Equivalence Befalls Us Homos

[fj]

Ok, for the non pop-cult watchers, here is the recap:

Hospital show, 'Grey's Anatomy'.

There are tensions on the set. They seem to center around the working relationship between two actors: Isaiah Washington and Patrick Dempsey. relevant supporting cast here is third actor, T.R. Knight.

During a taping of a scene, Washington and Dempsey actually come to blows they are so pissed at each other. Washington has a tirade connected to this where, on the set, he identifies Knight as 'the (or that, I am not sure) faggot." Knight is around the corner and hears himself being discussed like that.

The incident is all over the gossip circles. Knight calls People Magazine and comes out because he knows the question whether he actually is will come up anyway.

Now, months later, there's a cast and crew interview session for the Golden Globes. Washington answers a question about the incident where he says that he never called Knight a faggot, using the word 'faggot' again.

And here's is where it gets interesting: gossip blogs, news outlets, TV Guide columnists are calling for Washington's head for using 'the f-word' again. Seriously, the 'f-word' is how I heard it described on Ryan Seacrest's radio show on Kiss FM thismorning, "rhymes with 'maggot'". Knight is going to be on Ellen Degeneres' talk show tonight discussing both incidents, and according to the transcript he is gushing over Ellen's courage coming out ten years ago, and Ellen talks about using hurtful words and playground taunts.

And I am looking at this and going, OMG, 'faggot' is the new 'nigger'! When the hell did that happen in popular culture, when was the critical mass accumulated to elevate faggot to that status? And what does it mean for us faggots? This is frickin progress like I cynically had not thought even on the radar five years ago, and here we are! The commenters can't even get themselves to say it!

And how are they going to distinguish one f-word from the other?

Comments

[geminigirl]

I've tivo-ed the Ellen show, so if you haven't seen it and can't grab the interview on the web, I'll burn it to a dvd for you

[dpnash.livejournal.com]

Also, I forget the woman's name, but the actress who plays Izzy got unusually frank with Access Hollywood reporters after Washington's repeat f-word Monday night. She said "he just shouldn't speak in public." She felt it was wrong to have used the word again, and that T.R. was her best friend and she would fight anyone who hurt his feelings. She seemed clearly, honestly upset by the whole thing, adding "I know I'll probably getting in big trouble for being so open about this."

In contrast, Washington in a subsequent interview with Access Hollywood came across as a lying ass, chanting "I did not say it, it did not happen, it did not happen" - because of course repeating a lie makes it true, right?

It's interesting that when Michael Richards used the "n-word" he immediately began apologizing for it and knew he'd screwed up. Washington doesn't seem to think he's done anything offensive. He's even making light of the whole thing, saying he and Patrick Dempsey "we sing Ebony & Ivory together every day."

I won't be surprised if those tremors Dr. Burke has been having start to get a lot worse soon...

[fj.livejournal.com]

Well, Richards started apologizing because the n-word has so clearly been accepted as a line. Now we see how the f-word is becoming one, maybe, and Washington is seeing it happen around him before he knew...

[geminigirl]

Katherine Heigl.

[chucknoblet.livejournal.com]

how shocking, and encouraging!

[ex-juandave.livejournal.com]

Yes it is!

[pyrzqxgl.livejournal.com]

And how are they going to distinguish one f-word from the other?

Arnold had some related recent comments.

[purejuice.livejournal.com]

i am depressed about homophobia in the gay black community, where a feminine man, and the trannies et al, are grossly marginalized, taunted, called crazy etc.

[purejuice.livejournal.com]

oh, and the f-word is the cornerstone of the abuse.

[gloeden.livejournal.com]

It's the same in all minority communities.
And by "minorities", I mean just about everybody.
And thus was I, The Misanthrope, born.

[purejuice.livejournal.com]

i like girls. i like everybody, actually, when i don't hate everybody. and i'm always horrified when other people don't.
xxx

[krimon.livejournal.com]

I dunno if that's a testament to the fact that it really is wrong to call a dude a faggot, or if it's just that American talk shows are running scared of arousing the FCC and alienating sponsors. One of the greatest American pastimes is the exercise of sanctimony.

[cornekopia.livejournal.com]

What's going to happen in England when someone wants a smoke?

What did Joe Jackson sing years ago?

"Don't call me a faggot, not unless you are a friend?"

[folk.livejournal.com]

I think we'll have to call them the "fag-word" and the "fuck-word". That way there'll be even less point in using either euphemism, because holy mother of God, if you're going to say "faggot" or "fuck" then just go ahead and say "faggot" or "fuck", for fuck's sake.

[vvalkyri.livejournal.com]

I followed a link from, um, someone (geminigirl?)and that just set me to laughing. I'm tempted toward metaquotes. Permission?

[folk.livejournal.com]

Sure!

[jpeace.livejournal.com]

F-rancophile?

Too RIGHT!

[misslam2u.livejournal.com]

'Faggot IS the new nigger.'
I said this about 6 months ago in the kitchen where I work and the homophoboic born again chef and the black senior employee both just launched, him telling me I was crazy (the homophobe), her agreeing with me (strong black woman, her not me, she's much stronger than I am).

If the religious right/fundies/rednecks can just keep homosexuals and lesbians from getting any kind of civil rights, keep them on the fringe, keep it like some dirty little secret, if they can just keep up this marginalization for a few more decades, we won't have to face one of the final frontiers of segregation, racism of a sort, or prejudice. And calling someone a faggot is a good way to attempt to make them feel like less, like something less than whole. JUST like calling someone a nigger.

Ahem. rant over.

[akira96.livejournal.com]

Maybe the word "faggot" is the new "N"-word, but nothing can the replace the sheer ignorance, stupidity and/or offensiveness of the latter.

[frstythesnowman.livejournal.com]

Wow.

Faggot comes from the burnings. When if you spilled your seed, (after the Black Death in Europe) you should be burned 'cause, as we all know, the world is going to end. (1/3 the population died off in 10 years. Think about the social shockwaves from that one--and you get the extreme reaction that lead to the word.)

So, to me, it is an extremely hate and panic-filled word.

I'm glad to see it go.

Here, teenagers call something 'gay' if they want to marginalize it. Go figure, here, gay is the new faggot. But up here, gays (and lesbians) can marry. Legally.

[riverafire.livejournal.com]

U.S adolescents also use "gay" as a pejorative.

[frstythesnowman.livejournal.com]

Here being Canada...though next week I'll be in LA for several days. Yay! Away from bitter cold and... snow.

[tamidon.livejournal.com]

son of a bitch, did we just get LJ spam?

[fj.livejournal.com]

Yes we did. Happens from time to time. I delete it.

[tamidon.livejournal.com]

I've never seem it before

[stealthpup.livejournal.com]

And how are they going to distinguish one f-word from the other?

"The 6-letter f-word."

(And then some wiseacre asks, "Fuckin'?")

Does this mean I can't call myself a Big Fag without being self-loathing?

[rsc.livejournal.com]

We can still use it, I think. (African Americans are allowed to say "nigger" among themselves, aren't they?)

Joseph Hansen actually nailed this a good many years ago in one of his David Brandstetter mysteries (Brandstetter is an openly-gay investigator for an insurance company). In conversation with a woman at a party he refers to himself (at least indirectly) as a "faggot", and when she follows suit (something like "you don't look like a faggot", or maybe it was something not quite so clueless), he smiles and says, "It's a word like 'nigger'. I get to say it, you don't."

[jss]

> (African Americans are allowed to say "nigger" among themselves, aren't they?)

As far as I know, yes.

[fj.livejournal.com]

It is actually pretty controversial, hinging on sub-group and spelling variant.

[vasilatos]

I would like a cigarette now, please.

[fj.livejournal.com]

Sure, as soon as you light one for me and you can watch me smoke.

[vasilatos]

Ew ick. That would be so wrong.

[shanynrose.livejournal.com]

You have to listen to the context. Seriously. My daughter would say "fuck" before "faggot" any day. The F word is a Big Taboo for the gay club kids. I think because among school kids it's *always* used as a slur. Alice says the boys who spoke up about it hate to be called "faggot." That's one of the club's first Big Talks of the Year - "Why We Don't Use That Word Here."
Queer is fine. The f word is not.

So are they doing themselves a disservice?

[fj.livejournal.com]

No, not at all. Creating their own standards for appropriate language around them is empowering, assertive, and in this case, almost a slam-dunk.

[garote]

Shit. I don't know if this is "progress" or not. I mean, on the one hand, at least people are talking about faggotry. On the other hand, people are talking about it like it's lit dynamite. HELLO PEOPLE. TEH DIK PLAY IS HARMLESS.