Australian Skating Announcers Decried For Homophobic Remarks

Weir (r) On Saturday Joins Channel Nine's McGuire For In-Studio Interview

Australia’s Channel Nine announcers Eddie McGuire and Mick Molloy are “in hot water after making allegedly homophobic remarks about male ice skaters” at the Vancouver Games, according to the London DAILY MAIL. As McGuire and Molloy watched the procession of skaters before Tuesday's short program competition, Molloy remarked, “They don’t leave anything in the locker room these blokes, do they?” McGuire replied, “They don’t leave anything in the closet either, do they?” When a skater appeared in a Western-style costume, McGuire said it “was a bit of Brokeback.” Molloy added, “A bit of Brokeback Mountain exercises; you can’t wear that?” Molloy the previous day made a joke that organizers “had been shocked to discover that one of the male skaters in the competition was not gay.” He “later made a joke out of his apology.” Molloy: “I suggested that there was a disaster happening at the ice skating rink because organisers had found out one of the male ice dancers wasn’t gay. And I apologize for that really sincerely.” But as U.S. skater Johnny Weir stepped on the ice, Molloy said, “It definitely wasn’t this guy.” The comments “have sparked a massive backlash in Australia,” as “dozens have complained directly to the TV station while others have started a Facebook page called 'Eddie McGuire is ruining the 2010 Winter Olympics coverage” (London DAILY MAIL, 2/19). McGuire Saturday interviewed Weir at Channel Nine’s Vancouver studio, “extending a personal invitation to the skater to stay at his own pad in Australia and help renovate his guest room in a ‘happy yellow.’” Weir said, “For me, I take everything as a game. I am very laid-back as far as that goes. I like to poke fun at people, there’s no harm with that, it’s all in good fun” (Brisbane COURIER MAIL, 2/22).

SKATING ON THIN ICE: The TORONTO STAR reported the Quebec Council of Gays and Lesbians today “plans to file a complaint ... with the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council over comments made” by RDS announcers Claude Mailhot and Alain Goldberg during the net’s men’s figure skating coverage. After Weir was shown wearing a “semi-sheer, pink-and-black costume,” Mailhot said, “This may not be politically correct, but do you think he lost points due to his costume and his body language?” Goldberg replied, “They’ll think all the boys who skate will end up like him. It sets a bad example.” Goldberg later said, “We should make him (Weir) pass a gender test at this point.” Mailhot then jokingly suggested that Weir “should compete in the women’s competition.” The two broadcasters later “offered an on-air apology” (TORONTO STAR, 2/21). Mailhot said, “It seems that when we talked about the clothes it upset certain people, and it certainly wasn’t our goal to upset anyone. If you felt criticized, we apologize” (Montreal GAZETTE, 2/21).