The Canadian Press reports that the Quebec Council of Gays and Lesbians is going to make a complaint about French-language RDS, whose commentators Alain Goldberg and Claude Mailhot decided to go for the gold for trading in stale Johnny Weir jokes.
The pair called Weir "a bad example" and suggested he go through gender testing, like the runner Caster Semenya. After all, in no way is the latter a touchy subject.
RDS's apology addressed "tactless comments on the appearance and manner of a figure skater." The crux of the grievance, though, was the comparison to Semenya, the Canadian Press says:
"The mea culpas are insufficient," according to council president Steve Foster.
"They only apologized for the comments they made on his outfit," he said Saturday. "We hadn't even asked for an apology for those remarks. It's the rest of the comments: on his masculinity, his femininity, the fact he should skate as a woman."
Who knows what makes professional broadcasters think racial or sexual humor is acceptable? Being able to read off a teleprompter doesn't make you Russell Peters, pal. For the record, here is how the wire service reported it:
"This may not be politically correct," Mailhot said during the segment, in which Weir ... was shown sporting a semi-sheer, pink-and-black costume he designed himself.
"But do you think he lost points due to his costume and his body language?"
Goldberg replied that Weir's feminine style may reflect badly on other male figure skaters.
"They'll think all the boys who skate will end up like him," he said. "It sets a bad example."...
"We should make him (Weir) pass a gender test at this point," Goldberg said and Mailhot then jokingly suggested Weir should compete in the women's competition.
http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/Canadian-commentators-fail-to-cool-it-with-Johnn?urn=oly,221050http://olympics.thestar.com/2010/article/768943--tv-crew-upsets-gay-rights-group