Michael Sam’s draft onto the St. Louis Rams and subsequent aired kiss with his partner has been discussed ad infinitum, but Anderson Cooper’s analysis is too good not to share.
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Yes, the NFL draft occurred over one month ago. Yes, the Michael Sam draft to the St. Louis Rams and subsequent aired kiss with his partner on ESPN has been discussed ad infinitum with varying opinions. That said, The Good Men Project is in the midst of celebrating LGBT Pride/LGBT Book Month, and this was too important not to share.
Each evening on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360, Anderson Cooper shares a segment called the “Ridiculist.” It is a lighter look at some of the more humorous or outlandish pieces of news around the country.
Let’s dissect a few comments from our talk show host friend.
“It’s not a moment of celebration.”– Only Around 2% of all NCAA athletes will be selected to join the NFL ranks. When we accomplish something we have dreamed of for years–have toiled and fought to achieve–we want to celebrate. It’s like telling a married couple, “Listen, play it cool today when the minister pronounces your marriage. This is more a life formality than a celebration.”
“I would have said, get a room.”– The video already portrayed the hypocrisy of this statement, as it harkened back to a previous broadcast where the talk show co-host was hoisted on the shoulders of two half naked men, only to kiss each before the break. Should her audience have said, “Get a room (perhaps the champagne room in this instance)?” Moreover, according to Urban Dictionary–home to all things slang–“get a room” is reserved for “heavy duty PDA that means your wanton lust is making me uncomfortable (or jealous).” A peck on the lips and an embrace don’t seem too “heavy duty.”
“ESPN would not be showing it if he was kissing his wife.”– For a more in-depth look at this topic, visit Jim Buzinski’s article on Outsports.com aligning instances of straight players publicly kissing (and sometimes groping) their wives for the camera. Each picture is captioned with a Tweet that attacked the Michael Sam kiss. How might some feel seeing the caption, “Nobody wants to see that so you can stop now. #Disgusting” under a picture of Drew Brees kissing his wife?
“This was an opportunity to make news.”– Yes, it was. ESPN stands for the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network. When ESPN is not covering live or replayed broadcasts of sporting events, they are providing analysis or updating the viewer with sports-related news. News consists of new and noteworthy happenings. Michael Sam’s drafting was a first. If ESPN has the opportunity to cover a monumental event in the sport that dominates American culture, I think they’ll jump on it.
“I just don’t want it in my face.”– Change the channel.
“When parents don’t have the choice as to whether or not their child can see this, it’s wrong.”– As an educator, I teach my students that we really can only control two things in life. What we choose to send out into the world, and what we choose to receive or how we choose to receive that which comes to us. First, ESPN is not NickToons. It is meant for an older demographic. But even so, if a child did watch this, the parent always has a choice how he/she receives this information and discusses it with a child.
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When I was a kid my kindergarten class would sing “If You’re Happy and You Know It.” We’d clap our hands and stomp our feet, letting the world know that our faces really showed it. We would never consider telling a child, “Look, when you’re happy and you know it now, please show it, unless, of course, it has anything to do with loving someone genuinely.”
Why should an adult have any different limitations in love and happiness?
And if that adult’s moment of celebration is shared on TV, I have the choice to celebrate with them or change the channel. In this instance, I choose to celebrate with Michael Sam and the rest of the LGBT community—I choose to celebrate love.
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Image credit: katerha/flickr
Great! The ‘phobes are out of touch!
Right on!