On Monday’s broadcast of The Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert joked that “pink slime”—a.k.a. “lean finely textured beef” or LFTB if you work for the USDA—has so many hormones in it, it’s “part of the transgender community.”
Possibly after a call from GLAAD, Colbert offered a humble apology–or rather, a “Colbology”—in last night’s show:
“Apparently, some in the Twittersphere have accused me of being transphobic,” he explained. “So I just want to get out in front of this and say that I, Stephen Colbert, apologize to any of my transgender bovine viewers that may have been offended. No matter how you were born, no matter how you identify, I want to be clear that I would be proud to grind you up and eat you.”
Well, at least he’s willing to put his mouth where his money is.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Source: The Raw Story
Christopher
Have you confirmed that GLaAD called him, or are you just making things up? I can find no mention of a call from GLAAD in the source article. It is unclear from the grammar used if you are saying that “possibly” the GLAAD call caused the apology, or “possibly” there was a call.
If you haven’t confirmed that there was a call from GLAAD, then it is just andther example of Queerty, and Dan Avery specifically needing an editor. You don’t just make up contact by activist groups
Don
@Christopher: You’re overthinking this. GLAAD jumps on trite stuff like this all the time. And celebrities often make obligatory apologies afterwards. Its a joke. Lighten up.
Hyhybt
I saw that and knew immediately someone would pretend that it was somehow offensive.
Clockwork
That’s a FUNNY joke.
And I’m trans and I take hormones!
Some of my fellow trans-gen-sexuals – You are Oh so Boring at Times
sheena
@Clockwork: no im a transsexual and thats offensive….ur not a transsexual im sure 🙂 if u like his joke….go suck his penis
Curtis
God, he is the funniest man on tv.
Clockwork
@sheena:
sheena baby, I’ve been through this all before with many a fellow trans-ster
It’s the typical response from a trans-activist type.
Disagree with the status quo, go against the trans-herd mentality…
And they:
1. Claim you are not trans
2. Just plain insult you
3. And stay stuck in the same old thinking, never realizing how fast the world
is moving, leaving the “old school” trans-sters behind.
Roger
Like, Clockwork!
I thought it was well connected humor in Colbert style.
Can’t please ’em, all.
Jacob
@Clockwork: Agreed. I thought the joke was funny, as was his response; “I want to be clear that I would be proud to grind you up and eat you.”
David1950
I’m sure GLAAD will bitch slap him like they do with anyone that makes a joke about trans anything or is a drag queen.
G
I thought it was funny. After all, LFTB does look a lot like our GLBT acronym.
Go Colbert!
John Smith
Sometimes I genuinely wonder what on earth is wrong with people. This whole thing demonstrates just how disgustingly PC the developed world has become, and I for one am sick of it. If you take offence to this, take a Valium and CALM DOWN – if you constantly look for “discrimination” or “offensive statements”, you’re bound to see them everywhere you look. What’s more, when people cry wolf, particularly people of very small minority groups that are not generally well excepted in the general population, it seriously diminishes the impact of genuinely offence statements and downright hate-speech; the sort of thing that is actually all too common among US politicians of all stripes.
I offer my congratulations to Stephen Colbert; he took the whole affair in stride and managed to turn it into a good laugh. At the same time, to those radical nutcases who like looking for offensive statements, I say this: “get over yourselves”.
required
I’m trans, and I’m actually embarrassed by how overly sensitive the trans community can be. Not everything that every non-trans person says about trans people is transphobic! He’s saying trans people take hormones, which we have been known to do. How is that offensive? It’s a funny joke, and he even had the decency to say “the transgender community,” instead of a million other actually-offensive things he could have said. I agree with John Smith’s comment – being offended by every little thing anyone says is hurting our cause. How are people supposed to take us seriously when we’re being so petty and ridiculous? People can relate to you more when you have a sense of humor, especially about yourself.
JAW
Can someone who is Trans Please tell me womething that is funny that will not cause other Trans people to be offended?
Gay men are made to look like fools all of the time… look at over the Top Kurt on Glee… or Cam on Modern Family… If we can laugh at them… why can’t we find something to laugh about with Trans people??????
pixipie
I was hoping this apology wasn’t grounded in genuine backlash towards his comment. But I’m glad we can brush these misunderstandings off and keep it moving. Let’s not get our panties in a bunch.
Jade
If this offended trans activists, then I support it. A good rule of thumb is to support whatever these malicious, evil people find offensive.
Jason
Speaking not just as a trans person, but as a trans person who’s had a bundle of problems with the hormones I’m a) taking and b) producing until I ended up on a cocktail of them to try to sort out what my body is doing…
That joke made me snigger.
I didn’t see the video, and I know NOTHING about Colbert, who he is, or his politics. But I wasn’t offended by that joke. In fact, if people got to the point where they could make harmless jokes about the less… sensitive aspects of transsexualism, intending them to cause neither harm nor offence and speaking without ignorance, we’d eliminate a LOT of transphobia.
The human condition is inherently a bizarre one. And poking fun at humanity is a good way of accepting those bizarre traits.
…In my opinion.
azalea_k
@JAW: I know this has come up before (TG & humor) but I guess I mark three trans people in this comment thread who thought that joke was funny.
You know that any kind of joke will usually offend _somebody_.
J
@sheena: Sheena,I’m sure it’s offensive to you.I don’t condone what he’s doing but it’s his right to say it.It’s freedom of speech.
It’s stupid of GLAAD to demand an apology from him.When you DEMAND an apology,it’s not sincere.
Someone
Not funny, if you are struggling with your gender, wondering if it would be easier to just shoot yourself in the head, take a bottle full of rat poison, or take hormones hoping that you can still get a job after being laid off for being trans despite Ivy League engineering graduate degrees. Good luck world