Hello Everyone!
Recently, Kobe Bryant called a referee "faggot" in response to an offensive foul charged against him. Today, Bryant was fined $100,000 by the NBA for the anti-gay slur. This incident has sparked debate amongst people. One side believes that Bryant merely said the term out of anger and quick-temperedness in response to a heated game. On the other side, people are enraged that he would use an anti-gay slur so freely. I for one think that it is wrong for anyone to use an anti-gay, or any type of derogatory slur in anger, and the use of the slur just continues its negative existence.
In response to the incident, the Lakers released a public service announcement in which Bryant and other members of the Lakers admonish that "Words can be hurtful." The video is included below.
I'M SORRY BUT THIS VIDEO IS BULLSHIT!!!!! If you look at the video, it seems that it was just thrown together the last minute, and was probably the after thought of the Lakers' publicity team trying to create a message to soften the negative publicity. If you also look at the faces of the players and Bryant it doesn't seem that they are genuinely engaged in conveying the message that words are hurtful, but merely doing this PSA because they were forced to. To me it sends even more of a negative message that the Lakers and Bryant do not realize the severity of the situation or the severity of discriminatory terms such as "faggot." Once again, I think this is bullshit, and I think it shows the need for more to be done then just providing lip service that "words are hurtful." If the Lakers would really like to do something about this, then donate to GLADD, put out a quality message, make it known that you truly support ending discrimination and derogatory terms.
See the video, share your thoughts, what do you think, is this genuine, or just plain BULLSHIT.
Yours always,
The BGM
2 comments:
Hmm I don't know. Even gay men seem to use the term faggot in a derogatory manner against each other. I the impact of the term is more potent if in fact the ref was gay. But in the heat of a game with all that adrenaline and testostorone flowing, it's doubtful that any NBA or college player would say, "I say guy are you daft?"
Now if Kobe was in a restaurant and used the term against a waiter or fan, then it might merit more attention.
Fascinating, isn't it, that at this same moment an NBA exec with the Phoenix Suns has just come out, and a Villanova basketball star has also just come out? And Sean Avery, with the NY Rangers, is publicly supporting Gay marriage in NY state. Perhaps this is the tip of the iceberg and Bryant will find himself something of a minority.
Oh, that it might be so ...
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