Okay, NBC. Your Bob Costas has made a pledge and we’re holding you to it.
“If Putin doesn’t drag his butt into the studio, then we’ll talk about [Russian anti-gay laws] without him,” Costas told the press this week. “But if he shows up, we’d rather talk to him.”
So one way or another, someone at NBC will cover the country’s abuse of gay and lesbian citizens. How much coverage will it get? Hard to say, but “…framing those issues is part of the backdrop,” said Costas. “It’s like describing what the weather is at a ball game or what the crowd is like. You have to frame the circumstances under which these events are about to take place, and then you return to those issues if and when they impact the games.”
Well, sure. That’s a promising statement. It sounds like NBC isn’t afraid to take a hard, critical look at Russia.
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.
But what about taking a hard, critical look at the Olympics themselves?
After all, the International Olympic Committee has had a dismal response (or lack thereof) to Russia’s human rights abuses. And how about all those corporate sponsors? Canon and McDonald’s may be happy to stick their logo all over Sochi, but when’s the last time they made it clear that they oppose how Sochi’s LGBTs are being driven underground by cruel abusive law and cruel abusive culture? There’s more than one villain to this story, and we hope NBC doesn’t neglect them all.
dougmc92
the minute the IOC came out and said they would consider disqualiftying athletes who protested- I was done with the Olympics- NBC can frame it anyway they want- I won’t be watching!
MK Ultra
NBC is a joke. They are 100X worse than FOX news. They will NOT do any serious investigating. They will cover Russia’s ass. They will cover the corporate sponsors asses. The Russian gay-extermination law will be presented as “to protect children”. The consequences of being gay in Russia will be downplayed as “a simple fine”.
No talk about kidnappings, torture, and murder of LGBT in Russia.
manjoguy
I agree with MK Ultra. The NBC media organization is despicable. Gee, it’s nice they give lip service to the LGBT. But, boy they are anti-American. Change the channel.
dougmc92
NBC is bad- but NOBODY is worse than FOX News!!!!!!
macmantoo
They will talk about it until some religious freak complains then they’ll shut up. If they wanted to show support to how gays are treated they would have done so with the Rose Parade float but they did minimal.
Fitz
IF they cover it AT ALL, which I doubt, it will be once, for 20 seconds, at 3:00 AM
SpunkyBunks
NBC knows we are going to shit all over them and their sponsors for going through with this charade. Bring it!!
CaptainFabulous
Does anyone really give a shit about the Olympics anymore? I mean, I know the athletes do, and I feel really bad that they work so hard to be part of what clearly has become nothing more than a money-generating profit machine that really doesn’t a shit about them.
I can honestly say I haven’t watched one in at least 20 years. I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
hotshot70
I’m not watching Olympics. Its not the Summer one, where the guys are near-naked. This is the one with sports that no one cares about, athletes we don’t know or don’t care about. I will watch other channels or pop DVDs in
sangsue
I have no interest in watching Olympics taking place in a country that not only hates our community but is psychotic about it. I don’t care what NBC says or Bob Costas says. Last summer when the Olympics took place in the UK and gymnastics and swimming were featured, I watched. The UK is not as deranged about the GLBT community. I’ll say one more thing. Bob Costas may have good intentions but the one I really have contempt for is Johnny Weir. As one of the family, he should be ashamed to associate with an organization that has made a conscious decision to ignore the home country’s treatment of the same community he’s a part of.