The mildly amusing Vince Vaughn is receiving flack for the (now edited) trailer advertising his next flick, The Dilemma. In the original trailer, Vaughn’s character makes a crack about electric cars being “gay.” Look, we can take a joke, but sometimes it’s just a little depressing when you’re sitting there in a movie theater and you’re gay and a famous celebrity on a giant screen equates lameness with being gay for comedic purposes and everyone around you laughs and it makes you feel like “Seriously? Is this STILL going on? Dick.” Am I right? Anyway, people complained and Vince released this statement:
“Let me add my voice of support to the people outraged by the bullying and persecution of people for their differences, whatever those differences may be. Comedy and joking about our differences breaks tension and brings us together. Drawing dividing lines over what we can and cannot joke about does exactly that; it divides us. Most importantly, where does it stop?”
I don’t know. Make funnier jokes? Your last good movie was Swingers.
– J. Harvey
To watch the newly cut trailer sans gay joke, follow the JUMP:
There are way too many other things to worry about than some people using “gay” in place of saying something is lame. I agree, lighten up. If being gay is your defining characteristic I can see how you’d be offended, but for others which it isn’t, who cares?
People really don’t think! Using this term makes it much more acceptable for gay bashing to happen. It does not break down boundaries but enforces ideals that mocking different individuals is fine!
The offensive part is that he’s telling us to lighten up about it. It’d be one thing if he himslf was gay, but a straight person telling me to lighten up about a gay joke is like me telling a black guy to lighten up about a racist joke, or me telling Vince Vaughn to lighten up about a fat joke.
OK for all you guys out there here is what you should know, the English language is always changing, words find new meanings and change over time. This has been happening for years. Now the word gay used to be associated with Happy. People sang it in songs, they used it in everyday life. Then sometime it also took on the meaning of homosexual. Now when this happened you didn’t see all the happy people make a big stink about how they are discriminating against us “happy” people. And now the word has also taken on the meaning of unpleasant, inconvenient, lame to name a few. It is all about the context of the sentence it is used in, and Vince has done nothing wrong. People who don’t like the fact that meanings of words change in the English language need to pick a new language.
Chase makes a good point,folks. When will an African-American/black/negro EVER think it acceptable for any other race to us the “N” word? Yet the “home-boys” call each other by it all the time. And gays to some extent call each other “fags” relentlessly, but most don’t like it when a hetero calls them by the same term. Language does change, and we have to accept it- but what doesn’t have to be acceptable is some of the gross errors in spelling and punctuation or word use that supposed “educated folks” use in many of these chats. and each time I bring it up I’m told to “grow up”. I’ve been around a few more years and a few more blocks than many of these men, and have managed to maintain the integrity of the language. sorry, putting the soapbox away. have a fun weekend. oh, and the missed capitalization was intentional.
I would totally have to agree with Eddie R and Chase T. Especially with the part of the word “gay” defining one’s characteristic. Gay is what I am, not who I am.
this is just hypocritical. it was okay for katy perry to sing ur so gay go and kill urself. which many teens have been doing lately. but not ok for vince to make a joke in a movie.
Don’t worry, I do understand that the English language changes constantly. However, I think the concern here is the association with the new word. Being gay and happy can be linked quite nicely to homosexuality but changing this to lame or crap just doesn’t make any sense!
Especially when the word gay is still used in the homosexual way! It’s not just a word being changed but a link between gay men and something undesirable.
On another note, I hate it when gay men refer to each other as fags. That is a major problem, we should never use insults to refer to ourselves. It’s sef degrading and allows other people to use those terms against us.
So… Let me get this straight (oops! Reference to heterosexuality!)… We are feeling bad because a joke was made about the WORD gay… Please say you are kidding. Why are people so thin skinned? Who cares? I hope to goodness none of you that are complaining ever told a Pollock joke, or a blonde joke.
Does that mean we are no longer allowed to JOKE? I agree: Lighten up. To be honest, I would laugh right along with the rest of the people in the theatre. It was meant as a JOKE. Look up the definition. I’m not going to take the time to do it for you since I already know what it means.
In the context Vaughn used it in, and in the context so many teens are using it in, gay, in the sexual orientation usage of the word = negative.
It’s just one more way in which society at large accepts and normalizes negative views of being gay, in that sense of the word.
As such, it should be pointed out for what it is – a form of verbal abuse.
And in terms of gay people calling each other fags, or even black people using the n word to each other, it’s my feeling that it’s a form of internalizing hatred and abuse. We can say it’s defusing the word, removing the hate from it, but I believe that using words like that within the community described perpetuates the boundaries of intolerance and disrespect that gave the word the negative connotation in the first place.
Us against them, even from inside the fence that defines us, is still us against them.
The trailer didnt appear to be a very funny anyway, perhaps they should have left the line in the movie. Lighten up people, besides there is no other way to describe it, it is gay!!!! LOL
Now that was a good joke for Vince, his last great movie was Swingers and that was in 1996, LOL.
please people its a joke in a movie. if its bad to use gay in a negative context then anderson and the rest should have said something with katy perry’s song. she sings much much worse in it
Bravo on your comeback J. Harvey. Brilliant! Bravo!
Vince Vaughn is divisive in himself– he makes the funny “un”funny.
It is definitely a bad idea to use the word gay as an insult. I especially cringe when girls call someone gay because they’ve internalized homophobia from being around guys. I’m also Jewish and I don’t like hearing people say they got “Jewed” instead of cheated. It’s the same thing. If you don’t consider yourself gay and you’re not Jewish let me ask you a question:
When a black person is on time or does something correctly and someone says “that’s very white of you,” does that make you feel uncomfortable? Using it in a friendly or casual way just masks the hate speech that it is.
You big-city kids may not be able to relate to this but I work in a very redneck state and I hear “Jewed” and “faggot” all the time when people think they are safe and can speak freely.
I agree with Chase T, lighten up people, there are so many other things to get serious about.
that trailer was exceptionally unfunny
It is verbal abuse towards gays. However, in this particular context it really isnt offensive where this should get the media attention its getting. It really isnt that big a deal.. I would get offended if someone said “faggot” rather then someone saying “thats so gay” Lighten up people!
Hollywood indirectly or directly supports and enforces alot of discrimination, bigotry and prejudice. The majority in that industry are not morally responsible and tend to try and find a silver lining to cover up their ignorance. Though I understand joking around is part of entertainment there is a huge bullying problem in all of society that needs to be addressed and maybe it is time they stop making ignorance and mockery seem COOL
Though it may not seem like a big deal to some. It is commendable that the media is finally starting to notice. Every thing they make an issue out of is important as they have let alot of significant issues rest. Any attention we can get to try and address the issue of homophobia or plain ignorance toward us is important. To many people have been abused and suffered in the past and I tend not to forget our forehomo’s who have battled and lost in the past. I claim these small instances of homosupportia as victory!
People need to lighten up or grow some thicker skin, both would be preferable. It’s a cheap, adolescent joke guys and to be honest it gave me a little laugh. Of course living in a rural part of a midwest state (Zan Wonder would probably think redneck), vote republican, own guns, and drive a 1 ton diesel pickup I should probably have my gay card revoked. That wasn’t insensitive or demeaning to the gay community was it?
Being gay means you like fucking guys. It’s a sexual orientation, not a lifestyle description. I don’t care what you vote or shoot or drive. What I care about is how you treat other people.
“Gay” is, in the grand scheme of human history, a realtively new word for same-sex attraction. Its use will probably pass, just like words used to describe us in the past, such as “invert” – let the heteros have it(“gay”), I say, and lets claim another word for our fabulousness and diversity! Oh, and thousands of people suffer every day in Dafur, Afghanistan and outback Australia – is this one instance of the negative use of “gay” really an issue – jeeez!
I agree, Peter. So many things that are so much more important! This is stupid.
And Zan, look up the definition of gay. Or… Here.. I did it for you: “happily excited : merry b : keenly alive and exuberant : having or inducing high spirits ” Nope.. Nothing about homosexuals. THAT is the true definition of the word “gay”.
“Hyper-sensitive” might be a new word to use for homosexuality.
Don’t have a clue how those letters turned orange….. lol Not intentional.
Gay being a synonym for shitty has gone on for far too long and I think that it was very important that the continuing use of gay as a pejorative be addressed. It directly affects the esteem of members of the community because it’s a continuing reinforcement for gays (and non gays alike) that being gay is bad.
You don’t hear anyone in a movie trailer or on television saying, “Look at that broken down house. That’s so African-American.” or “Listen to that guy talk. That’s so Hispanic.” Of course, the use of African-American and Hispanic in these examples sounds silly because it doesn’t carry the same pejorative weight as “that’s so gay” does.
What if you changed it to “that’s so nigger” or “that’s so spick” since those terms have a very negative weight in our society? No-one should be upset because they’re just words, right? They have no power, right? Those communities should just shut up be OK with their use as pejorative terms, because it doesn’t change the fact that those persons come from African or Hispano ancestry, and it’s not meant in a bad way. Wrong. It is hurtful, those words do carry weight, and the reality is that if the person using those terms is from outside that primary group, that person would get their ass kicked.
If we as a community weren’t such pussies about confronting it, it would have stopped long ago. It needs to stop and we as a community have to stop placating others so much by saying or thinking, “oh that’s OK, you didn’t mean anything by it” when others say things are gay when they really aren’t.
This Vince Vaughn issue just carries no weight with me and I think I might just go and see the movie just because of all the controversy which BTW I find all the fuss 2 be ridiculous . I understand the need 2 bring attention 2 the issue of bullying but this movie should not be the rallying cry I do not find the line 2 be offensive ( this is my opinion I know I don’t speak 4 everyone ) but we should GET A GRIP !! After all laughter is not killing us HATRED is !!!
Thank you dogstar, for standing up for yourself and giving some great examples. To everyone who’s focusing on the definition of gay or that it’s just a word, it’s not the word that’s the problem. It’s the concept.
People are using YOUR sexual orientation as a synonym for something defective and insulting. The word could be “googly boogly.” The word is not the point. How deep in self-hatred are you that this doesn’t bother you?
And who is Katy Perry??
Self hatred? I can honestly say I do NOT hate myself. I love who I am and what I have become. It hasn’t been easy. I used to hate myself. Why? Because I let people’s words affect how I felt about myself. But I realized how stupid that was! I’m better than that!
We aren’t in grade school anymore. I just can’t see Vince sitting there, reading his lines/saying his lines, thinking “dang I hate homosexuals! I’m going to put them down with this line.” Not a fat chance!
We take ourselves WAY too seriously! And when we do that, we lead a miserable life.
I keep reading on this blog “Let people live what they want to”. I think that should apply to this as well. If it doesn’t, we are hypocritical at best.
Picture a black person getting coffee in a backwoods diner. They tell him “we don’t serve niggers here.”
If that black person was you, Todd, I picture you smiling to yourself and thinking “I’m so happy that I don’t let people’s words hurt me. Good thing I’m not in grade school anymore. I would NEVER take myself so seriously that something so silly as being called a nigger would offend me!”
That is not happiness, Todd. That is delusion. I think you still hate yourself but you’ve adopted this twisted rationalization as a defense mechanism.
Language is a form of power. I can see the perspective from which it’s not (intended to be) a big deal and I’m also willing to look at the fact that there aren’t any jokes being made equating “straight” with anything negative… I mean, let’s face it, most gay people I know have more intelligence, creativity, spirit, style and spark in their pinky fingers than most of the straight ones I’ve met have in their whole lives. So equating “gay” with “lame” (which btw is also politically incorrect, equating physical disability unconsciously with being ineffective, how do you think nonambulatory folks feel when they hear THAT?!?) is crap.
When I hear Vince Vaughn and Hollywood in general start poking fun at people of all sexualities in ways that are not passive-aggressive, inaccurate digs at them, I’ll bloody well “lighten up”. Laying down and ignoring this is like doing the same with regard to racial or mysogynist epithets–time to evolve, folks…
Ok. I’m not going to argue. It won’t serve to get us anywhere. I’m not delusional. I am happy. That is a fact. I don’t need Hollywood’s acceptance or anyone else’s to base my happiness on.
If it offends you, fine. I’m not going to lose any sleep over it.
Enjoy the convo.
remember when he was handsome, back in the day? i don’t think i care for him at full bloat, lay off the alcohol vince. bad lush!
Vince Vaughn is such an ugly fat ass tool bag
Yes, Zan, I see your point now. Clearly this one line from a movie trailer and blatent racism are exactly equal. Easy with the drama.
As for delusion and self hatred, I’m not seeing it. Based on your comments it seems you’re the one taking this way too seriously and blowing this out of proportion.
I do agree with the few posters here. To take a back seat and enjoy humiliation is like to allow the flu virus to spread to the whole town as long as it does not get to you. Regardless of what definition you get from dictionary, the usage of the word “GAY” in that scenario was not under reference to the dictionary: It was meant to be “lame, poor, under-classed, less than perfect, etc”. So if you in CONTENT to be publicly despised and still pretend that it was not meant for you, then it implies that there is a problem in the perception and interpretation of the logic in reference to the original statement; go ahead and protect his statement. But if you think you deserve an equal treatment as others, then you will comprehend the true meaning of the comment.
Think about all young people who will continue to be bullied just because another kid in school thinks that the phrase Vince said was acceptable and applies it to his fellow students. The statement may not have an effect to you (as a grown ass man) but it has very negative implications to the young kids (both straight and gay).
@Alex, really? Katy perry is telling gay people to go kill themselves? No. Taken out of context.
Apparently being gay is what defines a lot of you guys, using “gay” doesn’t affect me, and I think if you show that words don’t affect you people stop using them.
eddie
In her song ur so gay, she says ur so gay, go and hang yourself. anderson and the rest should have spoken up then. you can’t pick and choose when its wrong and then let much worse slide other times. this is why no one takes some gay activists seriously. just like peta, they let some celebs who attend their events wear real fur(do a search for peta hypocrites), while throwing paintballs on others who do. this is really a pointless celebrity battle, and anderson like peta is just looking for attention and or ratings.
In her song she was talking about a specific person, not gay people in general. Stop picking apart songs to make them fit into a theme. She obviously talking about a lame individual. Nothing to be offended by, and you apparently have something very wrong with you if you decide to kill yourself based on that song.
And the reason people don’t take gay activist seriously is because of the “gay lifestyle.” Men walking around naked and blowing guys in plain view on folsom street and bragging about how many sexual partners they’ve had doesn’t exactly help the cause.
too many drama queens on here. shame i cant find a video of it but heres a funny line from the simpsons when they visit the epcot center way back in 2003:
Electric Car: Hello. I’m an electric car. I can’t go very fast. Or very far. And if you drive me, people will think you’re gay.
Gay Animatronics: One of us! One of us
eddie r
She obviously used it as an insult. you are picking the song apart and trying to justify her, this is the same person whose mother declared gayness as an abomination (oh wait i guess her mother was only talking about a sector of the population) lol. my point is don’t do a peta and decide when you want to overreact and when you want to let things slide. anderson, j harvey etc aare overreacting. she mocks her straight boyfriend for acting gay and then tells him to go and hang himself. many of the kids in these bullying situations are mocked for acting gay. anderson chose to let that slide and now wants to get in a hissy fit over a joke in a movie.
@BlackJackHammer: Glad you said all this! Saved me from doing it. The word “gay” used to describe a happy, merry feeling. All of a sudden )or so it seems), it started being used to describe homosexuals who flamed and swished all over each other, now it’s being used as a synonym for all homosexuals. I really dislike that term just as I hate the use of “wop, spic, nigger, pollock, limey, etc”. But I think the more everyone screams and hollers about the use of the words, the more they will get used to irritate and demean us. Ignore them and they will go away just as the other ridiculous terms did.
Regardless, you won’t find me paying money to see a Vince Vaughn movie…hell, not even if YOU pay ME
You guys gave it to ToddM good but it is pointless. I have read too many of his posts in the past and he is quite delusional. He is also argumentative and outside the mainstream of gay culture. Very sad man. But happy!
Instead of being worried about a joke in a movie, why not worry how we treat ourselves. There is more hate going on in our own communities. Why not start there? Hell, why not start here with all of berating and rude comments.
LOL!!! I got under someone’s skin so bad they had to use my former screen name (tam) to try and get back at me!!! LOL That is so funny! “tam” stands for my initials! That is so funny! I love it that my opinion means so much to that person that said person went so far as to use my former screen name! LOL Oh. That really made my day!
I will say that it is sad that we are equatiing the word “gay”, a word the Homosexual community stole, with racism. Some of you have stepped to an all time low.
Yes, I’m happy! Lovin’ life! It’s too short to whine around all of the time when we really have it so good. We could live in Africa and be starving and dying of AIDS, or living in another country that kills homosexuals just for being one. My life is GREAT! I CHOOSE to enjoy it! Try it! You’ll find that life will get MUCH better!
You know how many gays I’ve heard use the word “hetero” or “straight” in similar derogatory ways? Bunch of drama queens…
Well said, Ric!
To the people who say they don’t care, that’s cos you are USED to taking abuse…
Imagine the uproar if someone said ” that car is sook nigger” or “that car is so paki”
IT IS THE SAME
Gay means good as you, equal, not rubbish. If you think this is no big deal you have self esteem issues
I remember when you stopped using tam. You swore you would never post again. Speaking of liars and assholes! Gotcha!
LOL A wise man changes his mind. A fool never does. Your “issue” with me makes me laugh. Seriously! Puts a smile on my face every time you reference me. To think that I matter so much to you that you continuously look for my posts to try and get a rise out of me is…. Laughable! Geez, man! Get a life! Or don’t actually! I LOVE it! I HONESTLY love it! LOL This is too funny!
hh999 I do not mean 2 amply that all use of the word gay is acceptable but however not every case ( use of the word ) should be deemed as a insult as N the case of Vince Vaughn . A many have on ( this blog ) have tried 2 associate the term gay with the word NIGGER they R not the same !!! as so many of U have stated gay at one time meant happy, uplifting before it became synonymous in defining one’s sexuality . Nigger however has never been a word 2 describe happiness or uplifting but rather hateful, insulting, and derogatory in it’s worst form . Granted the word gay has often been used as a negative NIGGER however is never positive . So reality check people they R not one N the same:( 🙁 🙁 !!!!