A Kiss Is Just A Kiss, Mr. Hannity…
February 26, 2009
The other night, Fox’s Sean Hannity had this to say about the Oscars:
“…they keep showing the scenes of men kissing. And I’m thinking do we have to expose our children to more and more sex, more and more violence, you know, more and more controversy?”
He continued:
“Listen, I’m just more sensitive. If it’s going to be a family event, you know, and you want to — you can’t watch a lot of programs now because of the adult content. We’re robbing these kids, Alicia, of their childhood. We’re over-sexualizing them at younger and younger ages.”
Though there were 14 straight kisses and just 3 gay kisses (all the same couple and all scenes from Milk, btw) aired during the Oscars, even kids know that a kiss is just a kiss.
Isn’t it time Sean Hannity figured that out too?
Full Transcript Below:
HANNITY: We continue now with our “Great American Panel.”
All right. The single most dull and boring and the self-righteous pat each other on the back, you know, actors and actresses. Here’s Sean Penn last night, the really big genius that he is. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN PENN, ACTOR: For those who saw the signs of hatred as our cars drove in tonight, and I think that it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren’s eyes if they continue that way of support. We’ve got to have equal rights for everyone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DIETL: All I can say is I wore my pink tie tonight in support of Mr. Penn. I don’t think so. This is not a political event. He’s a great actor. He’s got the Academy Award twice. But he’s sucking face with pineapple face and with Fidel. What reasons? You can’t be gay…
HANNITY: He’s talking about Hugo Chavez.
DIETL: Yes, you can’t be gay and live in Venezuela. You can’t be gay and live in Cuba. They have no human rights there, so Mr. Penn, why don’t you go over and tell them to give some human rights to people over there?
HANNITY: That’s a great point. Why doesn’t he do that?
MENENDEZ: He lives in America, he’s an American…
DIETL: He hates America. He hates America.
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: He hangs out with dictators. That’s Bo’s point.
MENENDEZ: That’s not what we’re talking about, though. We’re talking about the fact that, as I was driving in there who were — who were people flashing these messages of hate and…
HANNITY: Hang on one second. Hang on one second. Bo’s point is just the opposite. He’s hanging out with dictators where, if you’re gay, you’re going to be persecuted. And so he’s hypocritical.
DIETL: Right. Why are you sucking face with them for?
MENENDEZ: Right. To be honest, I do not know that that is what he’s doing, but in spite of that, I think the speech he made was eloquent and it was to the point.
HANNITY: All right, let me ask you.
EHRLICH: It’s all about politics, Sean. You know that. It’s all about politics.
MENENDEZ: It was a political film.
DIETL: Not too many votes, people who were viewing this.
EHRLICH: Sean’s point is, it’s just wildly inconsistent. He’s not consistent.
HANNITY: And let me ask — my wife said to me, and I wasn’t watching, because I was busy prepping for this show. But she said, you know, they keep showing the scenes of men kissing. And I’m thinking do we have to expose our children to more and more sex, more and more violence, you know, more and more controversy? Does that bother you at all?
EHRLICH: My kid’s asleep, but the point is, of course, it’s an agenda, and they don’t care. Look, these are adult subjects, but they’re not for my 9-year-old. This is not a discussion I need to have with my 9- year-old.
MENENDEZ: Do you get upset when you see heterosexual couples doing the same thing on TV?
DIETL: No, I don’t get upset when I see two people in love and kissing each other, but I get upset when a guy is sticking his tongue in another guy’s mouth. Maybe he wants that, but don’t bring that to my children at that age to show it’s an acceptable thing in daylight.
EHRLICH: And I agree. If it’s homosexual or heterosexual, I don’t want my 9-year-old…
DIETL: I’m not against lesbianics [SIC]. I’m not against gays.
HANNITY: What was that?
DIETL: Lesbianics [SIC]. I’m not against them, Sean. Whatever you want to suck on, that’s fine. But my point is — my point is, Sean, but don’t bring it in front of my children while they’re…
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: Listen, I’m just more sensitive. If it’s going to be a family event, you know, and you want to — you can’t watch a lot of programs now because of the adult content. We’re robbing these kids, Alicia, of their childhood. We’re over-sexualizing them at younger and younger ages. We’re teaching them how to put condoms on cucumbers and on bananas. And you know what? Why don’t we leave the kids alone a little bit? Have some consideration for them?
MENENDEZ: I have even bigger problems with the amount of violence we show on television.
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: Sex and violence.
MENENDEZ: If we’re talking about hypocrisy, then let’s talk about a different standard…
DIETL: Look at the movie that Woody Allen made. This one about Barcelona. He had two gals that went there. One was engaged to be married. The next thing, this guy Javay (ph) — he was up for the Academy Award. Javier. Javier. He’s there, he’s — taking this one, this one, that one. And this is the realm of people’s mind.
This woman was happily engaged. She made some — groping (ph) with him. Then all of the sudden the one that won the Academy Award, she’s in it. She’s jumping in. I mean, this is what Hollywood’s all about, showing people, don’t be true to your loved one. Bounce around.
And you want to know something? Kids get affected by this…
HANNITY: They do.
DIETL: … when they think no one can be sincere.
EHRLICH: And there’s a difference between cartoon violence, like it didn’t impact anybody, and real violence. I don’t want my 9-year-old seeing real adult violence either, and that’s the parents’ job. I’m just tired of Hollywood, their agenda. Unfortunately, the agenda are not fair (ph) today.
HANNITY: I don’t want lectures from Penn or Baldwin or any of these guys.
DIETL: He’s an actor. He’s a great actor.
MENENDEZ: It’s his moment. Let him have his moment.
HANNITY: He’s not that great of an actor. Denzel Washington is a great actor.
DIETL: He’s a friend of mine. I love him. He’s great.
HANNITY: Morgan Freeman is a great actor.
DIETL: He was with me on the — at the table for New Year’s Eve.
HANNITY: All right. We’ve got to run. Good to see you all. Thank you.
DIETL: Good man.
HANNITY: And coming up Obama says that he’s aiming to cut the deficit in half. Well, I guess that means that the tax cuts he promised for 95 percent of Americans are being left on the campaign trail, along with some of his other promises. Dick Morris next. He’ll break it all down, straight ahead.
Newsday Explores Hate Speech and Hate Violence
August 14, 2008
When a man walked into the Tennesse Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville and started shooting “because of its liberal teachings” on July 27, media coverage rightly focused on the tragedy, and also drew attention to the anti-gay sentiments held by the shooter, who murdered two church members and seriously wounded seven others.
Yesterday, Jenna Kern-Rugile at Newsday took the story one step further to ask if hate-speech-fueled media played any role in creating a climate where the violence inflicted upon the LGBT-friendly church was more likely to occur. The shooter was an avid consumer of shock jocks with a track record of virulently – and sometimes violent – anti-gay sentiments (Kern-Rugile lists Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly and Michael Savage). The article, however, makes a larger point about the cultural climate that tolerates virulently anti-gay rhetoric. Rory O’ Connor, an author of a study on shock jocks and hate speech, noted to Newsday: “Sure these guys hold some responsibility for what happened, but we all hold responsibility – particularly anyone who hasn’t stood up and spoken out against hate speech.”
The Newsday piece asks some interesting questions about the media’s role in creating an anti-gay climate, but it leaves many unanswered. As Kern-Rugile herself points out: “Crazy people can always find some inspiration for their actions, be it a book or a dog or a rock band.” No matter what the cause of the shooter’s actions, we encourage other media outlets to examine exactly how fair and accurate their own coverage of the LGBT community is. As more corporations recognize and are attuned to the needs of their LGBT employees – and consumers – they will have to become accountable for the content they put out.
Paul Karr is the Director of Media Field Strategy.
