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“If a dude at your Super Bowl party is hyped about David Beckham’s H&M underwear ad, smack the ish out of him!” tweeted CNN’s Roland Martin during the Superbowl.
Shit, meet fan, because next thing you know, GLAAD is tweeting back, “ @rolandsmartin Advocates of gay bashing have no place at @CNN #SuperBowl #LGBT”
It’s not that Martin’s comments were homophobic because, from where I stand, they were more boneheaded than anything. To say that the Superbowl is about football and not about seeing David Beckham in skin tight undies is a point that most impassioned football fans would make. For them, it’s all about the Bud Light and the end zone, and I’m fine with that.
Even though I know that the scourge of homophobia still runs thick in the African-American community, I really don’t get that from Martin’s comments. Problem is, when a man tweets about how men shouldn’t be ogling over other men’s drawers during the Superbowl, he’s still tweeting about another man’s drawers during the Superbowl. And for a man who is a trusted CNN commentator, this sort of thing probably shouldn’t happen.
For the most part, I just feel that refraining from commenting on another man’s nakedness is probably a good idea. And I don’t feel, as do so many in the black community, that this is a nonissue, because professionalism is always at issue. It’s probably best for African-American men and women of stature to take the backyard barbecue one liners and yo’ mama jokes off Twitter.
Yvette Carnell is a former Capitol Hill and campaign staffer turned writer. She is currently an editor and contributor to Yourblackworld.
Muata Nowe
February 6, 2012 at 8:02 pm
Just a stupid comment/Tweet. And, Folk need to understand something: You don’t upset the Gay and Lesbian community and you definitely don’t upset the Jewish community…they will organize and do something about whatever made them upset. (So, unlike black Americans. We just complain…and we have NO POWER)
Anyway, Roland should know that!
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Fatimah
February 6, 2012 at 11:18 pm
I don’t think Mr. Martin meant to hurt the gay and lesbian community. I think when G-d starts Judgement Day Mr. Martin won’t be in that I could not please God line…….
ShawShakeRedemp
February 7, 2012 at 9:52 pm
I wanted to get at you for your comment and paused and said, “Smh, he said nothing wrong…truth just hurts!” #justablackmanwhowantedtocomplain..again!
DJIron
February 6, 2012 at 8:48 pm
Shouldn’t the Gay be watchin Cake Boss and Desperate Housewives reruns…Nice job Roland..Down wit da Gay Mafia…Free Gargamel!!
Gigi
February 6, 2012 at 9:04 pm
Roland Martin knows and understands media industry protocol, so it seems very odd to me that he would continue to say things that COULD be perceived as homophobic air or over twitter.
Even if he does not believe in homosexuality, he, being Black/African American has to know how it feels to have listen to people make hateful and insensitive statements about a particular group.
I personally did not see his statements as being homophobic when I read them, but considering that he is a media personality, it looks like he would be much more care of what he says (or tweets).
I’m sure he reads racist, negative, hateful, false and stereotyping information and racist jokes about Black people all the time. I’m sure that he reads plenty of information about Black people where it doesn’t quite cross the line into being racist, but is quite blurred.
So, why doesn’t he just cut his loses and stop making sexually insensitive or homophobic comments at all or any comments that could be perceived as such.
ShawShakeRedemp
February 7, 2012 at 9:59 pm
Seriously, loosen your tie; breathe; count to ten… okay listen…it’s not serious just because they say it is…can you say MAFIA?
David
February 6, 2012 at 9:40 pm
People in the public eye are suppose to be weary of their attitudes as not to upset anybody. I had to see that white boy myself on the front page of D.C.’s express paper cathing the metro train and who wants to see a tattoed skinny white boy representing underware umm? One of his shorts are not worth 15 dollars for any man,I fill my Fruit of the Looms better than that, then I am not that so called famous David.
Charli Jones
February 6, 2012 at 9:45 pm
Well who isn’t crossing the line these days ? Including disrespect for the President of the US. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
Becca
February 7, 2012 at 6:01 am
Mr. Martin did not intend to or did he insult the gay community.
Edward A. Smikle
February 7, 2012 at 2:04 pm
Is there an imaginary line somewhere in one personal opinion?. This is supposed to be a free country, he can say what he wants. He is not an elected official, and haven’t read that he is running for office. Sometime some of these people who are complaining seem to forget that they are just as prejudice as the people they are talking about. Black people have been the brunt of everybody for thousand of years, and still is, so shut to hell up and go wash your you know what.
Peppa
February 7, 2012 at 2:41 pm
I am all for Gay rights and have loads and loads of gay friends. They love me
. However every single one of them felt that GLAAD, overreacted big time. There was nothing homophobic or derogatory about his tweet.
He would have said the same thing if women were talking about a perfume ad during the super bowl. Sometimes there is a time to just let things go. If you complain about even the smallest comment, people wil see you as weak and whinny and not take the big more serious issues with any merit. besides, like I said I have loads of gay friends and they say inflammatory things about different types of people all the time. it is part of their wit. Mos of them are very quick witted and you would have a very hard time talking them down, because they have had so much practice over the years dealing with attacks verbally thrown at them that they are pros at it. Even the best comedians, would have a hard time trying to bring them down in a heated verbal session.
Peppa
February 7, 2012 at 3:10 pm
HOWEVER,
I will say this to a few of the people who posted on this story. You may feel that being gay is a choice…It Is Not, they are born gay. Just like we were born black. And you may think that to be gay is to be hell bound, but I hope you DO KOW ONE THING…
YOU WILL NOT GO TO HEAVEN SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU ARE HETEROSEXUAL.
So stop acting like you are safe from the pits of hell. You have to abide by his commandments in order to reach Heaven. And judging by the way most of you judge people who are gay, you will definitely miss heaven’s mark.
And I Thank You!
Joplin
February 7, 2012 at 10:04 pm
Well, Peppa, if that is the case and since you’ve brought religion into this discussion, perhaps gays have already missed heaven’s mark if one follows scripture.
If gays are born gay and there is argument on both sides for the origin of “gayness”, why are some people bisexual, pedophiles, serial killers (when they come from perfectly “normal” homes), sadomasochists, serial cheaters, bestialists and a host of other things currently considered abnormal or, at the very least, problematic for a decent and civilized culture?
My point is that the mere existence of something that occurs in human nature- even if it occurs in large numbers- does not automatically lends credence to that “something” if it may be unpalatable or is deleterious for the optimal continuation of human nature.
If everyone of childbearing age would turn gay tomorrow, where would our “future-future” generations come from?
You can slice this any way you want it. There must have been a reason that God made man with his appendage to fit in woman and woman with her receptacle to create life in his image. What gay male or female couple is able to have a child without some kind of assistance from a donor or medical intervention?
And, I am quite aware of the argument that infertile couples seek and receive medical intervention to have children. And, they should because they are still within the boundaries of the “mother/father” role God intended for children brought into his kingdom.
Is this what we want for our future? I believe that most heterosexual people don’t spend an awful lot of time messing in the business of gays. They are in our families, workplaces, out and about like the rest of us and we interact with them accordingly. What many of us object to is that we are labeled that god awful word, HOMOPHOBIC, if WE DO NOT ACCEPT THE GAY LIFESTYLE as if it is the last coming of Christ and we must bow down in obsequiousness or BE DAMNED if we do not conform!!!
I don’t know the intent of Roland Mark’s “joke.” But I don’t believe that it was a “homophobic” remark. I have heard worse. My question is when I read all of the “heterosexual-phobic” remarks made by gays, where is the proliferation of artices and public outcry?
The gays now seem to have CNN, Headline News and MSNBC, congress and in the President in their collective pockets. Every story, no matter how insignificant, seems to be covered with compassion and sympathy. Tell me: Are all gays saints and straights sinners?
It is incontrovertible that gays have contributed greatly to society, but, simultaneously, there are aspects of the lifestyle that have hurt us deeply such as the scourge of HIV/AIDS, the down-low phenomenon and the like.
Why are gays (particularly males) not held to task for the countless women that they have given a death sentence to or wreaked emotional havoc in the lives of those women and children? And, they cannot just blame oppression for LYING AND GIVING A DEATH SENTENCE OR YEARS OF HEALTH PROBLEMS TO UNSUSPECTING WOMEN AND CHILDREN!!!! At some point the individual has to be culpable for the choices he/she makes!!
So when you look at the other side of the “criticism coin”, you’ll see that it is equally as compelling and not always pretty!!
Thanks and take care.
Peppa
February 8, 2012 at 2:21 pm
Joplin,
That long winded rebuttal is meaningless to me, until you can ALSO point out all of the monstrocities that have been committed by straight people. It seems to me that of all the so-called Christians in this thread…DENISE is the one who i believe God would want telling his word.
And I Thank You!
Stanley
February 12, 2012 at 4:58 am
Very well said, Peppa. Getting so tired of holier-than-thou commentary from people who assume they have the inside track to Heaven. As you so aptly noted, their quickness to judge and demean others seems to indicate we won’t be seeing them behind the Pearly Gates. Thanx for bringing a little sanity into the discussion.
Peppa
February 13, 2012 at 1:43 pm
Stanley,
That is all I am trying to say. And I have NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO , idea what so ever what they mean when they CONSTANTLY say, that the gays are trying to shove their lifestyles onto the straight community. LOL LOL LOL. How in the world are they trying to do that. By being with whom they want to be with. By demanding the same rights. How is that showing their lifestyles on anyone. That is like saying that if you see a man and a woman kissing in public they are pushing their lifestyles off on the gay community. it is ridiculous. And for some reason it seems that people want to use religion to rebuttal gay people. But they use religion in the most mean evil spirited ways. Which is why when I listen to these people, I know that deep down inside they are not really religious. They just hate a certain group for personal reasons. it is so obvious when a person sincerely cares for someone’s soul and they fear that that person is heading towards hell and a person who is just down right rotten to the core and hates someone who is different than they are. Most of the men who I know say they have no problem with a man being gay, because it is less competition for them. That makes sense to me. A man who is worried about another man’s sexuality, to me is very suspect. A we all know why the few women who hate them do so.
SMH
Leroy Mayfield
February 7, 2012 at 11:24 pm
There is nothin’wrong with being homophobic. Homosexuality, during the most impressible years of my life, was taught to me as being wrong; both religious and secularly.
So after man deems it acceptable, I’m supposed to let go of my beliefs and accept it as well or be deemed a politically incorrect outcast? It ain’t that easy!!
It was wrong then and it is wrong now!
Black folks…stop doin’everything you see other folks do. Integratin wasn’t such a great thing afterall.
Peppa
February 8, 2012 at 2:06 pm
Leroy,
Noone is asking you to accept anything, just to MIND YOUR DAMN BUSINESS.
That’s all. Most of you men act like you want these guys as much as you are always so interested in what they do or say.
bernie
February 7, 2012 at 11:24 pm
It’s not the Black men and women out in the back yard eating barbecue who have the Yo Mama jokes on Twitter I believe that it was a White Senator who had those jokes about a Black woman who is the President of the U.S wife, Mrs. Obama which was totally out of line and disrespectful. However, I believe the purpose of H & M’s naked shorts commercial about David Beckham was meant to start a dialogue between individuals or they would not have paid $3.5 Mil to advertise during the SUPER BOWL. GLAAD needs to go somewhere and get glad about something and stop being paranoid. Now it’s time to put this little spat behind us and go on to something else.
Peppa
February 8, 2012 at 2:08 pm
Bernie,
I agree with you 100% as I said in my very first post, I do not think he was being homophobic and I do believe GLAAD overreacted. And so does most of my gay associates and friends.
alicia banks
February 8, 2012 at 4:45 am
yes he did.
does roland need a slap?
did he see this?
where is the joke???
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RneoQkwR-FU&list=FL2OFfSyqFMfqIPU_BexopXg&index=42&feature=plpp_video
Pamela
March 7, 2012 at 6:04 am
Let’s just cease the press… you guys are wasting too much time complaining about a single statement gone wild… use the same effort to save your community. Educated a child with as much information you have given have on a worthless issue that will be forgotten in a few days.
Peppa
March 7, 2012 at 10:16 pm
Pamela,
Slow your damn roll, nobody is talking about Uncle Tom, that was old news. We have moved well beyond that. If you have reading comprehension, you’d see that no one has mentioned that idiot in weeks. So get your panties out of that bunch and worry about your posts. Do not direct your stupid rants at any of us. You do not want to go down that road.And worry about your own community. That is what’s wrong with people these days, they worry about what others are doing instead of spending that time worrying about themselves. I am more than sure you have things to take care of on your front. So get to it.
Abdul r chatman
March 16, 2012 at 10:36 pm
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