The use of the word “Gay” in the trailer for Ron Howard’s upcoming movie “The Dilemma” has outraged GLAAD (The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), who have received the endorsement of CNN star Anderson Cooper, who is also gay.
After petitioning the studio, both Cooper and GLAAD were able to convince Universal Studios to remove the offensive scene from the movies trailer.
In the original trailer Vince Vaughn is heard saying:
“Ladies and gentlemen, electric cars … are gay. I mean not homosexual gay, but you know, my-parents-are-chaperoning-the-dance gay.”
Anderson Cooper, 43, argued that the word “gay” as a slur helps fuel homophobic sentiments, which may have helped fuel five recent teen suicides. Cooper said of the trailer during his appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show:
“I was sitting in a movie theater over the weekend and there was a preview of a movie, and in it, the actor said, ‘that’s so gay,’ and I was shocked that not only that they put it in the movie, but that they thought that it was okay to put that in a preview for the movie to get people to go and see it. ” while adding, “I just find those words, those terms – we’ve got to do something to make those words unacceptable because those words are hurting kids.”
“Someone else I talked to recently said that the words people use and the things people say about other kids online, it enters into their internal dialogue. When you’re a kid, it can change the way you see yourself and the way you think about yourself – the worth that you give to yourself. I think we really need to focus on what language we’re using and how we’re treating these kids.”
Universal has also announced that the slur is being removed from all promotional trailers and other videos nationwide.
The studio said in a statement on Friday:
“The teaser trailer for ‘The Dilemma’ was not intended to cause anyone discomfort. In light of growing claims that the introduction to the trailer is insensitive, it is being replaced. A full trailer, which has been in the works for some time, will post online later today.”
The Dilemma opens in January 2011 and stars Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Queen Latifah, Winona Ryder, Jennifer Connelly, and Channing Tatum.
What do you think about the controversy? Was it a necessary cut or an over reaction?
