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Phil Walter / Getty Images, file
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key reportedly defended his "gay" remark by saying it was "just a slang term" used by young people.
New Zealand's prime minister has been rebuked by "Lord of the Rings" actor Ian McKellen for joking about a radio host's "gay" sweater.
John Key teased broadcaster Jamie Mackay for wearing a red top instead of blue, the color of his National Party. “You've got that gay red top on there,” Key said in the interview on Friday.
It was reportedly the second gaffe on the same day for Key, who was accused of earlier telling an audience of students that LA Galaxy soccer player David Beckham was "thick as bats***."
Radio New Zealand said Key described Englishman Beckham as handsome and "a really nice guy" but "thick", according to a report in Britain’s Daily Telegraph.
Key refused to comment on the alleged slur on Beckham, but defended his "gay" remark by saying it was "just a slang term" used by young people, according to television news website TZ NZ.
"If someone was offended by it then I apologize but it's not exactly like a term you don't hear everywhere,” he said. "I voted for gay marriage, I'm hardly homophobic. I led the charge on it."
However, McKellen, the British actor and gay-rights campaigner who played Gandalf in the New Zealand-filmed "Lord of the Rings" franchise, said Key "should watch his language."
In a blog post on Monday, he wrote: "I'm currently touring secondary schools in UK, attacking homophobia in the playground and discouraging kids from the careless use of 'gay' which might make their gay friends (and teachers) feel less about themselves. So even as he supports the proposal to introduce same-gender marriages in New Zealand, I do hope John Key listens to his critics and appreciates their concern. Careless talk damages lives."
John Key is quickly becoming to New Zealand what Borat was to Kazakhstan.
— Guy Williams (@guywilliamsguy) November 4, 2012
Australia’s Herald Sun reported that Twitter users criticized Key, calling his "gay" remarks homophobic and his comments about Beckham embarrassing.
Twitter user Guy Williams posted: “John Key is quickly becoming to New Zealand what Borat was to Kazakhstan.”
The Herald Sun also reported that radio host Mackay had dismissed the exchange as "nothing more than harmless banter".
"It's a storm in a teacup... no wonder the media sometimes gets a bad name," Mackay added.
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Leave a Comment:
This article was so gay.
I'am tired of it. Keep it to yourself.
Oh gay.. a slow news day.
Why is this an article? In the world news section no less. Like there's nothing important happening in the world.
At least the US isn't the only place to elect intolerant morons.
Isn't being an intolerant moron a prerequisite for running for public office?
Talking about this on election day is so gay!
Alastair Jamieson, NBC News
This is what you think world news is???? Ever hear of Syria??? World news my ass....
MSN and this article writer are pandering bullying morons with a seriously FAR LEFT liberal agenda. Especially on election day...
This article is a pile of horse@!$%#, we agree on that.
But, where is the "bullying" or the "liberal agenda"?
Cause, I sure missed that part.
So silly. He wasn't denegrating gays.
I think your wife's sloppy vagina is disgusting. How do you like that slang?
The NZ PM is hardly homophobic and hardly hates gays. He has pushed for gay rights in his country. While I understand the insult that might be felt by some in the LGBT community at the careless use of this word, it has been a part of the vernacular for generations and does not always refer to homosexuals. The words gay and queer had meanings all their own once. People often still use those words as they were originally intended, especially in casual conversation. Even gay people will tease each other and their straight friends by calling them gay. It's funny to those involved and for strangers to take offense to a conversation that doesn't involve them is, frankly, gay. People are going to use it accidentally from time to time. We must continue to remind people that it can be hurtful when overused or used in a mean way, but to lash out and call the man a homophobe is a little overblown and smacks of politics.
We keep making words illegal - at my nephews' school the word stupid is not allowed, because it makes stupid kids feel stupid. That's stupid. What is next - short, loser, fat, second place? How are we supposed to have conversations with people when half of our words open the door to indignation?
When I was a kid, before Gay meant Homosexual, it meant Happy, Bright, Cheery.
Whoever coined the word to mean Homosexual was a moron!
I'm not a homophobe and I do believe in Gay rights but really, that was the dumbest choice of words ever.
I thought gay meant you were happy. The guy had on his happy sweater....that's all.
This article and some of the comments are so lame.
Homosexuals sure can call names, but, alas, can't take even the slightest joke. Pathetic.
Well, at least no one called anybody a faggot.
Until you did, not a russian.
I'm gonna go light up a fag!
Now you have offended the crippled guy down the block.
A faggot is a small burning stick used to light a fire which quickly burns itself out.
Erin baby, how's it hanging?
Erin, what do you think about this kerfuffle of the NZ PM saying the 'g' word? Should he get 30 lashes with a wet noodle?
Love ya babe, kisses.
Exactly.
oh, homosexuals can take a joke Timothy...if they couldn't you would already be shot in the head.
Oh, well i feel a little beter now that iv been enlightened about the real meaning. For a minute there, i thought Rockland Resident was going to set a gay person on fire. which someone else could confuse with setting a happy person on fire, i guess. On the other hand, i think we should take that word back and make it ours again. im offended because i wanna be gay, but i cant, because the queer community took it, hey wait a second, is the word queer still correct, i know there was a show on T.V. called queer eye for the straight guy. If its still in use then im just waiting till i cant use that word anymore and it will offend a homo. Oh crap, im not sure if that word is ok either. this is more confusing than dealing with the colored folk. Oh crap, i think i screwed up again, im gonna stop before i get in any deeper than i am.
It never ends!
This article is so gay.
1950's interpretation: "This article is so happy"
1980's interpretation: "This article is so homosexual"
2010's interpretation: "This article is so dumb"
The evolution of words is interesting.
Cut and paste from dictionary.com, this is one of their five definitions:
Slang: Often Disparaging and Offensive. awkward, stupid, or bad; lame: This game is really gay.
and briantrash is a piece of shlt.
Ya, as much as I love his acting, he needs to get a grip on this issue that even gays say. Maybe not him, but not all gays have no sense of humor.
Finally an issue where all sides are correct!
Moving on.......
WOW!!! So tired of all the stupid politically correct nonsense. If something or someone is gay then it IS gay. This guy sounds gay.
Don we now our GAY apparel, fa la la la la la la la la......
You mean 'Fagalagalagalaglaglag", right?
"Gay" actually means happy, or cheerful. Celebratory.
Just because you stole the word and twisted its meaning doesn't mean the rest of us are worried about occasionally using the word in its actual meaning. If you have trouble with the English language, possibly you can come up with a new word that does not conflict with reality. Like..."ass bandits" for instance. Your call.
"Homophobe". Another laughable word. Who's afraid of you? Nobody. Homophobe implies "fear" of man. What? Unless you have aids and are spitting in everyone's drink, nobody is fearful of you.
Now you want to call ass-banditry "marriage". Sorry, that one's taken.
We all know what he meant; do you really think he was remarking on the bright gay red sweater? Get real.
Exactly. It's the same reason normal people can't put a rainbow decoration up anymore. Symbols and words are appropriated by the freaky fringe, which makes them no longer acceptable in civilized society.
Nobody, except virtually the entire Republican party.
"Homophobe implies "fear" of man"
only if it was LATIN and NOT GREEK, which homosexual and homophobe are formed from GREEK ROOTS NOT LATIN ONES homo = same phob= fear.. so the direct greek meaning is SAME FEAR.. what confused you was genus and species are LATIN not GREEK, humans are named for the LATIN word homo- sapiens, homos is latin for human, Sapiens is latin for wise or knowing.. so we are WISE HUMANS compared to homo-erectus who were the first humans to stand upright... etc..
moral.. learn your ROOT WORD ORIGINS before speaking
really homophobes should be called homosexualphobes as they fear people who are attracted to the same sex.. NICE TRY.. BUT FAILED!
Must we all be so thin-skinned? Besides, the Bravo channel and TLC would have us believe that the gays have a sixth sense on high fashion. So likely, the sweater was quite fetching.
Well said steve the admin! Political correctness, makes the world a much blander and dumber place to live. Get a life.
Mr. McKellen...how is this "negative"? Every time somebody says something that could be taken as offensive, even if not intended that way, everybody takes offense...grow up people...take it differently. "Gay" used to be a term meaning "bright, cheerful, happy"....the only reason it gained the "negative" status was because GAYS called it so. Honestly makes me think that people like McKellen are ashamed of what they do. Sit down, shut up.
I don't if its McKellen that reached out to the press or the other way around, but what a waste of 90 seconds of my life reading this article (and now posting) - GAY GAY GAY. TThhbbttttttttttt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So this drag hag McKellen tears up Bibles in hotels because he doesn't like what it says, and he's mad about "gay sweater? What a pus bag.
Everybody thinks this is so funny. It isn't a matter of what the word is as much as who says it.
When a person in leadership, like a teacher, or policemen, or politician says something using the street vernacular, he is legitimizing it to children and young adults.
If he would have said "you look like a fag dressed in that sweater?", would that have been acceptable?
Watch your mouth people. Words do more damage yo young people being bullied than sticks or stones. If you are an example to anyone, your kids, the people that work for you, your friends, then you need to show some style and substance.
Everybody knows an a$$hole. Very few of us know a real gentlemen.
That's right. EVERYBODY has to watch EVERY little word they say so as not to offend any of the myriad thin-skinned groups who jump at any chance to feign offense. Never mind that it's impossible to keep track of which words are deemed offensive on any given day. Hmm, can we say n-i-g-g-e-r? Well, it depends on who you are, or the context. Can we say f-a-g? depends on who you are and the context. How many more examples of pathetic PC do you want? Remember, even the children know that "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Oh wait, can't say sticks and stones, anymore, can we? Might have sexual connotations. Or is it violence today? Can't keep track. PCwhat? Crap.
This is quite funny. Get over yourself.
And for the record, sticks and stones do more damage than words. I've never heard of anyone being "worded" to death, but I have heard of people being beaten to death with sticks and or stones...
I bet you are the type to tell people to try to "reason" with bullies... You should be living in France. A bully should be spoken to very softly, but punctuate the sentences with a closed fist and a boot or two.
Now that's not gay at all.
hey spider get a real life and max has it right
McKellan should stick to acting. Him and his politically correct language police need to shut up - or I'm liable to hurl a fireball up his "Gandalf the G(r)ay" butt!
Done with watching language. Let the weepers weep. All acceptable. Doesn't matter
Quit reading this trash and get out and vote!!!!
Read it because I was curious as to the identity of the oh so sensitive star. As for voting, not so sure since both are clowns and I don't want the responsibility of putting a loser in office.
JPRhead - fine dont vote, thats why it is a right you get to choose to vote or not, but here is the thing if you dont like the results than KEEP YOUR GD MOUTH SHUT. People who dont vote are actually part of the problem, and since you fail to vote and are part of the problem sit in the corner andbe quiet while the rest of us (no matter how we voted) try and staighten out the mess.
What a well spoken reply. People like you make me worry about the future of this country. Forget who the President is. And so you can sleep at night, I did vote.
This is why the word "ghey" was created, so that these type of references can be made without offending the homosexual.
He meant the sweater was "ghey", not "gay", meaning that it was a poor or bad-looking sweater, not a homosexual sweater.
Homos insult straight people all the time, as a breat comedian once said, "if they can take it up the a**, they can take a joke."
Yet again the Gay agenda gives more reason not to support them. And that my homosexual friends is just gay!
I wounder if he thinks fried chicken is @!$%# food
It's not?
He shouldn't have said it, but let's not crucify him for it. As long as we keep giving those kinds of remarks power, by letting those remarks get to us, then all groups are going to continue to be victims. Take away the power of the words by not overreacting.
I don't know why the PM "outed" the guy's sweater, but he got it wrong anyway. Red is not the color of the gay rights movement; lavender is.
Lavender...I thought it was chartreuse?
RandyEK,
"I thought it was chartreuse?"
No, Randy. It's lavender. And one of the symbols of the gay rights movement is the pink triangle, which is what those gays who were imprisoned in Hitler's concentration camps during WWII were forced to wear as a means of identifying them as gays. The rainbow is also another symbol because it symbolizes tolerance of diversity among people.
In context, I actually read his comment as "bright, cheerful, happy". After all, it was a bright red sweater. Sounds pretty "gay" to me. During holiday season many of us where bright read "gay" sweaters. Nothing wrong it it.
Good times, good times...
Who else here has been calling things "gay" and "retarded" their whole lives and doesn't plan to stop now that those terms are considered politically incorrect?
I'll see your politically correct and raise you a freedom of speech! Never called anyone fat or ugly?
The perverts are seeking to lend an appearance of acceptability to their depravity through the bastardization of language. Whenever these miscreants work at changing the meaning of words they always attack any use of said word that paints them in the proper light.
If sexual depravity were as acceptable as they need everyone to believe then they would not be working this hard to call it what it is incapable of being.
You sound like an angry guy, Randy.
Actually, Randy, there is no such thing as "bastardization" in language. All languages change over time just as the people who speak them change over time. The English of today is not the same as the English of 300 years ago. That's why you have so much trouble reading the plays of Shakespeare or the King James Bible, i.e. if you read the Bible at all.
Get a life, for crying out loud!
Agreed. I am fed up with political correctness and hypersensitivity. Get over yourself and move on. Nothing to see here.
This is headline news? Please.