Why would someone like Hill, a vocal supporter of the transgender, bisexual, gay, and lesbian community, even use such words of anger in a moment? The question still raises, but the insult hurled by the actor last week.
In the midst of a game, Joakim Noah, the center for the Chicago Bulls, shouted it at a Miami Heat basketball fan who had been provoking him. This incident sparked a disagreement that ultimately led to Washington being dismissed. Isaiah Washington uttered the same derogatory term to his fellow “Grey’s Anatomy” co-star, T.R. Knight, in 2007. Three years ago, during a basketball game, a U.S. Television audience witnessed Kobe Bryant exclaiming the identical slur towards a referee whom he believed had made an incorrect decision. It is important to note that he is not the first, nor is he likely to be the last, prominent figure to engage in such behavior.
The word “faggot” is not only pejorative, but it also seems to be the most common derogatory term used when someone is mad at another person. It doesn’t often matter if they think the person is gay or not.
Hudson Taylor, the founder of Athlete Ally, an organization dedicated to eradicating prejudice against the LGBTQ+ community in sports, expressed, “The usage of such language is widespread among the various communities I engage with. Whether it’s a fourth-grade student or a professional athlete, approximately 90 percent of individuals have encountered this term within the past week.” Taylor further added, “I believe Jonah Hill’s remarks demonstrate that frequently, when someone employs such language, it may not necessarily stem from homophobia.”
Howard Bragman, a veteran publicist and vice president of Reputation.Com, asserts that when someone is searching for the most insulting thing to say and is furious, they often choose the one that is considered commonplace.
Hill has been a public supporter of gay rights, speaking out against Russian laws that target “gay propaganda.” According to Bragman, the actor does not believe in being anti-gay and personally knows that he himself is gay. It is certainly harsh to say, but you can think of it as the harshest thing you can say when anger overtakes rationality and emotions.
Celebrities often hope to provoke paparazzi in Hollywood in order to get shots of themselves doing something stupid, with the intention of rising in fame. They insult him and his family, hoping to get their hands on the money that comes from selling those shots. This is the act that Hill, who starred in “The Wolf of Wall Street” and “22 Jump Street,” hopes will fly him out of the fairly commonplace Hollywood scene.
On “The Tonight Show,” Hill stated this week, “I uttered the most damaging term that I could conceive of at that particular instant,” and I desired to cause him pain as a reaction.
However, he has stated in numerous apologies, there was no justification for his actions.
Two seasons ago, Yunel Escobar, a shortstop for the Toronto Blue Jays in Major League Baseball, was suspended and hit with large fines for stenciling a Spanish word onto his eye black. The NBA also quickly fined players like Noah and Bryant Hill from the National Basketball Association, who then apologized.
Hudson, from Athlete Ally, states that is insufficient. Individuals must understand that the term is unacceptable.
Will she eventually be believed? However, the N-word hasn’t quite yet developed a negative reputation among the people. Recently, it has only come to be among the worst epithets for gay individuals in the English language, as stated by Karen Tonson, a professor of gender and English studies at the University of Southern California. The term “heretics” is derived from an old-century word.
Tonson stated, “By eliminating them gradually, having an understanding of precisely how harmful specific terms can be or gaining enlightenment, I believe.” “That term possesses an exceedingly aggressive origin, that term does. It entails comprehending that ceasing the utilization of that term is not merely adhering to a set of politically correct beliefs.