One Tree Hill, the heavily AT&T sponsored (all the characters have AT&T phones, major plot points have been decided by text vote) CW teen drama went way homophobic on Monday, with James Van Der Beek’s character telling two of is friends that they were “acting like a bunch of homos sitting around in a park”, because, well, they were sitting around in a park. Two ways audiences could take this: First, they could assume that One Tree Hill thinks gays spend their hours cruising parks like its 1977 or, in context of Van Der Beek’s speech, you could assume that he was using ‘homo’ in the sense of someone who’s a weak loser. Unsurprisingly, we’re not cool with either. The sharp-eyed Queerty reader who brought this to our attention told us, “Maybe no one even watches the show anymore to notice. I just find it disgusting that in 2009 this is still acceptable to the producers of “One Tree Hill” as well as the CW.” Not to mention their advertisers. Scroll to about 9:02 in the clip to watch for yourself.
One Tree Hill Thinks ‘Homo’ is a Cool Insult
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Justin Allen
obviously they haven’t met the rich manhattan homos. lol
Nick
I stopped watching that in high school(almost four years since graduation). Had no idea it was still on.
David Hauslaib
Just like gays on television, homophobes shouldn’t be invisible either. BECAUSE THEY EXIST!
Let’s address it. The responsible thing to do would be, if you have homophobic characters on your show, to never glorify them. Make their standpoints unpopular with other characters. Don’t let the homophobia go unchecked in the plotline. Don’t make these characters, or at least their homophobia, sympathetic. A show geared at teens SHOULD be addressing these topics. (I don’t watch the show, so I’m not sure if Van Der Beek’s character is portrayed positively. Readers: Is he?)
Meanwhile, a show like HBO’s “Eastbound & Down,” which just wrapped its brief six-episode season on Sunday night, is filled with homophobia. The main character Kenny Powers (a down and out former pro baseball pitcher played by Danny McBride) is as big a bigot as they come. And while he’s partially celebrated, it’s also clear to audiences he’s a D-bag. A funny D-bag, but a D-bag nonetheless.
rogue dandelion
you’d hear much worse in any middle school, high school or frat house. basically this the tip of the iceberg-it is just the media reflecting the sewer of our culture.
James
The fact is there are people like this out there. In order to tell a realistic story line, not all of the characters are going to be politically correct or even likeable. If we rise up and demanded that everything be sterilized, what will be left to watch? Showcasing characters that are “bad” gives the general population reason to debate and justify what is acceptable behavior. I don’t watch this show and did not see this episode, but I have to wonder what the storyline is about and what this character’s developing arch is about. Perhaps he gets schooled in the end and we learn that people like this end up losing when it really counts. Personally, there are worse words that could have been used. I’m not that offended.
sal
toilet bowl showwwwwwwww
queercognition
Van Der Beek played a character in the movie “Rules of Attraction”, a womanizer pursued by Ian Somerhalder [the gay character]. They had a make out scene that was a dream of Somerhalder’s character. It was really, really hot…until I viewed both actors’ homophobic commentary on the DVD version. Disgusting…why would individuals as despicable and ignorant as these two be cast for such roles if they can’t fully understand what the intention of portrayals for their characters? Gross…
P.S. This show also used the band New Amsterdams on their soundtrack, coincidentally in the same season as this episode…whose drummer is a big homo!
fanboi
When I first head abot this, I thought he meant “Kevin Spacey and an unidentified muscle stud hanging out on a rock” sitting around in a park? Not that it makes it any better – but it at least makes the homophobic reference more current. But having listened to it they just substituted homos for winos. NOT COOL.
I don’t really watch this crap – but it seems as if Van Der Beek’s character is SUPPOSED to be a complete asshole? Is he?
Jason in WV
Does anyone over the age of 15 watch CW? And like others, I didn’t know this show was still on the air. Great to know shit like this is giving the younger generation homophobic ideals. Asshats!
rsquared
It’s at 9:18 on the clip….just so you don’t waste a second more on this poorly acted trash than necessary.
Brandon Davis
What really bothers me in this scene is that Austin Nichols, who has been rumored to be gay for years, is in the scene. Why didn’t he just demand that that line be taken out. I hope Austin Nichols and Jake Gyllenhaal are happy in their closet. I for one never believed that Jake Gyllenhall and Reese Witherspoon were a real couple. She seems to go for the bi guys.
sorryroger
James Van Der Beek is a closet case, too; it’s a not very well-kept secret that John Wesley Shipp was fired from “Dawson’s Creek” because he and JVDB refused to end their illicit affair.
Not a homo
I have several homosexual friends and I say “that’s homo” or “that’s gay” right in front of them. None of them are offended, and most of them say it as well. Get over it, it’s real and not meant to be offensive…why make something out of it?
The homosexual community turned the word Lesbian in to a homosexual specific thing, when in actuality, it’s a culture of people.
Lesbo (I believe) is the country or island and it’s people refer to themselves as Lesbians. All of them. Not the homosexual women, every person there according to the article I read.
Here’s a wikipedia regarding it’s location, didn’t read much of the notes so I’m not certain what else it says.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesbos_Island
The article was regarding how the Lesbian people battled that the term “Lesbian” be removed from the name of a homosexual rights group in a local country or something or another. They were angry that they couldn’t refer to themselves as people of Lesbo in their normal term Lesbian because the homosexual community turned it in to a different meaning. To make a long story short, they won the case and the rights group was forced by law to remove the term “Lesbian” from the title of their group name.
The term gyp refers to the gypsies and accusations that they as a people would rip you off any chance they got. (Ahh man, what a gyp) How many gypsies are still offended by it’s usage? Who in today’s society even knows that’s where the term came from?
The word “homo” isn’t specific to anything other than the genus of humans. Taken literally in script, the two in the park were being homos. They were being two humans in a park. Once again we’re taking a words slang meaning before it’s literal meaning (even though I know it was used in that sense).
I think the homosexual community needs to get over the political corrections, just like I think everyone else needs to get over it. No matter what you make change on TV, advertisements, or any other form of media…you won’t change how people really are…and others have said it best, worse happens in schools than this comment on a TV show. Hell, worse things are said in my own home, and I’m not homophobic.
And regarding Brandon Davis’ comment about Austin Nichols being gay…if he is gay, maybe he just wasn’t offended by it. If he is gay, it doesn’t mean he has to take offense to something the rest of the gay community takes offense to. That would be like saying “90% of homosexuals are pro abortion, the rest of you 10% need to be also”…I understand that’s extreme but you get my point.
Thomas
I wanted to comment on Jason in WV’s comment.
I watch the show and if you knew anything about it’s plot line, it’s not even directed at that age group anymore. I understand there are better shows, but the whole premise of the story now has followed the original viewers. Everyone is now in there 22+’s and after college, just like the original viewers. I was the same age they played when the show came on. I’m now 22 and out of college. A lot of the show is way over dramatic and too much drama for any one group of people to experience in a life time, but a lot of what they show has happened to me or people I know, and if not exactly a like…pretty close to real scenarios.
Just thought I’d correct the thought the show was directed at the high school age group, although I’m sure they still have a percentage of that audience.
James
@fanboi: Yes, he’s a total jack ass and if things go as the shows make them seem, Austin Nichols and James Van Der Beek are gone from the show.
Jeff Budther
@rogue dandelion: Amen, except I think homosexuals are also a part of that very sewer society you’re referring to…
Discrimination has been going on since the first time any two people weren’t identical…it’s never going to stop…why even get upset over it anymore?
joaquin shaween
i personally think gays are a speed bump for evolution and progression as a species…what species other than humans doesnt have the goal of procreation? how can you procreate if you refuse to be or arent attracted to the opposite sex and arent capable of reproducing by yourself.
i watched some special on aphids i think it was and the females can clone themselves…it also noted every female of every species would likely clone themselves as well but once guys are around its hard to get rid of them.
sometimes free will and thought make no sense, and people think we’re the smartest or alpha dog of the lands…