NBC Cuts IOC Anti-Discrimination Stance From Opening Ceremony

Okay. So. The Olympics.

I’m not watching. I’m getting my news via the interwebz and a little something I call a newspaper. I am not watching because of Russia’s anti-gay laws; I am not watching because the IOC will sanction any Olympian who does anything pro-gay; I am not watching because they’re killing stray dogs in Sochi, not because they’re attacking people, not because they’re rabid, but because they’re a nuisance. I find the symbolism between killing nuisance dogs and banning gays a little too uncomfortable.

I am also not watching because NBC has a nasty habit of deciding what we should be watching in this country. First, we only get to see American medal ceremonies, and we only focus on the American athletes. Time was, when I was a wee queerling and watching the Olympics, I loved seeing the other countries, hearing their anthems and seeing all the teams participate. Now, with NBC in charge, it’s become the Sochi Winter Olympics starring America.

I’m as American as the next gay, er, guy, er gay guy, but I likes to see some diversity, something new. Add to that that, well, as a Shallow Gay, I’m kinda missing the hot guys in bikinis so prevalent at the Summer Olympics.

But, mostly there’s this:

While Russia’s anti-gay laws have been a major focus for over a year now, I was  kind of pleased to hear that during the opening ceremony IOC president Thomas Bach made a strong statement against "any form of discrimination" and in favor of tolerance.

Nice to have those words heard around the world and hopeful —

Wait. What?

Television viewers watching the games here in the US of A on NBC didn’t get to hear those parts of Bach’s speech because the network edited it out.

Here's a transcript of Bach's speech from British TV with the portions that NBC decided Americans didn’t need to hear printed in bold:

Good evening, dear Athletes. Mr President of the Russian Federation, Mr Secretary General of the United Nations, Good evening Olympic friends and fans around the world! Welcome to the 22nd Olympic Winter Games! Tonight, we are writing a new page in Olympic history.

What has been achieved in seven years is a remarkable achievement. I would like it thank, in again, the president of the Russian Federation and his Government. The Sochi organising committee. The Russian Olympic committee. And the IOC members in Russia.

Thank you to all the workers for your great contribution under sometimes difficult circumstances. Thank you to all the people of Sochi and the Krasnodar region. Thank you for your patience, thank you for your understanding during these years of transformation.

Now you are living in an Olympic Region. I am sure you will enjoy the benefits for many, many years to come. Thousands of volunteers have welcomed us with the well-known warm Russian hospitality. Many thanks to all the wonderful volunteers. Bolshoi spasiba, valantyoram! Thank you very much to everyone.

Russia and the Russians have set the stage for you, the best winter athletes on our planet. From this moment on you are not only the best athletes, you are Olympic Athletes. You will inspire us with your outstanding sports performances. You have come here for sports. You have come here with your Olympic dream.

The International Olympic Committee wants your Olympic Dream to come true. This is why we are investing almost all of our revenues in the development of sports. The universal Olympic rules apply to each and every athlete- no matter where you come from or what your background is.

You are living together in the Olympic Village. You will celebrate victory with dignity and accept defeat with dignity. You are bringing the Olympic Values to life. In this way, the Olympic Games, wherever they take place, set an example for a peaceful society.

Olympic Sport unites people. This is the Olympic Message the athletes spread to the host country and to the whole world. Yes, it is possible to strive even for the greatest victory with respect for the dignity of your competitors.

Yes, Yes, it is possible - even as competitors - to live together under one roof in harmony, with tolerance and without any form of discrimination for whatever reason. Yes, it is possible - even as competitors - to listen, to understand and to give an example for a peaceful society.

Olympic Games are always about building bridges to bring people together. Olympic Games are never about erecting walls to keep people apart. Olympic Games are a sports festival embracing human diversity in great unity. Therefore, I say to the political leaders of the world - thank you for supporting your athletes. They are the best ambassadors of your country. Please respect their Olympic Message of goodwill, of tolerance, of excellence and of peace. Have the courage to address your disagreements in a peaceful, direct political dialogue and not on the backs of the athletes.

To all sports officials and sports fans I say - join and support our fight for fair play, the athletes deserve it. To you - my fellow Olympic Athletes - I say, respect the rules, play fair, be clean, respect your fellow athletes in and out of competition.

We all wish you joy in your Olympic effort and a wonderful Olympic experience. To all of you - Athletes, Officials, Fans and Spectators around our globe - I say, enjoy the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games! And now I have the honour of inviting the president of the Russian Federation, Mister Vladimir Putin, to declare open the 22nd Olympic Winter Games.

Why NBC?

:::crickets:::

Perhaps because NBC was airing commercials to pad their bank accounts and the idea of anti-discrimination and tolerance doesn’t pay the bill.

M’kay, you might say I’m over-reacting, and I do have a tendency to the dramatic, but this is not the first time NBC has decided what should air during a live broadcast.

During the 2012 London Summer Olympics opening ceremony there was a performance of the sporting anthem "Abide With Me" by Scottish singer Emeli Sandé. The song and the accompanying dance performance were a tribute to the victims of the July 2007 terror attacks in London that claimed 52 victims in the days following the announcement of London as the host city for the 2012 Summer Olympic .

It was a significant, emotional and important moment in the opening ceremony — especially for the host city — and came just before the parade of nations. But it wasn't aired in the United States. Instead, American viewers were treated to a lengthy Ryan Seacrest interview of Michael Phelps.

Hmm, honoring victims of terrorism — or as some also said, it was a tribute to England’s war dead — or listening to Ryan Seacrest gush about Michael Phelps. Now, to be fair, NBC cuts out small portions of the opening ceremonies to make room for commercials—and to make that money—but to cut out an entire segment is quite ridiculous.

NBC has never commented on why they cut out that piece of the London Games and I doubt they’ll comment about their special editing this time around.

NBC. No Body Cares.

source

Sunday Funnies: Sochi Olympics

Random Musings

So, we’re still cold here in sultry and humid South Carolina and the snow will be melting today — at least some of it — but we are nowhere near as hard hit as the folks in Georgia and Alabama where the roads froze and there was no real help.

Folks are complaining that Georgia policies, like the governor, really blew it by not paying attention to weather reports and not having enough plows and salt and sand for the roads.

Here’s my take: had the government of Georgia had enough plows and salt and sand for this Winter Event and then the event didn’t happen, these same people would be complaining about Georgia being over-prepared.

You can’t please all the people all the time.

Presented without comment ….

Okay just one: this is a picture of a semi-talented media whore who’d sell anything to make people talk about her.

And she’s with Miley Cyrus.

ISBL Asshat of the Week winner, Florida Congressman Trey Radel, who liked to call himself the ‘hip-hop conservative’ — a diss to hip-hop folks everywhere — resigned this week after being busted for cocaine possession last fall.

Radel, a freshman Congressman — yes, this was his first, and hopefully last, term — returned to work earlier this month after taking a leave of absence to undergo treatment at a rehab facility for being a coke-head. He had vowed to stay in office after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of cocaine possession but, um, yeah, not even the people of Florida approve of convicted drug addicts representing them.

So, so long Trey, don’t let the doors of Congress hit you where the good Lord split you.

So, the US Olympic team, headed to Sochi this week, has been warned about saying, or doing, any gay, or even pro-gay, shiz during the games.

That’s bad enough, but now the U.S. Department of State has advised that wearing conspicuous Team USA clothing in non-accredited areas might put team members, or US citizens at risk of attack.

Bad enough to be gay, I guess, in Sochi, but now it doesn’t pay to be American either.

Speaking of Sochi, the mayor of the town, Anatoly Pakhomov, says there are no gay people in Sochi at all. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Nyet.

Pakhomov, who is a member of President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party, did say that The Gays would be welcome at the Games, but with a small, almost imperceptible caveat:

"Our hospitality will be extended to everyone who respects the laws of the Russian Federation and doesn't impose their habits on others."

Meaning, be gay, just don’t act gay. Or say gay.

One thing though that maybe the aptly-named Pakhomov isn’t aware of is that there are several gay clubs in Sochi. They're probably all empty, though, because The Gays don’t like it there.

Uh huh.

Well well well, it looks like it’s true that the ratings for The View are down and since this Barbara Walters last year on the show — please hold your applause — the producers, and one of those would be Walters herself, are doing anything and everything they can to spice things up.

Like bringing back Rosie O’Donnell. But only for one show. For now. On February 7, The View will welcome back former co-host Rosie O’Donnell six years after her nuclear exit from the show amidst a reported feud with View co-host/executive producer Barbara Walters.

Babs says, now:

“I have great affection for Rosie and we have remained in contact through the years. I am happy to welcome her back to the program. She is always a lively and engaging guest and a part of the show’s successful history.”

It's just a shame that Hasselbeck won't be there.

If this isn’t The Omen, or even Damien: Omen II or Omen III: The Final Conflict or Omen IV: The Awakening then I don’t know what an omen could possibly be.

But … the Associated Press reports a bad omen out of Vatican City, where two white doves that were released by children standing alongside Pope Francis as a peace gesture were quickly attacked by other birds.

The Birds. An entirely different film, I say.

As tens of thousands of people watched in St. Peter's Square last week, a seagull and a large black crow swept down on the doves right after they were set free from an open window of the Apostolic Palace. One dove lost some feathers as it broke free from the gull, but the crow pecked repeatedly at the other dove. It was not clear what happened to the doves as they flew off.

What do you suppose it all means?

This won’t happen, but I just love that a new White House petition circulating to deport asshatted douchebag and mildly talented drug addict Justin Bieber back to Canada now has over 120,000 signatures.

"We the people of the United States feel that we are being wrongly represented in the world of pop culture. We would like to see and drug abusing, Justin Bieber deported and his green card revoked. He is not only threatening the safety of our people but he is also a terrible influence on our nations youth. We the people would like to remove Justin Bieber from our society. "

Snap.

So, this week marked the end of American Horror Story: Coven and I’d say it was a brilliant season.

I loved season one — Murder House — but felt that season two — Asylum — had a little too much going on what with sadist nuns and aliens and Nazis and illegal experimental surgeries and Devil dogs in the woods.

But Coven was amazing — as amazing as Jessica Lange, especially in last night’s episode … Catfish. Cat piss. Knotty pine??!!?? — and I’m gonna miss my weekly dosage.

My only groveling point? They could have and should have made more of Patti LuPone’s storyline and the hot actor who played her son. But I can’t have everything.

And, also on TV, a new hottie man candy named Mat Vairo has joined the cast of Revolution. Now, to be honest, Revolution is drifting into Lost territory with some wack-a-doo meandering storytelling, but with eye candy like Vairo — shirtless this week ... yay — I’ll still be watching.

I’m shallow like that.

Oh, the religious wingnuts are gonna be spouting conspiracy theories all over the place now.

It seems that a rather puzzling song was nominated for an Oscar recently. The song is from a Christian movie — a little-seen film that only played a few times in LA — called, “Alone Yet Not Alone”, written by Bruce Broughton and Dennis Spiegel.

But now comes word that the nomination has been rescinded because the Academy learned of some shady campaigning for the song. The decision was prompted by the discovery that Broughton, a former Governor and current Music Branch executive committee member, had emailed members of the branch to make them aware of his submission during the nominations voting period. From the Academy:

“No matter how well-intentioned the communication, using one’s position as a former governor and current executive committee member to personally promote one’s own Oscar submission creates the appearance of an unfair advantage.”

The song is out. Expect the wingnuts to start wingnutting …. Now.

Sunday Funnies: The Rest, Plus Kim Jong Un & Dennis Rodman, The Sochi Games, & The GOP

Random Musings

Well, well, well, another Christmas come and gone.

While Carlos and I did not exchange gifts -- except for the flu he gave me and the dirty looks I gave him -- because we're remodeling a bathroom as a Christmas gift, it was still a nice day.

Mellow and sleepy with one pleasant surprise right at the very end.

Last night, for the first time in many nights, i slept all the way through with no coughing jags and sneezing fits and bathroom runs and no Carlos snoring.

I'm feeling better ... in time to go back to work tomorrow.

Feliz Navidad my culo.

Enough of this talk about Climate Change; that's just a hoax.

The fact that is was 80 degrees in Smallville the Saturday before Christmas means nothing except that I had a Summer Cold , because on Christmas it was just 35-degrees and suddenly it was a Winter Cold.

Uh huh.

Look, I get me some Facebook; I’m on Facebook. I get some of my news from there and keep in contact with my Left Coast friends and family. But what I don’t do is let everyone know what I’m doing at every single minute of every single day…

Sitting down to chicken soup!

Off to bed. Night all.

Watching the _____ game! Go team!

Are you really enjoying the moment or are you just enjoying updating the moment to your status?

I don’t eat fast food; it’s just not my thing. But if I were a diner at a fast food establishment, I doubt I would be eating at McDonald’s.

An official from McDonald's Corporation announced at a Chicago Sports Commission luncheon last week that the company would not make a statement about anti-gay laws implemented in Russia:

"If we as a sponsor, or any sponsor, were to pull [out of their deal] or boycott, we'd be hurting the U.S. Olympic team. Our mission really is to make sure that we do not penalize the U.S. athletes. The [U.S. Olympic Committee] is not going to boycott, so we're not going to subjugate that by not supporting athletes."

No said boycott, they asked you to make a statement regarding the hateful anti-gay laws in Russia and you said ...

:::crickets::::

That same official then added,  "We try to keep the politics out of it and try to focus on sport."

And making money.

There’s nothing like a good Christmas movie on Christmas Eve to get ready for the big day … which is why we watched Frances, the story of 30s actress Frances Farmer and her descent into alcohol and drug addiction, and mental instability, ending up being raped in hospitals in exchange for money and then undergoing a lobotomy.

Good Christmas fare, no?

Well, it starred the great Jessica Lange and was really a good film.

Just sayin’.

Where does a single unwed mother with barely a high school education who made a name for herself dancing on TV and selling her private life to a reality channel get a pulpit.

Yes, Blister Palin, demon spawn of the Mama Grizzly Bore™ is speaking out, and throwing her considerable heft, behind bigot and homophobe, Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson, saying:

“[I]f you don’t agree with their lifestyle, they spread the most hate. It is so hypocritical it makes my stomach turn. They need to learn how to respect others’ opinions and not just jump to the conclusion that everyone who doesn’t support homosexuality and gay marriage is homophobic.”

This is what Robertson said about The Gays:

“They’re full of murder, envy, strife, hatred. They are insolent, arrogant, God-haters. They are heartless, they are faithless, they are senseless, they are ruthless. They invent ways of doing evil.”

And yet I am a hater because I question his statements?

Blister? Can’t you find another Alaskan unemployed hockey monkey to knock you up so you’ll go away again?

Glee’s Dot-Marie Jones, AKA Coach Shannon Beiste, married her longtime girlfriend Bridgett Casteen at their Los Angeles home last weekend.

Close friends had been invited to a holiday party at the couple's home, but Jones and Casteen surprised their guests by informing them that they were actually gathered together for a wedding.

Loverly. And congrats to the happy couple!

Since we were sick over the holidays there was a lot of movie watching — as in the Christmas Eve Frances Film — and one more we watched was Jason Segal and Emily Blunt in The Five Year Engagement.

Good movie, but I had no idea it would be told in real time.

Seriously. It seemed that long.

Filed under Finally:

This week the British government granted a royal pardon to Alan Turing, the computer genius who committed suicide after being chemically castrated following a conviction for homosexuality.

Turing, who played a major role in breaking the Enigma code – which arguably shortened the war by at least two years – was pardoned under the Royal Prerogative of Mercy by the Queen, following a request from the justice secretary, Chris Grayling.

Like I said, Finally!