You know, E! Online should choose its headlines a little more carefully. Or maybe they did it on purpose, heh.The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network is ticked that The Simpsons annual "Treehouse of Horror" special had a line from Nelson Muntz that they consider a gay slur. Muntz said "that's so gay" towards Milhouse in a scene in the episode this past weekend. A spokesman for the group says that Muntz should visit thinkb4youspeak.com, a site that asks people not to use the word gay in a negative way. I guess that will be a Very Special Episode of The Simpsons.
The funny thing is this is not even the first time that the show has used the line "that's so gay." I think I remember it being used by one of Nelson's buddies when he was dating Lisa several seasons ago. I think the line was something like "You have a girlfriend? That's so gay!"
So, is this a slur or are people just overreacting at a joke, being too PC?
Seven greatest hand cannons in TV history
TV Squad previews NBC's new shows (part 1)
TV 101: How ESPN controls the world and what the other networks can learn from it
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
11-05-2008 @ 3:16PM
Midnight13 said...
It could just be "The Simpsons" way of a double-meaning joke. I think in the past few seasons they've implied Milhouse is a homosexual character. They many never blantantly ever come out and say that a 10 year old boy is gay, but they have suggested that perhaps the adult Milhouse will be gay. I think the gay rights group should consider "The Simpsons" history with being quite supportive of homosexuals, where they have a handful of characters to have either come out as gay (like Marge's sister) or they have "suggested" were gay, one of which is Milhouse.
Reply
11-06-2008 @ 3:11PM
Dan said...
Not only that, but one of the all-time classic episodes had Homer with a Gay assistant played by Harvey Firestein. And another amazing episode when Homer thought Bart was gay because John (played by John Waters) seemed to be influencing his kid.
All this PC BS is so gay. There, I said it. My closest friend is a gay guy and he understands the difference between saying something is gay, which is far too common for my generation to stop, and using it as a way to insult gay people. If you really want to insult gay people, you use the word F@g.
11-05-2008 @ 3:37PM
Henry said...
You have to remember, it's a character. And it is perfectly in Nelson's character so say something insensitive such as that. The issue becomes whether or not the show supports this conduct as 'good' or 'acceptable'. However, since Nelson is characterized as a jerk and stupid, it would seem clear to me that the show does not support this behavior as 'good' or 'acceptable.'
Reply
11-05-2008 @ 4:16PM
andy said...
this kind of thing bothers the pee out of me. So tired of activist groups analyzing ever last thing for something to be offensive. I'm offended that they are offended.
Reply
11-05-2008 @ 5:38PM
eugene said...
I'm offended at that phrase, "bothers the pee out of me". As the parent of an infant currently dealing with the struggles of potty training your comment strikes me as callous towards his daily struggles to learn how to control his bladder.
Shame on you!
11-05-2008 @ 4:25PM
Ari said...
And what if Nelson had said about something "That's so black" or "That's just like a Jew" ? Would people have taken that as simply funny or appropriate to his character? How does the fact that it's about gay people make it less offensive?
Anytime the name of a group of people is singled out as a synonym for negative attributes, then reasonable and caring people have a duty to point out that such singling out is small-minded and dangerous.
Reply
11-05-2008 @ 11:54PM
D-Bo said...
South Park rails on everyone...
11-06-2008 @ 11:07AM
carrespondent said...
Context is everything. There's nothing admirable about the character that makes the comment something to want to agree with or follow. It pokes fun at the speaker, not the term "gay."
Also...it was a throwaway line in a comedy show that -- gasp -- offends people sometimes. What the hell are thin-skinned busybody prudes doing watching "The Simpsons" anyway?
11-05-2008 @ 4:46PM
TvLover said...
You know, it wasn't _that_ long ago that gay meant happy....I hate when the english language is pre-empted for peoples own devices...
How about them apples?
Reply
11-05-2008 @ 5:24PM
wader said...
TvLover... those day have past and the word has been pre-empted. English is a changing dynamic language and the word gay has taken on new meaning (just like a million other words). That doesn't make it any less offensive.
If Milhouse was a real 10 year old that kind of language could destroy him. There's a reason why queer youth have the highest suicide rates.
Reply
11-06-2008 @ 12:53PM
Eddie said...
Maybe it has something to do with the fact that it's not a lifestyle that is conducive to spiritual satisfaction.
11-06-2008 @ 1:25PM
Rocketboy said...
Wow, just like how 'Gay' does not specifically mean 'Homosexual' huh??
Thanks for making your own argument null.
11-05-2008 @ 5:32PM
Jimmy said...
I hadn't watched The Simpsons in years, but I tuned in last weekend to see the Mad Men parody. The show is shockingly not funny and no longer relevant -- a far cry from what to used to be.
Reply
11-06-2008 @ 3:11PM
Dan said...
That couldn't be more true. I haven't watched it with enjoyment in almost a decade now. It ceased being good in the late 90s and became unwatchable around 2001.
11-05-2008 @ 6:04PM
Phil said...
I'll make mention of this: I was leaving a supermarket one evening and as I got out the door a father and his young teenage daughter were coming up to the door. The father turned to the daughter and said, "Grab one of those baskets, sweetie." Her response: "No, that's gay!"
The word "gay" is shifting again as it did from it's original meaning to be happy or carefree until well into the 20th century even though as early as 1637 it had the connotation of sexual deviations. See Wikipedia.
Wikepedia also points out: In the UK, this connotation, among younger generations of speakers had a non-sexual derisive meaning equivalent to rubbish or stupid (as in "That's so gay.") This I believe we find happening here. How many times has Kyle, Stan or Cartman said "That's gay, dude." Meaning stupid or ridiculous--not actually "gay." What? So you never heard of word having multiple meanings?
In that case I will refer to the expert on the use of words, George Carlin. His response would probably be it's a word! That's all it is. And my continuation of that is nobody OWNS the meaning of words!
Reply
11-06-2008 @ 11:04AM
ORKMommy said...
I used to say "That's so gay" all the time and I meant exactly what Phil said "non-sexual derisive meaning equivalent to rubbish or stupid (as in "That's so gay.")". It no different from the word "fag" being used in the UK for a cigarette. Any word can be taken as a negative if used in a certain context or with a certain attitude.
Whatever happened to the childhood song "Sticks & stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me"?
11-06-2008 @ 7:11PM
Rocketboy said...
Heck, even the BBC ruled recently that the word 'gay' has moved away from any sort of sexual meaning when used in a slang setting.
11-05-2008 @ 6:57PM
StillBash said...
I generated a page impression. You happy now?
Reply
11-05-2008 @ 6:57PM
jordancda said...
I am offended...at E!'s programming.
Reply
11-05-2008 @ 6:58PM
r.r.r. said...
it's wrong when someone is saying "that's so gay" in a negative way. i don't go around saying "that's so straight" to my GLBT peeps when they are doing something i don't approve of. it's immature.
i don't think the simpsons crew was trying to be malicious or mean. but this has come up recently with hillary duff and wanda sykes doing PSA's regarding this issue at the web site thinkb4youspeak.com. it would be great if folks would be pro active on this issue. :)
but only in a perfect world though right? blug. :P
Reply