so much but you’re right. 100%
terrwill
No. 7 · John from England(used to be just John but there are other John’s): glad you decided to revisit………….
Dasher
Notice that Simon Cowell was referring to the show in general, not referring to himself. At Adam Lambert’s audition for American Idol, Cowell said Adam was “theatrical”. Translation: this dude’s gay. And Cowell refused to let Adam go through. But the homophobic Brit was outvoted by his three fellow judges, and was reluctantly forced to relent. He knew he was outvoted, and said so. You can watch the gay-averse Cowell in action yourself, here’s the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4Q5n5lwRqs
Dasher
Everyone knows that Adam Lambert kissed a straight guy at the AMAs, but few people realize that Adam kissed a straight guy (fellow American Idol finalist Kris Allen) before American Idol 8 was even over. He didn’t kiss him on the lips, but I thought it was pretty hot nevertheless. Don’t believe me? I have proof! Here’s the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acyy4-IGop0&NR=1
scott ny'er
as usual, like Trump, Simon exaggerates. I do think the show is less racist, and homophobic than others. In the world? Not so much.
did Simon or crew ever say anything like, don’t sing so gay. Not that I’ve ever seen. Unlike that dweeb from SYTYCD, who constantly says don’t dance so gay, etc. (But sometimes, he does have a point, but there’s a better way to express it. Bring more strength to a turn, perform like an aggressive dude on the prowl, etc)
Paul
Homophobia or Anglophobia? You’ve just swapped one nasty little prejudice for the other, haven’t you? The digs at the English (Scots, Welsh) are totally unfounded.
We have full gay civil partnerships, gay adoption, pension and inheritance rights etc. and is gayness acceptable? Well, look at Sir Elton John a decade and more back, singing candle in the wind at Diana’s funeral. Royal patronage is about as good as it gets.
We also have gays in the armed forces (US don’t) and in all walks of life, and by the way, discrimination on the basis of sexual preference is illegal in Great Britain.
Gay, like straight, sex is legal from your 16th birthday. Own up, guys, the US is way way behind this in all departments.
Paul
Oh, I forgot to mention that all STDs are treated for free here, with, for example, full medication and hospital care lifelong for HIV and Hep B/C on the taxpayer.
US more gay friendly? I suggest that argument falls over at every stage.
Bianca
Romeo
“And the English women are worse than American women when it comes to thinking their vaginas are magic when it comes to gay guys”
I LOL-ed hard at that.
dontblamemeivotedforhillary
Response to Simple Simon….which usually means the opposite like “American Idol is racist and homophobic” which will be proven yet again this season and we will be all indignant. Any network could slaughter their ratings with a new idea sitcom at this stage!
chris
@Romeo
uuuhhh, Auastralians aren’t born ‘subjects’, we are born citizens. Not sure about the english, but here in Australia we are ‘citizens of the commonwealth of AUSTRALIA’.
Unless you didn’t realise the empire fell apart about half a century ago.
Lukas P.
Simon Cowell has met his match in Ellen!
In my limited experience in England (about 10 months), the difference between English homophobia and the American version, is that ours is based more on religion. I never heard much Bible quoting and threats of eternal damnation there. The American version is more coated in a veneer of”political correctness” and less overt.
And, yes, Nigel of SYTYCD has let his tongue wag in un-PC language, whereas Bruno just is so “effusive” in his flowery praise of the manly dancers! Still a great show.
romeo
@ paul and chris: one of the big rants I heard in England was that they were born “subjects” of the crown. True, politically it’s a rather nominal distinction constitutionally, but a big distinction in people’s mindset even now. Sorry Chris, I thought since Australia was part of the Commonwealth, you were born with the same distinction. And yes, I’m aware that the Empire collapsed, but tell that to the English! LOL
I don’t hate the English. I’ve partied with them and fucked them and had great heart to heart conversations with them. But they can be as annoying to me as we are to them. And I feel that a subtle hypocrisy, that keeps you in your place, is a high art to many of the English.
Hi, Bianca. Long time, no see. I’m on a rant! LOL
cyberdoogi
@Romeo This is the first time that I have ever been moved to join a discussion, so be gentle with me – please:-)
Yes, the US might have led the drive for gay equality forty years ago but where has that got you? The US is still ruled by a fundamentalist christian alliance with the same kind of outlook that other religious fundamentalist regimes across the world have. At least here in the UK we have a democracy and not a theocracy.
Yes, I agree that not everything here in the UK is great but as @ Paul says gays have employment and hate crime protections, civil unions. There are gays and lesbians in all levels of government who are open about their sexuality.
When it comes to the subject of the monarchy, well I’m a republican. I would much rather be a citizen and not a subject of some hereditary outdated system.
Racism, homophobia and discrimination, we are all capable of those things – gay men who are straight acting, don’t like effiminate men, don’t like lesbians, and on and on.
At the end of the day, TV programmes such as SYTYCD and the ones fronted and produced by Cowell are there to get people to watch and to sell products, nothing more.
Brian Miller
Royal patronage is about as good as it gets.
Ah, yes, the class system.
In England, you are “equal” when the autocracy deigns to grant you semi-sorta-equality (“civil partnerships”) and allows you to entertain them.
Brian Miller
here in the UK we have a democracy and not a theocracy.
If gay marriage was put up to a referendum (or even civil partnerships, for that matter), the support would be lower in England than it would be across the United States.
The issue isn’t democracy versus theocracy (Britain, after all, is an official theocracy with the Queen being head of state and a state church), but rather aristocracy.
Britain’s ruling class deigned to assign gays some status, and thus, the average British proles submit to the decision of “their betters.” If a future British aristocracy decided to remove those “privileges,” the British would go along with that too.
dontblamemeivotedforhillary
London is like New York without the garbage because there’s nothing decent to buy there that you can’t get anywhere else for less. It can seem like a really pleasant town until marauding soccer hooligans decide to go poofter-bashing in Soho or Picadilly Circus and you have to wait at a cab-stand for 3 freaking hours. Simon Cowell is like most British exports we don’t want but we snicker at the straight guy who many think is a “homo” while he eviscerates mentally unstable young Americans, some of whom are also gay and confused. The fact the Ryan Seacrest is a closeted gay, putting his own “Dick Clark” empire before making a difference to others is neither here nor there, rather like his talent as host. So British!
IwanCymry
@romeo: I don’t know what England you’ve been to, but here Gay people can marry and have equal rights, we also have less homophobic murders/attacks and tend to be where American Actors end up once they’ve come out in the US.
We also support Gay people on television and don’t remove them from tv…you have what? Ellen? lol, I can name 20 out people who are regularly on British Television, we also have Gay media programs such as Queer as Folk (Banned in the US)
oh an I hope you get the irony of complaining that England is homophobic whilst being racist.
brianbilthwait
@Brian Miller: That’s just made up, cos there was not referendum so how can you know the results?
Yall jus a moron.
Gay rights for all!
Brian Miller
here Gay people can marry
Nope. Gay marriage is illegal in Britain. Britain has a second-tier “civil partnership” status, similar to domestic partnership status in post-Prop 8 California.
IwanCymry
Civil Partnership in the UK is for both Hetrosexual AND Homosexual couples.
Whilst there are campaigns to allow gay couples to get Married before God the Civil Partnerships laws afford Gay couples and Hetrosexual couples the same legal standing as people married under the Religious laws.
This is different to how it works in the good ole homophobic USA.