I think that Perez Hilton hurt the goal of gay marriage

[question everything]

He is the one who not only asked Miss California her opinion about gay marriage - which, if you've been asleep, she said her faith makes her to oppose - but, apparently, went on a tirade, using the B and the C words.

Just wait until gay marriage is on the ballot again, and see the antis run this segment.

My opinion, but then, we just emerged from a bruising primary battle when the B and the C words were debated and challenged and were used to galvanized many around Clinton.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. In what respect, Charlie?

[targetpractice]

6. Thanks for the laugh! n/t

[closeupready]

2. This is not that serious.

Chill.

[ErinBerin84]

3. I think perez hilton is lame

but the media keeps acting like Perez was mad because she was against gay marriage. He said yesterday that it wasn't that she disagreed with gay marriage, but it was the rhetoric that she used ("opposite marriage", etc...didn't see the other answers so I can't judge whether they were similarly incoherent). Eh, not a good idea to make it so personal, but I guess that's the risk you take when you make people like this judges. I also don't get the "it may have cost her the crown" mem , don't everyone's answers run the risk of losing them the crown? It's stupid that this is getting so much publicity, I agree that Perez should just respond seriously instead of doing that. But again, this is Ms California and Perez Hilton, I'm not sure why news networks think that they are so worthy of our time.

[PDJane]

4. Oh, hell..........they both came across as lightweights.

neither one of whom had any idea of the seriousness of anything. It's a beauty pageant! The topic is serious, the venue isn't, and I don't think the world is paying serious attention to either of them. They're a great topic for pointing and laughing, but........

[Medusa]

5. Actually I saw him on Larry King Live last night

I thought he was quite articulate on this issue; far more than she is. FWIW: all the contestants were asked tough questions, her answer was bad not only for what she said but how she said it--she came off both as narrow-minded and bigoted but also as dumb and inarticulate. The other girls had tough questions too (stimulus bailout, Afghanistan, etc.) and none of them managed to sound as inane as she did. Sure the right will try to score with their narrow constituency on this but the tide has turned and will continue to do so.

[MADem]

7. A Beauty Queen and an obese internet putz with horrible style sense

Hardly MEET THE PRESS....not that they always do so well, either.

[Stevenmarc]

8. If marriage equality hinges on one media queen being terse to a beauty queen

then we really have a problem. Fortunately Perez Hilton is nothing more than a colorful media fart in the wind.

[stillcool]

9. So much power given to what is..

seen on the tv. It's no wonder we are such a sick, deluded society.

[WriteDown]

10. I agree...

Once you role out the B and C words, you've crossed the line. If I was that girl's father I would've punched him in the face.

[dionysus]

11. i really don't think anyone will remember this...

:shrug:

[question everything]

12. This is why there are TV clips. Not to metnion YouTube

One of the cable chatterers actually ran a clip from Obama campaigning, saying what that woman said, word for word.

If there is another campaign, especially in California, the opponents will use whatever tool they have. (Not that any Republican had a problem with that woman at a McCain meeting referring to Clinton as the B**** and he just chuckled.)

[dionysus]

13. yeah but do they have footage of this perez fellow flipping out? if so i could see your point.

i thought it was just reported in print.

[Stevenmarc]

17. It's a total non-issue

If, and that's a huge if, the opposition circulates the video it will be a meaningless act of desperation. The people who oppose marriage equality will feel justified in their beliefs and those who are for marriage equality will ignore it, it's a wash, it lacks the power to move anyone.

[NorthernSpy]

27. What about the mushy middle, though?

One of the lessons of Prop 8 is that when it finally came down to a vote, the referendum was decided by people who didn't start out adamantly opposing same-sex marriage, but who were persuaded at the last minute that changing the law would have a negative effect on their own lives. To the extent that this Miss USA episode can be used to make them believe that they could be punished in some way for their religious opinions, then I suppose it could have an impact.


Remember, No On 8 held a big lead up until shortly before Election Day.

[nxylas]

15. Oh, you're kidding

The antis have got their martyr and they'll milk the story for all it's worth and then some, to show us what a horrible threat the "gay mafia" poses to the liberties of decent God-fearing folk everywhere.

[CTyankee]

21. Even on Morning Joe, Mika was saying that Miss CA "stood up for what she believed in."

So she should be admired for that, according to the others on the show who just murmured their agreement with Mika.

Personally, I don't know if Miss CA would've won if she had said something supportive of gay marriage, but notice how she's going around implying that. She's trying to milk this for whatever she can.

[question everything]

25. Was Mika always so.... Palinish?

Last year she had her own slot on NSNBC and she was OK reading from the teleprompter.

Then she joined Joe during the RNC and I was really taken aback when she was groveling over Palin. This was when even Peggy Noonan and George Will were embarrassed by Palin's... simplicity. I did not realize that Mika was such a groupie.

[CTyankee]

28. She even started wearing Palin's hair style.

Maybe she figures that as long as she gets people going they'll keep on watching and she keeps on collecting her paycheck. :shrug:

[galaxy21]

14. Perez came out of this looking a lot worse than Miss California did

I don't agree with her at all, but she wasn't throwing homophobic slurs at Perez. And if you read a lot of blog comments, there's the feeling with most people that even if they don't agree with her, she was just giving her opinion- like she was asked.

Contrast this with Perez who called her "a dumb b****" and a "dumb c***", apologised, then took back his apology, and has pretty much made himself look like an idiot. Even on his website, you can see he's panicking about this, and realises he's not come out of this looking good.


Basically, he looks like a guy that preaches tolerance, but can't show it.

[AirBaud]

18. Always interesting when a bigot comes out looking better in an exchange.

Especially since the homophobe didn't use any homophobic slurs.

[galaxy21]

20. I think Perez has gotten too political, for his readers anyway

Obviously he's a gay man, and is understandly eager to help the gay marriage cause, but he runs a gossip site. People go to his site to hear about Lindsay Lohan or whoever. Many people just aren't interested in his politics. And he's not ever going to be a good figure for any political cause: he's not smart enough, quite frankly. He's not very likable, he's not photogenic, and he has no tact whatsoever as shown by his "dumb b****" comments, and is probably going to be a major liability for gay marriage if he keeps this up.

[dsc]

37. No he merely used sexist ones

which are every bit as odious.

[cboy4]

52. He's an attention whore. I don't know anyone in the gay

community who takes him serious or admires him.

[galaxy21]

59. Yeah, if you read his blog there are a lot of comments from gay people

saying how mad they are at him and telling him he doesn't represent them.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

16. perez hilton and this other nitwit are not big enough to hurt or promote gay marriage

[Toucano]

19. +1

When will his 15 minutes be up?

[closeupready]

31. This. End of thread.

:D

[tammywammy]

38. Agreed n/t

[xchrom]

22. if that Tacky Queen Perez has that much influence

on current events -- any of them -- i'm turning in my Beauty Queen Tiara.

and normally you couldn't pry my Tiara from my expensively well manicured hands.

that pissy queen can kiss my ass.

[question everything]

24. Thanks for the chuckle

I have never heard of him and normally would not know that such a pageant even took place, but he certainly filled the cable chatter and now many more know his name.

[xchrom]

30. lol -- well mention perez around a bunch of gay folk

and you will really see fur fly.

[Nye Bevan]

23. Agreed. That was quite some hissy fit that he threw

Hurling immature insults is not going to win any debates.

[NorthernSpy]

26. That's the problem.

Nobody elected Perez Hilton spokesman. (Who would?) But we have a media culture that likes to zero in on the most obnoxious, polarizing personalities it can find -- essentially turning them into the face of an entire movement.

It happens like that again and again.

[yardwork]

33. Thank you for observing that Perez Hilton is nobody's spokesman.

[mitchtv]

29. tweedle dumb and

Tweedle dumber

[Coffee and Cake]

32. He fits the definition of a "drama queen" to a tee

His lack of composure and temperance was just as disturbing as Miss California's answer.

[pitohui]

34. yeah well you know what?

he was not the one asking to be given a "scholarship" or a prize for being an ambassador of american values and beauty for a year


he's a freaking gossip columnist, he never claimed to be a nice person -- he gets paid to be nasty

someone seeking to be miss america/miss usa (i obv. don't know the diff between these) is seeking to be paid to be "nice," there's nothing nice about trying to spoil other people's chance of happiness for no benefit to yourself, just to play up to the bigots in your so-called religion

see the difference here?

"she lost because she's a dumb bitch" is not too far what i was thinking when i viewed her clip, frankly but no one's paying me to be a nice person and an ambassador either

[Shell Beau]

56. In all honesty, there was no correct answer for her.

Obviously, there is a correct answer, but no matter how she answered it, she was going to piss off a large amount of people. I wouldn't call her a dumb bitch. I would call her extremely ignorant.

[Occam Bandage]

35. I think suggesting that Perez Hilton can influence anything beyond

the public impression of particular show-business trollops is a bit much.

[cboy4]

36. Stop blaming the victim. They might very well use it

in a spot because the right wing is all ready in the sewer on this issue.

They lie, take things out of context and engage in fear mongering to achieve their slimy objectives.

But I refuse to lay one ounce of blame on Perez Hilton for asking a question that is at the forefront of our culture right now.

There are consequences for being a bigot. Maybe it's a wake up call for her.

[question everything]

39. Asking the question is one thing

attacking her with the B and the C words is something else.

And, since when do voters listen to reason? If there is another ballot measure, you can be sure that the RWers will milk this foul language to the last drop. And posting his raving face that, like most on those cameras get distorted, next to that "wholesome" beautiful face of the blond girl and you can sense where many of these voters will go.

[cboy4]

41. He doesn't represent the gay civil rights movement.

He's an internet gossip columnist who does and says outrageous things to get people to view his website.

The right wing is going to do what it's going to do in order to lie and embellish.

If it's not this issue it would be something else.

All I'm saying is don't blame the victim for being angry. He has every right to be considering what happened with Prop 8.

[Political Tiger]

40. I'm not so sure. Probably 98% of the population

has no idea who Perez Hilton is.

[sampsonblk]

42. What are the B and C words? (nt)

[cboy4]

44. You can't be serious that you don't know what the female

B and C words are.

[sampsonblk]

47. I have NO idea what B and C words are.

Or maye I just havent heard them referred to as B and C words. I am dead serious.

[question everything]

46. Just in case you are serious

1. a female dog
2. a vulgar term for a woman's sexual organ

Both terms are used to denigrate women.

[sampsonblk]

48. OK I get it

Never heard them called B and C words before.

[ecstatic]

43. well fox news is trying to use it to ramp up the culture wars

I think in past years it definitely would have hurt. Not sure it will work this time though.

[DainBramaged]

45. Perez Hilton needs to get over himself.

[cboy4]

51. Another anti-gay viewpoint from DainBramaged

:thumbsdown:

[rebecca_herman]

49. glad to see I'm not the only one who finds him obnoxious in general

I've never been able to stand the guy. His blog is overly nasty imo. And I enjoy some celebrity gossip now and then but not the way he writes it.

[galaxy21]

55. Perez strikes me as a very hateful and spiteful person

Maybe the fame went to his head, I don't know.

[BlooInBloo]

50. hahahaha!

Dude - the game is over. It's only a race for last, at this point.

[elana i am]

53. doubt it

i think he has lost any and all credibility (as if he ever had any to begin with) with anyone who has compassion and empathy for and about gay and lesbian causes.

before i found out he was gay i used to think he was a homophobe. it was the militant and hateful way he has always tried to out famous people.

everyone i know thinks he's a contemptible asshat.

[Maru Kitteh]

54. you would. n/t

[-..__...]

57. He was an asshole for even asking that question.

First... it comes off as being personally motivated.

Second... she was put in a no win situation. If she had answered with her support... she would have been dogpiled by the right/anti-gay side. If she answered with her objection (as she did), she would have been dogpiled by the left/pro-gay marriage side (which she has).

[anonymous171]

58. OMG IF GAYS ARE ALLOWED TO MARRY THEY WILL SWEAR AT OUR WOMEN!