With the Real World: New Orleans having closed up shop, we thought reality TV might be without a homophobe for some time to come. But then there was Shannon Elkins (a dude, btw) on Survivor: Nicaragua, indicating that he would bravely fill that role. And during last night’s episode he lived up to expectations. (Spoilers ahead.)
If you aren’t watching the show you won’t care much about the intra-tribal feuds going on, but let’s just say Shannon managed at tribal council to run his mouth, piss everyone off, and out teammate Sash — who, for what it’s worth, insists he’s a big heterosexual and major bachelor in NYC, a place that is “full of a bunch of a gay people,” insists Shannon, a Louisiana native.
Looks like the strategy didn’t work too well for our dear Shannon. And now reality TV is without a homophobe again. Pisses me off!
Soupy
I hope that he’s not planning on visiting New York soon.
What bothers me is that nobody called him out on being homophobic. Surely someone there has a family member or friend that is gay. When will people recognize that a homophobic comment is just as unacceptable as a racist comment?
RomanHans
Soupy, nobody called him out on being an idiot either. I think they were just so dumbfounded by a tidal wave of stupidity they were temporarily speechless.
scott ny'er
how is this being homophobic? surely, him asking if the other dude is gay is random but he didn’t say something derogatory about gays. I don’t see the evidence of Shannon being a homophobe.
do i suspect that he is a homophobe? yep. but you can’t accuse someone with faulty evidence.
Mike
@scott ny’er:
Read this pre-game commentary from Shannon for more evidence that he’s a homophobe
http://ca.eonline.com/photos/gallery.jsp?galleryUUID=2364#84700
Soupy
I see your point Scott, but let’s be honest, it’s all in the tone. When someone asks “are you gay” like it’s an accusation, it’s the same as a redneck asking “are you an immigrant?”. The inference is there, if not the specific language.
Ryan
@scott ny’er:
Imagine this:
“Dude, you black?”
Why?
“Cause your eating chicken from Compton and a lot of black people are from Compton and eat Chicken.”
It was the manner, tone and disgust in his voice that the people around him obviously found disrespectful. He was stereotyping the Palin-esque ‘real america’ vs ‘the metrosexuals of new york’…
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
[img]http://www.midseasonreplacements.com/wp/wp-content/imgs/Judson-Fabio-Birza_300.jpg[/img]
As long as they didn’t vote Jud out screw the homophobe……..
Baxter
This is probably the stupidest Survivor cast ever. I feel like I’m watching Big Brother.
afrolito
One has to be stupider than Shannon, to not recognize is obvious homophobia.
If Shannon were black, and made the exact same comments, this thread would be 200+ comments.
scott ny'er
@Soupy: I hear you. And I forgot about the NY comment.
I just think as others on the board have noticed that “homophobia” is throw away way too easily. If there was a gay guy/gal on the show and Shannon was all I don’t to be near him, don’t touch me, don’t speak to me, it’s catching. That’s homophobia.
What Shannon did was more idiotic. If I was on the panel, I’d be, “Are you an idiot? What the hell does that have to do with anything? And if he is so what?”
To make an inference and then cast an accusation on inference. Well, let’s just say thank god the courts don’t work that way.
whatever
@afrolito: yup .”cute” (allegedly, anyway) white guy gets a pass.
i thought the guy he was gay baiting was black, but apparently he’s just really tan.
and is “business owner” the new underemployed server/actor in this economy?
afrolito
@whatever:
Actually Sash is half black.
whatever
@afrolito: Noted. Shannon responded on another forum and this is what he wrote. Quite the gentleman and scholar, this one.
“Most of u tht r calling me ignorant r fucking idiots not to undestand how an edit works and I didn’t just ask him out of the blue if he was gay!!! Watch it again! It was clearly chopped u dumb fucks!! Too bad y’all r too stupid to realize it!! I posted and post on here to fuck around and talk about survivor! I don’t give a fuck if any of u like me!! So get over tht shit. I neverbashed gays!! While ur gay person on the show lied about being gay he also is and was a fuckin racist!! But let’s over look tht shit!! I say I want an all guy deal this fucktard says he wants all minority!! If I said I wanted an all white alliance people wud burn shit n my front yard!! But this guy I called out for lying the whole show will now get praise at my expense!! Y’all have some fucked up ways for thinking! Guess I should have sat there and let them vote me out and walk out with my tail between my legs like a sash I mean a pussy!! Then guess wht sucksters!!!!???? U wud be discussing a crazy bitch hurrying some fucking shoes!!! Woooowwww soooooooooo entertaining!! It’s called entertainment bitches!!! Ratings!!!! So I will thank myself for sacking up and calling those kids out! Otherwise just a boring ass show and a boring ass 2nd boot! At least now ya have something to talk about.”
http://survivorsucks.com/sreply/6498091/t/SHANNON-Robbed-Betrayed-ARE-YOU-GAY-.html
Soupy
Okay, he’s not homophobic, he’s just an idiot. Can we please convict him of that? And send him to idiot prison where his idiot ass will be popular?
Ergob2
While I am not defending what the guy said, surely you people must realize that the network edits, rips apart, and stitches back together these shows. What you see and hear is maybe 50% of what really happened. Realty shows are not very realistic. Are you people that dumb?
Soupy
yes. Mindlessly so. Please don’t shit on my reality.
Lane
I think that Shannon said what he because he is a homophobe that was pissed he was going to get kicked off and he felt that Sash was gay and was not being honest about it which is Sash’s right not to be open if he does not want to. I think that reason that the other people did not say anything was they thought or knew that Sash was gay and it would not matter to say anything if Sash was going to say he was not gay anyway
Kieran
You’d be screwed up and homophobic too if you had to grow up in Louisiana with the name ‘Shannon’. Why didn’t his parents just call him Marybeth for crying out loud.
damon459
Oh come on Kieran I grew up in Montana and my name is Jacques do you know how many time I get called Jackie? it never once bothered me.
Pip
I love the other guys reaction though. “I’m 100 percent!” haha.
Gary B.
Shannon is so in the closet. I totally had sex with back in 2008.
Ok, not really, but man, what a tool that guy is! He was actually either safe in tribal council going in or he would have been tied with Brenda in votes. His verbal diarrhea killed him.
In terms of people not calling him out for being homophobic, I don’t think that was even necessary. You saw people’s reactions and even the host repeating “New York is full of gay people?” was enough. His idiocy and homophobia was incredibly obvious. Good for the rest of them for giving him the boot!
ousslander
BOth guys were cute until Shannon turned into a idiot homophobe and Sash let his racism fly.
James Breaux
I do not believe Shannon is a homophobe. He just wanted to insult Sash and found an easy way to get under his skin.
BTW, I know at least 6 guys name “Shannon” in Louisiana; I live in the same city as Shannon Elkins. It is a very common name for a boy. Then again, I do have a nephew named Ashley.