Listen To What The Man Said

[Solo_LTSurvivor]

Roland Martin suspended from CNN after homophobic tweets during Super Bowl


Roland Martin shocked viewers when he tweeted that any male fans of David Beckham’s underwear commercial for H&M were not “real bruhs.”

“If a dude at your Super Bowl party is hyped about David Beckham’s H&M underwear ad, smack the shit out of him! #superbowl” he added.

He also made fun of a New England Patriots player earlier in the day who arrived wearing a pink jump suit.

“He needs a visit from #teamwhipdatass” he quipped.

At first, he tried to justify his tweets saying that he was just making fun of soccer. But many people weren’t buying it.

In addition to taking flak from many of his Twitter followers, GLAAD called for Martin to be fired — immediately.

“Based on this history, this doesn’t seem like a playful jab at what Martin considers an inferior sport. It seems like a jab at what Martin considers an inferior community of people.” Last year, Martin defended Tracy Morgan when Morgan said that if his son were gay he would "take out a knife and stab him."

On Monday, Martin issued an apology, saying “it was meant to be a deliberately over-the-top and sarcastic crack about soccer; I do not advocate violence of any kind against anyone gay, or not.”

He added, “As anyone who follows me on Twitter knows, anytime soccer comes up during football season it’s another chance for me to take a playful shot at soccer, nothing more.”

But as the backlash continued to grow, it seemed CNN felt it had to put him on injured reserve.

“Roland Martin’s tweets were regrettable and offensive,” the network said in a statement. “Language that demeans is inconsistent with the values and culture of our organization, and is not tolerated. We have been giving careful consideration to this matter, and Roland will not be appearing on our air for the time being.”

Martin joined the network in February of 2007 and is a key part of the network’s political programming.

He did not address his suspension on his Twitter, but did post a link to a gay beating victim in a video speaking out.

[skeebo1969]

  You could write stupid really big on that forehead.

[mecch]

Not that I want him at my party, but he looks gay.

Oh, I went to H&M the other day and admired the giant posters!

[weasel]

   Another  (  --------- )   SKANK !

    Looks like a closet Queen to me 

                                                   Weasel 

 P.S.  I loved the super BOWL ! 
 P.P.S. I love skin tight pants with family friendly bulges 

[OneTampa]

Public puke peddling poison.

Perhaps personal problem postponement psychosis? 

 

[tednlou2]

I could see being curious about whom the ad was targeted.  Women to buy for their men?  Gay guys?  A half-nude guy in an ad to target straight men?  Being curious doesn't mean you think it is wrong.  I've always been curious about A&F and how they market clothes for men.  You go in there and they have the techno music thumping and bare-assed, young guys posted on the walls. 

Many years ago when I first shopped there, I was surprised to see a print on the wall with what looked like a 16 year-old showing his naked ass.  I think the poster ad was for jeans, because he didn't have a shirt and there were jeans pulled down past his cheeks.  I thought, "This is what gets straight guys to buy products?"  And, they leave the store with a bag with half-nude guys on it.  I'm glad more and more straight guys are comfortable with their sexuality enough for this to be no big deal.  But, I have known anti-gay guys who shop there with all the half-naked guys on the walls.  It just always seemed strange to me--especially for those anti-gay guys.   

So, it would be one thing to be curious about the targeted audience.  Curiosity is good and not necessarily bad.  He just took it to another level by saying a straight guy should be hit and suggesting it meant they were gay--and that sounded like he was saying that was a bad thing.