Making Fun Of Ledger's Death: Not So Funny!
Filed under: Gay Gay Gay > Australiastic > Media Minute > Heath Ledger
Petitions are being signed and offended parties are mobilizing in response to Fox News Radio host John Gibson's homophobic and inappropriate mocking of Heath Ledger's death.
We reported last night about Gibson's disgusting behavior and have vowed to boycott his show, which we've been on in the past, unless he apologizes.
Hopefully some action will be taken against him by the higher-ups at Fox.
Now, GLAAD has jumped into the fray as well.
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation has denounced Gibson's behavior and just released the following call to action, something we suggested our readers do earlier too.
They say:
"January 24, 2008
Fox News Host John Gibson Cruelly Mocks Heath Ledger's Death and his Role in Brokeback Mountain
In the wake of Heath Ledger's death, people around the world are mourning the gifted actor's passing and are expressing their appreciation for how he changed hearts and minds with his Oscar-nominated role as a gay cowboy in 2005's Brokeback Mountain.
In a stark and disturbing contrast, Fox News Radio host John Gibson cruelly mocked Ledger's death and his role in Brokeback Mountain during his Jan. 22 John Gibson Show radio broadcast. During the show, Gibson played an audio clip from the film of Jake Gyllenhaal's character, Jack, telling Ennis (played by Ledger), "I wish I knew how to quit you." Gibson then coldly quipped, "Well, he found out how to quit you." Then, after playing another audio clip from the movie of Ledger's character saying, "We're dead," Gibson mockingly said, "We're dead" and played the clip again.
“Gibson’s remarks are vulgar and disgusting,” said Rashad Robinson, GLAAD’s Senior Director of Media Programs. “It’s sickening that Gibson would exploit Heath Ledger’s tragic death to promote such hurtful intolerance. And to do so at a time when family and friends are grieving shows a level of insensitivity that is beyond the pale.”
Beyond his mockery of Ledger's role in Brokeback Mountain, Gibson called the actor a "weirdo" with "a serious drug problem," and callously speculated on the reasons Ledger might have committed suicide. Gibson had previously mocked Brokeback Mountain–calling it a "gay agenda movie" on his Fox News TV program in 2006.
Listen to Clip:
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/01/23/gibson-mocks-ledger/
Gibson’s Past Comments on Brokeback Mountain:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,180499,00.html
TAKE ACTION NOW!
GLAAD strongly urges you to contact Fox News and ask its representatives why they continue to provide a platform for John Gibson's cruel and tasteless comments.
Please contact:
Mr. Mitch Davis
Vice President
Fox News Radio Network
1211 Avenue Of The Americas
18th Floor
New York, NY 10036-8701
Direct Phone: *212-301-5800
Outlet Fax: *212-301-5455
Outlet Phone: 212-301-3000
Email: mitch.davis@foxnews.com
Mr. Robert Finnerty
Senior Vice President
Fox News Radio Network
1211 Avenue Of The Americas
18th Floor
New York, NY 10036-8701
Direct Phone: *212-301-5800
Outlet Fax: *212-301-5455
Outlet Phone: 212-301-3000
Email: robert.finnerty@foxnews.com
Ms. Irena Briganti
Vice President of Public Relations
FOX News Channel
1211 Avenue Of The Americas
Lowr C1
New York, NY 10036
Direct Phone : *212-301-3608
Outlet Fax : *212-382-1411
Outlet Phone : 212-301-3000
Email: irena.briganti@foxnews.com
Contact by: E-mail
Ms. Suzanne Scott
Vice President, Programming
FOX News Channel
1211 Avenue Of The Americas
Lowr C1
New York, NY 10036
Direct Phone : *212-301-8558
Outlet Fax : *212-382-1411
Outlet Phone : 212-301-3000
Email: suzanne.scott@foxnews.com
foxnewsradio@foxnews.com
gibsonradio@foxnews.com
JOHN GIBSON
john.gibson@foxnews.com
212-301-3000
Please also see MSNBC Hosts, Keith Olberman and Dan Abrams’ reaction to Gibson’s on-air remarks.
boo
Yea, that was totally unprofessional and inappropriate…. I might contact them… FOX news in general sickens me.
OH PLEASE!!!!!
what an ass
kick him off!
Yick!
That is so typical of fox news. How dissapointing and embarrassing for the network.
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holler
I JUST SENT THAT SCUMBAG AN EMAIL!!! HE SEEMS TO FORGET ABOUT HEATH'S TWO YEAR OLD DAUGHTER… HIS HATEFUL HOMOPHOBE WORDS WILL LEAVE AND IMPACT ON HER ONE DAY WHEN SHE IS OLD ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND!!!
It's called freedom of speech. You can have it but other's can't? I don't agree with what he said but the bottom line is we ALL have freedom of speech.
FIRST
what a dickkk
How disgusting of him to say such words at this time.
Hope they fire him asap.
Not deserving to LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111
wow wat a homo
first!
grosssss
firstttt
1st
See Perez, when you put a good word…. Bravo
Now let's get that @$$hole fired
first you suckers!!!!!
Thanks for the info…they'll be hearing from me!
Who cares. People rip on all kinds of stuff…. gays, blacks, whites, death
3rd
you rock for putting all their contact info up! put the phone on redial folks and blow this as*hole up!!!
first
This asshole needs to be smacked around a bit!!
thank god people are taking action. what a d-bag
firstt!
FIRE HIM. HE SHOULD BE FIRED. If Don Imus got fired for making off color remarks, this A-Hole should be FIRED.
Ass
i'm all for free speech, but to mock someone's untimely death and attempt force your ignorant opinion on the rest of us because you're on tv is wrong. hopefully this guy will be out of a job soon..but you never know because it is fox news afterall
first!
John Gibson is a fucking heartless douche bag.
furst
Perez… You ROCK!
First. Hah he should get in shit for what he said!
I can't stand this guy anyway. What an asshole. Sadly, he will prob only pay for the comments he made in the next life. Heath is a HUGE loss to the acting community. Such a sad and unexpected death. Only someone with no heart would make those kinds of comments. x
He should apologise profusely for mocking a dead person and leave it at that. Why does the whole gay army have to come out and protest, it's nothing to do with them! Seriously stop making a mountain out of a molehill.
Mocking a dead person is very distasteful but what he did was not homophobic.
I was soooo offended! I wrote and complained to the Fox network, Perez thanks for posting this info! It was in such bad taste, not funny and he should be fired. I hate fox anyway - cnn is better and has fewer idiots like this chump.
First
Well it's disgusting to mock somsone once they are dead.
was he lying? the guy is famous for being a homo on a gay movie and popping pills and drugs. screw him
I don't like Heath Ledger. I don't dislike him, but I never really saw what the big deal was. His acting is not legendary. He's not a great talent. Hell, he's not even that good looking. But NO ONE deserves that, especially not in circumstances like these.
I wonder what people will say when HE dies?
What a f***** ass****!!! SERIOUSLY. I love Heath; seriously.! =[
1st ammendment…. Don't contribute to its erosion.
first
Who cares!!!!!! I would only care if he really was gay. Gays rule straight people druel. and cannot dress well either.
LOVE U ALL!!!
FIRST!
That will show him!!!
first
whats so wrong with what he said? hes wasting his breath anyways. you know that superbug going around between the homosexual men right? you see kiddies, this is what happens when you involve feces in sex. no matter how well you wash there will still be remnants of feces in your asshole. when you put your dick and your mouth on eachothers assholes this is what happens.
Whle I believe it a bit insensitive to the family to remark on Heath's role as a homosexual cowboy in BBM, it needs to be said that practicing sodomy is perverted. Sorry, Perez, but John Gibson need only apologize, IMO, for the 'timing' of his comments.
John Gibson is an excellent reporter/journalist. Go FOXNEWS!
Post this as a bulletin on My Space to help spread the word!!!
I agree with all of this–what he did/said was wrong. It is never appropriate to make fun of death; not for any reason. However, let's see the same kind of outcry about Dana Jacobsen, the ESPN announcer who spoke last week for a dinner and told everyone "f*** Jesus". How about calling for HER resignation?
Mr. Ledger's death was untimely and sad, but to ridicule Christianity or ANY religion is WRONG. Please don't say she was just kidding–it would have been just as bad to say it about Muhammed, or the Pope, or Jewish leaders.
Time to get priorities straight here!
umm freedom of speech people!!! he was just expressing his thoughts calm down!~
GOOD! I hope everybody jumps on board because Fox news is the worst producer of ridiculous hate and nonsense on tv… I HATEEE FOX NEWS
I wrote… how sad and cold of that man.
I wasn't first…but I think it wasn't called for. I listened to the clip and it was like he was mocking Heath…so unprofessional…I think something should be done.
RIP Heath
good…that's what he gets….
I'd rather write their advertisers and sponsors. Who watches CoxSucking "News" anyway but Fred Phelps's gang of closet-case
ass-eaters?
what an asshole!
OMG I just read this on another gossip site and was STUNNED but wasnt sure if it was totallly true. This is disgusting. What is WITH these Fox morons? Is it like a republican thing to be a complete and total douchebag 24/7???
nej first!
Re: Jean –
you are exactly what is wrong with America today. Why would you even come on Perez Hilton if you are that much of a purist??
YOU OFFEND AND YOU OUT PEOPLE AND NOW YOU'RE ANGRY? YOU MAKE INNAPPROPRIATE COMMENTS ALL THE TIME. YOU ARE A HYPOCRITE, PEREZ.
Here's the email I just sent:
All,
I was a loyal Fox News viewer and am permanently switching to CNN due to your tacit endorsement of Mr. Gibson's remarks about Heath Ledger. This man just died - of a cause yet to be determined - and Mr. Gibson is mocking him? I suppose it's alright because he played a gay cowboy in a movie? C'mon.
I respectfully request that you publicly denounce and censure Mr. Gibson's comments as they clearly went beyond the bounds of decency. If this is how you want your network represented, you can have it. But I'll have no part in watching a bigoted, inappropriate, and homophobic individual. What does this say about your programming??
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he is ridiculous! i am an avid fox new watcher but not him. a tragedy happens and he gay bashes?? no heart. thoughts and prayers with heath ledger's family and friends
hope the bastard dies in some stupid manner so we can all laugh at him. asshole. Good Job Perez. Get this stupid fuck off the air.
Perez, you are such a sell-out. If he's a homophobe, why would you go on his show? Don't be such a media-whore. Better yet, if you are going to be a media-whore, don't cry and bitch about it later.
Thanks Perez! You deserve RESPECT for giving us this information. We love you and I support you 100%. This makes me proud of my liberal country and city. I wish someday it will be the same in the US. Love
Perez I think you are wonderful for working so hard. Thank you for all that you do. This is crazy that a person would say such cruel things and that a network would allow him to do so.
GOOD. I hope this man gets fired. He was disrespectful and it was completely and utterly uncalled for. Inappropriate on so many levels. I'd hate to be in Heath's family and have to hear this just after finding out he died and still not knowing what caused it. Just because someone is famous it does not leave their death open for public mockery. This man was not only someones son, but someones father as well.
Re: me –
I think she should get a raise for saying F jesus LOL
FOR SURE PEREZ! FUCK THAT FOOL WHAT A PIECE OF SHIT REALLY. I CANT BELIEVE HOW CRUEL AND DISGUSTING SOMEONE COULD BE OVER A WONDERFUL PERSON LIKE HEATH LEDGER'S DEATH. WHAT A SICK MAN. I WROTE A NASTY EMAIL TO HIM EVEN THOUGH SADLY IT PROBABLY WONT AFFECT HIS PATHETIC WARPED MIND OR HIS LACK OF COMPASSION FOR OTHERS AS WELL.
What a dick!
I have already sent out emails detailing my disgust at the comments that were made. This guy is a joke and should be removed from the air!
It's Fox news, what do you expect???
I'm glad people didn't let that one slide, what a scumbag! I'm glad I wrote in and I hope they fire him…
anyway P I wish you'd post more Listen to This, I always love the music!
Shame on him. I hope he collects the bad karma he spreads. He should be removed from the public airwaves.
fox news is a joke.
I cant believe someone would say something to vile. I really hope appropriate action is taken!
x
He is the physical impersonation of a DOUCHE in human form
I agree that this guy was incredibly insensitive, but I'm against censorship. It would be hypocritical of me to say, "Say anything you want … as long as it's what I like."
Perez…. I think its great that you initiate these things. It shows you stand for something…. F*** that Ignorant P**** on Fox!!!!!!!!!!!! He will get his….
Awesome Perez! Way to get your readers active! No, if only we can get you to comment some on politics…
Get a spray tan already! He makes Andy Warhol look like George Hamilton.