From: MediAction@aol.com Date: Tue, 19 Nov 1996 08:10:49 -0500 Subject: correction-MEDIAlert! for 15 Nov. 96 --------------------------------------------------- INDEX: MEDIAlert! for 15 Nov. 96 (CORRECTED version) -ITEM 1: "The Hate That Dared Not Speak It's Name" [Jenny Jones; MSNBC; CNN; Larry King Live; NBC; Burden of Proof; Reuters; Associated Press]. -ITEM 2: "Cards & Fetters" [AFA; PepsiCo; VISA; Ellen; Disney/ABC]. -ITEM 3: "Who Cares?" [Big Issue; George Michael]. -ITEMS 4-5: "Making A List" [GLB Youth List]; "Pedestrians On The Superhighway" [NetAction]. -ITEM 6: "Web Watch" [Project Inform Home Page; Pride & Prejudice; Women Leaders Online; PlanetOut; Feminists Against Censorship; Queer Arts Resource; News Media Guide]. -GENERAL INFORMATION [about MEDIAlerts; author notes]. --------------------------------------------------- M E D I A l e r t ! ______________________________ November 1 - 15 Al Kielwasser [1] T H E H A T E T H A T D A R E D N O T . . . S P E A K I T S N A M E On November 12, the jury delivered its verdict in the so-called "talk show murder." Last March, Jonathan Schmitz shot and killed killed his gay neighbor, Scott Amedure, after the two had appeared on a taping of the "Jenny Jones" show; Schmitz claimed he was "ambushed" and "humiliated" by the public revelation that Amedure had a "secret crush" on him. Finding the defendant guilty of "the lesser charge of second degree murder," the jury's verdict was no less disappointing than the media's coverage. Both the courts of law and public opinion displayed an astonishing disregard for homophobia. Throughout the trial, the phrase "homosexual crush" was probably repeated more times -- and heard by more people -- than in all of recorded history. By contrast, words like "homophobic murder" went unspoken. MSNBC's (Oct. 31) special report on the trial featured a panel of four "experts" -- all heterosexual. Typically, their discussion focused on whether talk shows had gone "too far" or had become "too sleazy." The notion that this "talk show murder" was in fact a hate crime surfaced briefly, just once. Almost as an aside, one of the panelists observed that Schmitz was "apparently... very homophobic." Apparently, indeed. The existence of homophobia -- both in the media and on the streets -- was ignored even further in another MSNBC story (Nov. 8). This time, the reporter concluded a segment on the trial by noting: "Whatever the outcome, one thing is sure. Many lives have been ruined by NOTHING MORE than bad TV" [emphasis added]. NBC's (Nov. 1) coverage of the trial also excluded homophobia. Correspondent Rick Davis reported that the outcome of this case would be a return to "less controversial subjects" on TV talk shows. Max Robins, an editor for "TV Guide," agreed, and described the murder as "a real wake-up call to the industry." On the day of the verdict (Nov. 12), CNN's legal review series -- "Burden of Proof" -- was devoted to the trial. Though host Greta Van Sustern suggested the killer "got a pretty good deal from that jury," her show was dominated by lawyers who were obsessed with Schmitz' "humiliation" -- but not his homophobia. One pro-defense attorney complained because "Schmitz was only told the topic was secret crushes...," not HOMOSEXUAL crushes. On this show and others, various critics argued that Schmitz should have been told his secret admirer might be gay... as if homophobes should be excused for assuming the world is as small as their own heterosexist reality. Another CNN show, the popular "Larry King Live" (Nov. 13), also examined the aftermath of the "talk show" trial. Among King's guests were Scott Amedure's brother and a lawyer for the Amedure family -- who are suing "Jenny Jones" for millions in a related civil case. Amedure's lawyer argued that the producers of the "secret crushes" show had subjected Schmitz to an "embarrassment and humiliation THAT THEY CREATED" [emphasis added]. In other words, homophobes are not responsible for their own homophobia... such fear and hatred is caused by the existence of homosexuals. Throughout King's broadcast, the host seemed bent on finding excuses for Schmitz. King described the murderer in various terms, including "taken aback" and "nervous," but never used the word "homophobic." Speaking to Scott Amedure's brother, King concluded: "Everyone can say that your brother would be alive were it not for that program. There was no reason for Jonathan Schmitz to kill your brother except for that program." Other guests on "Larry King Live" again emphasized the need for talk show "reform." Tom Shales, a nationally-syndicated TV critic, said such shows "are reforming now" and featuring less "sleaze." Gordon Elliott, a talk show host himself, agreed. Eliott added: "I don't do sexual perversion... because quite frankly, I'm not into that." Reporting for "Variety" (Nov. 5), Jenny Hontz echoed the observations of many critics regarding "a move away from raunchy talk shows." According to Hontz, the demise of certain shows "is in keeping with the movement toward a more ad-friendly style of talk. Advertisers began shying away from the envelope-pushers after morals campaigner William Bennett announced a boycott on trash talk advertisers and after the infamous Jenny Jones-related murder case." To his credit, Tom Shales ("Larry King Live," Nov. 13) is one of very few mainstream critics to explicitly state that downplaying talk-show "sleaze" and "raunch" should not be confused with downplaying homosexual subjects per se. In fact, Shales suggested, a show on heterosexual/homosexual crushes could be done "seriously." "I don't think any subject should be out of bounds; it all depends on how you do it," he said. In covering the trial, newspapers fared little better than their television counterparts. Filed on the day of the verdict, a report from Reuters (Nov. 12) opened with this typical lead: "A jury Tuesday found a talk show guest guilty of second-degree murder for killing a man who revealed a homosexual crush on him during the taping of the show." Once again, the leading reference to Amedure's "homosexual crush" is not balanced -- ANYWHERE in the article -- by similar references to Schmitz's heterosexuality or his homophobia. Schmitz is never described as "a man who revealed his homophobic tendencies" (though that he clearly was -- and still is). From the start of the trial, Reuter's Todd Nissen seemed inclined to linger on the homoSEXUALITY -- while all but ignoring the homoPHOBIA -- involved in this case. For his Oct. 14 lead, for example, Nissen wrote: "The murder trial of a man who appeared on a daytime talk show, where a gay male admirer revealed that he fantasized about filling the defendant's shorts with whipped cream, opened Monday." By contrast, an article from Associated Press writer Greta Guest (Oct. 17) also mentioned the whipped-cream fantasy, but did so ten paragraphs into her story -- not in the lead Nissen began another (Oct. 6) story by reporting: "The seamy side of daytime talk shows may be as much on trial as the defendant in a murder case starting Monday involving the shotgun killing of a homosexual after a fantasy television expose." Though the article refers to Schmitz' "homosexual secret admirer," descriptions like "homophobic murder suspect" are never used. In an Oct. 7 report, Nissen at least acknowledged a lesbian/gay response to the murder. For this story, Nissen quoted Jeffrey Montgomery, "president of the Triangle foundation, a Detroit-based gay-rights watchdog group," who said: "The only thing that's on trial is Jonathan Schmitz and his inability to responsibly deal with the fact that another man happened to be attracted to him." However, Allyn Schmitz -- the murderer's father -- "disputed that his son was homophobic." According to the elder Schmitz: "Jonathan harbored no grudge against Scott Amedure whatsoever." An AP writer, B. J. Reyes, also noted that "Detroit-area activists contend Amedure's death is a gay hate crime" (Oct. 14). However, Reyes did not explore the contention any further. Though the subject of this story provided ample opportunity for backgrounders on "Homophobia in America," even simple hate crime statistics were missing from this and other news reports. While unnamed "activists" were given one-line mentions, Schmitz's attorney -- James Burdick -- received the widest possible play. Burdick not only assailed talk-show "sleaze," but took "blaming the victim" to new lows in his attempts to portray Scott Amedure as a (homo)sexual predator. Sadly, Burdick's heterosexist spin dominated the mainstream media. The press accounts would have been quite different if, for example, the case had involved lesbians killing the straight men who continuously come on to them. As gay critic Scott Miller points out: "The media focus has been wrong from the moment the murder was first reported. The real issue should be why is homophobia given any validity as a defense for murder. It would be nice if a columnist would ask the question: 'Why are Americans so homophobic that they would rather kill somebody than be perceived as gay?'" Cumulatively, media coverage of the "talk show trial" seems to argue that ALMOST everyone in this case is innocent. Jonathan Schmitz is innocent because he was "ambushed" and "humiliated." Jenny Jones is innocent (at least technically) because she did not pull the trigger. Journalists are innocent because "we don't make the news, we just report it." But just where do homophobic men like Schmitz come from? And why not report on THAT crime... a crime filmmaker Marlon Riggs once described as "the society whose values, laws, education -- and religion -- systematically sanction the obscenity of hate-motivated violence?" The way in which the mainstream media repeated -- over and again -- that Amedure "admitted to having a homosexual crush" revealed the (un)true nature of this crime. The fact that Schmitz admitted to murdering a homosexual man was buried in the coverage. Homosexuality was actually on trial, and -- in the court of public opinion -- found guilty as charged. **** ACTION ALERT!: Encourage better coverage of hate crime; remind the mainstream media to speak directly -- and clearly -- about homophobia. Contact: NBC News, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10019, tel. 212-664-4444, e-mail nightly@nbc.com or nightly@news.nbc.com; Cable News Network, One CNN Center, P.O. Box 105366, Atlanta, GA 30348, tel. 404-827-1700, fax 404-737-3323; MSNBC, 2200 Fletcher Avenue, Fort Lee, NJ 07024, http://www.msnbc.com/; Associated Press, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020, tel. 212-621-1500; Steve Loper, News Editor, Associated Press, 221 S. Figuera Street, Suite 300, Los Angeles, CA 90012, fax 213-346-0200; Reuters America, 1700 Broadway, New York, NY 10019, tel. 212-603-3401. Feedback for Jonathan Schmitz's attorney can be directed to: James W. Burdick, c/o Schram & Saretsky, 1760 S. Telegraph Road, #300, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302-0183, tel. 810-335-5000, fax 810-335-3346. [For additional background on the broader debate over TV talk shows and its implication for lesbian/gay audiences, see: "Talk Show Down" (LifeStyle Magazine, Dec. 1995), "All This Talk of Talk Shows" (Tallahassee Community News, Dec. 1995) and "Nothing To Talk About?" (MEDIAlert!, Dec. 24, 1995)]. [2] C A R D S & F E T T E R S In a mailing to homophobes across the nation, the American Family Association has launched the first salvo in its campaign to fetter the outing of sitcomedian "Ellen" (DeGeneres). True to pre-printed form, the AFA has supplied its 750,000 members with postcards targeting two of the show's sponsors. Reminding Pepsi and VISA that each "has been a frequent advertiser on 'Ellen,'" the AFA postcards explain that : "Now... Disney/ABC may bring the lead character Ellen's lesbianism out of the closet for America's families. While we feel homosexuals and lesbians have dignity and worth as fellow human beings, we don't feel homosexuality/lesbianism should be promoted on television as a normal, alternative life-style. It is not natural and it is not healthy. I am asking Visa [or PepsiCo] not to sponsor 'Ellen's' promotion of such." The postcard's rhetoric is standard fare, used in hundreds of similar campaigns. However, the AFA's feeble concession that "queers are people too" is something new. Perhaps the homophobic masquerade -- outrageously portraying bigotry as morality -- is at last encountering some corporate resistance. For too long, even "supportive" advertisers have failed to challenge the AFA's campaigns for what they clearly are: organized hate drives. Every effort to DISCOURAGE the media's "promotion of homosexuality as normal" is, after all, an attempt to encourage the PROMOTION OF HOMOPHOBIA AS NORMAL. Any organization dedicated to the "promotion of such" is incapable of respecting human dignity or worth. Hate-mongering is definitively inhumane. Unfortunately, most advertisers have responded to previous AFA campaigns NOT with moral indignation, but by simply denying the charge. Accused of promoting homosexuality, these companies essentially reply: "Not guilty!" Claiming innocence only lends perfect credence to the AFA's criminal notions of homosexuality. * * * * ACTION ALERT! Remind VISA and Pepsi that homoPHOBIA is neither natural nor healthy; encourage these advertisers to actively (and publicly) repudiate the AFA's most recent effort to promote such hate. Contact: Roger Enrico, Chair, PepsiCo, Inc., 700 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY 10577-1444; Carl Pascarella, President, VISA USA, P.O. Box 8999, San Francisco, CA 94128-8999. The American Family Association was founded in 1977, "when Donald E. Wildmon became angry one night because all of the TV programs he tried to watch contained sex...." Today, this fundamentalist organization boasts "the most extensive monitoring program in America," by which it regularly identifies "the leading sponsors of filth" (i.e., homosexuality) on television. For more evidence of AFA mongering, contact: Donald Wildmon, President, American Family Association, P.O. Drawer 2440, Tupelo, MS 38803, tel. 601-844-5036, fax 601-844-9176, e-mail affilofc@ebicom.net, http://www.gocin.com/afa/ (complimentary "trial" subscriptions to the AFA's obscene monthly "Journal" are available for the asking). [3] W H O C A R E S ? In a interview with Britain's "Big Issue" magazine, pop singer George Michael has indicated that there is a "big question mark" over his sexuality. "I've wondered what my sexuality might be but I've never wondered whether it was acceptable or not," Michael revealed. According to Reuters (Nov. 12), however, in the same interview Michael -- "a heartthrob for women and also an icon in the gay community" -- also insisted that "he would never publicly clarify his sexuality." "Anyway, who really cares whether I'm gay or straight?," Michael said. "If every gay pop star and actor in the world came out it wouldn't make any difference to the gay community." If sexual orientation were really so irrelevant, there would be no need for arguing the point as Michael does ... vowing NEVER to reveal what wouldn't make ANY difference. If no one "really cares," why insist that no one must ever know? Apparently, the "gay community" to which Michael refers is an ego-centric fiction, inhabited by no one but himself. The public's interest is whatever Michael is interested in discussing publicly. What couldn't make any difference is whatever he wouldn't do. Several years ago, in a seminal article on teen suicide, "The Advocate" (Sept. 24, 1991) interviewed a young lesbian who was suicidal at 13, began carrying razor blades at 15, and finally attempted to take her own life at 16. She said: "Society told me that as a lesbian I was expendable. I was at the point where even a public service announcement would have given me the right to live. One person coming out would have really helped." Contrary to Michael's claim, even one gay singer COULD make a difference. IF he "really cared." * * * * ACTION ALERT! Michael is managed by Andy Stephens Management, Ltd. Feedback can also be sent in care of his current label: DreamWorks Records, 100 Universal Plaza, Bungalow 477, Universal City, CA 91608. M E D I A / B R I E F S [4] M a k i n g A L i s t . . . From the folks at Children's Animated Television (CAT), these questions: "Would you like to take part in open and informative discussion about the issues that face gay/lesbian/bisexual youth? Do you think it would be cool to make new friends from all over the world?" Also from CAT, this answer: "The GLB Youth List." This GLB Youth List is the latest in a series of on-line public services from CAT, utilizing new media to combat old bigotry. All are welcome to join the e-mail group, though the service will be moderated. "Off-topic posts, advertisements, profanity, etc. will not be tolerated," CAT cautions. To subscribe, simply send a message to: cat-glb-discussion-request@complete.org. Type the word "subscribe" (without the quotes) in the BODY of your message; the SUBJECT line is ignored. If you have an e-mail SIG, CAT asks that you "please turn it off; only one request per message." [5] P e d e s t r i a n s O n T h e S u p e r h i g h w a y . . . Literally "taking it to the streets," volunteers from NetAction recently staffed a storefront kiosk in San Francisco's well-traveled Civic Center -- offering passers-by "a hands-on lesson in accessing the World Wide Web, e-mail and news groups." Described as "a week-long experiment in making Internet technology more accessible," organizers suggest that the effort "would be easy for Internet activists to duplicate in other communities where there is interest in promoting more widespread access to technology and/or building coalitions around technology policy." Interested activists are encouraged to contact: Audrie Krause, NetAction, 601 Van Ness Avenue, No. 631, San Francisco, CA 94102, tel. 415-775-8674, e-mail akrause@igc.org, http://www.netaction.org. NetAction is a non-profit organization dedicated to "promoting effective grassroots citizen action campaigns by creating coalitions that link online activists with grassroots organizations, providing training to online activists in effective organizing strategies, and educating the public, policymakers and the media about technology-based social and political issues." [6] W E B W A T C H *** NEWSY QUEERS . . . Promising "all the latest in politics, law and the GLBT community" is the newly re-vamped Pride & Prejudice [http://www.lmg.com/mahoney/jsmgay.htm] -- a "completely free NON-commercial news site." Pride & Prejudice compliments the news with resources for contacting the newsmakers (politicians, community groups, media, etc.). The site also offers LESS graphics (which distinguishes it from several similar services that are apparently more concerned with superfluous form than substantive content). "There are only two graphics on the entire site," says administrator Jennifer Mahoney, "making Pride & Prejudice one of the FASTEST ways to access the news affecting our community." *** WELL HUNG . . . For "gay politics, gay politicians... and your Daily Dose of G/L/B/T news," WebActive's weekly tip sheet suggests "Hangin' Out" [http://www.hanginout.com]. For news-hounds who'd rather hunt than hang, the "WebActive Directory" provides a searchable database "connecting you to over 1,300 of the best progressive sites on the web" [http://www.webactive.com/webactive/directory/directory.html]. *** HIGHER SITES . . . Women Leaders Online [http://wlo.org] continues to master the web, winning an award for "website excellence" at the recent Nonprofits Online '96 Conference. Mobilizing over the Internet, WLO is dedicated to "empowering women in American society, the media and politics" and "opposing the anti-woman agenda of the radical right." *** MATTER OF FAC . . . "Anti-porn campaigners claim that all women are harmed, offended and degraded by pornography. Yet, censorship itself does those things." So says FAC -- Feminists Against Censorship [http://www.fiawol.demon.co.uk/FAC/]. The organization has published several perspectives on pornography, offering an anti-censorship alternative to the anti-porn critiques advanced by such critics as Andrea Dworkin. *** FOR MORE INFORMATION . . . Project Inform is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to providing "vital information on the diagnosis and treatment of HIV disease to HIV-infected individuals, their caretakers, and their healthcare and service providers... to inspire people to make informed choices amid uncertainty and to choose hope over despair." In keeping with that mission, the organization recently launched the Project Inform Home Page [http://www.projinf.org]. This new site offers details about the organization as well as "a large amount of treatment information." *** POSTMODEM ART . . . Queer Arts Resource (QAR) has announced the launch of "the first Internet-based forum for the display and discussion of queer art on-line" [http://www.queer-arts.org]. According to QAR, the new site is intended to provoke and stimulate -- "providing a context for discussion about aesthetics, politics and censorship as it cybercasts the beauty of the homosexual/bisexual/transgender dynamic in the visual arts." *** NEWS WHO. . . Broadly-billed as a "News Media Guide" [http://www.mannamir.com], this web directory offers "a free searchable database of information on reporters, editors and publications at newspapers, magazines, TV & radio programming and Internet sites." Another (fairly substantial) media list can be found at the Newspaper Association of America's web site [http://www.infi.net/naa]. *** DAILY PLANET . . . Web crawlers can browse "daily international queer news," courtesy of the recent (and much-hyped) new venture, "PlanetOut" [http://www.planetout.com/kiosk/newsplanet]. The info-service is also available through Yahoo [http://headlines.yahoo.com/planetout]. ------------------------------------------------- A B O U T M E D I A L E R T S: "MEDIAlert!" [TM] (formerly the "GLAAD Media Watch") is a biweekly, advocacy-oriented column of media criticism, primarily focused on lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender issues. Since 1992, this column has been distributed on request, as a community service. Recipients may print, publish or post this material, in whole or part, under this or any title, without prior permission. When appropriate, attribution can be made to "Al Kielwasser" and/or "MEDIAlert!" File copies of publications using all or part of any "MEDIAlert!" are always appreciated. Next "MEDIAlert!" = November 16-30 , 1996. Contact: "MEDIAlert!," 163 Park Street, San Francisco, CA 94110-5835, voice-mail 415-826-5203, fax 415-826-5203 (ext. 8), e-mail MEDIAction@aol.com. ------------------------------------------------- A U T H O R N O T E S: Al Kielwasser is the editor of "Gay People, Sex and the Media" (New York: Haworth Press) and has taught a wide range of courses and workshops in media theory and practice. His research appears in the "Journal of American Culture," "Journal of Homosexuality," "Journal of Popular Culture," "Critical Studies in Mass Communication," and other publications; during 1994-96, he was twice elected Chair of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation/San Francisco Bay Area. ______________________________________________ Shape the forces that shape our society . . . challenge homophobia in and through the media. _______________________________________________