Comments on: ‘Kick it Out’ director defends anti-homophobia film

By: David Bruce Taylor

David Bruce Taylor — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:24:41 +0000

I agree that there are other steps that the FA could take, but do not agree that the ‘viral advert’ (originally intended for showing in Stadiums and on TV at appropriate times) shows a desire only to pretend that it cares about the problem.

Points penalties is an extreme measure that would detract from the accomplishment of the sportsmen on the pitch, as their hard work could be undone by their fans. It would be a significant step in changing the relationship between spectators and sportsmen to an even more symbiotic one, but that could be prone to abuse… imagine the fans of a flagging team, falling down the tables, donning the shirts of their opposition team, occupying their terraces as close to the sidelines as they can get and deliberately chanting homophobic abuse at their own team to give their rival team points penalties! It is remote, but it is a possibility.

No the problem must be tackled, i believe anyways, by isolating those responsible by making the rest of footballing society shun them, and be prepared to put a hand on their shoulder from the row behind and speak up against them, or contact a steward to have them removed by security/the police.

This film i think would have done that as it shows the homophobic man in sufficient a bad light to make people aware of how much they no longer fit into our society. It might even make a few homophobic fans reconsider how those around them perceive them and their chanting.

Please remove the block against this advert. It is a step in the right direction.

By: Simon Murphy

Simon Murphy — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:58:32 +0000

The viral advert merely shows that the FA does not take homophobia seriously, although wants to pretend it does.

If the FA took homophobia seriously then there would be points penalties against teams whose fans engaged in homophobic abuse.

That would instantly stop the chanting – people take football so seriously after all.

By: David Bruce Taylor

David Bruce Taylor — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:52:06 +0000

I was one of the actors (well…’Featured Extras’) in this film and am disappointed to see what i thought was a step in the right direction being tackled ‘head-on’.

If these chants are being made on the terraces (and we know they are) then people should be more offended that an attempt to stop them is being blocked than they should be offended at seeing the language used by an actor on a stadium or TV screen.

At least in this film the Director has had the opportunity to show the reaction by normal people to this type of language – something that those surrounding a ‘lout on the terrace’ might not see as people can be too paralysed by discomfort and fear to show their true feelings.

The film also got to show the homophobic football fan outside of the stadium and how his condition spills mistakenly into other interactions with the public and people he meets on his journey through life.

My opinion in a nutshell is if it exists in the world, people shouldn’t be offended to have it thrust into public consciousness by challenging it in the media. Only when we have removed racism, homophobia, etc. from our society can we keep it from our screens.

David B Taylor
wolfman1980@hotmail.co.uk

By: Tigra 07

Tigra 07 — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:39:15 +0000

Screw the viral advert
Why not play this advert in the breaks of football matches where it can actually reach the target audience rather than the kids on youtube?

By: flapjack

flapjack — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:05:14 +0000

For my money, the ad as it stands would be preaching to the converted. For all the people who think “I wouldn’t shout homophobic abuse in the office or in the street” the hardcore homophobes on the terraces will be thinking the precise opposite.
In my experience the only reason they don’t shout homophobic abuse in the office is the latent threat they might be sacked for it… remove that threat and they’ll use every homophobic jibe under the sun. I know, I worked in an environment like that.
It doesn’t really address the root cause any more than a teacher telling the class “you wouldn’t put your feet on the table at home” when you know damn well the kids they’re refering to are just like that at home.
I don’t know if there’s a better way of getting the message across, but merely demonstrating what homophobic abuse sounds like is unlikely to make anyone think twice if they didn’t think it was wrong already.
I think education is a key part of this… homophobic kids grow up to be homophobic football louts.

By: the.kitty.channel

the.kitty.channel — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:52:20 +0000

Here’s one good way to do it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqqJIFybi_w&feature=PlayList&p=3524FD6632D28AD5&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=28 . Look and learn, persons of Wembley! And *do* something about it, don’t do sweet FA.

By: the.kitty.channel

the.kitty.channel — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:46:01 +0000

Another strange show-biz enigma. Various interest-groups are brought on-side and involved in the scripting and production, which they approve. Yet the finished product turns out to be unsuitable – “deeply offensive”, “incendiary”, “vulgar”. This could easily be true if it’s full of foul language. Come on now, FA! You don’t need a degree in sports science to work it out, do you? How long have you been what is laughingly called “working” on this, now? Show us you mean it, already.