Burns Takes On Channel Nine

Local News, By Christian Taylor, 27th May, 2009

Gary Burns has announced that he’s lodged a complaint with the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board against Channel Nine’s The Footy Show.

The complaint refers to a sketch that aired earlier this month, where footy players Andrew and Matthew Johns reflect on their childhood, growing up with a fictitious gay sibling, Elton Johns.

The sketch flashes back to childhood moments where Andrew and Matthew are playing footy, while Elton is described as ‘unco-ordinated’ and a ‘hazard’, dressed in camp sunglasses and an orange feather boa. At one point the father of the boys takes young Elton back to the hospital where he was born and asks for a refund, saying that the boy is ‘faulty’. Another moment sees the father talk about how he thinks Elton was switched at birth, because of his homosexuality. Photos also depict young Elton kissing a pig, and recoiling from breast feeding as an infant.

Gary Burns told SX that the sketch was “a very clear-cut case of anti-gay vilification” and that the humour “clearly portrays homosexual men as objects of ridicule.” Burns said that if the jokes were made against Jews, Aboriginals or Asian people then they’d never make it on TV.

Matthew Johns has since been stood down indefinitely from his hosting role on the Nine Network program after becoming embroiled in a group sex scandal, kicked off by an episode of ABC’s Four Corners. Johns has also lost his position on the Melbourne Storm coaching staff.

“I am asking for a full page apology in the pages of SX at the moment,” Burns told Same Same. “I will also be seeking a ‘on air’ apology on the footy show from its presenters. Gay footballer Ian Roberts phoned me yesterday offering his support.”

Burns told Same Same that jokes like these can drive gay teenagers to suicide.

“Pernicious comments like these question the self worth in many gay teenagers because of issues of low self-esteem when dealing with their own sexuality [and] coming out… Gay teenagers are vulnerable and commentary suggesting gay men are sick or faulty is unlawful homosexuality vilification. It’s not acceptable to paint homosexuals as products of ridicule anymore.”

Burns is still pushing ahead with legal action against Jeff Kennett after her refused to apologise for comments he made linking paedophilia and homosexuality.

Watch the clip below. Do you think it’s offensive? Vote here.

Related Videos

Natalie Bassingthwaighte - Love Like... 28 January, 2010

Glee - Rehab 24 November, 2009

Your Thoughts

Urban

said ages ago

But it's your camp who make a habit of bitching out grass roots poster initiatives when you aren't raking in any kudos.

shaynesydney

said ages ago

LOL, everyone's an art critic. Apart from sitting behind your anonymity sniping and bitching like an old Nanna, what else do you do with your life, zebra? When is the last time you showed some balls, took a stand or did something for anyone else? I mean, is that really the best you can do with your life?

DanM82

said ages ago

The man is a professional whinger. To be honest, I found the clip amusing. If we can't laugh, why are we here. Let's pack up and go home. Will Burns just shut the fuck up for once. It's not all an insult to GLBTI people, it's a joke for crying out loud.

Urban

said ages ago

Now there’s gratitude. If it hadn’t been for ‘professional whingers’ like him, YOU wouldn’t even be legal today. I take it you’ll never need to call upon the proposed community war chest, and I hope that if you ever do, it slaps you right back in the face as you have Garry Burns’ efforts to guard your rights against being vilified. Suggest you go back to school and learn a bit of history - oh, and if you have a little gay brother who ever suicides after gay taunts like The Footy Show's - tough titty, cry buckets - although it sounds like you wouldn't.

shaynesydney

said ages ago

Geez, have you always been such a ... http://fs9.dudesnude.com/pic/postpic/b1985111.jpg (Hey, no offence, it's a joke for crying out loud. If we can't laugh, why are we here. Let's pack up and go home. I'll get your coat.) p.s. it's not a joke, it's scapegoating a minority. The theory goers like this: in scapegoating strangers, feelings of guilt, aggression, blame and suffering are transferred to another who serves as a target, usually a minority group as they are inherently less able to defend themselves. The target experiences exclusion, ostracism or even expulsion. The scapegoaters are insecure people driven to raise their own status by lowering the status of their target. It is a hostile social - psychological discrediting routine, the target is derided and receives misplaced vilification, blame and criticism. The target might be gays, in the case of Kennett or the Footy Show, or Garry Burns, in the case all those "who is this 'self appointed' gay activist ...etc" queens and the SSO crew. The next time a gay man is bashed, or murdered, let's ask where the assailant got the idea that gays are not fit human beings. And I think that should just about have exhausted your concentration span, thanks for your time.

Gay Activist

said ages ago

Dan m8 don"t pack up just stay in Melbourne.

Gay Activist

said ages ago

urban can u email me please,got news.

Bren

said ages ago

Yep. But the NSW ADT will make a judgement as to whether an "ordinary reasonable person" would see the broadcast as inciting "hatred, serious contempt, or severe ridicule" of gays as a group. Fortunately Collier v Sunol, Burns v Laws, etc, have set precedents on this. I'm no lawyer but from reading those cases, reading the Anti-Discrimination Act, and viewing the material on which Gary's complaint is based, it looks to me like Nine and The Footy Show have a clear case to answer. Footy players can think whatever they like about gays. And they can say whatever they like in private. But when they are on air, on national telly, they have no right to vilify and the broadcaster has no right to allow them to do so. Alas, that has happened. Those involved should be held accountable. As Urban rightly argues, that is not censorship, it is a remedy for an unlawful act. Zebra-stripes, it strikes me as passing strange that you are now worried about censorship, having argued on here so doggedly for some way of censoring artist Bill Henson last year.. :eek:

zebra-stripes

said ages ago

Yeah I was discussing it. Was interested to know where the line was, but that doesn't mean I was strongly for censorship, but I argued the case for it. Marly was triumphant when the ruling came out that the child images could be retained, but sealed in brown paper bad. I thought that was a weak ruling that sent mixed messages.

Asherbella

said ages ago

http://shaynechesterstudios.webs.com/warchest.JPG garry@bigpond.net.au Very direct, honest & positive message; correcting perceptions & addressing homophobia isn't a 'vengeful' thing to do - it's about redressing the injustice of the homophobic fear of 'the dislike of the unlike' & owning your voice so that narrow-minded people can reflect upon our insight into the very nature of homosexuality. Being gay is not a recreational lifestyle choice, it isn't a character flaw, it isn't a moral blight against one's name & it certainly isn't an internal, social or psychological 'fault'.

There are 222 more comments

View them all

To post a comment, you need to be a SameSame Member

Log-in now or signup for a new account