Denis Leary Promotes Rescue Me With Homophobic Slur, Jokes About His Children Burning Alive
If you are gearing up to promote your television series on a talk show, you have several choices: 1) You can prepare a TV-ready anecdote about something hilarious that happened on-set (See: Jonah Hill's story about being reprimanded by his hero while filming Curb Your Enthusiasm); 2) You can prepare a TV-ready anecdote about something interesting in your personal life (See: Kristen Stewart's description of her real-life pet wolves); or 3) If you are Denis Leary, you can put together a startlingly homophobic anecdote about something that was said in poor taste to Derek Jeter on the set of Rescue Me.
The coarse comic visited The Daily Show last night, where he first tried genuinely complimenting Jon Stewart's usage of puppets. When that did not go over well, the Rescue Me star told the audience about the time Derek Jeter tried complimenting Leary and Leary's co-star Steven Pasquale on their work as television heroes. What followed was a punchline that conflated acting with a homophobic slur (one that Leary has defended before) and, by extension, being a sissy. Gay firefighters will no doubt be thrilled. To further illustrate the gag, Leary went on to joke: "If one of my kids caught on fire, I would probably start screaming louder than them and then roll them around and scream and cry." Classy.
All of which raises the question: When is it right for a talk show host to scold his/her guest on-air -- and when is it right for a talk show host to double over with laughter in response to his guest's epithets, as Jon Stewart did last night? Consider Exhibit A:
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Comments
Over-reaction much?
Not at all an overreaction. When we have 11 year olds going home from school and hanging themselves for being called "fag," no, it's not an overreaction.
Denis also pretended to quote Steve Pasquale as having used the word, which is completely untrue. Steve has been a strong defender of LGBT people for a long time, having refused to use the word "fag" in his dialogue on Rescue Me and speaking up over Leary's use of the word:
Here's a statement from Steve on last night's Daily Show:
"I am an actor, and I live and work in New York City. I can honestly say that half the people I know, love and respect are gay. I simply didn't say it. I'm not capable of saying it, anymore than describing my black friends as the "N" word. I can't take any responsibility for it. None. I'm afraid Denis got his wires a little crossed in remembering that story."
-Steven Pasquale, Rescue Me
Movieline toting the political correctness mantra. Jeez, get a life.
Yes, an overreaction. Nobody goes home and hangs themselves for getting called a 'fag' anymore than someone goes home and hangs themselves for being called fat or ugly. And 'homophobia' isn't a real word, it's a portmanteau. Get your nanny state nonsense out of here.
Boo-hoo! More libreal media whining because the word FAG was used (in reference to HIMSELF, not ANY homosexuals!)? Get over yourseleves!
Is this really all there is to report today? Denis Leary said something offensive? I'm shocked! Though, I am relieved that I am not so easily offended. If there are individuals who get bent out of shape over any and everything, I wonder how the stress affects their lives. Lighten up, it's good for you.
Finally someone is addressing this nonsense. I'm waiting in barely containable anticipation for your rebuke on the show "Happy Town" for saying conservatives have no heart. When we heard the comment from the show, our entire community hid the rope because we didn't want all our children hanging themselves. Finally, someone is going to come to our defense.
1. Unlike sexual preference, sociopolitical-buzzword alignment (and thrusting those opinions upon children) is a choice.
2. Who the fuck watched 'Happy Town'?
I just watched the episode. From your description in the article it was as if Denis Leary was not funny or any bit charming during the interview. The entire audience laughed, he seemed like a decent and genuine guy. Now I thought sure he didnt have to say Fag he could have said " we just some pussy's", but then wouldnt that have been offensive to women? The word Gay means happy. Fag means an old woman or a bunch of sticks. So if homosexuals can take a word such as Gay as say its fine, but a word such as Fag is not. Then that just seems wrong. In the UK the word fag is slang for a ciggarette. I really do think your article is a bit of an overreaction. I've watched all the seasons of Rescue Me. I never felt it was anti gay. Sure there are gay jokes, but they are protraying these men who dont have much interaction with the gay community. Besides if you americans are going to overreact this way over an interview like this, which was not homophobic in anyway. Why dont you use that energy to get gay marriage brought into law.
I'm rolling my eyes at many of these comments, but while Denis Leary probably doesn't hate gay people, saying the word is pretty effed up.
That said, Stewart rips on him the entire time, so I think that was his way of addressing it without shaming his friend on television.
Uh, I was called "fag" (and worse) nearly every single day when I was 11, 12, 13, etc., and I didn't hang myself.
Perhaps that incident had causes other than a homophobic slur.
Julie, I agree with you. But I think it would be interesting (especially since they mention Louis CK) to post the poker scene clip from Louie CK's new show for all the people here who don't understand why saying "fag" is such a big deal. Here's a link, if you need it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-55wC5dEnc
Fag is a great word. Same with 'gay' if it's expressed in the same way someone says "This smells like shit". We make it a point to be as anti-homo as possible. It's pushback for the MSM endlessly beating the drum that homosexuality is olay. It's not. Call someone a fag today!
Some of you commenters should check out a George Carlin piece about how offensive words are not bad it is the context in how you use them. I watched the show last night and thought it was hilarously, but as soon as Denis Leary used the "fag" word, I knew media outlets were going to pick up on it. It was like the time Denis got shit on about making fun of austic children, and I after read the book I saw how the media blew it way out of proportion. I am not insenstive to the fact that a lot of people will find it offensive, but let us be careful about the battles we choose to fight. Glenn Beck and Sean Heanity offend me evey night, and they never have to call anyone a fag or the N-word. The only offense Denis did last night was probably misquoting the actor, Steven Pasquale.
This is actually a pretty cool clip.
"Fag is a great word. Same with 'gay' if it's expressed in the same way someone says "This smells like shit". We make it a point to be as anti-homo as possible. It's pushback for the MSM endlessly beating the drum that homosexuality is olay. It's not. Call someone a fag today!"
People like you disust me.
"I'm rolling my eyes at many of these comments, but while Denis Leary probably doesn't hate gay people, saying the word is pretty effed up."
I also doubt Leary has a problem with gay people but I can understand people not liking him saying it.
"When we have 11 year olds going home from school and hanging themselves for being called "fag," no, it's not an overreaction."
Hanging yourself because someone called you a fag is a solid confirmation of being one. Move along, people, there is nothing to see here.
One of my gay friends called me a Nazi when I said "Twilight" was garbage. I guess I should have gone home and started cutting myself instead of laughing, huh?
Buncha stoopid fags.
The colon-kissers are so easily offended.
Thanks for bringing attention to this, Julie. It is hard to know when a host should call out his guest for saying something stupid or hurtful, but I think this is one of those times. I wish Stewart had been a little quicker on his feet. Anyway, I'd never read your column before but went looking to see if anyone else cared about the remark - I hope it brings some attention to the harm that this kind of negative stereotyping can do. Hopefully a gay firefighter will be called to a fire at Leary's house one of these days - let him decide then if 'gay' and 'brave' are mutually exclusive concepts.
Ah, so now we've determined that kids can't kill themselves over people making fun of choices they make. Hmmm, good to know. I mean, finally, I don't have to worry about kids who choose to overeat and kill themselves because they are tormented over their weight. And I don't have to worry about kids who choose to have sex and then kill themselves for the shame of being called a slut. And I don't have to worry about kids who choose to take drugs and then kill themselves from being called a druggie. I'm so glad choices can't lead to isolation from their peers and then lead to suicide. Whew, that's really a load off my mind. Now, all I have to worry about is the kids who commit suicide because they're called white trash. Hopefully I come to find out that being white and/or trash is also a choice and thus, off the list of things you can be made fun of that can lead to suicide.
Whew, just got off the phone with the powers that be (maybe the same people you work for, those who decide what a kid can feel bad enough to commit suicide over when they get made fun of) and apparently, wearing goth clothing is also a choice, thus free of leading to suicide. No one is going to commit suicide over being made fun of for wearing goth clothing. I guess that goes for emo kids too. And atheists. Thankfully, there's no reason to think choosing to be an atheist will lead to suicide. Sure, you might get made fun of by those intolerant Christians, but since it's a choice, it's not going to lead to suicide.
I'll keep you all up to date on other choices that won't lead to suicide.
I wonder how many "faggots" even know that. So you're ultimately saying, don't say "faggot", but I can say whatever else as long as it's not historically related to something awful? Even if I have the same intent? I would think being yelled at by someone who doesn't like gays, but uses PC terms would be worse than an over the top joke about fags. Seriously, do you believe he wants his kids to keep burning. Geesh. Seems to me you're just trying to control people for the sake of control.
Leary, and many other comediens, say horrible things about everybody. If the above critics watched the show they would see how it's pretty even handed about many issues.
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