Billy Crystal was one of the first actors to play a gay character on television, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t wary of some of the gay content that ends up on the small screen.
The comedian opened up about his feelings regarding the nature of gay scenes on television while speaking at a panel for the Television Critics Association on Sunday in Pasadena, California.
“Sometimes I think, ‘Ah that’s too much for me,’” Crystal said. “Sometimes, it’s just pushing it a little too far for my taste and I’m not going to reveal to you which ones they are.”
In recent years, more and more queer content is making its way onto the airwaves. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender characters and storylines can be seen in popular shows like Looking, Modern Family, Empire, Transparent, How To Get Away With Murder, Orange is the New Black, American Horror Story and Glee.
Following a backlash over his comments, Crystal addressed what he said in an interview published on Xfinity’s TV blog, saying in part:
“First of all, I don’t understand why there would be anything offensive that I said. When it gets too far either visually…now, that world exists because it does for the hetero world, it exists, and I don’t want to see that either. But when I feel it’s a cause, when I feel it’s “You’re going to like my lifestyle,” no matter what it is, I’m going to have a problem and there were a couple of shows I went ‘I couldn’t watch that with somebody else.” That’s fine. If whoever writes it or produces it…totally get it. It’s all about personal taste…
“We live in a very scary time in many ways. You can’t say this, you can’t say that, you can’t offend this group, that group. People come up to you and ask if you were offended. I don’t understand that. I understand it why everyone is watching out for the other person. That’s offensive to me.”
Oh wait, I forgot… He looks like a trans(From lady to man)… Or a butch lesbian or something..
Lmao. True that
Oh please…thats bull.
Thats why there is a selection of programs to choose from, for example from the programs listed above, Modern family and Glee are very ‘family friendly’ and dont have explicit sex scenes. Billy should stick to watching those because they don’t push it ‘too far’.
No one is forcing him to watch How to Get away with Murder, or Orange or Looking…
I find it fishy that he doesn’t mention heterosexual sex scenes are equally or even more explicit on tv until he received backlash for his previous comments and then he tries to create a balance by mentioning ‘the heterosexual world’.
Anything bad in being a trans or butch lesbian? Discrimination amongst us. Have issues with his utterances but don’t insult sexual minorities (is that not what we accuse others of doing?)
I thought I was the only one who didn’t understand a thing!
Straight scenes are not too much for me. Of course, that’s what I’ve been bombarded with since birth, so I’m used to it.
Which is what the rest of the world should do: get used to seeing gay sex all up in their faces.
In 5 generations people won’t even notice the “difference”. They’ll just sex scenes.
Its like you saw me in your dream @ night.. You simply can’t grasp a good joke.. I’m using what he hates against him.. You need to grow some sense of humor.
Ok its like we have the next king in our midst. Do you scream moderation when they flaunt hetero sex all over TV??
Y’all should watch out for this dude.. I smell internalized homophobia.
You really have a hardon for Max this morning, doncha Pete? 🙂
Max,i didn’t see you in my dream. I won’t mind though if that will make you finally teach me the MTN cheat. You saw it as a joke,others may not. Most fatalities started off as a joke,the Charlie Hebdo killings for instance
PP,anything bad in that?
So,anybody with a different opinion on KD is suffering from internalized homophobia?
At last,somebody who shares same view
Max,read my comment again & focus on ALL
I’m sorry if this makes me seem dense but was there really anything homophobic about his initial statement?
Max is always saying bad things against sexual minorities, then passing them off as satire or jokes, and PP is always supporting him.
The 1st time it was women, today it’s butch and trans. If u talk like this in NY or so, they might do a non-satirical CharlieHebdo on you…
Honey, I did a piece few weeks ago on a trans lady Leelah Alcorn.. Go and read it.
” They are forced
to drink their homophobia with
coffee and smile!” Lol Dennis ur evil!*and Mrs M???????hmmmm *oduanya*
Chestnut I swear! The part he was quoted came off as babble. He should get over himself. There was a time too that people were disgusted my interracial kissing on t.v but now all that has changed. Let him not push us back to dark times.
Sorry Mr kassy didn’t u get the memo…Mrs M isn’t Mrs M anymore hian…..
Biko don’t spoil the plan we have of getting that new village calabar boi for him ooo! He will protect our interest am sure.
Not really homophobic. Just a statement of double standards.
Hian!!! Who served the memo? and when? I have not seen anything o.
You see what i was talking about when i said there is some big conspiracy with chestnut and pinky and maybe even Max and Absalom sef very much involved. It’s as if Miss Granger ‘silencioed” them on the matter. I am not interested in “smelling the coffee”. Dennis come and spill o.
Yeah,the piece on Leelah Acorn.The one you took a dig at people of faith,the one as confirmed my suspicion about most commenters on KD.If it’s not gay,irreverent,doesn’t tow the popular line on here,then it’s not to be tolerated.
Billy,Billy, Billy the goat do us a favor and park well eh. Dazzal I haf to say on this matters.
Well, historically, sexual minorities have had it rough. So anything you say that is not direct praise or a compliment, you have to explain your motives right after. Or we ask for your head – nicely. It is what it is.
Nothing wrong with his observation. Moderation should be applied in all programs destined for TV
Gay scenes on tv are “too much” for you? No papi; that extra stomach on ur NECK is too much for me!
(I’m sorry that he might be having some sort of throat-health issue…or maybe he’s just fat…)
Not the most articulate statement I ever read; I didn’t understand a lot of what he was saying…(Or maybe I’m still sleepy…)*yawn*
Straight scenes on TV are too much for me.. I can’t stomach them. Ozwai.
He should rest jhor!!!!
Opinion guys, OPINION
It’s okay for us to see straight sex scenes, but god forbid they corrupt our minds with gay sex scenes! Double standards anyone? You don’t like it, log onto you-tube or something.
Meanwhile I like how powerful the gay movement is in the west that homophobes are always struggling to explain themselves after saying something nasty. They are forced to drink their homophobia with coffee and smile!
Lol