Wow, were the talking points well distributed this week following a carefully choreographed “coming out” party for Jason Collins.
If you hadn’t heard, Jason Collins announced this week that not only is he a multi-millionaire who is paid to put a ball into a hoop that is about 2 feet from the tips of his fingers as he stands under it, but also living a homosexual lifestyle. In this case, his has been trumpeted – by the President of the United States, no less – as an act of, “courage” in, “coming out” in a world supposedly dominated by womanizing jocks.
Now, here is where the talking points kick in. As the media runs with open mic and focusing camera to the sports elite, they are supposed to repeat, evidently, one of two lines. Let’s look at them closely.
“I look forward to a day when this is no longer newsworthy.”
That’s the first one. I’ve heard it here locally, I’ve heard it on SportsCenter, from politicians and aging sports stars. Each one first begins by using some form of praise for the boldness, courage, or other type hero language that really ought to be reserved for men like those who stormed Normandy, not a guy who is paid $1.5 million to average 1 point per game. Then, they turn their commentary to the shocking nature of the revelation. Feigning surprise (but not really being surprised) they remark how amazing that this is news and finish off by wistfully pining for the day when such a thing won’t be news.
Here’s the thing: it’s only “newsworthy” to them. That is, if they pine for the day when this won’t be news anymore, then why have they created the story? Why did Collins become the feature story in Sports Illustrated to announce this news that we’re supposed to be unsurprisingly shocked about? Why did the press immediately run to commentary to the nearest athlete and the President if this was so, “ho-hum,” old hat to them?
The reality is that I agree with them, to some extent. My first reaction when I found out that this Center is inclined to have sex outside of marriage with other men was, “So what?” I think, in fact, I yawned between the “so” and the “what” too. It is not newsworthy. Gentleman should never discuss their sex life publicly. I suppose its only shocking in the way that Wilt Chamberlain’s supposed 5-figured peccadilloes were surprising: we tend to have a cultural fascination with sex. Call it the pornification of the news for that’s what it has become.
The sad reality is not the “outing” here, but that most of us have grown up around a sex-dripping culture for so long that we have to feign surprise when someone admits to having sex outside of marriage. We’ve been so desensitized to what is immoral that we yawn rather than recoil.
Read the rest at jeremydys.com . . .
About Jeremy Dys
Jeremy Dys is the FPCWV's President and General Counsel. In addition to his duties of providing strategic vision and leadership to the FPCWV, Dys is the chief lobbyist and spokesman. Dys is regularly featured in local, state, and national print, radio, and television outlets. He lives close to Charleston with his wife and growing family.
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