So...

[sheryden]

I've been following the recent controversy regarding Britt from Ghost Hunters and his recent firing from the show. The basic story is this: During a radio interview, he used the phrase "anti-gun pussy faggots." Scotty Roberts, the editor-in-chief of TAPS ParaMagazine has jumped to his defense, claiming that Britt's use of the word was "not

Comments

[anonymous]

I didn't vote in the poll, because I don't have a set judgment in my mind

[bymagajones]

I just made that huge comment, and then after I post it, I learn that it's been submitted anonymously. Sorry.

[sheryden]

Oh, that's okay. I unscreened it. I only screen anon comments, because I've had people get wankish on fandom posts before. :)

[fleurlb]

I do think people should be held accountable for their actions and speech, but am uncomfortable with the way the default reaction now to anything deemed offensive is to fire the person. (And often, as was the case with Shirley Sherrod, without investigating the full context.)

Getting apologies, using the occasions as teachable moments, and investigating why people feel free to use this kind of language and explaining why it's wrong are, I think, more constructive ways to deal with the issue. Then, if it happens again, by all means fire the person.

But I think when the default reaction is firing, it has the potential to stoke bitterness and resentment and that doesn't really help anyone or solve anything.

[sheryden]

I agree with this. I definitely think he needs to be held accountable for his actions, but resorting to the knee-jerk response of firing a person doesn't allow for the real problem to be sorted out. It shuts down the dialogue, and it tends to polarize people. I'm really disappointed in him, but I think he should be able to repair his mistake (which won't happen with just one apology).

[littledelusion]

I feel like automatically firing someone for a mistake makes our society look...I don't know the right word for it, but I feel like we're trying to stay as politically correct as we can and remove any blemishes we see and I'm not sure how comfortable I am with that.

On another note, isn't "fag" British slang for cigarettes?

[sheryden]

As someone who has a number of LGBT friends, I can't even begin to condone the use of the word "faggot." It is a defamatory slur and political correctness has very little to do with it. There have recently been a number of young people who have killed themselves due to hearing that word being thrown in their faces on a daily basis.

Do I think they should have fired him? I'm not sure. Should he have been censored for his actions. Yes.

[lmx_v3point3]

Fag is slang for cigarettes and also as a derogatory word for gay people in the UK. It's used more often than faggots generally. (Hence the term fag-hag, though that seems to be perceived as much less offensive)

[n7of9]

i voted yes, but i certainly don't think celebrities are role models (and did you actually mean censored, or censured?)

my issue with celebrities saying stupid shit like that is that they have a 'voice' louder than the average man and more people are likely to hear their words...public racial or sexual slurs only serve to perpetuate their use in our society - the less people hear them, the less people are likely to use them

'pussy faggot' can never be taken out of context, it means exactly what it sounds like it means...i also take issue with his apology for 'letting it slip out' - so in fact, the man doesn't apologise for his belief that being anti-gun must inevitably mean you are a fag, he doesn't actually understand that one doesn't equate to the other, he is simply sorry that he LET IT SLIP

[sheryden]

I don't know if you read the blog post to which I linked, but Ryan said pretty much what you said. Context or no context, there are consequences. But he just updated his blog and said that he and Britt have opened up a dialogue to discuss the issue.

Celebrities are role models whether we want to see them that way or not. There are a lot of people who look up to people like Britt.

(and did you actually mean censored, or censured?)

You know what? I made this post when I was pissed off. I would appreciate it if you wouldn't nitpick on my spelling.

[n7of9]

whoa, i'm sorry about that, i really really wasn't nitpicking on spelling at all...i wanted to know if you thought they should be reprimanded, or if you thought their words should be bleeped out or ignored or amended by media