The violent imagery of Tracy’s rant was disturbing to me at a time when homophobic hate crimes continue to be a life-threatening issue for the GLBT Community.
It also doesn’t line up with the Tracy Morgan I know, who is not a hateful man and is generally much too sleepy and self-centered to ever hurt another person.
I hope for his sake that Tracy’s apology will be accepted as sincere by his gay and lesbian co-workers at 30 Rock, without whom Tracy would not have lines to say, clothes to wear, sets to stand on, scene partners to act with, or a printed-out paycheck from accounting to put in his pocket.
–Tina Fey wrote in a statement to TMZ, who reports that NBC has scolded Morgan for the homophobic comments he made during his stand-up act.
Seriously???
Is that it? If so truly disappointed in her. Isn’t she the producer?
Robbie K
Disappointed…
Eminent Victorian
What, she should fire him? I dunno. I have a feeling she *is* appalled by what he said; I’m just not sure what she should do. Morgan’s remarks have insured I’ll never watch “30 Rock” again if he’s on it, but I’m not sure Fey needs to be as worried about ruining his career when he’s done that for himself. The guy will have to do more than anti-bullying PSAs to atone for this, a lot more.
Scott Rose
Tina Fey is attempting to brush this under the carpet. Morgan’s psychopathic gay-bashing outburst did not come out of the blue. He has for years been growing steadily worse with his gay-bashing. For a parent to tell a cheering live theater audience that if his son were to grow up to become conspicuously gay, he would take out a knife and stab him until he is dead is absolutely chilling. What if in fact one or more of Tracy Morgan’s children is homosexual? After this, how could a gay child feel safe alone with him? For that matter, how is any child to feel, knowing that their parent would, (for whatever reason) say that they would take out a knife and stab them until they were dead? Tracy Morgan has in other ways raised red flags about whether he has judgment adequate to being left alone with his under-age children. He had a serious drinking problem. He showed extremely bad judgment, with serious negative consequences, in not taking care of himself after being diagnosed with diabetes. He obviously would control the purse strings over his children when they are around him – who knows what bad judgment he is capable of making about their health care needs? Tina Fey is being self-serving in this statement . . obviously co-produced with PR people . . in saying that she hopes the gay co-contributors at 30 Rock will be able to “forgive” Morgan. The damage he has done is immense, and can not be rectified by his co-contributors “forgiving him.” That is their meal ticket on a prestigious show. Meanwhile, all of the gay-bashers who cheered Morgan on in Tennessee will continue gay-bashing in their homes, in their schools, at work and on the streets. What is Tina Fey going to do for those victims? Where is her trip to Tennessee arguing in favor of the elimination of this Neanderthal anti-gay bigotry?
timncguy
This is sounding like the only part of the tirade that Tina and NBC are concerned with is the killing of his son. Sounds like if Morgan had just not gone to the “stabbing” everything would have been fine. You know, the gay is a choice would have been fine with them. The lesbians just hate men would have been just fine. Everything would have been OK if he just didn’t threaten to stab his son for being effeminate.
Myself though, I don’t think any of the rant was appropriate. If Morgan had left out the stabbing of his son, I would still expect an apology for the rest of the rant.
Kirk212
Had he made a racial rant or slur he’d be a goner. Hollywood is so two-faced. Bullshit PSAs don’t achieve anything…
jeff4justice
What a diversion from issues that actually impact LGBT folk such as:
-the over duplication of the many, many, many international, national, statewide, multi-state, and big city LGBT groups (like HRC, GLAAD) doing the same thing while their executive directors make huge 6 figure salaries and their low level-staff make barely-livable wages. Meanwhile most independent grass-roots activists in difficult areas for LGBT folk have no access to mentorship and fiscal sponsorship to work to make things better while most rural/small city LGBT folk get left behind
-LGBT on LGBT discrimination based on race, classism, body type, age, etc… What’s more, the fostering of label-based segregation
-the increase on the glorification of unprotected/BB sex. Where are the GLAAD press statements condemning the endless BB sex ads on Adam 4 Adam, the countless rewarding on BB sex on Xtube, and bb sex reviews in Frontiers 4 Men?
-the dumbing down of LGBT folk
The things LGBT people are doing to each other is collectively far more damaging to our community than anything Tracy Morgan says.
The big groups condemned Morgan (as if we really need them all to) and he apologized. So be it. Escalating this is equivalent the South Park episode where Jesse Jackson wants the kid’s dad to literally kiss his ass for accidentally using the N word on TV.
On my YouTube channel, I recently interviewed actor Larry Hankin (Friends, Seinfeld) and Guster lead Singer Ryan Miller and asked them how they feel about gay fans. I explained that it sucks when a group learns a celeb hates on them (Mel Gibson, Michael Richards) and that we would not want to support them if they do. Roseanne Bar made some dumb statements about gays not too long ago. She apologized. I’m over it.
Is HRC or GLAAD doing anything to fund on the ground activist in some of the most difficult areas for LGBT folk. No. Are they giving money to help bullied enroll in self-dense or counseling classes. Not that I know of.
I’mma focus on something more important.
Scott Rose
Tina Fey’s contrived statement should be protested. While the CYA and the CYA for NBC aspects of it are not exactly surprising, neither is this the most noble speech should could possibly have made in the circumstances. She doesn’t even acknowledge that this gay-bashing rant *is* in character for Tracy Morgan; in fact — she denies that it is. She doesn’t even admit to the public that Morgan has to work on eliminating the anti-gay LGBT bigotry that he absolutely does harbor. She is treating this tirade like some unbelievable one time event – as though a fart had come out of Tracy Morgan’s ear. Online you can very easily find instances in many past years where he has gay-bashed, and where people have been offended by his gay-bashing. What exactly is it supposed to mean, anyway, when Fey says that Morgan is too “self-centered” to harm anybody? Is she kidding? And saying that the Tracy Morgan she knows is too “sleepy” to hurt anybody? Seriously? This statement from her should inspire even greater resolve to get 30 Rock boycotted nationally, if Tracy Morgan is not dishonorably dismissed from it. Let Tracy Morgan unemployed go compare notes with the gay-bashing Stephen Baldwin. The core audience for 30 Rock is, what? Cosmopolitan, skewing young and affluent, well-educated – not gay bashers. It should be relatively easy to bring pressure on NBC to dismiss Morgan from the show. If it will not, we must boycott the show. Organize the boycott well during the summer, to make 30 Rock’s advertisers nervous that their ad placements will be wastes of their money. 30 Rock already has a tenuous place in the ratings hierarchy. If they won’t dismiss Morgan, we should dismiss the show from the airwaves.
Scott Rose
@jeff4justice: Why are you attempting to minimize this incident? You’re here asking about how large LGBT rights organizations help rural gay people – but where are YOU going to be when one of Morgan’s Tennessee audience fans use what they heard at his show as inspiration for a gay-bashing? At least with a national uproar, some word will get through to Morgan’s gay-bashing fans and supporters in Tennessee, that the gay-bashing is not acceptable. I fine load of good you are doing the potential gay rural victims of Morgan’s followers’ gay-bashing. You’d have the community nationwide barely make a peep about what Morgan did – you would thus leave gay people in rural Tennessee more marooned with a support system than they already were – terrific, really good of you.
jason
Tina Fey comes across as the type of liberal who will justify almost anything a fellow liberal says or does. They stick together, you know.
They generally don’t care about whom they hurt or pillory, so long as there’s a laugh in it. They laugh at other people’s expense in a way that is based on belittling them. This can be a force for good but only if the person or persons you are belittling are themselves practitioners of hate.
When you look at liberals in general, you realize what a bunch of frauds they are. They don’t care about gay rights, they only care about using gays to fight their culture war with conservatives.
IAbuseGays
@Kirk212: Like you mean Mel gibson who made multiple such rants or the director rapist who has been nominated for oscars since fleeing the U.S.?
IAbuseGays
@jeff4justice: Its easier to be outrage a comic , which is a minor thing, than at Mehlman because they can’t do anything about that issue or the one you raise. The fact is you are right, but it doesn’t matter because they can understand this kind of attack better than the “We need to change the world” arguement you are making. Also the later requires more work than being outraged at a comic.
Steve
What the hell are you people on about? Tina Fey makes a statement where she explicitly says she does not agree with what Morgan has said and you all think she’s defending him? She also didn’t ask anyone to frogive – she simply hoped people would. She isn’t trying to quiet anything down, and while I’m sure she’s done so privately, she has not publicly forgiven, much less defend, Morgan. Fey calls Morgan’s rant disturbing and notes that homophobia is at an all-time high and is worried about the impact that Morgan’s remarks will have. She then notes the important and various roles that gay people not only play in everyday life, but just in Morgan’s life alone – she notes that without gay people, Morgan wouldn’t have a career, which would imply who’s side she’s truly on.
You guys can hate on Fey all you want, but clearly she isn’t the one spewing out homophobic “jokes” about man-hating lesbians and child murder. If anything, recognize the spot that she’s in: we all know Fey has no problem with the gay community and doesn’t want anything bad to happen to our community, but at the same time, she is a coworker and friend of Morgan’s and doesn’t want to see anything bad happen to him. How would you guys act if you were her. Would you simply just say “Fuck the gays?” Or would you just simply say “Fuck you best friend?”
Jayesh P
I really don’t understand why 30 Rock needs to be thrown under the bus. Tracy Morgan isn’t the only one who works on that show. Numerous people could potentially lose their jobs. Should we completely forget about them because of one person’s mistakes?
No I am not at all agreeing with Tracy Morgan or Tina Fey. I personally found a lot of what he said to be hurtful. However, I have never believed in demonizing people. I think people can change. If he genuinely admits to his mistakes and actually takes steps to make up for it (which I know he still hasn’t), then I can forgive him. I understand he’s a celebrity and he has access to large audiences whom he can influence, but he still is just human. Having him fired or the show cancelled doesn’t really resolve the situation. Wouldn’t that just incite more hatred for queer people?
These issues are never black and white. I have a hard time accepting Tracy Morgan absolutely hates all gay people. Come on he works in show business. However, I always did feel he was a bit homophobic. Anytime I see or hear such hatred from someone, whether its against gays, immigrants, women, etc, I always feel there are some other issues at play. He could use some counseling.
Someone should put together an “Intellectual Queer Eye” and intervene.
Scott Rose
@Steve: If she really cared about the longer arc of his life she would tell him to leave the show to enter very intensive therapy. She would however also make it plain that his offenses against decency were so egregious that it simply is not possible to keep him on 30 Rock and still convey the idea that those at the top of the show’s hierarchy have integrity. Additionally, Tracy Morgan’s accrued history of gay-bashing, topped now by this incident, warrants a very strong penalty that is a deterrent against such gay bashing not only for him but for others. If Morgan is truly Tina Fey’s “best friend” . . . . and I doubt that . . .. . then she needs to set aside her feelings about her “best friend” in favor of a greater social good. If she really cares about him that much she can communicate with him all she wants, though he is no longer on her show.
IAbuseGays
The thing is that this is his style of humor- to be shocking, but because its gotten traction for the goal of addressing homophobia in the media (yes I believe he’s partly homophobic to even go there as he did), it has been taken out of context of who the comic is.
He said this a few years ago to illustrate the point as he was talking about tina Fey, who is a friend of his:
“In conclusion, three weeks ago, my girl Tina Fey, she came on this show and she declared that bitch is the new black. You know I love you, Tina. You know you my girl, but I have something to say. Bitch may be the new black, but black is the new president, bitch!”
Jill
I love Tina Fey and appreciate her remarks. I don’t think there is anything she could have said that would have been acceptable to everyone. There is no point in tearing Tina Fey apart. I think she was taking a risk to joke during her remarks, but that’s who she is. There is no need to sweep her into this and condemn her like Tracy Morgan, who actually was stupid enough to think what he said passes for comedy. I think that everyone associated with 30 Rock should line up, say one of Tracy Morgan’s stupid remarks, and then kick him in the balls.
christopher di spirito
Tina Fey is trying to protect 30 Rock, her job and her income.
Sorry princess but, this gay viewer of 30 Rock will be MIA from your audience if Tracy Morgan is back in the fall.
timncguy
@Jill: There was absolutely something she could have said that would have been acceptable. It would be this:
Tracy Morgan said such horrible things that no apology will be able to make it right. In light of this, I as the creator and producer of 30 Rock, have fired him. He will no longer be part of the show.
Steve
@Scott Rose: Not to sound racist, but can you imagine how much of a demographic Morgan’s appearance alone brings to 30 Rock? The show doesn’t get a lot of viewers anyways. I’m not saying Morgan deserves to keep his job, but if he’s out, then you fundamentally change the energy of the show. I could list millions of sitcoms that got rid of main characters and were quickly cancelled. Why should everyone at 30 Rock lose their jobs just to teach Morgan a lesson? They’ve made it clear that they don’t agree with Morgan, and again, Fey herself pointed out what an important role homosexuals have had in Morgan’s career and she pointed out that she found his rant disturbing and (Queerty cut out the first part of her statement) that while comedians have the right to say whatever they want, she felt that this was too violent and went over the line to be justified as anything other than hate.
Again, I don’t care if you guys hate Tracy Morgan. He probably deserves it. But why is Fey suddenly the bad guy for both trying to defend the gay community while saving Morgan’s career, and by extension, the career of 30 Rock?
James
Why do to people think she has the ability to fire him?if he’s under contract he would have to do something named on the contract that he could be fired for.
Scott Rose
@Steve: Steve – are you on the NBC payroll?
timncguy
@Steve: Can you think of any example where someone made statements like this about blacks and was able to keep their job? Why should Morgan keep his job?
Dom Imus made racist comments about a woman’s college basketball team. He apologized all over the place. But, he still lost his job. Michael Richards apologized all over the place, but his racist comments still ended his career.
Why is it that hateful comments about gays never cause anyone to lose their job? If you’re a sports start, you get a small fine and keep your job. If you’re from the Religious Right you don’t even have to apologize, just hide behind your religious beliefs.
Are gays still second class citizens so much so that you just get to issue an apology, maybe, and then you lose nothing for your bigoted hatred?
ben pin wang
I have seen a lot of homeless people on the streets who don’t mind that i and my friends are gay at all. It’s time Mr. Morgan to become one of them and learn something from them, instead of learning too much from self-centered celebrities which he and Ms Fey both consider themselves to be. 30 Rocks is slipping in the viewership anyway.
IAbuseGays
@timncguy: Ted Danson appearing in black face doing a minstrel show. Mel Gibson attacking women, Jews, blacks in multiple tirades and still considered for work in Hollywood. Roman Polanski raping a girl in the 1970s, fleeing the country and Hollywood defending him afterwards. These and more examples have been given and can be given. You have seen these examples, since I remember your screen name, in other threads.
Ted B. (Charging Rhino)
Never thought he was all that funny in the first-place…more cringe-worthy than LMAO. Ms. Fey is just serving as an industry-apologist vainly-attempting to save a valuable corporate-asset for the Network. This will impact the valuable syndication-rights to “30 Rock” that are the real source of network profit long-term.
IAbuseGays
here’s some more:
Chris Matthews- host of Hardball on MSNBC
“If you haven’t seen it yet, here’s video of MSNBC’s Chris Matthews saying of President Barack Obama after Wednesday’s State of the Union Speech: “You know, I forgot he was black tonight for an hour.”
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/zontv/2010/01/chris_matthews_obama_msnbc_for.html
For the “I don’t see it,” he’s saying all blacks sound the same as in “Eboinics,”
Then of course, there is the think it but don’t say it of how the business is carried out.
http://www.deadline.com/2011/01/wme-target-of-25m-lawsuit-for-racial-discrimination/
But hey, so long as no one calls me nigger to my face that makes it okay.
Tim
@Steve: Exactly what I wanted to stay but couldn’t find the words.
SteveC
@IAbusegays
But Tracy Morgan said he’d stab his son, to death, with a knife, if his son was gay.
It’s not a racial issue.
Tracy Morgan is a murderous bigot. On primetime television.
His ass needs to be fired. Now!
NYCNYC
Tracy Morgan not just offended gays and lesbians, he incited violence…he would stab his own son (hypothetically, whatever) this is similar to murder. It would be just as bad as he saying he would kill his son if he’s a Sarah Pain’s supporter. Violence has no place even in comedy.
Tina Fey can do better. She should fire him.
Hello
It wasn’t “Hate Speech” it was a comedy routine, if that’s “hate speech” then all comic routines are “Hate Speech”
Vinci S.
@Steve, @James @Tim
I agree with all of you.
Personally, I will be tuning into 30 Rock for any new episodes, with or without Morgan. I found Fey’s remarks sincere. We all make mistakes. He’s a comedian. They’re there to push the envelop. And we all laugh at their jokes until we decide that we’re offended. Morgan went way too far in my opinion as well as countless others. What he did ain’t right. And perhaps there isn’t a big enough gesture he can make to appease the gays.
Too bad every one who is up in arms about this doesn’t use that anger against countries that actually kill their gays. I’ve always weighed actions greater than words, but that’s just me.
Whatever the case, count me as one of the few, maybe only, persons who forgives Morgan. He’s the one who has to sleep with himself at night, not me.
alan brickman
Politicians can say these things all the time..comedians can’t? people need to grow lives….
IAbuseGays
@SteveC: Like I said, it was homophobic, but what was the context of him saying that? Was he in an interview discussing his personal views or was he in the middle of a comic routine? It doesn’t change the problems with what he says, but it does contextualize how far you can run with this as far as understanding who this guy is. That’s why I mentioned his comments about Tina Fey. When he called her a “bitch” a few years back, was he doing that as Tracy Morgan or as the village idiot he likes to play? Compare the reaction to a comic doing his routine (which again I am not justifying) to half the reactions to a gay man like Mehlman actively participating in policy making that discriminated against all us. The reaction by that half was to say day one of him coming out “why can’t you all just forgive and forget?” Then let’s compare that to other stars and what’s happened with them saying offensive comments not as a part of some act, but as a statement of their beliefs like Mel Gibson. As I said, I don’t have a problem calling Morgan on his shit. I do have a problem with double standards. I mean- do you really think Morgan was going for a moment of being serious in the middle of a comic routine? I suppose that’s the question i would pose to most of the over the top rants I have seen. Do you rants fit the situation? Condemnin ghim yes makes sense, but pretending that it wasn’t a comic routine? And then pretending like others would have been gotten rid of. I remember someone saying- what about Don Imus. Don Imus still is in the business. So what about him? The whole point of the shtick about “blacks are protected more than we are” has a deep smell of poo as it seems to related back to the whole “reverse racism” stuff that whites like to peddle when ever faced with race. The truth is that Morgan did something wrong here. That does not make the response to it right. I don’t like mobs. Especially ones that keep trying to fan the flames higher and highr into greater absurdities. Again, do you really think he would kill his child just because he made a really bad joke?
IAbuseGays
@Vinci S.: I liked your comments over a Towloroad. they were the only balanced thing in the discussion. Pointing out that there are so many elements of a comic routine that we can’t know second hand. But that the comments were on their face offensive, and that they need to be looked at seriously as likely a bad thing, etc. if I got the gist right. I thought it was an excellent way to describe the situation and at least try to have a deeper discussion.
timncguy
@IAbuseGays: sorry, but you need to remove Mel Gibson from your list of examples. The only person who defended him and gave him work was Jody Foster. And, she was roundly criticized for doing so. And, sorry, But Roman Polanski is not an example of someone engaging in bigotry. He is a rapist and is not relevant to this discussion. Unless you are now trying to turn this into a discussion of how Hollywood treats “artists”. I’m not talking about how Hollywood treats some people. I’m talking about how Hollywood treats people. I’m talking about how the general public reacts and what happens to the bigots based on the reaction. This is for sports stars, entertainers, politicians, religious leaders etc, etc, etc.
I also note that you make no comment about the examples I cited. Don Imus was fired for making racist comments about black college athletes. Michael Richards had to give up his stand-up career after his racist outburst. He has had only two jobs since his tirade. One in “Bee Movie” by Jerry Seinfeld. And, that may have actually been filmed before his tirade. And some appearances on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” when the old cast of Seinfeld was featured.
So, here you have two recent examples of people making racist comments and losing their careers. Can you name any incident where people who make anti-gay comments have lost their jobs?
Ginasf
Personally, I think what Morgan said was worse than Isiah Washington using the word “fag”… I’m glad Gray’s Anatomy have him the boot and if Fey had any cajones she’d do the same to Morgan. Let’s see, Morgan apologizes because he doesn’t want his career to go down the toilet and Fey doesn’t can him because she’s worried about the ratings for her show. Way to not put bullied queer and trans kids first.
Vinci S.
IAbuseGays >> Yes, you got the gist. And thank you. They were the only balanced thing you saw, because all of the other comments showing one iota less than straight-up anger towards Morgan were deleted by the moderator, including a couple of self-identified black, gay men who expressed their opinions without being inappropriate. I found this to be racial censorship. Maybe we haven’t come very far as a society. It’s days like this that being gay sucks. It’s like we, as a group, must express our selective horror, before we even stop and think. It’s challenging to be gay on days like this, trying to be an adult and feeling surrounded by a bunch of babies.
I’ve left Towleroad permanently after reading it for years. Despite it’s value, I refuse to be marginalized. I don’t care for Joe. My. God. GayPatriot is a step in the wrong direction. And based on the reactions of most of the commenters here, among other things, Queerty isn’t winning me over either. If there is a gay political/pop culture site out there with more level-headed folk, I’m all ears. A few minutes of each of my days are now up for grabs.
IAbuseGays
@timncguy: The minute you said rape is less severe than words as you try to say in the second paragraph is the minute you stopped being serious and are just showing us your bias.
IAbuseGays
@timncguy: And I am not going to give you more examples. I have dealt with online people enough to know how your kind of mind set plays out.I offer an example. You discount it.I offer more. You claim not to see it. In other words, your denial is not a reason for me to do all that work.
ewe
Saying sorry means absolutely nothing. His apology comes from a place of pure selfishness.
ewe
Tracy Morgan = Michael Richards.
IAbuseGays
@Vinci S.: (a) Yes, that’s how Towleroad operates. You are making the right decision. Not really sure where you can go. GayPatriots is hard right and politics only. I skimmed that site. Its mostly all about right wing politics. I am not sure what makes it a gay site other than they slap the label gay on the site. JoeMyGod suffers from the same white gay middle class of a certain age syndrome that all the other gay sites suffer from.
(b) It is unfortunately the case that there are not many sites you can go do for real discussion about a mix of entertainment, culture and politics. Someone needs to build one.
On the flip side, you have those who choose race (I am black so I go to some black site) over sexual orientation so that I end up on the other side of the debate with them (arguing for gay equality with some homophobe that I will bump into) while arguing against racism here..
However, back to this discussion- My view: The gay community is as bat shit nuts as the rest of this country. No oasis exists anymore as the country becomes more and more economically desperate over time other than finding friends who aren’t crazy.
Sorry I don’t have a solution. QUeerty isn’t that good either. But at least occasional I am surprised to see an article such as the one about teaching kids that being gay is okay that surprise me for being provocative in a good way.
IAbuseGays
@ewe: Under what circumstances would his saying sorry ever be okay? Just curious because I sense a circular argument. He’s saying sorry because he’s selfish being the circular argument.
Zeus
@jason: I agree, Tina Fey seems like she’s *too* liberal…like the opposite of the extreme conservatives. I think she’s funny, but sometimes she’s too preachy in a way where she comes off too strongly.
Ogre Magi
@jason: So if you think liberals are so bad, can you point to any conservative who are staunch outspoken supporters of the LGBT community?
timncguy
@IAbuseGays: you are having trouble with reading comprehension. I NEVER said rape was less sever than words. I said, we have been comparing racial bigotry to anti-gay bigotry. We have been comparing what happens to people who engage in racist comments and to people who engage in anti-gay comments. Therefore your example of a rapist is irrelevant to that conversation.
timncguy
@IAbuseGays: Under no circumstance can he ever make it right by saying he is sorry. Just like Michael Richards couldn’t make it right with an apology. Just like Don Imus couldn’t make it right with an apology. Tracy Morgan cannot make this right by apologizing.
Blaine
@IAbuseGays: YOU HAVE FAR TOO MUCH TIME ON YOUR HANDS AND YOU JUST SOUND STUPID!
Vinci S.
IAbuseGays >> Thank you for your comments. I won’t leave Queerty … yet. I guess it shouldn’t surprise me that you’re black, as it has been mostly black gays that have been using their brains in this whole debacle. So, I guess I’m not only embarrassed to be gay on days like this. I’m embarrassed to be white.
IAbuseGays
@timncguy: The problem is your logic or lack thereof. I read what you said. I noted that your argument only works if rape is of less moral sever than a comic act that is homophobic. You don’t rebut that point. You simply try to claim one is apples and the other oranges. I agree- rape is worse and an actual action. A comic bit is not an action. Its words. You are left arguing that the words are more sever than the actions to keep your bias going. And, of course, you dig even further by arguing that this was in the 70s when a Google search will tell you that the Polanski issue came up again as late as last year in Hollywood. Of course, you say nothing about my other other than to pretend that they don’t prove your bias wrong.
Vinci S.
@TimNCGuy
I hope you saw Ginasf answered your post #36 question in post #37: Isaiah Washington was fired from one of the #1 television shows (at the time) based on an anti-gay scandal. And it was a situation where he personally directed his insult at another actor, T.R. Knight.
So, it has happened in a much more combative way.
Johan
I thought Tina Fey was one of the good guys, but with her tame response to this intolerable incident I guess not… to say that I’m disappointed with her would be an understatement.
I love 30 Rock but to hell with them until Morgan is gone and a more appropriate response is issued. Tiny Fey, NBC, you just lost a fan.
TheRealAdam
@Blaine: I’ve honestly stopped reading any story this little black pissant comments on. People like him ruin the experience at Queerty and make it all about their gay black agenda.
I have been coming here for months and months and usually enjoy it, but am already looking for another blog.
Jeffree
Tina Fey *may* not be able to fire Morgan because 1) that could have to be approved or even initiated by the network and 2) his contract may not limit what he does/perform/says on his own time.
I’m throwing those out as possibilities, not as things I think are desirable or right or just.
— — —
Morgan’s “sin”as a comic was that he wasn’t being FUNNY, making a point, illustrating hypocracy, or playing satirical. Judging him just as a comedian, he failed. As a human, he failed even worse.
There’s no defense.
I won’t watch the show if he returns.
[and I wonder if he is going to come back with some flimsy mess of an excuse about “exhaustion” or overindulging in booze or pills or whatever.]
Craig
Sorry honey, not this queer.
timncguy
@IAbuseGays: one more time with your reading comprehension. There is nothing in any of my posts about the date for Polanski. Now you are just making things up. And, one more time let’s try this. We are talking about how racist comments are treated as compared to how anti-gay comments are treated. How a rapist is treated has nothing to do with it.
The problem here is, and I pointed it out to you this afternoon, is that you are trying to make this argument about the race of the perpetrator. I am not. I’m trying to talk about the victim. You are trying to bring Polanski into this because he is white. And, you are trying to make a case that when the perpetrator is white, they get off easy. But, when they are black we ask for harsher punishment. Of course, this is not true. Both Michael Richards and Don Imus are white perpetrators who were both dealt with harshly.
I, on the other hand, am talking about the fact that when the victim is black. no matter who the perpetrator is, the punishment is more harsh than when the victim is gay.
I have been focusing mainly on the comparison between Michael Richards and Tracy Morgan because the situations are almost identical. Both were doing stand-up comedy routines when they let loose with inappropriate tirades. In my mind, the consequences of their actions should be the same since their actions are almost identical.
Now, I should give up on this discussion with you. You seem to be intentionally not understanding what I’m saying because you don’t want to. But, I should have expected that. At the end of the thread this afternoon other more frequent visitors to this site said that this is common behavior for you. You apparently have a history of coming into a lot of threads that have nothing to do with race and start trying to make the threads about racist white gay men.
Vinci S.
@timncguy
T.R. Knight–victim–was gay. Isaiah Washington was fired and hasn’t found the same kind of success since. That’s not harsh to you?
timncguy
@Vinci S.: yes, that was an appropriately harsh result. I’m glad we have found one example. Now that we have a precedent, let’s call for Tracy Morgan to be treated in the same manner as Michael Richards, Isaiah Washington and Don Imus. None of these people actually called for physical violence on children as Tracy Morgan did. So, I would think that Tracy Morgan would merit a punishment at least as harsh as these others, don’t you? Do you feel that what Tracy Morgan did was less offensive than what these others did?
Jeffree
Comparisons between Tracy Morgan & Michael Richards’ meltdowns are interesting, but hey don’t forget how the cases are different.
Richards, at that point, was post-Seinfeld, not on a network TV show, so he had nothing to be fired from. His career as a standup took the dive because no one wanted to book him or see him anymore.
Morgan, at this time of his on-stage outburst, is still part of a major show. (They may or may not fire / suspend him….too early to tell) He, too, may have a rough go at being booked to perform or drawing a crowd.
It seems to me that both guys should’ve stuck to acting, because stand up brought out their most vile thoughts in ways that weren’t close to being comedic, clever, intelligent, or humane.
Red Meat
Sorry to all the Tina Fay haters but the show is ending, she is not going to fire him now, fuck off.
steve
finally, a rational realistic person putting forth intelligent commentary. good job steve.
Vinci S.
@timncguy
Nope, Isaiah made a direct and personal attack on T.R. Knight. Tracy was talking in general during a comedy bit. Totally different context. Isaiah was nowhere in the position to be attempting to make a joke, successful or otherwise. HUGE difference when the object of your disdain is a group of people or AN ACTUAL PERSON.
What Isaiah Washington did was completely different and leagues apart from Richards, Imus and Tracy. Richards hasn’t worked much since. I feel sorry for the guy; he has problems, and I hope he got help. But, I haven’t stopped watching Seinfeld reruns, because of it–unless someone has committed a heinous crime, I separate the art from the artist. And, as far as Imus, I never listened to the guy; I was not part of his demographic and didn’t understand his humor to begin with, so I’m the wrong person to ask about him.
But, I am a fan of Morgan. I disagree with the direction in which his routine went. It was obviously a malicious and poorly executed part of his bit. But, I wasn’t there.
I’m sure if I read transcripts of comedy routines I’ve laughed at over the years, I’d probably shock myself. And, even if I had been there, I still like the guy, I like the show and I’m not going to stop watching. His publicist put out his apology, which I believe to be sincere. You may not, and that’s your choice. I believe Tina Fey was sincere with her words. You may not and that’s your choice.
And, if you and the rest of our gay brethren get him fired and/or the show canceled, so you can feel good about yourselves like you actually accomplished something, then congratulations, go ahead and chalk that imaginary victory up on the board. I know when to pick my battles, and this ain’t one of them.
You have most everyone on this thread on your side. You don’t need any converts. Let’s agree to disagree.
IAbuseGays
@timncguy: I really can’t help with the whole reasoning skill thing.
IAbuseGays
@TheRealAdam: If anyone wants to see how much a bigot Real Adam and his partner in crime Jason are- go check out the other thread.
IAbuseGays
@timncguy: I am done with my real work so I am headed to bed. A final thought: I think it is sad that many of you have such strong biased that you can not even see them. I think Morgan fucked up here. I think from the descriptions what he said was bigoted. BUT, I also think that the responses here are not solely coming out of Morgan. If you truly were honest, you would read some of the comments by Jason and Real Adam amongst others to see why I said what I said. They aren’t unique. These kinds of bigoted views pop up whenever a black figure is involved. And the level of rationalization that surrounds it if often quite amazing. When it finally sunk in for me how deeply biased many are on the subject is when marriage equality came to DC and yet many still continue not say that blacks have a variety of views on being gay. That complexity seems lost on you. That’s why I used a non-racial example. To get you to see through the eyes of a non-racially charge example. Instead, you double-down on your position. To me that’s telling. Indeed, I am sure you think you are being logical when you compare a comic act (Morgan) to a real life situation (Washington), but the reality is that the later in terms of substance was real life. It was meant to offend a real person with a term meant to attack a class of people. In short, there is a plenty enough bad here and in life that you don’t need to add biases to the mix.
TheRealAdam
“I am headed to bed.”
By far the most important comment on this thread from the LEAST important person. Good. Shut the fuck up, head back to your cage, go to bed and don’t come back, you fucking moron. Practically ever person who’s interacted with you has come to the same conclusion I did days/weeks ago: you’re a fucking tool and you hate white gays. You turn a severely homophobic moment into a pathetic episode of black victimization. People were gracious enough to converse with your stupid ass and tried desperately to see your point of view, then got fed up with your woe-is-black-me agenda. You’re lucky anybody gave you the time of day, because you simply aren’t worth a goddamn minute. Get some counseling and some pills, you dumb bitch.
j
He isn’t in breach of contract so how do you expect she fires him? We have employment laws for a reason. I love tina and I think the statement was spot on. Considering she can’t fire him I think its perfect, so much better than those stiffly worded “we’re sorry you’re offended” letters we normally get. Let the man ruin his own career and let tina be.
Tommy Shepherd
… and when the debate descends into name-calling, you lose the argument, even if you had some good points to make. What a shame.
Jeffree
@j: What? His termination *could* in fact be based on breach of contract, depending on what it stipulates. Have you seen his contract? Are you familiar with the terms/clauses common to the world of entertainment? If so, please enlighten us. Otherwise, um, have a good Saturday.
@TheRealAdam: What you just witnessed was a classic threadjacking by a single-agenda troll. I’ve gotten snared in them myself way too many times. That’s why I try to nudge the convo back to the topic when I can, or go read something else. Tonight I learned all about Yemen, lol. Really.
yo
Anybody who has read Tina Fey’s book or followed her career knows that she is a fierce advocate for gay rights. Half of her new book is just blatant gay rights propaganda. She in no way excuses Tracy Morgan’s actions, and this headline is incredibly misleading. She’s not trying to save HIS career exclusively. She is trying to emphasize that if Tracy Morgan is out of work because of this, hundreds of LGBT people who work on the show are also out of work. Is it really fair to punish them during an economic crisis because Tracy Morgan is a bigot? I am terribly offended by Tracy Morgan’s remarks, but not enough to torpedo the careers of the hundred of LGBT (and allies) who work beside him on a daily basis. This is sloppy writing, Queerty.
Cam
@Eminent Victorian: said… “What, she should fire him? I dunno. I have a feeling she *is* appalled by what he said; I’m just not sure what she should do.”
___________________________________________
Replace gays with women or hispanics or blacks in his rant. Would you still be unsure of what she should do if that was the case?
Cam
@yo: said….
“She in no way excuses Tracy Morgan’s actions, and this headline is incredibly misleading. She’s not trying to save HIS career exclusively. She is trying to emphasize that if Tracy Morgan is out of work because of this, hundreds of LGBT people who work on the show are also out of work.”
__________________________
No, what she is saying is a warning to Tracy that huge numbers of people he works with are gay and make his carrer possible.. But sorry, can’t watch the show anymore if he’s still on it.
timncguy
@IAbuseGays: First, re-read my posts and you will not find the racial bias you are complaining about. So, don’t address me or my comments as if that bias is there. Address those comments to other persons. Secondly, I didn’t bring Washington into this conversation. He was brought in by someone else to show that there was at least one time where someone attacked a gay person was held to account for that. I have been comparing two comedy acts. Morgan to Richards. Maybe three, because I would consider Imus somewhat of a “comedian” radio “shock jock”. You say that Washington was attacking a specific real person and that’s why his situation was different. That would also be the case for Richards and Imus. They were attacking specific real people. But, Tracy Morgan was not. I don’t agree with that view. Which is why I still feel Morgan deserves to lose his job just as the others did. You apparently want to give Morgan a pass and let him go with just the apology either because he wasn’t attacking a specific person or because you feel he is being judged to harshly based on the racial bias of people posting here. So, we’ll have to agree to disagree on that.
robert in NYC
NBC scolded him? That’s it? Why isn’t it making a public announcement about it? Its already losing viewers for other reasons, but this is the last straw. Absolutely unnacceptable. I’m shocked Alec Baldwin hasn’t commented, usually very outspoken when it comes to this sort of thing.
hf2hvit
Seems Tina is turning into Palin…
timncguy
@robert in NYC: Yes, NBC shook their finger at him and talked sternly to him about this. At a minimum, if Tracy were in the NBA he would have had to pay a $100,000 fine. Maybe if they won’t fire him, NBC should make him pay a fine.
Roman
@yo: The show will fold fantasy. Hundreds of GLBT folks will lose their jobs!? Gimme a break. Not if Tracy or other like-minded idiots and bigots don’t stab them first. He’s hardly the only actor who can be successful in that role. What a terrible excuse to keep any employee who has failed, is a risk to the company and a risk to GLBT kids and adults everywhere. Promoting violence against and already bashed and persecuted minority is kinda a show stopper.
robert in NYC
timncguy, right on! Here in NYC, there was a violent attack on a man in the Chelsea section of Manhattan around 4:30 a.m. today. 4 or 5 men apparently beat him to a pulp. Chelsea is a gay area, next to Greenwich Village. The victim is in critical condition in Bellevue hospital. Police aren’t sure if it was a bias crime. We shall see! This is exactly the sort of thing that happens when people like Morgan spew this venom. People of his ilk take cues from hate speech and go out and do just that. If his comments had been aimed at any other minority, I’ve no doubt there would be public uproar and input from politicans condemning it.
sissysfightback
Very dissapointed in Tina response. Proof her success and dollars are far more important that her fans, our rights. If hes on I will never watch again. It also shows why all these anti gay laws have such suppor in Teneessee….the state of hate. But I thought you could not say gay there?? why was he allowed to say gay? Oh…I see in teneessee you can say gay as long as you say it in reference to killing us!
Kieran
Nobody ever paid much attention to the chubby, fugly-looking black comic named Tracy Morgan until he let loose a vicious homophobic rant. Now he’s front page news all across America. Nice way to get yourself noticed. Mission accomplished. Now he can go into the “Some of my best friends are gay” mode and do a fake “It gets better video” in Hollywood.
Dick
I thought that Baldwin was leaving (and now going to run for mayor of NYC) and that would kill the show right there. I found all of these people funny on SNL, but never dug 30 Rock anyway.
robert in NYC
No. 80, only in Tennessee schools are teachers forbidden to use the word “gay”, apparently.
Yes, Dick, I believe Baldwin is leaving. When 30 Rick first aired, I never could get into it and for some reason, I could never figure out what it was that I didn’t like about Tracy Morgan. Now I know why. I never watched it since that first episode, ditto a lot of comedies I find rather boring.
Troy
Not a bit surprised but won’t support him on any level ever again.
robert in NYC
Eddie Murphy said something similar to what Morgan said several years ago. One of his comments was that he’d kick his wife down the stairs if any of his children turned out to be gay. What a moron!
Chico
Hmmm. It is not all shocking that his appology will go unaccepted. The gay community has a long history of declaring that an appology is never good enough. Pity. What I find interesting is that some of us are just as vile and pathetic as he seems to be… hate really doesn’t observe minority lines, it seems.
Also, does anyone else see the coded threat in Tina Fey’s comment? Don’t be so blinded by the hate rhetoric (yes, us gays are just as guilty of it… clearly after reading some of the comments to this) that the message isn’t visible. Sure she could just come out and say “B—-, you’d have nothing without gays” but she is taking a diplomatic road. Personally, I find her response respectable.
Kev C
Alec Baldwin had an even weaker response that Tina’s weak response. And it will probable hurt the careers of Tina and Alec because of their association and excuse making for Tracy.
Also Tina’s stereotype of gays who do nothing but design clothes and do menial work for these narcisistic stars is offensive.
timncguy
@robert in NYC: the relevant point about what Chris Rock said several years ago is that he said it “several years” ago. Several years ago it was much more acceptable to say hateful things about gays. It is getting less and less acceptable every day. Attitudes are turning around quickly. So much so that now a majority of Americans believe that gays should be able to legally marry. This is why Tracy is taking so much heat for saying things he could have gotten away with several years ago. We aren’t there all the way yet. Several in society still find Morgan’s behavior acceptable. Some day all of society will find anti-gay comments to be just as repugnant and racist comments.
timncguy
@Kev C: I haven’t seen Alec Baldwin’s response anywhere. Do you have a link to it?
Chico
@Kev C:
“lines to say, clothes to wear, sets to stand on, scene partners to act with, or a printed-out paycheck from accounting to put in his pocket.” From her quote!
None of that looks ‘menial’! In other words, she is saying none of them would be where they are without the people who work in these areas… some of which are gay! You sir are one of those gays who is doomed to always be the victim because you like it that way. You like having something to be pissed off about. You like having people to hate because they “hate” you. Thus, because of people like you that keep feeding this ‘poor me’ mentality, people like Tracy Morgan continue to spout their BS! Stop being a victim. We are stronger than that but we chose to hide behind the grade-school level of “these insults hurt me! that appology isn’t real! MOOOOOM!!! The HOMOPHOBES are looking at me again!”
timncguy
@Chico: Those who are upset with Tina’s response and the response from NBC are upset because those statements are giving Tracy Morgan one more chance. The statements seem to read as…. OK, we’ll let you get away with it this time, but do it one more time and you’re gone. It is my belief that if a tirade like this was about blacks, the person doing it would not be given another chance. They would have been fired immediately. They don’t seem to be treating anti-gay bigoted behavior as seriously as they would treat racist behavior.
mark Segal
STATEMENT — Bob Greenblatt, Chairman NBC Entertainment:
I speak for NBC and myself personally when I say we do not condone hate or violence of any kind and I am pleased to see Tracy Morgan apologizing for recent homophobic remarks in his standup appearance. We will always recognize an artist’s freedom to express him or herself, but not when reckless things are said no matter what the context. Unfortunately, Tracy’s comments reflect negatively on both “30 Rock” and NBC – two very all-inclusive and diverse organizations – and we have made it clear to him that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated.
Kev C
@timncguy: He made some lame comment on Twitter.
@Chico: It’s offensive to constantly stereotype gays as workers who do nothing but help straight celebrities look fabulous. Gays = do hair, makeup, design clothes, decorate sets, do choreography, give advice, etc. That’s all they’re good for .. sewing things and gossiping like fairies.
Danny
Let’s face it, if Tracy had made this kind of hate-filled rant about murdering Jews, he’d have been fired immediately and his career would be history.
Brian M
I wouldn’t be quite so annoyed by the whole episode if a white male comedian could tell jokes about stabbing his son to death if he brought home a black woman as a girlfriend (while mocking an urban accent), or if he could joke about smacking “bitches” who won’t sleep with him, or if he joked about lynching those annoying Christian preachers.
I’d still think it was nasty, hateful stuff, but let’s be real — media types and the political crowd would be up in arms and the comedian who joked about racist or sexist or religious violence would already be fired.
The real issue here is that queer people are hit yet again with a double standard. While it’s completely verboten to voice unpopular views in favor of bigotry against women or racial minorities, voicing similar views against gay people is “just an alternative viewpoint.”
On this issue, as on most others involving us being treated differently (and less than equally) under the law or anywhere else, we’re expected to “sack up” and “accept alternative perspectives” from people who wouldn’t do the same if the situation was reversed.
And that’s the real travesty.
robert in NYC
Exactly right and Hispanics or Asians too, Danny! Nobody wants to haul his ass over the coals because it would come across as racist. He’s gotten off lightly, extremely lightly. If it had been a gay comedian saying the same thing about blacks, the ACLU and NAACP would have demanded his or her firing instantly. The sad thing is, there are many people out there who think as Morgan does with a lot of sympathizers in the republican party and to a lesser extent among the democrats, except the republicans spawn a lot more of them as we’re seeing in the Tea Party and in some of the candidates running in 2012. They may not say it, but that’s what they think. You can read between the lines.
timncguy
@mark Segal: “Tracy’s comments reflect negatively on both “30 Rock” and NBC – two very all-inclusive and diverse organizations – and we have made it clear to him that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated.”
What NBC has made clear is that they have tolerated these comments from Tracy Morgan. He still has a job with them. How much more tolerant could they be?
Queer Supremacist
I never liked that cunt Tina Fey.
robert in NYC
Brian M, some interesting points indeed! I like what you said.
Rocky
@robert in NYC: @robert in NYC: @Danny: @timncguy: I think that Lisa Lampinelli should be severely admonished as well for the the things she says about blacks, Hispanics,and gays. Her routine makes me laugh, but the things she says are so ugly and I know that she isn’t serious-but I’m gay and if anything that isn’t politically correct is ever said about the gay community (even if I think it is funny as hell and even if it said by a comedienne) then that person should be fired and not even able to get a job at McDonalds. And Lisa should be put in jail and not even allowed to beg for money on the streets for the god awful things that she says in her routine. And, Sarah Silverman should be her cellmate!
VictorG
Tina Fey’s and Bob Greenblatt’s responses to Tracy Morgan’s vile rant are unacceptable because they do not go far enough. Furthermore, their spineless responses allow Chris Rock and that awful guy on CNN, Roland Martin, (and by default Alec Baldwin who tweeted…“Oh that Tracy” …wow, that’s the best you can do Alec?) the chance to defend hate speech.
This whole sorry affair illuminates the inherent and virulent homophobia not only in the African American community but also in the entertainment business. It would be great if there were an open and ongoing discussion about this in the media. After all, it is LGBT Pride Month.
For example, I keep reading about show biz contracts that keep gay actors/actresses in the closet. People like David Hyde Pierce and Sean Hayes were supposedly prevented from discussing their orientation while on the hit tv shows Frasier and Will and Grace (also on NBC). What?!?
IMO, there is really only one acceptable outcome to this horrible situation, and that is for NBC Universal and 30 Rock to fire Tracy Morgan. He has said evil things and he cannot take them back or possibly apologize enough for them. The only way to deal with hateful murderous homophobes is to silence them by taking away their public platform.
Rocky
@VictorG: Oh, I know exactly what you are talking about. All those hateful homophobic black Mormons, the homophobic black preacher Pat Robertson, that big fat black homophobe Maggie Gallagher, that black bigoted Donald Trump, Gov. Perry and his racist black self, all those ungrateful Negro state congressmen who keep voting marriage rights down, That terrible hateful African American Rick Santorum, and the most hateful and bigoted black man in America Rev. Fred Phelps and his bigoted black family. Yeah, those blacks are really homophobic not like those gay loving whites.
Dallas Desi
NBC should strongly consider not bringing back Morgan this fall. To allow someone like Morgan to come back after the comments he made only goes to show how far NBC is willing to go to further alienate their audiences.
Rocky
@Dallas Desi: @Dallas Desi: You are so right, because by letting Donald Trump keep his show after his oh so loving remarks about us wasn’t too far. But this really is way over the line and apologizing for it to me just makes it even worse. He should have done like Donald Trump and just kept on saying more homophobic stuff about us every time he opened his mouth. Now, that I could overlook-but apologizing that is just a slap in the face.
TheRealAdam
@Rocky: I think (really, this is just a guess) that the difference is that we have many, many examples of white people and white communities who are pro-LGBT to counter the appearance of white bigots. And among GLBT, you mostly see white faces paving the way for equal rights. However, we do not have comparable pro-gay visibility from racial minorities. A few black individuals do come forth and stand up for gay rights, but the vast majority are silent on this issue or take anti-gay stances in public.
Rocky
I’m not going to tell you why I think you think that way, because it is too long to get into and this isn’t the perfect format or place to discuss that issue. But, my point is that even if every Black person in America was a raging homophobe it wouldn’t make a difference in GLBT people obtaining equal rights as every American deserves. Black people do not have the power, the control, the finances, or the population to even really make a great impact on holding the GLBT community back from obtaining their rights. So, I get a little sick of hearing about how as a community we (black people) are so “homophobic” when almost every person that is preventing us from being treated equally is white. And to be white and gay is one thing-but imagine how it is to be black and gay in America. And as a gay black and Hispanic man in America I would like to say that the most racist experiences and the most racist things I have heard in my life came from white gay men. And the some of the most racist things I have ever read about black people have come from this very site.
Jeff R
I find the comments of Tina Fey and Bob Greenblatt ineffectual and self serving at best. It’s hard to believe that they did not have an inkling of his homophobia – apparently there have been incidents in the past. If this homophobe’s contract precludes his being fired under the standard morals clause, I believe that his character should be written out of the show, dropped or marginalized – he should be given absolutely no air time. There is precedent for this: Kish on “OLTL,” Teddy on “Beverly Hills 90210,” “Two And One Half Men,” numerous primetime series and soaps. Better yet, replace him with an out actor like Darryl Stephens! Even if he cannot be fired and continues to get paid, don’t allow him more on air time. it would be great to see his role taken over by a talented, out Black actor.
The cast should have followed the example of the “Hangover Two” cast re: Mel Gibson and refused to work with the homophobe/shoot scenes with him. Shame on you Alex Baldwin, Tina Fey, Jane Krakowski, et,al. The writers should refuse to write anything for him. Writer’s block?
Tina Fey is a huge star. She is also one of the producers of the show. If NBC lacks the courage to take a moral stand (How do we say Donald Trump?!?) and fire him or pressure the producers into doing so (“Grey’s Anatomy”/ABC), there is precedent for Ms. Fey to insist that his character be marginalized and that a new role be created for an out actor or two. I think it should be two roles since he trashed both male and female members of our community. If budgetary concerns are an issue, let Ms. Fey defray the salaries of new out actors on the show – precedents include Sharon Stone’s alleged personal financing of Russell Crowe’s wages for “The Quick And The Dead” – she was a producer, too, and Aaron Spelling’s alleged personal financing of Luke Perry’s wages on the original “Beverly Hills 90210.” Let Ms. Fey put her money where her ostensibly liberal mouth is. She can always make another shitty movie for millions after she’s given birth or write another book to defray the cost of the same.
There are tons of out talented actors currently based or working in NYC who could be hired: B.D. Wong, Nicholas Rodriguez and Scott Evans (“OLTL”), Gavin Creel, Matt Doyle, Michale Urie, Luke MacFarlane, Jonathan Groff, Daniel Robinson, Bryan Batt, etc. The aforementioned Darryl Stephens could replace the homophobe. Perhaps hire James Duke Mason – “Hollywood Royalty” (James Mason’s grandson/Belinda Carlisle’s son) and an LGBT activist (the Trailblazer Campaign?!?) That would certainly give some bite to the current hand wringing. Talented out indie actors like Matthew Montgomery, Robert Gant, Chad Allen, Charlie David?!? NPH’s partner and Broadway alum David Burkta? Or some unknown, talented out actor? This would not only right a grievous wrong, but it would be affirmative action and it would throw salt on the wounds of this pariah. Imagine, being replaced/supplanted by another out actor?!? LMAO!
If the new characters don’t gell, so what? The show is nearing the end of its run and it’s not exactly Shakespeare. The homophobe is not that talented, if talented at all, and certainly not funny. Needless to say, the foregoing suggestions will fall upon deaf ears – Tina, NBC, et.al., are all obviously hoping that this will blow over soon. Shame on all of them! Best, JeffR
jason
Isn’t Tina Fey Jewish? How would she like it if Morgan had said “I’d like to stab a Jew”?
Stick to your Sarah Palin impersonations, Tina. If it wasn’t for Sarah, your career would have withered.
someofusarebrave
Yo-if homo-friendly people in positions of power do not stand up for queer rights against bastards like this one, what chance do we have of turning the tide of hate?
In this culture we have a standard set up where anti-gay comments are permitted, yet anti-semitic comments or anti-male comments or specific forms of demeaning anti-female comments are not. WTF? If it is wrong to attack people for what they are, it is wrong across the board…which I think we all ought to appreciate it is!
Kudos to Grey’s Anatomy for firing one of their lead men after he made an anti-gay remark on set. I suppose if a remark occurs on set then the standards of what can be done in retaliation are different but…NBC is not FOX, is not owned by Christian extremists.
Tracy Morgan’s ass should have been fired. Intolerance should not be allowed.
How can Hollywood EVER be at peace with itself if it condemns Mel Gibson on the one hand, who if you recall ALSO apologized, for what he does on his own time…yet refuses to condemn Tracy Morgan, who performed an act for what I assume to be thousands of people?
The crustybastard
Ms Fey is spot on as usual in pointing out that Mr. Morgan doesn’t have the sense not to shit where he eats.
If this is the excuse anyone needs to get rid of Tracey Morgan, more the better. The prreening noisy unthinking buffoon was tired back in the ’70s, when JJ Walker was performing the role on Good Times.
IAbuseGays
@Rocky: The difference is that because that we know she’s joking because she’s a comic on stage, and Morgan clearly was conducting an interview on his personal views on the subject as some along this thread have stated. They , of course, are not taking a bad situation and making it worse by decontextualizing it so that people who are onlooking might go “wait, but isn’t he doing a comic act?” To me, the best to have handled this if someone was trying to not personalize, but get at what I think is the point: That this kind of humor is not just offensive,but dangerous in our times because there are people out there who are bigoted enough to act on it. That point would be a great point at least to me because its the real concern rather than “he’s really planning to kill his children” as a rebuttal.
IAbuseGays
@Rocky: Unfortunately, there are worst sites. Towleroad, for example, can be a real cesspool of racist comments at moments like this. Queerty has quite a few, but they mostly have the smarts to not say shit directly like Jason does. You are, however, right that there is a lot of racism hiding behind what should be real concerns over homophobia. The fact that after 30 years of sustained marketing to white straight communities (with little or not marketing to people of color during the same stretch of time) one can only break the 50 percent mark in the US should indicate just how entrenched homophobia is in the white straight community. BUt good luck getting them to admit that. When you think about it- you are asking them to turn to their friends and families and people who look like them to say “wait we have been talking to you for decades and you still believe we re pedos?” That’s a conversation that’s to be avoided. Instead, attack the harmless minority. That’s something that’s been done for generation. When in doubt scapegoat the black folks. I am not saying there are black homophobes. There are way too many. But as you said, they aren’t the core problem of why rights are being denied to gays in America. Whites are. That’s a simple numerical game if one is going to argue over race. Of course, even that’s bullshit because its not racial at all. Its religion and age. But, if one is going to play the racial game, one will find that the argument its the blacks does not make much numerical sense.
IAbuseGays
@VictorG: A lot of what you describe in the industry is ecause the industry is not only bigoted but that there are gays in the industry who reinforce the bigotry behind the scenes. This is something that all sorts of groups face. For all the claims of being a liberal industry, Hollywood is social conservative on many levels. Sure they will use sex to sell, but only so long its within the form that they can present that will entice straight white 18-35 year old males. That’s the demographic that the whole industry salivates over. You aren’t going to convince them easily that counter programing is a good idea.
IAbuseGays
@Rocky: I had forgotten Trumps recent racist screeds.
IAbuseGays
@jason: He called her a bitch back in 2009. Next.
judybrowni
Join the “Tina Fey, Fire homophobic Tracy Morgan” Facebook page: http://tinyurl.com/3smy9la
Joseph
@Hello: That’s comedy? Nowadays there’s a minority of people who claim that anything one does is “comedy” when it’s found to be awful and appalling. When you show me a clip of Jonathan Winters talking about murdering his kids, I’ll accept that this is “just comedy”. If it’s comedy, what the heck was the punch line? Are Fred Phelps’ tirades just comedies too? Were bin Laden’s? If saying gay is a choice and you’d kill a gay son, is that any different than saying you want to fly planes into buildings? What the heck is your definition of comedy? What’s the joke?
Rocky
@IAbuseGays: It is really nice to hear someone who is thoughtful and sincere in their responses/comments. Instead of someone who is just reactionary-your first response gave me some things to think about. Thanks.
IAbuseGays
@Joseph: @Joseph: Who decides what’s comedy and what’s not. IS richard pryor comedy? Red Foxx?
louis
@Seriously???: Tracy Morgan is a homophobic prick who can’t act, I’ll stop being gay as soon as he stops being black..
Joseph
@IAbuseGays: Are you giving me a “I’ll know it when I see it” definition? There was no punch line, no setup, no juxtaposition of expected and actual outcomes, no hyperbole, or any of the other elements that are employed in comedy. The statements were just that – commentary on homosexuality being a choice, preferability of having a dead son than a gay son, etc. Not everyone finds the same joke funny, but a comedian (or anyone else for that matter) ought to be able to explain what the joke was meant to be or wherein the humor was intended to lay. Could anyone claiming this was “comedy” identify or explain the humor, because it certainly didn’t read any differently than rants by Focus On the Family or Fred Phelps. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, the burden of proof is on the person who wants to claim it’s actually a penguin. “It’s comedy” is an unproven assertion, not a statement of fact, and one that needs to be justified and defended. “Hello”‘s suggestion that Morgan’s remarks were just like all other comedians’ acts was ridiculous and indefensible. “if that’s ‘hate speech’ then all comic routines are ‘Hate Speech'”. Sorry, I don’t think anyone’s going to mistake Morgan’s comments for Abbott and Costello’s Who’s On First routine. Something from a Jack Chick tract, perhaps.
Nat
@IAbuseGays:
I don’t normally say this, but give it up dude. The vast majority of gays took this for the homophobic dreck that it was, and that was the only thing at issue. You’re trying to make a point about racism amongst gays, but this is not the hill you want to die on. Drop it and bring your point up when it actually matters.
IAbuseGays
@Nat: @Nat: No.
Nat
@IAbuseGays:
Richard Pryor also made it clear to Eddie Murphy that he detested some of Murphy’s homophobic material. There may not be many limits to free speech, but there are times where something veers sharply from comedic to pointlessly hateful.
Nat
@IAbuseGays:
Well.
Then you’re just a racist troll then, aren’t you?
IAbuseGays
@Joseph: So, the fact he was up on stage giving a comic performance in no way suggests to you that he was giving a comic performance?
Here’s how Towleroad, not exactly friendly to blacks (an illustration of why I say they aren’t friendly to blacks over there is the following sort of comment, “Adam – there’s quite a difference between making comments about eating watermelon and saying you would stab your son if he was gay. Morgan is a public figure with fans who are stupid enough to agree with him and actually stab their children. Hardly boring, but rather quite frightening. “) described it:
“Yesterday in my news round-up I mentioned that comic and 30 Rock actor Tracy Morgan had unleashed a homophobic rant at a stand-up comedy routine.”
http://www.towleroad.com/2011/06/tracy-morgan-called-on-to-apologize-for-anti-gay-stand-up-routine-threatening-to-kill-own-son-if-he-.html
Key element of the above, “stand-up comedy routine” and his fans may not realize in the responding comment that its a comic routine. I happen to agree with the later part even as I have a problem with the watermelon comment. Bigotry is bigotry.
I don’t think it takes away from calling the standup routine homophobic to say that it was in the middle of a stand up routine unless one’s goal is to make this into a cause rather than reflect what actually happened as far as the bigoted routine.
In other words, I don’t see what any of you get out of making a bad situation worse other than to score what you think are better political rather than factual points (i.e., it is much better to claim he was saying this personally rather than as a part of his act).
You can Google the incident, and, the same sorts of description as part of his comedy routine come up. As I said, that doesn’t make the homophobic act better, but it contextualizes it rather than making up new surrounding circumstances.
You entitle to believe its homophobic – the comic act. You aren’t entitle to pretend it wasn’t a part of a comic act since those are the factual circumstances here.
Jeffree
@Nat: Note that it’s hard to take anyone seriously who names himself ” IAbuseGays” when many of us have in fact been abused. Words like “tacky,” “un-funny,” and “hateful” apply not just to Mr. Jordan, but the IAG himself.
IAG has made a couple good points and now is just repeating himself ad nauseum. It’s called threadjacking and is a common troll tactic.
Rocky
@-Nat: Nat, I’m not sure if you read the other post-but I have a feeling that you didn’t. VictorG made this statement…”virulent homophobia not only in the African American community” and I responded it to that statement-which in turn IAbusegays started a dialogue about my response. I don’t think he ever defended Morgan’s remarks by any means. I think you should scroll up some more and read what was said because I think that you totally misunderstood and you jumped the gun. And, how you came about calling him a racist speaks volumes about you.
IAbuseGays
@Nat: I have repeatedly said that Morgan’s acted crosses the line into homophobia. I added that washington should have been fired.
What you want is for me to say it in a way that I do not also condemn the racist who use these sorts of incidents as Jason did yesterday to say the following:
“No. 66 · jason
Tracy Morgan’s attitude to gays is quite common within black culture. Black culture is an exceedingly homophobic culture in which male homosexuality in particular is despised. Keep in mind that blacks are just as capable of prejudice as anybody else. From the viewpoint of social evolution, they haven’t really learnt from their own struggles for civil rights in the face of prejudice.
You only have to look at how black music is marketed to the masses. The black men all sing about picking up chicks and screwing them, the black women all sing about “my man” and pleasing him. It’s an exceptionally stereotypical, heteronormative and patriarchal culture in which anything that strays from the norm is not welcome.
It makes you wonder as to whether we should have marched alongside them in the 1960?s.”
Or this from JoeMyGod:
“Philo says:Yesterday, 10:27:53 AM EDT
Blacks should know better.”
http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2011/06/tweet-of-day-chris-rock.html
They take what is one guy and turn into an “all blacks.” I would guess half the people posting here think the same thing. They are just smart enough not to say it.
I don’t care what the majority of the gay mainstream thinks. I am going to speak to some of the hidden undercurrents that wants to use moments like this to be racist out in the open rather than hidden. Just like I sspeak to homophobes to tell them they are wrong.
IAbuseGays
@Rocky:They never read any of the bigots comment about race.
They pretend that my statements are written tableau rasa.
Jeffree for example is a good one for that. He will respond to Jason or Real Adam or anyone calling me Troll as Jason writes comments like the one that I quote above that tries to speak for all blacks.
THe other day Real Adam was praising a black lesbian who claimed being gay was a cause for more prejudice than being black, and then, in the very next post, he condemned a girl who said she experienced greater racism . Essentially, Adam claimed it was in her head. That she couldn’t know it was racism. They use moments like this to reinforce the racist shit theywant to say.
Joseph
@IAbuseGays: That it was during a comedy routine doesn’t make it comedy or part of the act. Michael Richards’ screaming of racial insults happened during a comedy routine, but that didn’t make it comedy. If an actor starts making a social commentary during their award acceptance speech about why people should vote for candidate X, that doesn’t make their statements part of the acceptance speech. If in between songs a singer decides to deliver a two-minute monologue on global warming, that doesn’t make it a song or part of a show. If after telling some jokes to his audience Tracy Morgan decides to lecture them on how much he hates gay people, that doesn’t make it comedy. You know this of course, and you’re taking this route because you can’t explain the intended joke, which you’ve failed to do twice.
I’m reminded of a debate between a paranormal advocate and a skeptic about whether an alleged psychic helped police find a body. The advocate stated that a police officer had said the psychic was helpful. The skeptic pointed out the psychic had told them to search in the most obvious place which was already being searched, and even then they didn’t find the body, with hunters stumbling on it months later. The advocate just repeated over and over “the officer said she was helpful”. When the skeptic asked how you could help the investigation if you hadn’t actually found the body you were supposed to find, the advocate began yelling over him into the microphone, “The officer said she was helpful! The officer said she was helpful!!”
You’re doing the same thing with “it was during a comedy routine”. Until you can explain how these statements were intended to be jokes (because Morgan himself didn’t explain this and later said that they weren’t funny in any context, my original and only point (that “hello’s” classification of this as nothing but a normal comedy routine being misinterpreted) stands. As the original Queerty article asked, “Sorry, where was the punch line?” If Morgan can’t answer that, then it’s clear it wasn’t a joke gone wrong but an extended, and horrifying, social commentary.
IAbuseGays
@Nat: Oh, and I agree that the comments in the act were bigoted. I never said that they can ot be seen that way. I added that I could unerstand arguments over a stand up act. Although I disagree with it, and found the description to sound like bigotry to me as far as the act. The difference is that I do not think I have to choose between pointing out my problems witht he act, telling the truth about what was the factual circumstances (that it was a comedy act) or that there are some racist who will use circumstances like this to advance their real cause- which is not gay equality, but racism. Exhibit A- Jason.
Rocky
@Joseph:Can you please show me where IAbuseGays said that it was okay cuz it was during a comedy routine? Because, either I’m going blind or America needs to step up the reading and comprehension skills in school-because a lot of people on here seem not to have mastered those skills at all. But maybe I missed something in a post-so please point it out to me.
IAbuseGays
@Joseph: (a) Did Michael Richards say his comment as a part of his act or as statements to the audience member that was pissing him off? Did he not break in his act to say the comments? Is that the circumstances here? If not, you and others who keep using that as a comparison are on even weaker grounds. And I have already been that that road with several of you. THe reality is that Hollywood allows this sort of thing all the time- i don’t see the same level of outrage. How long did Mel Gibson get away with being a bigot? I had been hearing about him since the early part of the decade. What about the guy who was a wife beater from 2 and half Men? And here’s the ulitmately flaw in your logic- if you want to claim that blacks are being protected despite their homophobia, you are goign to have to explain Washington being fired from Gray’s Anatomy. Was that or was that not a black man being rightly fired for a homophobia?
I pretty much stop reading your post. Its too much work to respond to every person on here trying to distort a bad situation to make it worse. The reality is that all that stuff about a speech and anything else you said like that is irrelevant. He was in the middle of a comedy routine. He may be a bigot. He likely is. That doesn’t change what he was in the middle of doing. You aren’t disproving what he was in the middle of doing by trying to now switch the argument to “yes,but it doesn’t count because I found it offensive.” Yes, it was. But it was still a comedy routine.
IAbuseGays
@Rocky: They are firmly in “must prove him wrong mode” rather than really getting what i am saying, which is not a defense of homophobia or Morgan. Unfortunately (and pardon this pun) there is a focus in our society on black and white. If I am saying something that’s complicated, that means I am against the idea that the act is homophobic.
alan Balehead
Grow lives..move on..and clean your basement apartments already!!!!
cccourt
When these “slips” occur, it’s revealing the person’s inner self. Tracy Morgan hit the funny bone of Tina Fey. That’s it. Tina is a talented performer and writer. As a talent agent, not so hot. Tracy Morgan is not funny on 30 Rock nor was he funny on SNL. The modification he makes to his voice is deragatory to African Americans. Let him AND his career die. 30 Rock will survive without him. Leave him on 30 Rock…well, you will see a backlash. Remember Mel Gibson, Charlie Sheen, Michael Richards?
evilqueen
This is what you get when the entertainment industry’s bottom line meets the white liberal guilt complex (never criticize someone black no matter how horrific their actions or statements because you might enable racism or, even worse, someone might think you’re a racist). If Dennis Miller or Anne Coulter had said this, you would have had to restrain Tina with the entire staff of 30 Rock. You know those pit bull owners who never apologize and always make excuses for their dogs when they maul or kill? Tina Fey.
Stop the Hate
If you are writing to NBC, please note that the comment webform at nbc.com is not transmitting your comments (an error message generates after you hit “send”).
The following are apparently valid email addresses for NBC executives and departments:
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
evilqueen
Seriously, do we really have any straight allies who won’t sell us out when the shit hits their fan?
TomMc
There seems to be a pattern to Mr. Morgan’s nastiness. Queerty, for one, has reported on Mr. Morgan’s unacceptable anti-gay comments in the past (for instance, on Nov 11, 2009 – “Riot Acts”). Were this an isolated incident one could perhaps see things differently. It is not.
evilqueen
@Hello: Yeah, maybe they are when they all seem to hinge on mocking gays and other out groups. Lots if stand up comedians are angry, repressed people, and stand up can be barely suppressed violence. They don’t use terms like kill, bomb, and punchline for nothing.
evilqueen
@Vinci S.: Too bad every one who is up in arms about this doesn’t use that anger against countries that actually kill their gays. I’ve always weighed actions greater than words, but that’s just me.
Vinci,
If we let him get away with this then we will be a country that actually kills their gays and other LGBT people…wait, what was that name again? Matthew Shepard? Brandon Tina? Umm, fill in the blank with someone you know or know off? Wh
evilqueen
@IAbuseGays: You don’t know much about the stand up comic mentality if you think that a joke is somehow not “real” or “true” just because it’s funny and the comic can play the old get out of shit free card by saying, “I was only joking” or “It was meant to shock us out of our complacency, blah blah.” More hard truths about who we are, and more importantly, who the comedians really are come out in their jokes than in bland, conventional BS like Morgan’s lame sorta apology. Just ask yourself how funny anything in Morgan’s act would have been had an openly gay comedian said it. You would have to be crippled with self-loathing to have even considered saying it, or laughing at it.
Jose
Poor Rick Sanchez (remember him?) lost his job by inferring that Jews control the newsmedia. Sanchez issued his apology, but he still got fired. Should the gay community expect a lesser penalty for somebody who encourages the actual MURDER of gay people?
evilqueen
@Ogre Magi: We all know conservatives hate us, they’re not shy about it. It’s these chicken shit, two-faced liberals who love us when things are fine, then stab us in the back and run when their own bank accounts or self-images are threatened who do us the most damage. With allies like them, who needs enemies?
Spike
What apology? His explanation only came after quotes were released to the media. An apology is only an apology when the individual takes the initiative to right a wrong, this is just a homophobe saying what he has to say to salvage his career. As for Tina Fey, revealing her true colors as well, and they seem rather grey.
robert in NYC
It wasn’t an apology in my view. He didn’t voluntarily apologize and had to be prompted to say what he said. So that’s hardly sincere. Genuine sincerity comes from the heart, not by what others tell you to say to save face. Fey and NBC just want to preserve the dollars they’re raking in more than anything else and so does Morgan. Rick Sanchez was fired for mouthing off about Jews. I see no reason why Morgan shouldn’t be. Its NO different in any way, shape or form.
TomMc
@Jose: Excellent example. And with Sanchez there was just that one incident that got him canned. That pales in comparison to Morgan’s history of anti-gay hate speech.
IAbuseGays
@evilqueen:If I wasn’t sure some of you are nuts (and movements like this tend to bring out the nut jobs) your post confirmed it.
Josh6852
Tracy Morgan has three boys, this is what he said last Friday to a packed TN audience…“ If my son told me he was gay (high pitched voice), I would take a knife and stab him in the chest” EVERYONE (Tina Fey-NBC-Comedians-Athletes….etc) needs to read and take action against the vicious hate that Mr. Tracy Morgan (30 Rock- SNL) said in his (rally for violence against the LGBT community- FOX can take a day off) questionable comedy act on June 3, 2011…..NO NO NO apology accepted….20 yrs in entertainment working side by side with many gay parents and people with gay children and potraying us in offensive skits on SNL….. NO surprise you would sperminate your flock of uneducated bible belt bullies in TN of all places ( Where two bills recently passed 1) you can be fired from your job for being gay 2) you cant use the word gay in schools….look it up) I can take a joke- Im ALL for free speech- not hate speech…..Now it’s time for the gay community and supporters of equal rights for ALL to raise your voices and be heard.
Josh6852
YOU DIDN’T CHOOSE TO BE GAY– THEY DIDN’T CHOOSE TO BE STRAIGHT- WE WERE ALL BORN THIS WAY–NO MORE STUPID F@@KING QUESTIONS OR BIGOTED STATEMENTS- IGNORANT BIGOTS NEED TO SHUT THE F@@K UP AND SIT THE F@@K DOWN– IT’S OUR TURN TO SPEAK UP-STOP USING GOD TO DEFEND HATE SPEECH AND PURE IGNORANCE FROM GENERATIONS OF INBREEDING AND LIES SPEWED BY GROUPS OF RELIGIOUS LEADERS (false prophets of god)…HOW MANY GAY CHILDREN DOES GOD HAVE TO MAKE BEFORE YOU REALIZE HE WANTS THEM AROUND????
Josh6852
We as a community pushing equal rights for ALL need to make our voices heard NOW and encourage celebrities and politicians through TWITTER- FACEBOOK- EMAIL-…ETC. that they need to speak up when its not convenient to advance their careers..You accept our hard earned money and go to our award shows and preach tolerance and standing up to bullies….Time to STAND UNITED in the fight for Equal Rights…. Tina Fey and 30 rock have received many awards from GLAAD..NO MORE LIP SERVICE- ACTION NOW…You use free speech Mr. Morgan as a front to spew hate…. Now its time to pay the piper…I speak up for the thousands of GLBT kids who have no voice.. kids that don’t even have parents that love them enough to let them live at home.. church leaders telling 8 yr old kids they’re going to hell to their face…When family, friends, church leaders and your community abandons you all based on nothing you can control because your same sex attraction is natural, SUICIDE MIGHT SEEM LIKE THE ONLY OPTION….ITS NOT KIDS….IT GETS BETTER…IT IS BETTER…. WORDS HURT….. WORDS KILL!!!!!
Josh6852
Tina Fey your half as@ed apology sucked… Tina fey says “ Tracy is to sleepy to cause anyone harm” What does that mean Tina? Mr. Morgan is FINISHED in my book. Don’t go down with the ship Tina. You hired Tracy knowing that his stand up is very homophobic. Now pay the price. This is the core of Tracy’s beliefs…..Believe what you want Tracy…. Say what you want Tracy….. Now pay the f@@king price you piece of sh@t….You would think growing up being black you might be a more thoughtful person when it comes to the LGBT issues and working with them for over 20 Years…. WRONG……TIME TO HOLD OUR POLITICIANS AND CELEBRITIES ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE THINGS THEY SAY OR DON’T SAY IN REGARDS TO LGBT ISSUES FROM NOW ON!!!!!!!!!!
Jaroslaw
Post 106 – where timnc said the rape example of Roman Polanski is not relevant to this discussion. IAG – you said tim was implying it was less severe than words. Hmmmmm, all the great thinkers here – did you ever consider that he meant it was MORE severe?
I think Jeff4Justice had the right idea way back at the top of this blog – there are SO many more important things affecting people than anything Tracy Morgan says. Ken Mehlman is an excellent example. I do not believe he can ever make up for years of anti-gay activities in his role with the Republican National Committee but that isn’t the worst of it. He is still supporting anti-Gay candidates, according to what I read. If he truly wants to atone, he should put his money where his mouth is.
Joseph
@Rocky: “@Joseph:Can you please show me where IAbuseGays said that it was okay cuz it was during a comedy routine? Because, either I’m going blind or America needs to step up the reading and comprehension skills in school-because a lot of people on here seem not to have mastered those skills at all. But maybe I missed something in a post-so please point it out to me.”
Sorry, but it’s partially your reading comprehension and IAbuseGays’ jumping into a different discussion and steering it towards some type of strawman that are the problems. My initial reply was to HELLO, not IABUSEGAYS. I’ve mentioned this repeatedly in my posts and even quote HELLO’S ridiculous statement, “It wasn’t ‘Hate Speech’ it was a comedy routine, if that’s ‘hate speech’ then all comic routines are ‘Hate Speech'”. IABUSEGAYS then took the liberty of replying for HELLO but has steered the original discussion down lots of different rabbit holes to the point it’s somehow now about race. He did write both “Who decides what’s comedy and what’s not?” and “So, the fact he was up on stage giving a comic performance in no way suggests to you that he was giving a comic performance?”. both of which suggest that Morgan’s statements were comedic in nature, falling in with HELLO’S claim. My assertion is that it isn’t comedy, and the original commenter, HELLO, suggests that it is in line with all other comedy. IABUSEGAYS never disputes this with HELLO, only my charge that this isn’t comedy. If it is a misunderstood joke that is a heck of a lot less bad than it being a hate-speech filled rant against gay people. Both HELLO and IABUSEGAYS are indeed mitigating this in a way that suggests it was unintentional and the noble goal was to make people laugh but it just went awry.
What IABUSEGAYS is talking about now, with replies to me that contain “… if you want to claim that blacks are being protected despite their homophobia….” I have no idea. He’s apparently on some sort of crusade and conflating my post with others in his mind – again, he’s the one you need to ask about reading comprehension, since race never came up in any of my posts, nor did I even reply to any comments that dealt with race. All I asked him, and which he still won’t answer, is – if it was comedy, what was the punchline supposed to be? I’d just like him to explain the intended joke that we all missed.
I hope this clears things up. If there’s a crusade against IABUSEGAYS and you’re his sole defender, I have no idea or interest in. I simply took HELLO to task for his claim that there was nothing different between Morgan’s statements and any other comic’s. I’m not looking to be dragged into your forum wars or race wars. I just wanted to object to what is going to be the standard defense of homophobes regarding Morgan, “Hey – it was just a joke! Lighten up!” That’ll no doubt be Rush Limbaugh’s and Glenn Beck’s line Monday morning. IABUSEGAYS’ disingenuous “it happened during a comedy routine” defense is analogous to Senator Kyl being caught lying about Planned Parenthood during a bill debate and his aide explaining, “The Senator’s remarks were not intended to be a factual statement.”
Shannon1981
I never accept the apologies of people who say these things as anything other than damage control. The thing is, if you aren’t a bigot on some level, saying something like that, in jest or otherwise, wouldn’t even enter your mind. The worst kind of bigot is the kind who cannot recognize what (s)he is.
Jeffree
@Shannon1981: Yes, it is damage control on the part of Morgan, Fey, & NBC. Morgan’s reputation as a comic and as a human being have taken a huge hit. Will Fey/NBC let this episode drag the show down with it?
I actually wonder if Morgan will take a cue from other celebs’ playbook & enter “rehab” of some sort. That sextaholic Rep. Weiner has announced he’s seeking pro help “to become a better husband and healthier person.” Yeah, right.
Jordan has had problems with alcohol in the past, so it wouldn’t shock me if he claims some external cause for his big missteps.
Tracy & Tina are not going to be let off the hook after a apologies that didn’t promise amends or change.
The damage control is no longer just about Tracy’s role on the show, it’s about his career. And Tina’s reputation, too.
Shamdrew
Frankly, I care more about Tracy Morgan being on the last season of 30 Rock than I do about what he said. It was disgusting, and he’s clearly ignorant. If you think Tina Fey doesn’t stand up for gay rights, then you are delusional. Half her book is about how gay people made her who she is today.
There I said it. I care more about solid comedy than I do about some idiot’s rant. You can’t take everyone to the cross, but this website in general just seems so full of militant hatred since the relaunch.
Please focus on politicians and people who are actually listened to and looked up to in this country. Not one of the cast members of one of the lowest rated network television shows– no one is out there following the words of Tracy Morgan.
IAbuseGays
@Joseph: No its your reading comphension problem. I said that the fact it was a part of a comedy skit does not change that it was homophobic. You and the others have gone to just act really fucking crazy, and you double down on it with long dissertations about things you could simply have figured out by reading what I wrote. I am tired of you people. You are grade A nuts. It seems the same craziness that infects the rest of this country is now on gay blogs. Next time read what i actually wrote rather than having to spend time trying to spin how I said something other than what I said.
IAbuseGays
@Joseph:And for the record, I notice no one of you mentions anything about the bigoted shit that appears on this site by Real Adam, Jason and others while whining that I am pointing out shit you don’ want to discuss. That’s the context that in part Rocky was discussing. That I am not mentioning this stuff without a back drop for it. Just like I am not saying “hey, call a duck a duck” don’t pretend like he wasn’t in the middle of a comedy act just because you think it makes the situation seem worse. On its own terms, the comedy act was homophobic. Making shit up is what I am responding to. Why do you need to do that/ Why pretend that he wasn’t engaged in a comedy act? Why pretend you didn’t read the article that I linked you to from Towleroad that describes it as such. Why pretend any of this if your goal is to actually discuss homophobia? This i the part I don’t get. No more than I get pretending that some of you aren’t in fact responding to racist like you are having a normal conversation this site. On the other aticle on this subhect, one of them just referred to me as “darky.” But hey, I am being difficult for ignoring all of that.
Rocky
@Joseph: Thanks for making that clear to me…clear that you are a total nutcase.
TheRealAdam
Just so everyone knows:
Rocky = IAbuseGays
STOP feeding the trolls!
Rocky
@TheRealAdam: @TheRealAdam: Your mother is a troll. And, if you feel that way then you should just ignore me. And, I don’t think I have done anything that can be defined as trolling. I asked Joseph a question (with a little snark I will admit) and he came back with what I considered to be an over the top response to my question. But I apologize for calling him a nutcase (he’s probably just a bit extra) Because-you are the real nut and an idiot.
Rocky
@TheRealAdam: And please follow your own advice and don’t respond to me-or you will prove yourself to be the fool I already know that you are.
Joseph
@TheRealAdam: Thanks for clearing that up; haven’t visited here before. The love of “nuts” and “nut cases” in both replies should have tipped me off.
TheRealAdam
@Joseph: No problem :). I hate to see you and others suffer and waste time responding to that batshit moron and his many alter egos.
Dr. Dick
@TheRealAdam: dude, the things you’ve been saying about IAbuseGays all over queerty are really scary, you actually hurt MY feelings.
if you don’t want black queers bringing their perspective into discussion (promoting our Gay Black Agenda), join a Whites Only discussion board. and please don’t use the word “cage”… not to drudge up the whole Slavery things again, but cages were a reality for blacks not so long ago……
AND they are a current reality for QUEERS in countries where homo-sex is verboten…
maybe all this ire over 1 man’s comments is wasted, and could be better directed @ ACTUAL VIOLENCE.
and for the record, I am really disappointed in Tracy, but I also have the capacity to forgive. who the f#$% am I to condemn anyone…
Dr. Dick
How can anyone be so intellectually-limited???
Issues of race/sex/identity/whatever are wwaaaaayyyyyy too subjective for there to be a “right/wrong”, so for people like TheRealAdam to go around “warning” people not to engage with certain posters is endemic of larger issues….. like denial, eletism, and revisionist history. I don’t throw around the word ‘racist’ lightly, but some of RealAdam’s rhetoric is exactly that. Let’s not engage these people in debate, and thus we can roundly ignore their issues…. kinda like Us v.s. Hateful Religions
The fact of the matter is, Queers ARE second class citizens, insofar as we don’t have the “legal protections” of racial minorities… so when we get all butt-hurt about Blacks getting away with things or getting protections…it’s cuz THEY DO, we’re still balls deep in earning ours, but the comparison isn’t fair in that 1 is historically “over” and one is current. If we channeled REALADAM’S bitchiness into politcal power we’d have our own fucking country
IAbuseGays
@Rocky: They are claiming you are me because I said early that i think some of them are socket puppets.
It is just an argument that they are repeating back at me. It reinforces my gut conjecture.
As for the The Real Adam. He’s one of the examples of the true racists at this site that people pretend is not in fact a racist. If you go look at the other thread on Morgan’s homophobic act at Queerty- The REal Adam is talking to the another racist- Jason, both of whom use any thing to do with race to claim all blacks hate gays. In fact, its similar to Nat who ignores someone calling me darky by claiming its me as he ignored other earlier racism comments along the thread.
In that thread, Jason is saying that this is why “we should not have marched with blacks in the 60s.” TheRealAdam ignores that to act as if nothing racist had just been said. He did that the other day at this site too with his comments about how a black woman’s experience wasn’t actually an experience with racism by saying she imagined it. If you go to the diary on the new black lesbian film, he’s there saying blacks will not go see the movie.
Its just a part of sites like this. Bigots get to use homophobia as an excuse to spout their racist diatribes.
Vinci S.
@Evil Queen. It was Brandon Teena. If you’re going to throw a martyr into the mix, at least get the spelling right. Do you even care who he was? Or is he just a disposable name you use to make your points? We don’t have laws that actually encourage gay killings. This isn’t Uganda. If you think we’re headed in that direction, then you need a reality check.
If you read all of my comments, you would see that I’ve said all that I had to say on this matter.
/response
This weekend, it’s PRIDE in West Hollywood. After spending time on threads like these the last couple of days, I am not proud to be part of the gay community. Ashamed is more like it. Gay men are supposed to be one of the more intelligent demographics. With the overwhelming majority of quick and self-entitled conclusions on Morgan, I question that. Hot-headed is more like it. I’ll sit this weekend out.
Vinci S.
And to everyone, the whole “choosing to be gay” bit from his routine, as well as everything else. Do you think he actually believed it? If every comedian was held accountable for EVERYTHING that they said, we’d be disowning them all. I invite any of you to actually think for yourself, not play a victim and take a few steps back.
Vinci S.
Funny how the members on this thread are split 50/50, whereas the nonmembers are split 10/90 with the majority anti-Morgan. Just an observation about commenters who took the time to register with this site (one step, abeit a minute one, towards being more invested into this site and taking responsibility for one’s words) verses the ones who didn’t. You do the math.
IAbuseGays
@Vinci S.: @Vinci S.: Reading more into it, it sounds like Morgan was not just acting a part (but a lot of that “more” is just hearsay from the same sources that are now building this dust up so I am not sure if I can trust it). Its hard to tell whether its his views or those of the character he likes to play on stage. Ultimately, the problem is that we aren’t allowed to figure it out. I suspect (because I have no seen it first hand) that his act was homophobic and crossed a line regardless of whether Morgan is truly a bigot or not. His apology certainly suggest that to me. As did Rock’s retraction of his support and Wanda Sykes who is a comic as well. She does not strike me as very sensitive to avoiding mean comic acts. So, I can only guess from all o fthat plus the guy who broke the story that it was homophobic. The problem here is that you are dealing not with people interested in homophobia but in bullshtting. So, although the underlying truth indicates the act was likely homophobic, they just start to make up shit to fit their biases or in the case of some- their own racial issue. This is the sort of distortions that happens on sites like this.
Jaroslaw
172 – actually, you already did the math! Speaking only for myself, I don’t want another password to remember but I’ve been reading and commenting here for several years. I think that counts as an “investment” don’t you?
Jeffree
Hyperbole & satire have been part of the humorist’s toolbox since day one of people performing (and then writing) comedy. When used carefully, they’re very powerful & effective, but in the wrong hands, wrong time, wrong place, the intended message gets lost.
Tracy Morgan’s exact words, tone of voice, gestures, facial expressions, & lead in weren’t recorded (far as I know) so we can arm chair quarterback his remarks all we want. What we do “know” is that some people walked out & some people did laugh. Thanks to Twitter & the blogosphere, word traveled fast.
As far as comedy goes, that can mix of laughter & disapproval happen no matter how “safe” you think your material is. So, the ethics behind comedy call a performer to be in synch with his/her audience and adjust accordingly. If a bit isn’t working, you change it or change topics.
Talk to 10 different comedians & you’ll probably get 15 different takes on the TJ matter, so all I can do is say that the discussion centers on:
a) whether his bit was worth the risk/benefit of starting AND continuing [was whatever social commentary he tried to make funny, or funny enough?]
b) whether he was speaking from his own viewpoint or through a character?
c) whether he could (can) justify or explain his intentions.
I have opinions on those specific topics, but since I wasn’t there at the show, havent seen a video, they’re just speculative & based on hearsay.
As I said on another thread: based on what I have read, I don’t think it’s moral or ethical to incite hate or violence against an unpopular group, or against people who cannot defend themselves (LGBT youth]. Someone of his stature has a responsibility to use his platform with much greater skill & care.
No amount of applause is worth the risk of having your fans see you as approving of or supporting bigotry.
And, last, I’m not watching the show if he’s on it.
Vinci S.
174 — Yes, I do. But, you’re closer to the exception than the rule. LOL, yes I did do the math already. It was unnecessary; I just wanted to use that sentence.
Dr. Dick
@Vinci S.: You seem to be the only sane person here dude
John Martin
http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=212524155424999&id=114373374508
IAbuseGays
@Jeffree: That’s at least a reasonable statement as oppose to the comments that read “He really plans to murder his kid so let’s take them away” (And yes, I read that from several people), this is not a comedy act he was doing this is the equivalent of him talking to us in an interview (which is the spin that has happened post the performance) or some of the racial shit like by Jason, etc. which i snot just on this site but others. The real point is that this was a homophobic performance. Whether or not he is actually a homophobe, and the need to attack him due to race and other facts is besides the point. If the point is to address homophobia in Hollywood (which would be the point of this sort of thing to me), then the goal should be to get at what the problem is. The problem is that the material itself was likely homophobic regardless of the need to blame all blacks (again read some of Real Adam and Jason’s comments on this very blog or go to JoeMyGod, etc) or say we know what the performer was thinking. Whatever he was thinking, it didn’t work out that way. One can say they don’t want to watch him without engaging in hyperbole or screeds against all black people to justify it. The problem is that there is quite a bit of people here and on other blogs who didn’t do that.
Joseph
@Vinci S.: You just can’t seem to stand the fact that there are people who don’t agree with you, can you? You were knocking other posters from your very first comment in the thread, and damning them with your second. Do you really expect people to “forgive” Morgan, particularly before the proverbial ink on his “apology” has dried, without any explanation, repudiation of the sentiments his quotes expressed, or demonstration of any sincerity on his part? And especially since you haven’t made any real case to defend him or explain what the punchline was supposed to be?
“And to everyone, the whole ‘choosing to be gay’ bit from his routine, as well as everything else. Do you think he actually believed it?”
1. For the thousandth time, if it was a joke, what was the punchline supposed to be? All he said was God don’t make no mistakes, a line heard from many pulpits across the country (which aren’t comedy routines, at least not intentionally).
2. Yes, we all think he actually believed it because quotes have appeared from him from 2009 and 2011 saying that being gay was a choice. In his “apology” he didn’t walk back that statement either(he mentioned violence in general but nothing about choice). Why DON’T you believe he meant it? What evidence is there that he doesn’t mean it? Can you present ONE gay-positive quote from Tracy Morgan? It sounds like you just don’t want to believe it. The rest of us will follow where the evidence takes us. We don’t see where spouting something that sounded like it came from Fred Phelps was playing a part or making a joke. And it’s not because we’re not as awesome as you (as you keep posting, and posting, and posting, such as suggesting everyone who disagrees with you is unintelligent and hot-headed in #170).Check out this story from 2009 and see if you couldn’t just change the date to 2011: http://instinctmagazine.com/blog/tracy-morgan-under-fire-for-gay-stand-up-material . The Chicago Sun-Times published an article in which Bill Zwecker writes “I’ve learned from an NBC source that Morgan’s many previous anti-gay cracks have long rankled a number of his network colleagues, both gay and straight. ‘All those gay characters he portrays — it’s always clear he’s making fun of gay people, merely fueling those lispy-voiced stereotypes that have really gotten so stale,’ added my source.” There’s a report from someone who saw him perform at the Funny Bone and states a “joke” in his act involved him describing attempting to engage in sex while his wife was holding their baby and how his genitals keep ending up in his baby’s face (in graphic detail). (Jonathan Winters or Abbott and Costello he ain’t.) At this point, you’d have a high hill to climb to convince many of us that he’s a comedian at all rather than a homophobe with volent and pedophiliac tendencies.
Jaroslaw
#170 Vinci dear, not proud to be Gay because of several idiots here? Many of these people have nothing else to do but stir the pot…..so don’t take it personally.
ewe
@IAbuseGays: Well for starters, it would be ok to apologize if he really meant it. The guy is a homophobic pig. It is written all over his face and his energy reeks of playing the stupid black man to line his own pockets. He thought he could demonize gay people like he insults the african american experience. There is no empathy coming out of him because he is saying sorry for the sake of his own career. That is exactly what Tina Fey is referring to. All she tends to do is push uninformed stereotypes about gay people too as far as i can see.
ewe
It is no surprise that former SNL alumni feel mockery is comedy. Toilet humor is all i have ever seen on that show FOR YEARS.
IAbuseGays
@ewe: Your argument is circular. It would be more honest to say you don’t want to accept his apology whether he means it or not than to pretend like you actually have a basis for what you said.
ewe
@IAbuseGays: It is honest of me to tell you to fuck off and deal with your own issues instead of trying to make my opinion the topic.
TheRealAdam
@ewe: LOL! Go Ewe!
ZT
Vinci : Have we been reading the same Towleroad and Queerty sites? If it’s true that towley deleted reasonable posts (from people of any race) defending Morgan, then of course that’s wrong. But you seem to be taking the position that these sites are white-elitist. If anything they’ve always been anti-white, politically-correct, trying to equate gay-rights with civil rights. Towle’s stand-in, the vicious and prancing Andrew Belonsky, is a known self-hating white who wouldn’t even MENTION the Hispanic gang attacks on gays in the Bronx when he was filling in for Towleroad. David Hauslaib, of Queerty here, practically said Don Imus deserved his cancer for his “nappy-headed hoes” joke (even though Imus is for gay marriage, and has run a camp for children- of all races- with cancer). We agree towle’s a dickhead of a blogger (as are most blogs- which are really just for people with too much time on their hands) but for different reasons.
Dennis
Sorry Tina, very lame response.
TomMc
@Vinci S.: Bilerico Project.
IAbuseGays
@ewe: If I thought you were remotely rational, I might actually care. As it is, since all you can do is tell us how we are suppose to give a flying fuck about your opinion about what you think of his body language, the answer is no. I don’t care about your honesty. No more than I cared about the honesty of Sarah Palin or any other crazy person.
ewe
@IAbuseGays: And nothing you just said “remotely” comes as a surprise to me. Go elsewhere and take your Philosophy 101 with you. I can’t stand people who have double standards. Don’t worry about caring for me. Consider it reciprocal.
Roman
Just deleted 30 Rock from my TiVo Season Pass.
Tilly
Apology accepted. Honestly his blunder turned out to be a very good thing in terms of progress.
Anyone not able to handle this situation is seriously self absorbed.
Queer Supremacist - Tina Fey is a Mean Girl
@ZT: Not to mention their perpetration of the myth that criticism of Islam is “Islamophobia”. Anyone who uses that word automatically loses an argument.
But gay rights ARE civil rights. And we deserve them MORE than anyone else.
robert in NYC
No. 193, many in the African-American community, especially the southern Baptists don’t consider gay rights to be civil rights and are often offended that we dare to compare ours to theirs. But yes, we deserve to be treated equally without exception. After all, we pay taxes, often more if we’re single, so that alone is full taxation without representation, a violation of the constitution in addition to the 14th amendment guaranteeing the rights of the minority having full protection. What we have in most states is mob rule when it comes to denying us our rights.
Sebastian
Thank you Miss Fey for throwing us under the bus! What he said is indefensible! He even said that himself! Indefensible!
tazz602
Come on Tina!! Tracy Morgan is a marginal asset for 30 Rock at best, he’s never been that funny and his schtick can be played by any number of out of work African American actors. Dump him – because I’m not sure I can continue to watch that show or even rewatch the episodes on Netflix that I enjoy. He’s shown us what he really thinks – apologies aside – we know what is in his heart and I feel sorry for any child of his.
Gifala
While I am all for turning the other cheek, I still believe there should be consequences for what is, at best, bad behavior. I’ll accept his Tracy’s apology when he donates a wad of cash to HRC or funds the Trevor Project for a year.
toffeestick69
I don’t know why I decided to read all of these posts, I never do that, but now that I have, I will say, unless I’ve read over it or missed it completely, it comes down to one thing only and that is not any of these or any other site’s posts, it’s $$$$$$$$$$. If his performance helps to generate money for the show, he will stay, if not, he will go and you will witness a flood of “back peddling” by the stars who “supposedly” are in his corner, at the moment. As a 61 year old gay black man who knows the struggles of being black, being gay and being what society calls old, in America, I can honestly say I’ve never had an appreciation for him or his talent and would have no problem if he were not around. But because Gays and Blacks do most of the spending, commercially, we might be perpetuating his longevity on screen(s), Big and Small.
Brian Parker
There is no apology for this. Tracy Morgan has empowered the gay bullying movement.
Jadedbycolor
You homos are something else. This is what the world has come to when a bunch of deviants has grouped together and make demands. What you should be demanding is that someone intervene and make you see that “How you are living is wrong.” Men laying naked with other men is not natural, yet you want normal individuals to be acceptant of your queer behavior. Look at the name of this website, you homos get off calling yourselves queer. Toffeestick: you should be ashamed of yourself as a black homo you’ve allowed the europeans to pervert your mind and sold out. As an African-American it disgusts me to see Black faggots, just as it does to Tracy Morgan. You fags think you control so much that he will be run out of show business. There are many more millions of us heterosexual normal individuals than there are you faggots, let’s not forget that fact. Your lobby has gotten stronger, but as Robert in NYC states Blacks aren’t buying that civil rights bullshit argument! What gives people the right to demand rights, just because they bugger each other sexually. Nobody knows you are homo until you divulge it or run around in pants with your butt cheeks out!!! You’ll never know what it’s like to be stopped for (Driving While Black)DWB, unless you’re a Black homo and if you are too bad, you get what your hand calls for…no pun intended. It gotten to a point here in America where people feel sorry for you faggots, that’s why you’re getting so much attention. Born that way…You sorry ass excuses for human beings should’ve kept your foul living selves in the closet…End of story!
Jimmy Fury
@Jadedbycolor: as opposed to buggering each other platonically?
Joking aside it makes me sad to see people who don’t understand what civil rights are. More so to see black folks who seem to think they invented and lay complete claim to the concept. It’s really a damn shame…
Jaroslaw
Jadedbycolor – WTF are you doing here if Queers are so offensive to you? 95% of TV, movies, internet sites cater to straights and yet you end up here? HMMMMMM.
Butt
I love Tina Fey why is everyone acting like she should take responsibility for this like what the fuck just because she’s his boss doesn’t mean she should have to take responsibility for it.