Homophobia on the Radio

[Etoile]

I was really pissed off at what I heard on a local radio station Friday morning. Today I e-mailed the station manager:

Hello,

I am writing in reference to commentary I heard on Majic 102.3 on Friday morning, September 24th. Around 8:20am, your hosts made reference to Governor McGreevey's visit to an elementary school promoting New Jersey's new school lunch program. For the next several minutes, the two male hosts made extremely homophobic remarks, laughing at themselves the whole time. Adopting the voices of young children, they tossed out lines like "guv'ner, where's yer dress?!" and "my mama told me not to stand next to people like you!" These are just two of the comments I was able to remember, but there were many others made over a three or four minute period. The female host jumped in with a few comments of her own, but the two male hosts were the primary speakers, and they seemed to think this kind of behavior was acceptable.

Commentary like this is simply appalling. It perpetuates the homophobia that is common in portions of our society, and it is not acceptable coming from authority figures like radio disc jockeys and hosts. These comments displayed your hosts' ignorance, intolerance, and bigotry in a disgusting manner. I hope that you will counsel them that this is highly inappropriate behavior, and I hope they will never make such inflammatory comments again.

Sincerely,

I can't wait to hear what they have to say in response.

 

[deezire1900]

I am tired of being the one last joke. Everything else is off limits except GLBT.

Good for you, but I bet you will get zero response...they live in a bubble.

 

[Queersetti]

Most likely, they will say that it was just jokes and shouldn't be taken seriously. Of course, if the shoe was on the other foot, their would be a huge outcry about gays "flaunting" themselves or something.

Just as a sidebar, I have never understood why anyone would want to listen to guffawing loudmouths early in the morning.

 

[Etoile]

Most likely, they will say that it was just jokes and shouldn't be taken seriously. Of course, if the shoe was on the other foot, their would be a huge outcry about gays "flaunting" themselves or something.

Just as a sidebar, I have never understood why anyone would want to listen to guffawing loudmouths early in the morning.

They might claim that it was jokes, but it was very apparent to me that it was serious. (That is, the "humor" was deliberately hurtful and wildly inappropriate.) This was an "urban" radio station, with a predominantly African-American audience. I bet they wouldn't like racist jokes too much.

And yeah, I'm an NPR junkie myself!

 

[glamorilla]

they should lose thier jobs.

 

[College_geek]

One day this summer when I was at work, someone put on NPR and the hosts at the time happened to be Kerry bashing. Anyway, at one point, they ended up making homophobic jokes in connection. It pissed most of us off and we ended up turning it off. I'm all for free speech and all, but that was just too much. Whatever happened to class?

 

[wishbone96]

They might claim that it was jokes, but it was very apparent to me that it was serious. (That is, the "humor" was deliberately hurtful and wildly inappropriate.)

You think that's bad try hanging with the guys around the water cooler or at coffee breaks. Its vicious believe me.

 

[John Doe]

Did they break any FCC rules?

 

[Etoile]

One day this summer when I was at work, someone put on NPR and the hosts at the time happened to be Kerry bashing. Anyway, at one point, they ended up making homophobic jokes in connection. It pissed most of us off and we ended up turning it off. I'm all for free speech and all, but that was just too much. Whatever happened to class?

http://userpic.livejournal.com/17761457/215673
Are you serious?! NPR?! What time of day and day of week was this? I can't imagine anybody on NPR doing that. Especially not Kerry bashing; NPR is pretty liberal and lefty.

 

[Etoile]

they should lose thier jobs.

I agree completely. DJs have been fired for racial comments. (I seem to remember a local (DC area) DJ getting fired for saying singer Lauryn Hill should be dragged behind a truck.) But they'll never fire them for this, I'm afraid.

 

[Etoile]

Did they break any FCC rules?

Hmmm, that's an excellent question. I don't know the rules too well, but my father-in-law works for the FCC and maybe he can find out what kinds of hate speech are not permitted.

 

[College_geek]

http://userpic.livejournal.com/17761457/215673
Are you serious?! NPR?! What time of day and day of week was this? I can't imagine anybody on NPR doing that. Especially not Kerry bashing; NPR is pretty liberal and lefty.

I think it was NPR, that's what the girl said who turned it on. I forget what day it was...it was a weekday, not that that says much. I believe it was around 10 AM, but I believe it was definitely between 8:30 and noon.

 

[Etoile]

I think it was NPR, that's what the girl said who turned it on. I forget what day it was...it was a weekday, not that that says much. I believe it was around 10 AM, but I believe it was definitely between 8:30 and noon.

I can't imagine NPR doing something like that! Morning Edition and the Diane Rehm show are what usually air in those hours, and I just can't believe NPR would do that...

 

[College_geek]

I can't imagine NPR doing something like that! Morning Edition and the Diane Rehm show are what usually air in those hours, and I just can't believe NPR would do that...

It was a guy, that much I know. Maybe it was another morning talk radio, I'm not sure. I normally don't listen to it, and from the way you're talking, it sounds like it wasn't NPR. Either way...it pissed me off.

 

[CarelessWhisper]

Ironic how the govt has said *freedom of speech, freedom of religion, etc etc*.........until they disagree with it, then its *oh no, you cant do/say/believe that*....I just dont get it.

I guess some people hate what they dont understand.....and thats scary!!!!!!!

 

[College_geek]

Ironic how the govt has said *freedom of speech, freedom of religion, etc etc*.........until they disagree with it, then its *oh no, you cant do/say/believe that*....I just dont get it.

I guess some people hate what they dont understand.....and thats scary!!!!!!!

I have a hard time sometimes because my roomie/friend is a huge advocate of anti-censorship. I don't like censorship either, but I always think of situations where freedom of speech can lead to inappropriate comments, such as with homophobic comments on the radio. We have debates over it sometimes. She says it's not good, but they have the right to say it.

 

[CarelessWhisper]

Maybe that didnt come out right.......I never meant to say that what those guys said was right. I meant that *some* conservatives* are all for freedom of speech, freedom of religion etc, if thats what THEY believe. But the minute someone or a group of people they dont agree with does something thats *out of their norm*, they think that gives them the right to be hateful and say hateful things. *Oh gawd, am I making sense, or do I need to take the other foot out of my mouth now??*


I just dont think anyone should make fun of any group just because you dont understand them or what they stand for. Plus, and I know I may piss some people off by saying this, but I also dont believe in the *hate crime law*. Who the hell commits a crime against someone because they like them???? EVERY crime should be hate related........JMHO.

 

[John Doe]

Hmmm, that's an excellent question. I don't know the rules too well, but my father-in-law works for the FCC and maybe he can find out what kinds of hate speech are not permitted.

That's not why I asked.

If they didn't do anything actually illegal, then about the only recourse is what you did, send a letter.

I agree with college_geek's roommate on this. Censorship is a slippery slope.

And I agree with Whisper on hate crime legislation. I believe crime (particularly violent crime) shows disrespect for society in general.

 

[Etoile]

Still haven't heard back, by the way. I'll give them a week and then send the letter again. If they still don't respond, I'll contact the local gay newspaper.

 

[Pookie]

The best way to go after people like that is not to censor them, but hit them where it hurts ... their wallets. How? Contact the station and let them know how you feel about the homophobic statements/jokes. But also let them know you and your friends/family will contact their advertisers about organizing a boycott of their product(s) if they continue advertising with the station, if the station doesn't cease.

Let the station know that they have a right to say what they want, but that there are consequences to everything. Then they can decide if the jokes are really worth it.

 

[Regis2001]

See, this is why I love living in England. Nobody makes comments like that on the BBC!

It's wierd, how different the opinions of the media are to the rest of society. Newspapers like The Sun and The Daily Mail (spit) are well-known for being anti-gay (the Sun once ran a headline about Britain being run by the 'Gay Mafia') but opinion polls consistently show that most people don't care about gay people at all. I mean, they have no opinions about us. It's wierd.

It seems like the right-wing media (or those bits of the media that are right-wing, I should say) have to remind people to be outraged every so often about something or other. It's their raison d'etre.

Have a nice day!

 

[deezire1900]

Britain being run by the 'Gay Mafia')

That would be so cool in the USA, that way if people didn't behave we could off (kill) them and bury them under a parking lot somewhere....

Ok so this is the teenager in me speaking....back to the real world.

 

[Netzach]

We're not talking about "free speech." We're talking about paid speech.

Free speech allows people to call in to talk of the nation, as an example, and say whatever they happen to believe. Free speech allows me to start a newspaper, make this posting, or get on a soapbox on the corner and say the president fornicates with antelopes if I feel like it.

Free speech does not allow me to say whatever moronic bigoted thing I might happen to think at work without any possibility of being fired. Nor should it allow a DJ to say any moronic thing at HIS job and not give rise to any reason to fire him.

 

[Etoile]

The best way to go after people like that is not to censor them, but hit them where it hurts ... their wallets. How? Contact the station and let them know how you feel about the homophobic statements/jokes. But also let them know you and your friends/family will contact their advertisers about organizing a boycott of their product(s) if they continue advertising with the station, if the station doesn't cease.

Let the station know that they have a right to say what they want, but that there are consequences to everything. Then they can decide if the jokes are really worth it.

I'm still hoping to hear back from them, but if I don't I'll be taking it to my local gay paper. I'm definitely planning to follow up. Unfortunately I don't know who the advertisers are, because I don't actually listen to the station! I just happened to catch them at the right/wrong time.

 

[69forever]

The best way to go after people like that is not to censor them, but hit them where it hurts ... their wallets. How? Contact the station and let them know how you feel about the homophobic statements/jokes. But also let them know you and your friends/family will contact their advertisers about organizing a boycott of their product(s) if they continue advertising with the station, if the station doesn't cease.

Let the station know that they have a right to say what they want, but that there are consequences to everything. Then they can decide if the jokes are really worth it.

I agree with Pookie in letting it be known your wallet is going to follow your political, social and moral beliefs for peoples freedom of choice.

It's a lot like what happened here this spring that just outraged me....
https://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=247751