Ron Paul: "This guy is a queer!"

[SemiCharmedQuark]

From Slate:

"Presidential candidates will do almost anything for publicity. But Ron Paul's appearance in Sacha Baron Cohen's upcoming Bruno movie suggests he draws the line at making sex tapes with gay Austrian TV hosts.

In a five-minute scene, comedian Cohen tries—and fails—to seduce the Texas congressman and former Republican presidential candidate in a Washington hotel room...The scene with Paul, filmed in early 2008, occurs about halfway through the movie.

...Paul asks what's going on. "Don't worry about it, Dr. Paul," says Bruno, who then unbuckles his belt and drops his pants. At that point, Paul snaps up and storms out of the room.

As Paul is walking away, you can hear him say, several times, something like, "This guy is a queer!" "The word queer comes out of his mouth three or four times," says an attendee.

A spokeswoman for Paul confirmed that the episode took place but declined to provide details. "We don't want it to distract from his message," said press secretary Rachel Mills. "Now is the time when people need to be listening to him on economic issues."

Mills, who was present at the taping, did elaborate on the "queer" line. "I heard him say 'weird,' " she wrote in an e-mail. "In any case, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Queer as Folk … it's not exactly a shocking term if that's what he did say."

...

The rest of the movie is a mix of interviews and stunts targeting celebrities and conservatives of various stripes. At one point, Bruno enrolls in a homosexual reprogramming course with evangelical Christians and spends the whole time hitting on the trainers. He sits down with a leader of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, who tells Bruno to leave after Bruno tells him "your King Osama" looks like a "dirty wizard."

http://www.slate.com/id/2213882/

[Orrex]

1. 'queer comes out of his mouth three or four times'

Now that's a meme that ought to make its way into the zeitgeist!

"The word queer comes out of his mouth three or four times," says an attendee.

[MadMaddie]

2. Libertarians are similar to Republicans in their homophobia.

I am not surprised...

[Uzybone]

19. yes, they are like "y'all can have sex"

"but do it in the privacy of the dungeons we place you in."

[Baikonour]

3. I thought "queer" was an accepted word in the LGBT community.

It's so hard to keep up...

[cboy4]

5. You're not actually serious are you?

[Orrex]

9. Heh heh. You said 'hard to keep up'

Heh heh.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

11. To me, it is like someone who has been caught saying "spic" saying "Well mexicans call each other

that!"

[AlCzervik]

17. really? Did you think Paul calling him a "Queer" was meant as a term of endearment?

[Baikonour]

43. No, not at all. I know Ron Paul is a xenophobe.

But I am serious, I thought it was a somewhat accepted word. Especially after the commercial success of "Queer Eye For The Straight Guy."

If I came off snarky or troll-ish, it was not my intention.

[Name removed]

30. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[napoleon_in_rags]

41. Yeah, I gotta say this whole thing is pretty stupid.

If a strait man took a female political candidate in a hotel room and exposed himself to her, it would just be plain sexual harassment. I wouldn't hold it against her if she came out of that situation yelling something angry about men.

[Fearless]

42. Context. Context. Context.

[MadBadger]

61. ...

:eyes:

[cboy4]

4. You keep spinning Rachel hun

Have you ever heard of the word, "context"?

[pepperbear]

6. "Now is the time when people need to be listening to him on economic issues."

A spokeswoman for Paul confirmed that the episode took place but declined to provide details. "We don't want it to distract from his message," said press secretary Rachel Mills. "Now is the time when people need to be listening to him on economic issues."

OK, promise, but only until the movie comes out.

[Naturyl]

10. I certainly hope no one is listening to him on economic issues.

Libertarian economic policies are disastrous.

[pepperbear]

14. I agree. I simply hope this distraction discredits his message further. n/t

[Uzybone]

7. Paul is a well established racist, homophobe

[musette_sf]

13. i knew that he was racist and sexist

the homophobe thing is new to me. but not a surprise.

[Uzybone]

18. Read some of the shit in Pauls newsletters

Now Paul didn't write everything in his newsletters, but he allows his name to be attached to them as to draw in supporters.

http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=74978161-f730-43a2-91c3-de262573a129

[musette_sf]

68. i'm hip to all that

i live with a libertarian and we go round and round on this. he's all like OH NOEZ Ron Paul iz NOT teh sexist or racist, he iz for TEH LIBERTIEZ. (i'm cultivating my inner Jason Linkins here...) um, yeah, right, he's SO principled yet he let that crap go out under his name.

[JI7]

39. usually if someone is racist and/or sexist they are also a homophobe

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

49. Don't forget just plain loony. nt

[CreekDog]

8. So Ron Paul would've been okay with it had the guy been straight

:wtf: :eyes:

[billyoc]

12. I know a lot of Ron Paul supporters, and he won't lose a single one because of this.

:eyes:

[ColbertWatcher]

15. What does r0N pAuL say when he runs from a white suprecist?

Presuming he runs from them?


Dr. Ron Paul with Don Black (center of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stormfront_(website)">Stormfront fame) and his son, Derek Black at the Values Voters Presidential Debate, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 17 September, 2007.

[Naturyl]

23. The Stormfront leaders are called "The Blacks?"

Score one for cosmic irony.

[originalpckelly]

38. That's the second time I've seen that...

I remember this story about a white supremacist put up around here, that guy was named black too! I wonder if it's the same guy?

[originalpckelly]

24. "I'm a little racist short and stout.

Here is my hat, and here is my pout."

[npk]

16. What I don't understand is how could Paul get himself into this situation

Has he ever heard of Sacha Cohen, the movie Borat, or his former HBO show. Huh. Any of this ring a bell Ron? Jesus fucking Christ what a complete dumb ass fucking goof. It's as bad as Sarah Palin thinking she was talking to the President of France. What did Ron Paul think was going to happen. Lets see Sacha Cohen, a comedian, known for doing sexual content, a camera, and a hotel room in Washington DC, Hell the fuck 'O' Paul you stupid shit. Wake your ass up. I hate stupid people like him. Please hurry up and fucking die. Just go.

[ColbertWatcher]

21. Ronpaul does not believe in TV (it wasn't in the Constitution). n/t

[tekisui]

27. !

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[blogslut]

20. I can't wait for this movie

Bruno is gonna save us all.

As for you Dr. Congressman Ron Paul, it's not what you say. It's how you say it. I got a feeling there was deep enmity in your voice as you sputtered the word "queer".

[originalpckelly]

22. In all fairness, I think most straight men would act that way if a hairy dude dropped his pants...

while trying to seduce him.

I would be more offended if it was faggot he said. He's old anyway, I don't exactly expect him to give a shit about gay guys.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

25. "He's old anyway, I don't exactly expect him to give a shit about gay guys."

:wtf:

Older Americans get a pass on bigotry?

[NavyDavy]

28. didn't take long, did it?

[originalpckelly]

33. On gut reaction, while being sexually harrassed by a member of the same sex.

I think it's very understandable that an old man who's lived his life most of it in a society that doesn't accept gay men would find it outrageous to have something like that happen.

As a gay man, I would probably have a bad reaction to some icky hairy dude hitting on me too, unless I thought he was cute. I'd have to see what this Bruno character looks like before I make a final judgment of the ick factor.

[anigbrowl]

36. You ask, DU answers

This is Sascha Baron Cohen in character as 'Bruno'.

[originalpckelly]

37. Um, yeah, and this isn't mocking gay people?

Bruno is every stereotypical gay man, and I think that picture's offensive. Now, that said, I'd do him, but I'd do him while being quite offended. :P

Please God, will someone get the picture of Ron Paul out of my head while being seduced? Ick! He's probably got ear hair!

[anigbrowl]

55. It's OK when they're german

or something. I see why people find his characters amusing, but his comic schtick of finding oblivious people and then saying/doing something outrageous is getting a bit old. I find it kind of irritating that Cohen relies on his victims' general politeness and friendliness towards foreigners to get close to them in the first place. As a Euro, I generally find American people very welcoming, and taking advantage of people's good nature in order to make fun of them (as this comedian does) ceases to be funny after a while.

[anigbrowl]

35. I'[m not sure it counts as bigotry

After all, removing your clothes while making sexual advances to someone is considered sexual assault in most jurisdictions. Obviously it's just intended for comic effect, but the whole point is the shock value. Picture Sasha BAron cohen pulling this tunt on diane Feinstein, would it still be a big joke?

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

51. I guess its like shoplifting batteries.

:sarcasm:

[originalpckelly]

53. But if it weren't for my horse I never would have spent that year in college!

Where the hell did that come from?

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

56. An old episode of Seinfeld.

An old roommate loves that show, and I'd watch it with him. As a result there are a lot of episodes etched in my mind.

[Name removed]

32. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[HughMoran]

34. I get an uneasy feeling reading this thread

In my case a "gay bully" in my neighborhood tried to molest me which traumatized me for many years. It was as close to attempted rape that I've ever experienced. Gay, straight or otherwise, I don't see how this is either funny or fair to the person put on the spot.

[cboy4]

40. Why do you get a pass throwing around the f-word? Do you see

your fellow straight DUers behaving like that?

[originalpckelly]

46. Is there a derogatory term for straight people?

[cboy4]

47. Yea, it's called "breeders."

Do you live on the moon?

[originalpckelly]

48. When straight people walk down the street getting called breeders...

or get the crap beaten out of them for being "breeders" then it will be a term loaded with the pain and suffering of fag.

[cboy4]

50. Oh I couldn't agree more. I'm just curious why you feel you have

license to use the slur, "faggot"?

I don't recognize you as a member of the DU LGBT community.

You certainly not a vocal supporter of important LGBT issues.

But you feel perfectly fine piping in on this issue and even defending Ron Paul for behaving the way he did.

Phony, with a capital P

[originalpckelly]

52. I'm so gay, I can't even type lines of coke without messing up.

I really mean that too! I just found that out a week ago. My working theory is WAY TOO MUCH GAY PRON!

It's like my hands just want to type c**k in place of coke.

[cboy4]

57. Why aren't you an activist? Do you expect gay rights to happen

by magic?

Someone will wave a magic wand and poof...

Or do you think it will take every gay person with a pulse to get involved?

TYPO

[cboy4]

63. tick-tock tick-tock

?????

[Vanje]

66. You just found out a week ago , you're gay?

Practice makes perfect.

[anigbrowl]

54. There's a difference between talking about something and using it as an epithet

In the context, it doesn't require a pass.

[Jamastiene]

59. Right, because homosexuality has only even existed less years than

Ron Paul has been on this Earth. :eyes:

:wtf: are you thinking?

[Vanje]

64. Hey!!!

Some of us old people ARE gay guys, and gay gals!

[NavyDavy]

26. lets do a countdown until the Ron Paul supporters here come to

his defense

[Naturyl]

29. Hopefully they have been shamed into submission by now.

Then again, Libertarians are persistent if nothing else. Like athlete's foot.

[Calliope Aquamarine]

31. I knew Ron Paul was a kook.

Now I learn he's a homophobic kook. The more I learn about him, the more I dislike him.

[Fearless]

44. How about this...

That he has mentioned not liking government intervention in social affairs... So that means... 13th, 14th, 15th, and 19th Amendments would not have happened if it were up to him. Enjoy.

[DRoseDARs]

45. Nuff said about Ron Paul, but Cohen's schtick wasn't funny 10 yrs ago when Tom Green did it.

eom

[Jamastiene]

58. Ron Paul is a homophobic asshole.

Somehow, that doesn't surprise me.

[cherish44]

60. looks like a dirty wizard!

:spray: :spray: :spray: :spray: :spray: :spray: :spray: :spray: :spray: :spray:

[MrSlayer]

62. Wow. An old man calling a guy who pulls his pants down and comes on to him a queer.

What a shock.

[liberal1973]

65. What a dumbass. Ron Paul is a freak.

[Arugula Latte]

67. I saw the strangest thing yesterday ...

a pickup truck with the gay = symbol, a sticker for KBOO (a very progressive lefty station here) and ... a Ron Paul sticker. :wtf: