Date: Wed, 22 Jun 1994 13:19:09 -0600 From: kmcallis@midway.uchicago.edu The following appeared in the WINDY CITY TIMES if felt it was so outrageous that everyone should see it: FUROR ERUPTS OVER RACIST COPY IN MAGAZINE AD An ad for a video at the Bijou theater published in the June 9 issue of GAY CHICAGO magazine, written by an African-American man, set off a firestorm of disgust and outrage last week among gay and lesbian community members over what many described as "blatantly racist and defamatory" text. Marc Loveless and African-American gay activist, said he was embarrassed, shocked and appalled" after reading the ad copy promoting the video GHETTO GUYS VOL. 4. "it's hurtful to the point where I could not even repeat to other people what it said," Loveless stated. In a full-page letter schedule to appear in the June 16 issue of GAY CHICAGO, Larry Warren, the Bijou copywriter responsible for the ad, explained that his aim was to parody the offensive racism of the video, not to insult readers of the ad. The copy of the GHETTO GUYS ad, which a Bijou spokesman said will not be printed again, started with, "Strong, young thugs stick their soul poles in any hole!" and continued with such lines as "Negroes have dicks as long as it takes welfare checks to arrive! They cum as quickly as a crack high..." and "These big-lipped studs slurp cock like they're on their mama's titties." "It was not my intention , or even my fault, that anyone would be offended or harmed by that" Warren told WINDY CITY TIMES. "This is a parody; this [copy] is obviously ridiculous." Although Warren said that many people he talked to had gotten the parody-"some were hollering and laughing when the called"-an overwhelming number of people in the community were strongly offended by his intended humor. More than a dozen gay and lesbian individuals and organizations, including seven chapters of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation nationwide, sent the Bijou, a gay-male porn theater, and GAY CHICAGO a forceful response last week, condemning the as's publication. The letter-writers, including [Horizons, Image Plus, Queer Nation and the mayoral liaison], called on both the Bijou and GAY CHICAGO to withdraw the GHETTO GUYS ad immediately; publish strong apologies in GAY CHICAGO AND WINDY CITY TIMES, OUTLINES, and the CHICAGO DEFENDER [a newspaper aimed at the African-American community]; and make significant financial contributions to a black gay and lesbian organization. They also called on GAY CHICAGO to form a "consistent advertisement policy" to prevent similar occurrences in the future. At press time the Bijou and GAY CHICAGO had responded to some of the demands, but were not intending to meet them all. Ralph Gernhardt, GAY CHICAGO publisher, said an "unequivocal" apology was scheduled to run in his publisher's letter of June 16, but would not appear in any other publication. Gernhardt also said the he would be certain to read such ads more closely in the future. Gernhardt, who said he had not seen this particular ad before it went to press because it was delivered at the last minute, said, "Had I read it, it would not have gone in... I would have called the Bijou immediately and rejected it." Bijou spokesman Michael Donner said no further action would be taken beyond Larry Warren's letter of apology in the June 16 issue of GAY CHICAGO, which was also signed by Bijou president Steven Toushin. "Steven Toushin has been nothing but a friend to the gay community, and nothing short of charitable to gay and lesbian organizations," said Donner, who himself has written and directed a video schedule to be release sometime in July. The upcoming release, SHADES OF GREY, deals with the prejudice an interracial gay male couple encounters from both men's friends. Donner said the company stood behind Warren's First Amendment rights. Although he said that running the copy "was an oversight," he noted that he thought it ironic that the ad so many have found offensive was written by a black man. But Michael O'Conner of the Active Proud Black Lesbians and Gays, along with many others, contended the author's race in no way excused the ad. "When you reinforce myths about black people, you are part of the problem, not the solution, regardless of your color." O'Connor said. Loveless agreed, saying, "The person who wrote the ad was black-so what? The fact that the person who wrote it its black does not alleviate the responsibilities of the owners [of GAY CHICAGO and the Bijou]." Hite of Image Plus said, "This laguage and imagery is offensive-I don't care if it comes from a black, white, yellow, or brown person. If the same thing had been said abut white men it would have been just as offensive." Hite said he told Warren that if he had included contextual clues that the ad was inteded to be a parody, people would have not had the same "violent reactions to such stereotypical images." GAY CHICAGO'S Gernhardt agreed, noting that. "It's like black stand-up comics who knock the race. That's the way this was intended; but stand-up comedy doesn't work on a page to promote a video." Warren said his intention was to make the ad copy reflect the ugliness of the video, which he said was directed by a white man. "I should have been obvious and said this is a parody, and this is a spoof," Warren said. "In hind sight, oy vay, I would say it." APBLG's O'Connor said a group of black gay activists was planning to meet last Tuesday night, after press time, to discuss what plan of action to follow in expressing their outrage at the bijou and GAY CHICAGO. One thing O'Connor said he wants to know is how the ad even made it to print. "How is it that no one else saw this?" O'Connor asked. "And if someone else saw this, why didn't it get stopped?" O'Connor said the activists were considering calling on black gay and lesbian bars such as the Generator to boycott GAY CHICAGO. "What shocks me is that in 1994 we still have to deal with this," O'Connor said. To Concerned GAY CHICAGO AD Readers: MEA CULPA. It was not my intention, nor should it have been my result, to offend anyone with the as copy for the movie GETTHO GUYS, VOLUME 4 in the June 9, 1994 GAY CHICAGO (Issue #23). I am truly sorry for the any distress this may have caused. As a writer for BIJOU VIDEO, I am given complete, uncensored freedom to review the films that are shown at the theater and those sold to our customers. As a proud, gay, Black, man, I give myself freedom to address eloquently and humorously the many problems that plague our communities (both gay and Black), and those problems in adult gay film. It was within this context that I wrote the copy for GHETTO GUYS, the title alone warrants an absurd approach to such a movie! I take to task the filmmakers for naming it such, as if the gays in Lakeview or the wealthy on the NOrth Shore aren't in a ghetto. I was further offended by the lack of dialogue and plot, and the full participation of six young Black brothers who are used like meat, and portrayal in this video of these fine men as street thugs high on drugs. Given that I must travel through Cabrini-Green daily to arrive at the offices of the BIJOU, and that I, myself, was born and raised in the projects, I feel I am eminently qualified to parody such a travesty because I am an eyewitness to the living stereotypes, and it was with biting sarcasm that I wrote such a review. What's really offensive is that four volumes of the stereotypical drivel have been produced. Thankfully, my boss and supervisor here at BIJOU support fully the cause of honesty, and in our BIJOU catalog (which also includes some of my reviews), we more fully explain and denounce those films that are stereotypical and blatantly offensive and we call a spade a spade. We at BIJOU never mean to offend, but we do set out to inform, provoke, and yes even anger... We are proud to stand for your right to good gay make entertainment. We've even taken a proactive approach to the dearth of serous movies that affect our community with the upcoming release of Mike Donner's SHADES OF GREY which explores the racism within the gay ghetto...both black and white. Yes, I've had my two cents thrown into that pot too. Still, I'd like to see this anger and offense channeled into productive efforts to create and open free dialogue that eliminates ignorance of the full Black community, the gay community, the gay Black community, and all other communities and their full participation and interaction with one another. There for me, is a place worth living. Sincerely [Signed] Larry Warren Copywriter, BIJOU VIDEO [Signed] Steven Toushin President, BIJOU VIDEO Though the letter apology is respectable, I was wondering if anyone has the addresses or phone # for some of these directors. I'm not saying that Porn movies should become politically correct but these sexual stereotypes being constan tly protrayed in these movies are negative affecting the way I(as ablack man) interact with the gay community at large.