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| John Gibson |
In a statement released on Thursday by the
Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, the organization slammed comments made by Fox News radio host
John Gibson about the death of 28-year-old actor
Heath Ledger, calling Gibson "cruel and tasteless."
"In the wake of Heath Ledger’s death, people around the world are mourning the gifted actor’s passing and are expressing their appreciation for how he changed hearts and minds with his Oscar-nominated role as a gay cowboy in 2005’s
Brokeback Mountain," the statement read.
The GLAAD "Call to Action" statement said Gibson "cruelly mocked Ledger’s death and his role in
Brokeback Mountain" during a broadcast of his show on January 22nd.
During the show, Gibson played an audio clip from the film of
Jake Gyllenhaal’s character, Jack, telling Ennis (played by Ledger), "I wish I knew how to quit you." Gibson then coldly quipped, "Well, he found out how to quit you." Then, after playing another audio clip from the movie of Ledger’s character saying, "We're dead," Gibson mockingly said with a fake country accent, "We’re dead" and played the clip again.
“Gibson’s remarks are vulgar and disgusting,” said
Rashad Robinson, GLAAD’s Senior Director of Media Programs. “It’s sickening that Gibson would exploit Heath Ledger’s tragic death to promote such hurtful intolerance. And to do so at a time when family and friends are grieving shows a level of insensitivity that is beyond the pale.”
Beyond his mockery of Ledger’s role in Brokeback Mountain, Gibson called the actor a "weirdo" with "a serious drug problem," and callously speculated on the reasons Ledger might have committed suicide. Gibson had
previously mocked
Brokeback Mountain, calling it a "gay agenda movie" on his Fox News TV program in 2006.
GLAAD is asking people to contact Fox news and "ask its representatives why they continue to provide a platform for John Gibson's cruel and tasteless comments."
Listen to the clip from Gibson's show on
ThinkProgress.com:
