The insufferable Roland Martin, who’s been filling in for Campbell Brown’s “No Bias, No Bull” hour while she’s on pregnancy leave, appreciates Miss California’s honesty and decries our “dancing around” the issue of whether we support same-sex marriage. Uh huh.
To Martin, it’s not about Carrie Prejean’s position, but that we’re criticizing her for exercising her right to free speech. Or rather, her right to misinformed free speech, as gay men and women, despite Ms. Prejean’s assertions, do not have the right to choose to get married or not. And proving he’s ENTIRELY OUT OF TOUCH — beyond his terrifyingly ignorant blog post — Martin says the question about same-sex marriage was valid, but “Frankly, for Miss USA or Miss California, I don’t think America is sitting at home saying, ‘Ya know, I really want to know what the beauty pageant person thinks about various social issues.’ I don’t think they’re actually doing that. I don’t look to leadership on public policy issues issues from a beauty pageant [contestant].” Hmmm … last time we checked, beauty pageant contestants are often asked about various social issues.
Oh, did we mention Mr. Martin celebrates his eighth wedding anniversary to his wife this week? Yes, Mr. Martin has the privilege — sorry, the right — to marry the person he loves.
Chitown Kev
Yeah, Signorile should have pointed out that we don’t look to beauty pageant contestants for their opinions on the bailout but the question was asked. And that’s a hot button issue as well.
Roland Martin is full of shit.
Justin Allen
Ronald martin Makes me sick
Andy
I realize that Anderson Cooper is continuing to maintain the illusion that he’s an impartial newsman, especially after getting criticized for pulling out the gay veteran to ask a question about don’t ask don’t tell at one of the Republican debates, but it would be great if for once he put someone like Roland Martin in their place.
Grow some balls, Anderson.
BrianZ
Roland is a prick. Why anyone would need such an inordinately large head for such a tiny, narrow mind is completely beyond me.
However, I do agree with him on the honesty point. (God forbid I agree with Roland Martin.) Don’t be a fake ray of sunshine up my ass, just speak your mind and be real about it.
That said, if you put your “honest” ass out there, you run the risk of hanging a target on your chest. And don’t cry when people take a few shots.
rogue dandelion
@Andy: just once, i wish anderson would slap roland martin for saying something stupid. I almost have to change the channel when he goes on about gay marriage.
Lee
Come on, Mr. Cooper, time to do another heart on your Hugo Boss sleeve show about how awful it is that little kids are killing themselves because being called gay is so painful to them. Also known as “The Effect of Having So Few Gay Role Models.”
AC 360 – – Anderson Cooper an inexcusable coward five nights a week.
ChristopherM
Roland Martin is the most intellectually lightweight commentator CNN has, and always looks like a complete jackass next to the likes of John King, Donna Brazile, and David Gergen. If they aren’t going to fire him, they should stick him with Alex Castellanos’ dumb ass every night so they can bray like donkeys without saying a thing of substance.
Paul
I have e-mailed CNN on various occassions telling them they need to drop Roland. Why? Because he’s dumb. I don’t mean that I disagree with him; I’m smart; therefore, he’s dumb. I mean he’s just… dumb.
The man’s blogs read like a fifth grade social studies essay. It’s painful to listen to him speak.
Let’s get this jackass off the air. I’d listen to an intelligent, thoughtful conservative before I’d listen to the muddled mind of this deficient creature.
paulied
Where would this asshole’s admiration for this girl’s honesty have been if she had espoused some racist sentiment. The fact that some bigotry is more prevalent in mainstream society should not make it any more palatable.
adam
Where are you people with your outrage on the recent Shep Smith and Sam Champion posts? What about criticism of their closets? What about their refusal to provide proud out role models in the media? What about the many other closeted gays in TV news? What about their cowardliness hiding in their closet and hiding behind Anderson Cooper who weirdly gets the entire load of criticism.
Sam Champion as a weather man doesn’t need to retain journalistic neutrality. Shep Smith is on FOX News where no one sticks to neutrality and he’s known for spouting off with angry opinions. If you want people in TV news who would become political spokemen and take sides and yell opinions they are obviously better candidates.
Anderson Cooper is never going to be a political spokesman or activist whether he comes out or not. He was even carefully avoided giving any personal opinions when he was an emotional mess and grilling Mary Landrieu during Katrina.
The right wing tries to dismiss Anderson already for not being neutral and professionally competant because of his sexuality, and have been calling for him to be fired for his recent “filthy homosexual, insulting and left biased” tea bag joke. They are also trying to play the victim card very hard about the pageant thing as evidence mean homosexuals bully conservatives in an intolerant way, which would get more fuel if a proudly neutral CNN anchor furiously bawled out a gay marriage opposing colleague on air when he was supposed to be moderating the discussion. Signorile was doing a fine job anyway and Anderson couldn’t get a word in when he tried once Signorile really got going.
Lee
Cooper “proudly neutral” my flabby ass!
Your attempted defense of his indefensible cowardice is typical—change the subject, in this case to others who are closeted. The logical extension of that is to say, “Why condemn Dan White for killing Harvey Milk? Lee Harvey Oswald killed A PRESIDENT—why aren’t you talking about him?”
Others being closeted is no more a defense of him than he them.
One reason he gets more attention on this subject is because he gets more attention than your examples about EVERYTHING. His ubiquitous appearances have made him a celebrity institution, a megastar. When gay blogs wet themselves every time Smith and Champion so much as belch, we’ll criticize them as much, too.
The other reason is his hypocrisy. I don’t know what Shepard’s publicly said or if Champion’s even been asked. But Cooper has written and spoken extensively about his mother’s complicated life, his father’s premature death, his brother’s suicide…yet always goes to the “I don’t talk about my private life” bull when asked if he’s gay.
As the “Washington Blade” once wrote about several people (including Smith whom the author said had asked him out in a gay bar):
“The biggest sleeping asset in the fight for full gay equality lies in the shadows of the closet. When we live openly, we force those around us to reconsider their negative views of homosexuality. That’s when the stereotypes give way to understanding and real change occurs.
No Human Rights Campaign ad campaign in the “red states” can produce the impact of gays who live in those states actually coming out. How can we expect the construction worker making $20,000 a year to come out when the rich and pampered are still hiding in the closet? How will gays living in Peoria find the fortitude to live honest lives, when the gay denizens of New York and Hollywood won’t?
No one is asking Anderson Cooper to wear a pink triangle on the air or Jodie Foster to ride with the “Dykes on Bikes” contingent. Simply acknowledging the truth — whatever it is — would be enough.
We need role models and spokespeople to boost visibility, increase understanding and, most importantly, to inspire those living less privileged lives to come out and stand up to those who would deny us the right to marry, to adopt children and to go to work free from the prospect of legal discrimination.
Shame on the rich and famous closet cases who have let us down.”
Lance Rockland
“Shame on the rich and famous closet cases who have let us down.”
You mean, like Tom Cruise and John Travolta?
Dabq
While Martin is not the sharpest knife in the drawer on any topic, this is a lesson that I always say, there are millions of Martin’s and that dumb bleached blond non-beauty chick who need to be educated as to what gay rights are everyone’s right and the glbt community needs fresh new spokespeople who can get that message out instead of the same ones like last night or since this happened, too shrill and not effective.
ASs for Anderson Cooper, if he wants to keep his private life private, so be it, until he gay bashes, then all gloves are off, I for one have never subscribed to the if he isn’t married, he must be gay theory.
Mister C
First of ALL lets do not become a bunch of fucking RADICALS here. All Roland Martin said was this. She should have be honest and that she was. He’s not saying he agrees with her. He agrees that she should have been honest and I feel the same.
However, think about it. Was it really right of Perez Hilton to score her with a ZERO because of her stance on Gay Marriage???????
Some of this shit is getting out of control. And because someone doesn’t feel a certain way does NOT make them HOMPHOBIC!
Mister C
Excuse the typo I meant HOMOPHOBIC!
adam
@Lee:
Your attempted defense of his indefensible cowardice is typical—change the subject, in this case to others who are closeted. … Others being closeted is no more a defense of him than he them.
It’s not about some sort of defense that Anderson should stay in the closet. NO ONE should stay in the closet. Getting rabidly angry at Anderson for being glass closeted while everyone else gets a free pass is stupid and counter productive.
It is basic human psychology that if everyone in a group is doing the same negative thing and only one person gets called out and criticized for it all the time while the rest get nothing that one person is going to feel resentful and uncooperative. Especially if he is simply getting called out for superficial reasons – like he’s the only cute Vanderbilt in the group.
One reason he gets more attention on this subject is because he gets more attention than your examples about EVERYTHING. His ubiquitous appearances have made him a celebrity institution, a megastar. When gay blogs wet themselves every time Smith and Champion so much as belch, we’ll criticize them as much, too.
Shep and Sam are both rich and famous public personalities with well established careers who are on internationally broadcast news shows. Both of their shows get higher rating than Anderson’s show. Anderson does appearances to promote his projects, draws some public attention for his looks and birth, and is very famous to the gay community; but there are still a lot of people who don’t watch news or don’t watch CNN and aren’t familiar with him.
It’s not been a matter of Anderson Cooper getting more attacks and criticism. He gets all of it while all the other guys’ closets are totally ignored, forgotten and forgiven. That is bullshit. If the attackers actually cared about gay visibility in the media and were genuine in these “think about the children!” cries that would not be the case. There could be excuses for Anderson getting a bit more criticism and pressure, but there’s no explanation for it somehow being deserved or productive for him to get 99.99% of the criticism and pressure constantly. The others hardly even get outed because nobody can bother to toss in a mention of their closets while outing Andersion for the billionth time.
Gay blogs are more excited about Anderson Cooper than others like Shep and Sam for superficial reasons, not because he would actually make a better spokesman or he has a better platform. In fact he wouldn’t. He is an old school journalist who is strictly neutral about controversial issues and has made that a strong identifiable part of his appeal to his audience. Sam is not a news journalist and Shep is known for angry outbursts of opinion, so it would obviously fit them better. Shep and Sam’s shows also have higher ratings than Anderson’s show, and Shep would be showing his right wing fans someone they like is gay not just that fag they hate on the Communist News Network. People like Shep and Sam also are more relateable and less blue blood ivory tower.
Anderson is more glamorous, has more personal charm, and most of the community find him more likeable and attractive and would love to hear details of his love life. That’s not exactly his fault, and I don’t think it deserves being exclusively singled out for continual showers of anger.
The other reason is his hypocrisy. I don’t know what Shepard’s publicly said or if Champion’s even been asked. But Cooper has written and spoken extensively about his mother’s complicated life, his father’s premature death, his brother’s suicide…yet always goes to the “I don’t talk about my private life” bull when asked if he’s gay.
Anderson Cooper has discussed two family deaths and a tiny select bit about of his mother’s life that were all already well documented by the press, family biographers, and his mother in books she’d published. His book was mostly all about his professional life.
Shep and Sam are on the news and have been on for years. Of course Sam and Shep have also shared personal things about themselves and their backgrounds on air and in interviews, but they too have left out their sexuality. Sam has been on local news and now on a national morning show, where it is standard practice to chat about personal things. Never in an interview or on air has Sam acknowledged a partner or his sexuality. Neither has his lesbian colleague Robin Roberts, who talked publicly about the private matter of her breast cancer and received a lot of public attention about it but made no mention if she had a partner standing beside her during it or about her sexuality.
“The biggest sleeping asset in the fight for full gay equality lies in the shadows of the closet. When we live openly, we force those around us to reconsider their negative views of homosexuality. That’s when the stereotypes give way to understanding and real change occurs.
Exactly. We ALL need to live openly. We need to show we come in all shapes and sizes and we are people they know and like. We are not just the predictable pretty, immaculately groomed, white sons of fashion designers. We are also black like Don Lemon, Donna Brazile and Robin Roberts. We are Shep the good old guy you adore on your beloved right wing FOX. We are Sam the weather guy you watch when you have breakfast with your kids. We are countless others in your news and in your lives.
And gay kids will obviously benefit most from a mix of role models. There is a real need for out black gay role models. There is a need for role models who are regular people from regular backgrounds. It’s fun to talk about someone from a glamourous rich celebrity background, but how many kids are honestly going to be able to relate to getting dressed up by nanny for dinner parties on the estate with Truman Capote, Dorothy Parker and your very gay-positive artist parents? We need to call on EVERYONE to be role models so there is range not just one guy who had a rarified youth no one can identify with.
Lee
Adam, if I might interrupt your extended jacking off to your favortie picture of the silver dog er fox while again dishonestly trying to rationaizle both Cooper’s cowardice and your failed attempt to change the subject which, again, was Cooper because the thread was about an edition of HIS show, not closeted gay media figures generally.
Simply saying that Smith, Champion, and now Roberts [????], haven’t VOLUNTEERED what their sexuality may or may not be is, again, beside the point because Cooper has been asked if he’s gay and didn’t just refuse to answer but gave a bullshit excuse. He doesn’t even have the courage of the conviction of his cowardice. At least Ricky Martin says essentially that it shouldn’t matter.
Again, repeating your bull doesn’t make it true. Now he’s “strictly neutral”….sure, that Katrina diatribe was textbook neutrality. Your selective perception is as cluttered as your grammar. Neutrality is an absolute; one is either neutral or they are not, so can’t be, what, “partially neutral”? As is “all”; there’s no such thing as “mostly all.” And, “exclusively singled out” is redundant.
Permission to return to masturbating over your hollow hero.
alan brickman
she should have been asked about bi racial marriage too..
Nitesurf
Adam, bravo. Very well said and I completely agree with your comments.
adam
@Lee:
dishonestly trying to rationaizle both Cooper’s cowardice and your failed attempt to change the subject which, again, was Cooper because the thread was about an edition of HIS show, not closeted gay media figures generally.
I was responding to comments, which were already off the topic of the clip and into Anderson’s life choices and his responsibility bring strong opinion into his work. When people talk about what they think they should be able to expect or demand from one person in terms of professional choices and work conduct it is totally relevant what the state of things in their field is. In this case the state is a lot of closeted TV news professionals covering gay issues without demonstrating personal involvment and the same professional avoiding divulging their orientation and nobody giving a damn, challenging them on that decision, or making a fuss over it.
Simply saying that Smith, Champion, and now Roberts [????], haven’t VOLUNTEERED what their sexuality may or may not be is, again, beside the point because Cooper has been asked if he’s gay and didn’t just refuse to answer but gave a bullshit excuse. He doesn’t even have the courage of the conviction of his cowardice. At least Ricky Martin says essentially that it shouldn’t matter.
You were implying it was hypocritical to share part of your personal life with the public but not your sexuality. All of those TV news people do that.
I don’t accept the idea that if you successfully evade ever being specifically asked about your sexuality on the record you are somehow off the hook. That’s not a fair standard and it will result in everyone but Anderson Cooper getting to hide in their closets with no accountability. The gay press is all obsessed with Anderson because their readers want to read about him and would love to see him come out due to superficial qualities, so he’s going to be asked another million times while the others won’t be asked on the record at all. There’s no financial benefit to be gained by making the other ones uncomfortable or risking their rath, so it won’t get done publicly. I would be very surprised if they hadn’t been asked behind the scenes by publications like Out and the Advocate if they’d be willing to participate in stories.
Hell, the guy who wrote the scandal prompting article that implied Kevin Spacey was gay just wrote a totally ass kissing profile of Shep in Esquire Magazine and even HE didn’t ask Shep about all the gay rumors.
Again, repeating your bull doesn’t make it true. Now he’s “strictly neutral”….sure, that Katrina diatribe was textbook neutrality.
He was politically neutral in Katrina, he treated democrats and republicans the same. And that famous Katrina stand off with Landrieu was actually weirdly funny because he was so obviously upset and still so painfully polite and carefully avoiding personal opinion. Everything was “a lot of people here are upset” and “people are asking me this”, not “I’m upset” or “this is what I think about you”. If he didn’t break out of that in those crazy circumstances he’s not going to.
Lee
Adam, Adam, Adam. Didn’t your grandaddy ever tell you that this will grow hair or your palm or make you go blind?
gldndragon77
I know that when I first heard about this “controversy” and watched the clip of her giving the answer to the question, my first reaction wasn’t,
“Hey, she’s not aligned with my moral/religious beliefs, and therefore I must speak out against her for her utterly wrong opinion!”
No, my thoughts were, “Geez, this sounds an awful lot like that Jr Teen South Carolina or wherever she was from talking about the education of America, and ‘The Iraq’, and such as, and so forth.” She gave an answer that I didn’t quite agree with, and said it VERY BADLY.
Contrary to Roland Martin’s assertion, whether he thinks so or not, the idea of the Miss USA pageant, is supposed to be somewhat of a role model, so they are often asked questions on social issues and the like, THUS, being able to speak one’s mind and express her opinion on various topics is VERY VERY relevant when considering whether or not she should be chosen to be the Miss USA representative.
Ian
This is why I never ever ever watch CNN. Also they have that racist pig Lou Dobbs.
I always watch MSNBC instead. Go Keith, Rachel and now Ed!!!
Dave
The only problem I have w/Roland Martin is his words are sometimes hard to stand when he talks really fast. Other than that, he is a smart, articulate and likeable journalist.
Yea Roland!
HeteroDefenseLeague
You homosexual nazis are so hate filled, bigoted, narrow minded, intolerant, mean spirited, wrong headed, homosexist , heterophobic and Christian bashing.
ewe
pigs. That is what Miss California is. And Roland Martin sniffin her bony ass behind her. If straight people put down straight people for being straight, they would be laughed at. We need to dismiss these tarts.
ewe
NOT ALL DUMBS ARE BLONDE couldn’t be more appropriate.
Yikes!
@HeteroDefenseLeague: By espousing that kind of judgement, you just casted yourself in the very light that you suggested.
What exactly is a “Hetero Defense League” anyway? Seems like it might be trying to oppressed the civil rights of gay men and women and strip away the rights that every American is afforded. Your rights are my rights. But you seem to have the selfish audaciouness to assume that heteros are somehow superior and can only be allowed to share the same rights as you. Are you actually taught this kind of hatred? What a crock of hypocricy.
Hold your bigoted beliefs in mid air and watch how quickly you are put on par as someone who is fanatically dedicated to seek control over another. This is what a NAZI is–and you seem to be fitting into this category.
So much for showing that we are all equal as people in this world by stating your disdain for gays. Anonymity certainly has it’s benefits on this site, becuase if you were to state this in public you would certianly be showing that your a hatemonger there as well!
Ignorance is one thing, but surely evil is yet another. Thanks for showing your character.
HeteroDefenseLeague
Yikes = straw argument
monkey haterr
my weiner in hard
monkey haterr
i’ll stick my weiner on u and have jon morgan kiss u