Ten’s Ron Wilson issues on-air apology after ‘disgusting’ Mardi Gras comment

I’m buying it! Come here, Ron. Come here and give me a nice big, long hug…

I don’t think he had anything to apologise about.

I agree, don’t think there really was anything to apologies about.

and that’s apologise! (yes I know spelt it wrong)

Here we go again – another raid by the PC police.

Wilson is absolutely correct – there IS a lot of ‘excessively sexual behaviour’ at Mardi Gras, and many people would find that ‘disgusting’.

Wilson is totally within his rights as media to raise this and question it, just as other media are within their rights to promote Mardi Gras.

Remember, Mardi Gras began as a push for gay rights – slowly as gay rights were won, inch by inch and year by year, it became a celebration of those achievements… but somewhere along the line it morphed into a ‘celebration’ of the furthest fringes of the gay lifestyle and has gone so far in that direction now that it does ‘cross the line’ and has become far more about self-indulgence.

I have many gay friends who tell me they would never attend Mardi Gras and don’t even believe it has a role in today’s society because it reinforces the worst stereotypes of gay behaviour.

These friends of mine are mostly professionals (apart from one blue-collar worker) who happen to be gay. That they prefer men over women is not the defining factor of their life, it’s just one aspect of it – and they are not the ‘outrageously out-there’ type of gays which Mardi Gras seems to be all about.

For them, Mardi Gras and this behaviour is almost an embarrassment.

Now before you all hit the Comment button and fire back at me, just consider this ONE thought – if there was a STRAIGHT festival, for STRAIGHT people who are in the majority rather than the gay minority, and this straight festival had the same degree of highly sexualised behaviour, would it also be considered ‘acceptable’ or would the politicians and a large swathe of the community be saying ‘No, sorry, that’s all a bit much’… and if someone spoke against it, would everyone be equally quick to leap to its defense as just being fun and colourful?

I believe not. I believe this is another example of a double standard which says that one type of behaviour is acceptable for a minority but it’s not for a majority.

Of course he had something to apologise for! It is not his role to give opinions, he is a newsreader not an investigative journalist. He used the word acceptance THAT many times it indicates that he has a clear problem with gay people. Mardi Gras is a festival celebrating diversity and equality and he clearly demonstrated that this wasnt something he agreed with.

He’s apologising for using the interviewee’s words?

That’s bonkers.

Sorry but I do think he had something to apologise about. It was qyuite clear he personally thought that some of the outfits people were (or not) wearing were is his mind “disgusting”… he used the words and really didnt back down.

You can also hear in Peter Urmson’s tone he was a bit taken aback initially by the use of the word disgusting.

I think is shows his true feelings and nature on this. So people were wearing some arseless chaps, so people were wearing no tops or brief outfits.. does that warrant the term “disgusting”?

The GLBTI community is indeed a diverse one. What is put on display is really no different to the Rio Carnivale or Mardi gras… but do the straight population call that disgusting?

What would Louie Spence think?!?!?!

He is entitled to his opinion? Is that not one of the core messages of the parade?

Ron

Verdict: Guilty as charged!

Punishment: Wlak up and down Oxford Street in Mat’s Mankini

Honestly, all a bit of handbags, ins’t it?

Ron also says that the GLBTI community gained acceptance over time for the parade and their lifestyle, and insinuates that they should be happy with that and just wait for time to bridge the marriage equality gap as well, rather than pushing the issue.

While he may say he supports marriage equality, phrasing the question in this way which does nothing to help the cause, considering Ten’s viewer demographic is probably very much in line with the people that dont support it.

@ Shameful: “What is put on display is really no different to the Rio Carnivale or Mardi Gras”

LOL!!! You must be kidding, or you must have seen a VERY different R-rated carnivale at Rio compared to me!

I agree with Jack’s comments. Do we really need to have semi-nudity to achieve a purpose? Shouldn’t the purpose of the parade continue to focus on equal rights seeing as they STILL don’t exist. I would have thought appointing an Artistic Director for the parade was to ensure Mardi Gras’ message was effectively communicated to the public. Having your arse hanging out doesn’t send a message of equality.
What people choose to wear in the parade should surely reflect how they generally behave. I have never seen people going to work or carrying out everyday activities in arse-less chaps. Leave this for the party, use the parade as a means of generating acceptance.

Ron Wilson wake up its Mardi Gras if you dont like it dont watch it but the wrold needs to accept that we are all different

@Jack: yes i have been to Rio. Load of women with no tops on, pasites covering their nipples. Men in G Bangers… its certainly a sexually charged party atmosphere.

On sunday i was on Brunswick st in melbourne having a beer and the Nude Bike ride went past. Its supposed to be some form of protest, or sharing the road or some crap like that. All i saw was full nudity, wobbly bits everywhere. Now there was no warning for this. At least the MG everyone knows when its on, dont like it keep away.

Mardi Gras was pretty important to me when i was young. Growing up in the country (remote rural vic) it was really hard to have a gay identity. I had no idea what i was.

I moved to Melbourne, met some friends on the Gay scene (first time i went out i was terrified!!). but as i grew a small group of friend off we trooped to Sydney in my old Mazda 626.

There i saw (wide eyed) a world i never knew existed, Muscle mary’s, Drags, trannies, lezzers and jusst plain old average joes like me… all Homo’s all being what they wanted to be. Some over the top, some not so much.. but more importantly a VERY diverse bunch that reflected MY community.

It helped me form my identity moving forward. I didnt have many gay role models growing up (ok none!) and the closest thing i really knew to being gay was Steven Carrington on Dynasty… and they censored that “first gay kiss on TV”

Mardi Gras taught me there were so many different types of Gay people, and it introduced me to a comfortability with my sexuality which at 19 i really needed.

Oh and it was one AWESOME party!

Ron is right though, not with his choice of words, but there are scenes in the parade that are sick and disturbed. Leaving aside any connotation to gay and lesbians but why is there BDSM scenes and other sexual scenes being performed in public??? If straight people were doing that in public the police would be arresting for indecency. Why is the G&L community allowed to do that?
They want to be treated like equals but they do not understand that some of the public displays are sickening to watch from a person who doesn’t think it is right to be confronted with blatant sex in public, straight or gay.

And Ron wasn’t having a go about gays being disgusting, he was having a go about some of the displays on the Mardi GRAS parade is not tasteful. Being in the media industry Ron can not afford to be a homophobe

@Tom: what is “sick and disturbed”?

Simulated Scenes of “bondage”?
Some arseless chaps?
Bare breasted women? of bare breasted lesbians?

Or:
Madonna simulating sex with a cross on stage in front of 80,000 people
Madonna Simulating Sex on every tour…
Lady GaGa wearing undies… ALL of the time?
Charlie Sheen flaunting his 2 women relationship?

Or are all of the above simply good old tongue in cheek adult fun, that just sends a bit of a message.

So you are comparing the Mardi GRAS and the gay community to the wacky weirdo misfits of our society? Yeah good job mate…

How about you. Come back with a proper thought through response before you hit the send button.

If the gay community has to create an upfront overly in your face sexual way to portray them selves then I wonder why the non-gay community finds it hard to accept their lifestyle.

Madona charle sheen and lady gaga are all considered to be idiots, I simply do not understand why you would compare the gay community to them? Are you taking the piss or are you being serious?

@Tom

Madonna – One of the most successful recording artists ever
Gaga – The most successful contempory artist in the last 24 months and the first artist ever to get a 1billion online video views
Sheen – Highest paid TV actor in the states (and therefore probably the world)

Wacky, maybe. Weirdos, possibly.

Idiots, far from it.

Tom, is this a cry for help? It’s ok to be gay these days.

Ron Wilson’s choice of words “disgusting” while describing the parade during the interview will have incited negativity and potentially hatred toward the gay community and that needs to be considered when you work in media, in a position of influence. That is what his apology was about for those of you who weren’t sure why it was necessary. He did appear sincere in his apology but he showed his true opinion during that interview…

Madonna wore an outfit the other day to the Oscars and many, many have said it was disgusting. Soem commenst directed her way make Ron Wilsons comments look lame. She takes it. She is not getting her knickers in a knot over it though and accusing people of sexism and ageism. She is not forcing censorship down people’s throats. The gay community have acted like spoiled self indulgent brats over this and I feel the parade should be cancelled as a public event if they refuse to respect others opinion or their right to one.