Date: Fri, 17 Mar 1995 21:37:55 -0500 From: GLAADSFBA@aol.com M E D I A W A T C H for March 17, 1995 by A L K I E L W A S S E R Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, San Francisco Bay Area Chapter JENNY JONES, JOURNALISM & JABBERWOCKY "Jabberwocky," says Lewis Carroll, is "meaningless writing." The term is an apt description for much of the so-called reporting on the recent murder of a gay man who appeared on the "Jenny Jones" talk show. As part of a "Secret Admirers" segment, Scott Amedure -- a gay guest -- revealed his attraction for another guest (John Schmitz, reported to be heterosexual); three days later, Amedure was shot and killed by the "embarrassed" Schmitz. Though the horrific murder was widely-reported, virtually none of the mainstream media mentioned the word "homophobia." Remarkably, the hate motivation behind the crime -- known to all lesbians and gay men -- went unreported. The press focused instead on the issue of whether or not TV talks shows have become "too trashy." As a result, these reports lacked any meaningful context for understanding the killing. The major television networks (NBC, CBS, and ABC) emphasized the talk-show "sleaze" factor. Their news divisions failed to account for the homophobia -- so endemic to our society -- which should have been this story's lead. In fact, by focusing on whether or not Schmitz had been deceived or "abused" by "Jenny Jones" producers, the networks actually managed to portray the murderer as the victim! The print media did an even worse job. The Associated Press report on the murder (March 11), written by Frazier Moore, also side-stepped homophobia. For Moore, the central issue was the morality of the talk show's producers. The article was written as if -- contrary to all logic -- the murder resulted from the mere fact of the talk-show "deception." The likelihood of the crime, this AP reporter suggested, would have been the same whether Amedure had been a gay man or a straight woman. "The New York Times" first reported the story in a small article on March 12th, which NEVER mentioned the words "gay" or "homophobia." On March 14th, "The Times" ran a front page article that made a brief reference to the murder itself, and then went on to question of the integrity of talk shows in general. The Reuters news syndicate began their story with this sentence: "Prosecutors alleged Friday that a nationally syndicated talk show is partly to blame for a murder -- committed by a male guest angered after being introduced on-camera to a secret admirer who turned out to be another man." The Reuters article then describes how the murderer -- Schmitz -- "kept his composure" during the taping, but was ultimately "shocked" and "unable to control his anger." Quoted extensively is Michigan prosecutor Richard Thompson, who not only "partly" -- but FULLY -- blames the murder "on the Jenny Jones Show (which) ambushed this defendant with humiliation." Nowhere in this article is any mention made of homophobia, and NOT ONE expert on lesbian/gay hate violence is quoted. In fact, not one openly-lesbian or -gay PERSON is quoted by Reuters! In every case, journalists completely missed the story. The story here, of course, isn't "Jenny Jones," or "guests' rights," or even talk-show "sleaze." The story is hate. The story is homophobia. The story is, as Marlon Riggs once wrote, "the queer blood that runs loose and wild along the curbsides" of our streets . . . in every city and town. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, lesbians and gays men are probably THE MOST FREQUENT victims of hate violence in this country. The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force reports that, in 1994 alone, at least 59 lesbian and gay individuals lost their lives in bias-motivated murders. It is unacceptable for the mainstream media to brush these and similar facts aside. It is unprofessional -- and unconscionable -- for journalists to ignore homophobia when reporting on the hate crimes committed against our community. Contact your local network-affiliates; ask these television stations to cover the REAL STORY -- now, and in the future. Also, write to the Associated Press, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020, tel. 212-621-1500; Joseph Lelyveld, Executive Editor, "The New York Times," 229 West 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036; Reuters America, 1700 Broadway, New York, NY 10019, tel. 213-603-3401. WIDENING MADISON AVENUE Writing for "Variety" ("Bucking Pressure, TV Ad Buyers Return To Adult Shows"), J. Max Robins reports: "One year after Madison Avenue gave thumbs down to lesbian lip locks, bare butts and bondage, advertisers are returning in droves to some of broadcast television's racier shows." According to Robins: "A year ago, advertisers pulled out of a 'Roseanne' episode featuring the star kissing Mariel Hemingway in a gay [sic] bar. But last month, advertisers paid full market value for NBC's telefilm 'Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story,' based on the true story of an Army lesbian. In the film, Glenn Close shared a kiss with her significant other, Judy Davis." "Meanwhile," Robins reports, "many companies now believe that complaints from far-right religious groups have had little effect on their business . . . . While they are loathe to admit it publicly, there's a sense both at the networks and in the advertising community that the clout of pressure groups, such as the Rev. Donald Wildmon's American Family Association, is on the wane." The news is encouraging, of course, since ad prices have often plummeted for so-called "controversial" (i.e., lesbian/gay/bisexual) television shows. If the trend persists, it will no longer take "courage" but simply good business sense to advertise on programs with lesbian, gay or bisexual themes. "Advertiser tolerance has increased because many of the adult shows are ratings and critical hits," says Robins. "The mores of the country have changed and advertisers have begun to recognize it," adds Bill Croasdale of Western International Media. Certainly, Madison Avenue's broadening consciousness has much to do with consumer response. It is vital that lesbians and gays let companies know that they appreciate (or resent) sponsorship of particular broadcasts. For too long, that strategy has been left wholly to the "Religious Right." Unfortunately, however, Robins' article examines only the waning influence of homophobes. He fails to report on the rising effectiveness of lesbian/gay media watchdogs. Robins' blanket characterization of lesbian/gay programs as "racy" fare is also off the mark. Still, he succeeds in pointing out some important ground that has yet to be broken. "Gay characters are now common in prime time, but they don't get to bed-hop like their straight counterparts," Robins writes. Well, "common" is hardly accurate (perhaps "less scarce"?). And, in fact, mainstream television does not simply censor lesbian/gay "bed hoping." The medium, for the most part, has refused to portray lesbians and gays in ANY of the loving (and human) relationships that form our lives and our community. However awkward, Robins' point is well-taken. And, all-in-all, his article sheds some welcome light on a welcome trend. Comments may be shared with Peter Bart, V.P. and Editorial Director, "Daily Variety," 5700 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036, tel. 213-857-6600, fax 213-857-0742. SNAPPLE SNAPS TO IT (SORT OF) Snapple is among those companies that have -- finally -- seen the error of their advertising ways. Until recently, the company was among the chief sponsors of the grotesque Rush Limbaugh and his nation-wide homophobic broadcasts. For well over a year, Snapple's Board of Directors had been lobbied by concerned consumers, until the company has at last heeded the recommendation to find a less-polluted environment for its advertising spots. Snapple has pulled its support from Limbaugh. Unfortunately, however, the company will not publicly state that Limbaugh's attacks on lesbians and gay men (as well as women and people of color) had anything to do with the decision. Instead, Snapple's Consumer Affairs Representative announced: "In order to more effectively reach our consumers in their local areas, our agency has decided to allocate all of our 1995 radio dollars to local stations. Since the Rush Limbaugh Show is a national radio program, it is no longer a part of our radio schedule for the coming year. Snapple's choices of buying time are now, and have always been, based solely on how we believe we can most cost-effectively reach our consumer." So let's see . . . does that mean that the company would buy air time on a KKK cable access show, as long as it provided a cheap way to reach Snapple drinkers? Queries can be sent to Michele Mac Mahon, Consumer Affairs Representative, Snapple Beverage Corp., 1500 Hempstead Tpke., P.O. Box 9400, East Meadow, NY 11554-9400, tel. 800-235-2929, fax 516-872-4874. HOPEFUL TELEVISION The March 13th episode of "Chicago Hope," a CBS medical drama series, featured a singular storyline about transphobia and transgender identity. The plot revolved around the relationship between "Billy" and "Annie," two romantically-involved characters. In an opening scene, Billy is injured during a hockey game and -- accompanied by girlfriend Annie -- he goes to the hospital for reconstructive surgery. The surgeon, Jeri Enfante, somehow knows Annie and this past relationship leads Billy down a path of speculation. First, Billy assumes that Annie might have had breast implants (and he just "hopes they were saline"). But, as it turns out, Dr. Enfante had actually performed Annie's sex reassignment surgery three years earlier, freeing her from what is later described as "gender dysphoria disorder." As might be expected, the plot turns on Annie's decision to "tell my boyfriend I used to be man." Falling deeper in love with Billy, she decides to tell him. Billy comes unglued at the news, ranting that he could have handled it if Annie had told him she had "been married, or had a criminal record . . . but to tell me that you used to have a PENIS!" The well-intentioned dialogue attempts to make an important point. Straight boy Billy (who is also a medical doctor!) can perfectly accept that his girlfriend might have had dangerous implant surgery solely to increase her breasts size -- but he reverts to raving lunacy when Annie tells him that she had surgery in order to live completely as the gender she knows is truly hers. A medical colleague eventually attempts to convince Billy that "love is love." To Billy, however, Annie has now become a "thing" and a "mutant." This scene ends with Dr. Enfante telling Billy that, while she first felt bad for Annie, she now fells sorry for him. Thus, the script manages to bypass the usual contrivance of illicit "pity" for transgendered persons, and instead focuses the disdain where it belongs -- on the transphobic individual. The plot ends on an emotionally-powerful, if discouraging, note. Though both Annie and Billy tell each other that they want to "try to make it work," Billy recoils from Annie's kiss. "I wish you hadn't told me," he finally says, and the couple parts. This storyline broaches a subject that many prime-time TV viewers still "wish you hadn't told me." As such, it begins to break the enormous silence and challenge the ignorance that surrounds transgender issues. Send feedback to David E. Kelley, Michael Dinner and John Tinker, Co-Executive Producers, and James C. Hart, Producer, "Chicago Hope," David E. Kelley Productions, P.O. Box 900, Beverly Hills, CA 90213, tel. 310-369-2132; copy your correspondence to Peter Tortorici, President, CBS Entertainment, 7800 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036, tel. 213-852-2345. RADIO ACTIVISM The situation at KSFO -- San Francisco's new "all-talk, all-conservative" radio station -- continues to evolve. In a concession to activist demands, station management agreed to "target virtually all of our audience with accurate information on HIV/AIDS." To that end, the station produced an editorial statement (broadcast over several days) in which KSFO Operations Director Jack Swanson tells listeners: "Several weeks ago one of our hosts stated that he believed we should consider placing individuals with HIV/AIDS in quarantine because he believed there was evidence showing that the virus could be spread by coughing or sneezing . . . . The truth is you have nothing to worry about from casual contact with someone who has HIV/AIDS. That's the opinion of the overwhelming majority of medical experts, and San Francisco Public Health Director Sandra Hernandez." The spot, which included a brief statement by Hernandez, concluded: "The management of KSFO Radio believes your chances of contracting HIV/AIDS through any casual contact probably rates right up there with getting hit on the head with a meteorite. And if anything you heard on KSFO led you to believe otherwise, we are sorry." The station's listener service number (415-954-8183) was also provided as a tag line; Swanson encouraged listeners to call "and we'll make sure you get the latest information on HIV/AIDS. What you know, could save your life." Direct feedback to Jack Swanson, KSFO Radio, 900 Front Street, San Francisco, CA 94111-1450, tel. 415-398-5600, fax 415-391-3616. GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS . . . Despite KSFO's welcome admission that management "made a mistake" in disseminating false information about HIV/AIDS, the radio station is still dedicated to a "HotTalk" format that showcases homophobic, racist, and classist diatribes. KSFO host Michael Savage recently wished, on-air, that all of the lesbian/gay activists protesting the station would "drop dead from AIDS." Savage regularly characterizes those who challenge his homophobia as "the gay Mafia." Savage is particularly upset by media activists who contact KSFO's advertisers directly, encouraging these businesses to distance themselves from hate talk radio. Of course, the good news is that Savage's ire is only a measure of how effective the strategy has been. Several companies have decided that it's bad business to have their products associated with homophobic broadcasts, and have pulled their KSFO advertising accounts. Most recently, management of the Armstrong Painting & Roofing Company affirmed their social responsibility: "We have made the decision not to advertise on KSFO . . . . Please be assured our sponsorship of their programming has been terminated." Supportive compliments should be sent to The Armstrong Company, 774 Harrison Street, San Francisco, CA 94107, fax 415-777-1387; call 777-1234, preceded by the appropriate prefix, to reach the company's San Francisco (415), East Bay (510), South Bay (408) or North Bay (707) offices. MEDIA BRIEFS * Gay Jeans . . . The American Family Association, a media watchdog group, continues to call for a boycott of Levi Strauss products (Levi's, Dockers and Britannia clothing) because the company "markets to homosexuals." According to the AFA's February 1995 newsletter, "the marketing efforts of Levi Strauss have met with great acceptance among homosexuals." To counter the AFA effort, contact Robert Hauss, President, Levi Strauss, 1155 Battery St., S.F., CA, tel. 415-544-6133 or 800-USA-LEVI; messages for the American Family Association may be sent to Donald Wildmon, AFA, P.O. Drawer 2440, Tupelo, NS 38803, tel. 601-844-5036, e-mail AMFAMILY1@AOL.COM. * Newsletter News . . . "Just For Us" is the newsletter of COLAGE -- Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere -- and the editor is actively seeking submissions (Tara Ludmer, 6214 Waterway Dr., Falls Church, VA 22044); the organization is also "putting together an anthology of our stories about having gay parents." For more details, contact COLAGE (2300 Market St., # 165, San Francisco, CA 94114, USA or BOX 187, Station F, Toronto, ON M4Y 2L5, Canada; tel. 202-583-8029, e-mail KIDSOFGAYS@AOL.COM). # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # WE MUST CONFRONT THE MEDIA'S HOMOPHOBIA IN ORDER TO CURE IT! TO NOTIFY GLAAD-SFBA OF ANY DEFAMATORY OR AFFIRMATIVE MEDIA COVERAGE, CALL OUR 24-HOUR MEDIA WATCH HOTLINE AT 415-861-4588 OR WRITE TO "MEDIA WATCH," GAY & LESBIAN ALLIANCE AGAINST DEFAMATION-SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, 1360 MISSION STREET, SUITE 200, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103, tel. 415-861-2244, fax 415-861-4893, e-mail GLAAD SFBA@AOL.COM. FOUNDED IN 1988, THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA CHAPTER OF GLAAD IS A MEMBERSHIP-BASED COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO CULTURAL ADVOCACY AND MEDIA ACTIVISM. GLAAD-SFBA PROMOTES THE FAIR, ACCURATE AND DIVERSE REPRESENTATION OF LESBIAN, GAY AND BISEXUAL LIVES IN ALL FORMS OF MASS MEDIA. # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # "MEDIA WATCH" is a weekly report that may be reprinted or posted without prior permission, provided that, whenever appropriate, attribution is made to Al Kielwasser and/or GLAAD-SFBA. We greatly appreciate copies of any publications that use all or part of the "MEDIA WATCH." Laurie Falik contributed to this week's edition of "MEDIA WATCH." Thank you for your participation in GLAAD's vital work!