Contrary to what the name might suggest, Blake Shelton is not a character in a Danielle Steel novel. He is in fact a country music singer, hailing from the part of the country that makes you go, “oh, I know a few people who grew up there before they moved out.”
He is also a hilarious comedian who engages in observational humor about those who really deserve to be taken down a peg: women, gays, and foreigners. Ho ho, at last, it’s about time someone told a joke about them!
“Standing in line at a coffee shop in LA talking with the man in front of me. He orders a skinny caramel latte. I couldn’t tell he was gay!!!” Blake tweeted at one point. He also said that gays must love Skittles, because rainbows or something? And then he had another joke about how his bartender slipped him a date rape drug and now he thinks he’s cute. That’s so funny.
Here’s a fun thought experiment: what if, Blake Shelton, you did not tweet something about gays until you found a few and asked them if there was anything offensive about what you were saying? Or how about nothing about date rape until you found a few women and asked them if they like when men say funny things on the topic?
How about we take this to the next level?
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At any rate, now he’s issued an apology, or at least what he thinks is an apology. Or maybe it’s just another joke?
“Everyone knows comedy has been a major part of my career,” he begins. This is not entirely true: not everyone knows that. Many of us do not even know what a Blake Shelton is, and assumed it was the name of a champion racing pony.
“Can my humor at times be inappropriate and immature? Yes. Hateful? Never,” he goes on. Yeah okay fine. Nobody said you were hateful, just annoying. Maybe try apologizing for that.
Below, a sampling of Blake’s comedy stylings:
#Throwback to some of @BlakeShelton ‘s homophobic tweets poking fun at and insulting gay men. pic.twitter.com/pOPKFscqnH
— THE MUSIC TEA (@MusicFactsTea) August 13, 2016
Here are Some more extremely homophobic tweets by @BlakeShelton . He’s disgusting. pic.twitter.com/Qo8UwXQfqF
— THE MUSIC TEA (@MusicFactsTea) August 13, 2016
#blakesheltonisoverparty Y I K E S pic.twitter.com/dRrrSF2k5n
— rhea the scammer (@rhea_xcx) August 13, 2016
And here’s the apology:
— Blake Shelton (@blakeshelton) August 17, 2016
JamesG76
Not that bad. It’s obvious he’s joking. Some of it in poor taste, some of it juvenile, but it’s hard to take what he’s saying too seriously.
Juanjo
@JamesG76: Sorry dude but no. F#g jokes, like jokes about n%%%%r5s, c****s, K777s, and others are not appropriate for public conversation. Neither for that matter are fart jokes once you are older than age 7.
This is not a matter of political correctness as the purveyors and apologists of this nonsense claim it is. It is matter of simple decorum, the type of behavior a mature adult displays in public.
Mr.Tim
Oh for fucks sake. His “homophobic” jokes are just pokes. Actually I chuckled at a couple of them. We have become so thin skinned. As far as decorum is concerned… pull my finger.
Mr-DJ
I agree with James – Not that bad. Yes, indecorous – but Blake is not a Homophobe. And he did not use the term f#g (as Juanjo does in his comment.)If you’ve seen him regularly on The Voice, you’d know he is comfortable enough with his own manhood to quite often speak of how good looking other guys are.
If there’s a case to be made at all, it should not be limited to Gays, but in general as he ‘joked’ about several minorities/groups.
So not saying it was OK, but just defending him – that he is not the “bad guy”. There are plenty of REALLY bad guys, so don’t even give him reason to join them. Be happy that he is actually a friend.
rand503
Boy, country music singers are so stupid they are all thumbs — it’s why they can text so quickly!
Country music singers are so inbred, they can sing bass AND soprano!
That twang you hear in the voices of country music singers is the jew’s harp they swallowed!
Oh, don’t take offense! Sure, I’m sometimes immature an inappropriate, but these are just jokes, guys!
DDstar1me
I’d respect him more if he had just owned up to his sh*t. Look, I don’t need everyone to like me or what I stand for. Not all of us are soft and pink. I have a back bone. I can take it.
I can’t understand why the hell everyone is so offended by everything. When people are allowed to speak their truth. Then you will really see what’s in their hearts.
passingthru
Not funny. He can live his life; I have no respect for him.
Richpontone
Interesting. He has so much to say about Gay Men. He seems pre-occupied with us.
You can call it comedy, but I call it hate, or do you call beating a gay man, comedy?
It proves my point all along.
If you have so much to hate, you have so much to hide.
Bauhaus
Q: What’s the difference between a straight man and a vibrator?
A: The vibrator lasts more than 1 minute.
Q: How does a straight woman know she’s dreaming?
A: She orgasms in the dream.
Q: Why are homophobic jokes typically so short?
A: Because nothing a straight man does ever lasts for more than 5 seconds.
Sansacro
Stockholm syndrom for too many self-hating gays here. These jokes are seething with hostility toward gays, women and foreigners and the fact that he publicly broadcasts them adds to the aggression. The dude just doesn’t want to own it, nor does he want to address his own homoerotic feelings (i.e., his repeatedly “flirting” and sexual comments directed toward Adam Levine on The Voice).
As Charles Blow notes, folks (usually bigoted white str8 ones) who think that every ugly thought or “joke” warrants expression claim the PC card when they have to be held accountable for their words.
The irony is that I like the guy but he needs to take some responsibility.
cdndmf
As I now assume about anyone not already out-of-the-closet who can’t seem to stop talking about ‘gay’: Blake is a closet-case.
TimberWolf
Everyone likes a good joke, I am sure Blake Shelton would not appreciate being labeled Archie Bunker comedian of the year. His ” jokes” were not funny but insulting comments
If he feels he is a comedian, then save the homo jokes for the stage and see if a live audience finds his homo jokes funny. Shelton tweeting something that he thinks is funny only insinuates his homophobic nature. Tweetering comments while in line for coffee is not comedy. tweeter messaging does not make a comment a joke, instead it turns it into an insult. Shelton is no funnier if his tweeter comments if they were racial or religion based. Wise up and drink your coffee dude you are not funny
NateOcean
Once should only expect a “half apology” from such a half-talented half-ass.
Bryguyf69
Isn’t he dating Gwen Stefani, a minor gay icon? That would imply that she’s gay-friendly. Then again, the fact that her ex-husband, Gavin Rossdale, dated crossdressing singer, Marilyn (who is male), may have soured her to the gays. But that appears not to be the case, as the below Out article indicates. Gwen needs to set Blake straight (no pun intended!) on life outside Country Music.
Gwen Stefani Drops A New Album, Nods to Her Gay Besties
http://www.out.com/music/2016/3/25/gwen-stefani-drops-new-album-nods-her-gay-besties
Marilyn Says People Blame Him for Gwen and Gavin’s Split (with videos)
http://www.etonline.com/news/169487_gavin_rossdale_former_gay_lover_on_gwen_stefani_split_people_want_to_blame_me/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uljUDtv1Kw
batesmotel
I think he’s just a country hick simpleton who thinks he’s being cute. It wasn’t funny since comedy is supposed to make you laugh. I just read it unaffected, no laughs, not offended, just blank. The only thing shocking is that he’s supposedly a super nice guy and he’s with Gwen Stefani who has been a long running fan of the gays. She probably just needs to ‘straighten’ him out. He apologized. If he was truly anti-gay, he wouldn’t have bothered.
Bryguyf69
I found the ra.cist tweets MUCH more offensive than the gay ones, which I merely found juvenile. Although it may not have been his intention, the result was more insulting to himself and good ol’ country boys than gays. They basically reinforce the hick stereotype.
This reminds me of the well-intentioned but much-maligned duet by LL Cool J and Brad Paisley, Accidental Ra.cist. In it, the Country and Hip Hop singers express the difficulty in finding ra.cial harmony because they haven’t walked in each others shoes, and the burdens of paying for past sins. I personally liked the song but it was blasted for being simplistic and making light of slavery. Along those lines, I think Shelton meant no malice and was sincerely clueless. I take his apology at face value and hope that he extends it to ra.cism.
Wikipedia article
http://tinyurl.com/zvo6n23
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTzRJ3cpTTI
Bryguyf69
TEST. Freakin’ Queerty is rejecting my posts.
Bryguyf69
Here is an interview with both Brad Paisley and LL Cool J about their controversial song. I’ve always wondered how Paisley felt about LGBTs since he doesn’t seem particularly religious and he’s college-educated. She has admitted to treating him badly, not returning his affection without explaining why. As far as I know, Paisley has never commented.
Chely Wright tells Oprah she hopes Brad Paisley forgives her
http://theboot.com/chely-wright-oprah/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrrClRTc_fk
Bryguyf69
Here’s an interesting article on the new gay-friendly face of Country Music. Brad Paisley and Vince Gill are included, for their blasting of The Westboro Baptist Church. Also included is Aussie Keith Urban, who wept during the Grammy’s “Same Love” marriage ceremony, and megastar Carrie Underwood, who has openly supported gay rights.
http://www.hitfix.com/news/brad-paisley-and-countrys-expanding-view-of-traditional-american-vaues
Dave Downunder
Jokes? I think not. People who derive self worth by pointing out perceived faults in others generally have low self esteem or are compensating for something. I wonder how much d!ck this tool has had on the DL.
Roan
I’ll just leave this right here:
https://www.queerty.com/study-shows-homophobic-male-college-students-attracted-gay-imagery-20160814
desertboy
Blake Shelton has a long, established history of making homophobic comments. He says something cringe-worthy and then NBC tells him to apologize. The dance is tiresome and I don’t want anymore of it.
gayjim1969
Why do so many people–even gay men–give these guys a pass when making these jokes about gay men but not about race? “Oh, I was offended by his racial comments, but I thought some of the jokes about gays were funny.” What is that S–T all about? No, his “jokes” weren’t funny. They weren’t jokes, they were his beliefs about gay men. We need to stop cuddling the purveyors of intolerance and misinformation. He isn’t known for his comedy, nor his humility.
Mo Bro
Why does everyone feel the need to apologize when some thin-skinned violet feels bruised?
Ander
Tiresome, unfunny, and yes, homophobic.
It’s all very fine and well for this type of juvenile “humor” to roll off the backs of those of us who are long accustomed to this crap. It is quite another thing for some kid without years worth of armor who is struggling to come out.
Sluggo2007
I think he’s trying to be funny. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know how to.
Masc Pride
He’s “homophobic” because he doesn’t want guys trying to touch his behind? Under that logic, wouldn’t all heterosexual men be considered “homophobic” just because? Lighten up, guys.
Bauhaus
The person, content/context matters. I’ve heard many gay jokes from Kathy Griffin and comedians like her. Griffin’s gay humor is enjoyable to me because she is an LGBT advocate. The gay jokes she delivers during her routine come from love and her personal experiences with us, not from fear and insecurity.
Stilinski26
Not as bad as the English footballer here who’s old tweet resurfaced said gays must die
yikes373
@Bauhaus those were funny! I think you should send them to Shelton to tweet along with his other moronic tweets.
I like Blake. I don’t think he is homophobic in real life and I do think he needs some education. But I also don’t think he’s someone who should be the focus of our community right now. We have major issues and battles we can be exerting our creative strengths on. This is an election year, states are trying to ignore federal rulings in our favor, judges are non-compliant. Let’s focus on getting their lives in order (meaning we need to disrupt them peacefully until they agree to be fair and follow the law, not the prejudices).and vote!!! Make sure you’re registered to vote no and show up when it matters!
thank you for listening.