Homophobia in a university newspaper, as well as other things!?

[DjinnFor]

How did it make me feel?

I honestly could not give a damn. The comic seems like a bad attempt at black comedy rather than actually homophobic.

 

[Dangit2019]

At first I was going to argue that he was entitled to his opinion, but then I read the comic and went straight into wtf mode. That crap wouldn't be allowed in the New Yorker, more less a school newspaper.

 

[Eccentric Lich]

You are hilariously easy to rile. When did I make fun of your sexuality? That'd be pretty damn hypocritical of me. No, it's not your fault that I didn't read your other post. It IS your fault that you started getting defensive over pretty much nothing and overreacted to the comic. Your reasoning for it being anything but a bad joke is laughable. It's like you've never listened to a comedian or even been on the internet before. I don't feel the need to be polite with you because, quite frankly, I don't have to be and you and people like you rub me the wrong way. Gays are never going to be accepted if people like you keep going around crying about everything being offensive or insensitive. That's just reinforcing the stereotype that we're whiny and girly.

By the way, crying to the mods and getting my post reported just because I used a single insult is pretty pathetic.

Once again you prove yourself completely incapable of reading my posts, or the thread properly.

And then feel like you can accurately and legitimately verbally (or rather by type) assault someone based on your own lack of comprehension.

That IS your fault.

As I said, I wasn't annoyed or offended at the comic per se. And I don't believe the cartoonists or editors deserve to be fired.
The comic was stupid, unfunny, and offensive and those involved did deserve some sort of censure but calling for their heads is a vast over reaction. The reason it didn't bother me much before is I put it down to a guy being a bit ignorant and having a bit of a stupid moment thinking he was being funny.
We have all had moments like that. I said this before.

What irritates me is the fact that not one of them put their hands up to it and accepted responsibility for what happened. They kept, and continue to keep, making excuses, justifications, and then assigning blame for it all.
And to me THAT is why they deserve to go.

And this post of yours also exemplifies why I reported you.

From your very first post you were launching very personal unwarranted attacks on me, because you took a dislike to my username because I publicly and openly say "hey im a gay gamer."

I'm proud of who I am, and while sometimes I don't express myself correctly, I always endeavour to be nice as much as possible.

"Freedom of speech" which is what you are claiming as your defense here for your attack on me - "I can say what I want!"
No you can't.

First, freedom of speech is not a blanket defense. It does not protect you from the consequences of your actions.
Your right to say what you want does not override my right to go about my life without being attacked.
Second, The Escapist forums are not a democracy. They have a very clearly list of rules about what is and what is not acceptable here. If you recieved a warning for your behaviour you have obviously broken those rules. And thats your own damn fault.

Clearly you saw my username and fot that it was an offense that I self identify as a gay gamer. Well you know what thats your problem. Not my fault if you want to be irrational and make prejudicial assumptions about me.

Also when you attack someone in the way you did to me, then naturally they are going to be defensive. That is kinda the point. Someone attacks you? You defend yourself. It's not rocket science buddy.
Your rude to someone? Chances are they are going to be rude right back.

I suggest that you stop and think about your next post, because at the rate you are going the mods are probably going to ban you very shortly if you keep your aggressive and rude behaviour up.

Based on your post, it doesn't sound like you even know what I called you out for which demonstrates a significantly lack of comprehension since I put it as bluntly as possible.

What I said about your username hardly constitutes an attack. I don't care that you're happy about being gay. I said that considering how easily offended you are at something that's clearly a joke and that you're advertising your sexuality to everyone made it seem to me like you're one of the many many people out there who seem to think that sexuality is everything.

I wasn't attacking you because of your username. I was singling you out because, as I mentioned before, I hate people who get offended at the drop of a hat. Especially when that person is gay because it makes our whole community look bad in an age where we're struggling for acceptance as it is. If people like you go around crying about gay jokes being offensive, other people can (and do) look at that as us demanding special treatment. We're not exempt from being made fun of. No group is and no group should be. You're proving me right by going on about "Oh poor me, I should be free from being viciously attacked by this mean man on the internet who hates me." Stop pretending that you're a victim. Didn't you just say that freedom of speech doesn't protect from consequences of that speech? Well the consequence of you whining and arguing with me is that I'm going to argue back and make fun of you.

You can't go on about a comic being offensive and complain that the people who printed it aren't taking responsibility and then say that you weren't offended. Which is it? Those two things are not compatible. The writers shouldn't have to own up to it because it just isn't a big deal at all.

I never went on about how I can say what I want because of free speech and where are you getting all of this about Escapist not being a democracy? I never said anything like that. I can say what I want because you can't stop me. You don't have the right or the power. Even if I did break the rules when I called you that name, it's childish to go and report me for something that simple. It's not like it's even a personal insult (since I assume you are in fact a human and not a living bag of douche). It's the equivalent of a little kid crying to his mum because someone called him a poopyhead. If you can't handle a single insult, I humbly suggest that you log off and never return to the dark hive of villainy that is the internet before someone calls you something far worse.

 

[FitScotGaymer]

You clearly dont want to actually read what I am saying, so I am not going to engage with you anymore Eccentric Lich.

Have a good one.

 

[Calibanbutcher]

You clearly dont want to actually read what I am saying, so I am not going to engage with you anymore Eccentric Lich.

Have a good one.

TO be hones, I did not think of you as a gay gamer at first.

I just thought you were horrible at spelling.

Ba-dum Tshhhhh.

In all honesty, I don't get the Fit Scot part, but the "Gaymer" is quite funny.
As in it's a good pun.


And back on topic:
Getting worked up about a cartoon strip perceived as insensitive.
Where have we seen that before?
Not too long ago?
With someone being depicted whose image is usually prohibited by very strict rules?
Anyone?

 

[Eccentric Lich]

You clearly dont want to actually read what I am saying, so I am not going to engage with you anymore Eccentric Lich.

Have a good one.

I did read it and I responded. You're clearly out of arguments.

 

[newfoundsky]

The whole "freedom of speech" thing is a fallacious arguement.

Your Right to Freedom of Speech does not override my Right to Live Free from Harrassment and Prejudice.

Sorry guys n girls but it doesn't.

The way it works in the UK is you can say and do whatever the crap you like, as long as you aren't bothering or upsetting anyone else. The moment you do, bam, the law will drop on you like a ton of bricks.

I don't know if it's the same in the states tho...

EDIT:
Let me put it this way to the heteronormative nay says in the thread.

If that comic said something along the lines of...

"Son if you every bring home a black girlfriend I will shoot you dead..."
"Shoot her dead..."
"Roll you both up in the carpet, and bury you in the yard..."
"Oh! Well I guess that's what you would call a minstrel sandwich then..."
"HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHH!!"

What would your response be then?

Would you care?

Would you pass it off as a "bad" or "tasteless" joke that isn't "that big of a deal" and really the comic book artist is entitled to say it cos of "freedom of speech"?

Or would you say "thats racist!"?

Well, a couple things. First off, I liked the joke the way it was, stop doing that, please.

Also, this offended me, can you put me in contact with your local authorities?

I don't really understand why people should have to worry about offending someone. There is a difference between a joke that is meant to be offensive and one that is meant to poke fun, be sarcastic, or exchange an idea through the various means of our wonderful language. (Now with extra adjectives!)

Just because something "racist" is said, does not make it racist. Just as saying "Obama is SO totally a Muslim" is not idiotic, it's all depending on the context. Nothing is above humor or sarcasm. Not even me, and especially not everyone and everything else.

 

[nolongerhere]

Jesus, was there a joke somewhere? Is this guy's earliest memory of his mother trying to sacrifice him to The Great Horned One, because I'm pretty sure that that'll do that to your sense of humour. As to whether he should be fired, the obvious answer is yes. You shouldn't hire a man as a cartoonist if he can tell the difference between a cartoon and hangover diarrhea.

 

[Sexy Devil]

The father is clearly a satirical character (and the punchline was actually kinda funny), there's no reason to apologise for it. I feel like the kinds of people who would get offended by this are the kinds of people to who you'd need to explain that the writers of Arrested Development aren't actually racist. And that Lucille Bluth's racism is meant to be a satirical representation of some of the antiquated stances people have on immigrants in the USA.

 

[Moderated]

It could be funny if they reworded it, maybe.
But in it's current state, it isn't funny.
Also the art sucks.

 

[IvoryOasis]

Mehhh, the idea of free speech is really cool in theory... but then you look at what it actually does and suddenly the reality of it hits (TONS of suffering and bigotry and supporting the continued subjugation of entire swaths of the population....)

We need anti-hate speech laws like they have in Canada (and last I checked, they haven't turned into some crazed dictatorship with things like that on the books).

When a countries politician (our leaders) can get up and shout that homosexuality is evil and calls for the deaths of those who are gay (according to the bible).... uhhh, something is kind of wrong. That kind of stuff causes a LOTTTTT of suffering (go look up the LGBT statistics on homelessness and abuse )

 

[IMTrick]

So, first off, I'm a big ol' homo and I don't know what to think about the strip. And that's really the whole problem with it. If it had been over-the-top Archie Bunker homophobic, it would be easier to brush off as satire. However, I think just the pun alone is enough to make it of questionable taste. Using a slur of any kind for your punchline is just flat-out uncool. Sure, it's not the most offensive slur out there, but using it at all was in extremely poor taste and probably grounds enough, even without the question of violence, to make it unsuitable for print.

That said...

"We need anti-hate speech laws like they have in Canada (and last I checked, they haven't turned into some crazed dictatorship with things like that on the books)."

Oh, hell no, please. The problem isn't so much with the concept, which is well-meaning, but with how it would be applied and who would be applying it. One of the most basic, fundamental rights in this country is freedom of speech. Allowing our government to start deciding what is and isn't OK to talk about just could not end well. Once the precedent is set that they're allowed to stifle speech that does not directly injure someone, a door has been opened that can't be closed again.

I find people like the Westboro Baptist Church, the KKK and others to be reprehensible, but I also firmly believe they have a right to express their beliefs. Why? Because the same right that allows them to do that also gives me the same freedom to express mine, and I fear the day that it becomes OK to shut me up just because my opinion doesn't fit neatly into someone's box.

 

[vonmanstein]

The comic was hilarious. People Can't take a joke.

 

[cobra_ky]

you know, setting aside the entire blatant homophobia issue, i'm disappointed by how many escapists actually found the joke itself funny.

seriously, the entire joke is that "fruit means produce but also it means a gay person". i've seen better puns on popsicle sticks, and they didn't need a whole comic to set it up.

 

[FitScotGaymer]

Like I said previously.

Dont think the guy deserved to be sacked.

The "joke" and it was a bit stupid and a bit offensive.

Not hugely offensive, or really really stupid. Just a bit.

For me I didnt really get annoyed until the paper started issuing denials, and then justifications, and then assigning blame rather than taking responsibility. Their "apologies" were insincere, and just showed that they didn't understand that they had done something a bit stupid.

If they had just said "sorry guys, we had been going for satire, and obviously got it wrong. it wont happen again." would people have gotten as up in arms about the whole thing?

Probably not.

 

[trophykiller]

Eh, they have as much right to say stupid stuff as I do to tell them how stupid it was.

Of course, I'm in highschool, so I've already heard this joke, along with many others that are much worse. I don't laugh at them, but I would die of exhaustion if I made a big deal out of every tasteless joke I hear.

 

[Campaigner]

HAHAHAHAAA

I think it's funny but then again, I'm normal and don't like gays and other strange things that are so common in todays politically correct world.
Good joke I wish they were common in newspapers.


Much more conserning though, is the witchhunts against those who joke about politically correct things. I mean, losing your job (as some people want them to do) for joking about something weird as homosexuals??