Cancelled!
Last night, the Cincinnati Reds long time broadcaster committed career suicide on the air.
Thom Brennaman was caught coming out of a break saying “one of the f– capitals of the world” during the first game of the doubleheader.
He was yanked off the air and the Red’s sent out a press release:“The Cincinnati Reds organization is devastated by the horrific, homophobic remark made this evening by broadcaster Thom Brennaman.” “He was pulled off the air, and effective immediately was suspended from doing Reds broadcasts. We will be addressing our broadcasting team in the coming days.”
Brennaman apologized while on the air and and openly said that he suspected his career was over.
As soon as he uttered that “horrific, homophobic remark” Twitter blew up.
Thousands of tweets poured forth demanding that Brennaman be immediately fired and saying that this was proof that the man was so evil that he did not deserve to be gainfully employed.
Brennaman was careless, unprofessional, and rude.
That deserves some sort of professional discipline.
It doesn’t deserve being “cancelled”.
I have long wondered why that since the advent of social media when one sins against the current cultural norms in any way, shape, or form it’s acceptable to demand that they lose their jobs and income forever.
People are judged by an incident, a word, without regard to the whole of their lives.
The Constitution used to protect the right to be wrong, even to be a peaceful jackass.
Now you will lose it all for one cultural faux pas…even if you committed this sin against genteel sensibilities decades ago.
You will be immediately “cancelled” if you simply affirm out loud two thousand years of Christian moral theology or the views espoused by the Koran on homosexuality.
Tolerance only flows one way on these matters.
America used to be the land of second chances…we delighted as much in the redemption of someone who failed as much as we did in shaming them in the first place.
Those days are long gone, because the days of having the remnants of a religious tradition that delights in redemption are almost gone.
Almost.
There are still many who hold to those traditional values who have learned to keep their mouths shut or face the consequences.
They silently seeth…and we wonder why so many are so angry.
True “progress” relies on persuasion , not coercion.
Coercion works…until the coerced find their own weapons.
Then they make progress of their own.
Make your own application…
Did the company bow to pressure from the activities is the question? Will make the PR image of the organization look bad from what he said? Yes. The question is how much? Will Brennamen hurt the brand more than help? That is the bottom line question and will determine whether he stays or goes.
But Michael you did err on referencing the Constitution here. The free speech card only applies to governments. It does not apply to businesses. Just like that Dunkin’ Donuts has a right not allow non-mask wearing idiot pastors into their store (and kick them out), the Reds have a right to fire or lay off Brennamen (especially if it damages the brand).
Employment with X company is not a right (either for the employee or the employer). Likewise if Brennamen feels that the Reds has caved to the PC crowd, then he is free to work elsewhere, he is not obliged to stay either.
No doubt that businesses have the right to employ whoever they want.
Except…it won’t matter how well this guy does his job or how many people either aren’t upset or are willing to forgive…the mob will rule.
The mob will decide who this person is based on a 5 second snip of his life.
I, for one, am tired of mob rule…
Maybe a little unfortunate that this guy worked for the Reds organization. Their former owner, Marge Schott, was known as a human pig — very, very racist, among other things. May have something to do with the Reds, as from my understanding, who’ve tried hard to move away from her, uh, “example.”
“Comparing Cincinnati Reds announcer Thom Brennaman to former Reds owner Marge Schott might be a stretch. Brennaman made one anti-gay slur, while Schott made many public homophobic and racist remarks. Either way, it’s a bad look for the Cincinnati Reds. Schott’s name had been in the news recently when the University of Cincinnati removed her name from the baseball stadium. Other organizations and facilities followed suit.”
https://www.sportscasting.com/after-marge-schotts-fiasco-thom-brennaman-is-another-black-eye-for-cincinnati-reds/
Bummer. Brennaman has a great baseball voice. Enjoyed listening to him on Fox. Hopefully he gets another chance after a hard lesson learned.
All I know is our culture is so incredibly judgmental and condemning, I am just thankful that when I give an account of myself before the King, He will judge with complete and total fairness and he will consider everything, like my mental illness and all the mitigating circumstances. I know I will be held accountable, but He will judge righteously, and He will show mercy. Not like our culture today. This culture is flat mean and emotionally violent. He isn’t.
I agree with Joel G. He certainly deserves another chance…
Well we’re being immediately judged for every idle word. Life and death in the tongue. He’s dead.
I do believe free speech means being able to speak offensively but he was working and spewed carelessly crass language.
The cancellations have been over much less things. One more reason for my complete sports blackout.
Ok I’m a hypocrite I will watch golf and YouTube recordings of selected events.
This is the actual judgment of the gods. The beast that rides the whore is eating her flesh and burning her with fire.
Systemic whoredom is being burned to the ground. So be it.
I lost it watching the responses on social media…this one statement was used to define a mans complete character and personhood.
It’s wrong and it makes me sick.
BD,
You’re going to have to black out every commercial enterprise at some point.
I watch the games with the sound off anyway…
I remember NFL analyst Jimmy “The Greek” being Cancelled quite a long time ago…1970s or 80s? If I remember correctly, and I haven’t google’d it, but he died without gainful employment after his NFL career ended.
Michael,
I agree with you regarding mob rule and it takes a certain courage to stand up to the mob and tell them to pound sand. If they don’t like X, then they are feel free to shop elsewhere (or be fans of different sports teams). If they don’t like Brenneman, they are free to not listen to him or watch the game with sound turned off.
But again, that requires courage. Remember mob rule is like peer pressure and it often works because the leaders know that people often don’t have courage or are willing to stand up to it.
I don’t care about mobs, but I would have fired him if he worked for me. It was only a slip up because the mic was hot. Words like that don’t just sneak into your vocabulary. It’s the n-word and unacceptable in a business environment. When people I know use similar slurs, I tell them, “don’t use that word around me”, but an employee would get canned if they were on the clock.
Blurting out “faggot” is an insult, just as blurting out n***er is, just as wetback is, just as cracker is, just as slut or whore would be. If I said any of those things in the context of a sportscast, NO ONE would assume I was trying to engage some high-minded theological discussion of homosexuality or reparations or immigration policy or demographic winter or women pastors, etc. if out of nowhere I just let one of those words drop.
Nor is that the place for any sort of social commentary – call balls and strikes, don’t call for reparations. “Shut Up and Dribble,” isn’t that what Laura Ingraham told LeBron to do?
I have no idea whether Brenneman is interested or even capable of having a theological-philosophical discussion of the Biblical or Koranic view of homosexuality. But there is a big difference between reasoned arguments where people can respect each other as the issues are hashed out and someone dropping an f-bomb.
Indeed, thinking that, oh, because someone used an insult to refer to homosexuals on the air, that person shares my theological views on homosexuality, is a hell of a leap. Not sure we ought to be defending him until we’re sure he’s an Anglican and not an Episcopalian. 🙂
I agree with you, Jim. He wasn’t just an ordinary employee, either. Millions heard him say it, and many of them were children. Those words hurt. As a woman with two daughters and a granddaughter, too, now – I am still very angry and offended at President Trump ‘s obscene recorded comment about being able to grab women by their private parts whenever he felt like it, ” because when you’re famous you can do whatever you want”. Actually,being famous should result in greater censure when someone uses bigoted and offensive slurs in order to demean and disrespect others. As far as I am concerned Trump’s crude comment disqualified him from the office of the presidency because he clearly was advocating for the victimization of one half of the population of the U.S. when he bragged about being able to sexually assault women with no consequences.
Wow! Not sure what he said, but I sure am not free to say what I think at my workplace. Not even close…it’s total shutdown on critical thought.
There was a crackerjack test pilot with the last name Faggot – hhmmmm. Can’t recall if he had any male children…. 🙆
I listen to a homosexual Lutheran pastor who loves God, preaches sound doctrine, mostly, including what scripture teaches about his proclivity, which he doesn’t practice, of course
Sins not indulged, but confessed to God are not counted against the Believer are they?
The last of my stitches came out today, doc says graft looks good and i can put my glasses back on for short time – will try to not be a nuisance, though 🙌😇
“Indeed, thinking that, oh, because someone used an insult to refer to homosexuals on the air, that person shares my theological views on homosexuality, is a hell of a leap. ”
I haven’t seen anyone make that leap, so I don’t know what you’re referring to…
Em,
We’re really glad you’re back!
I spent my life in broadcasting – and the bottom line is, every company has standards for it’s online personnel.
How you dress, how you act in public, how you were in the studio when you think the mike is off…no excuses, let alone when the mike is on and you are working.
You are a voice and face of that company. Period. Advertisers are influenced by the on air lineup and if they liked it, they advertised. And if you get caught on an open mike denigrating, swearing etc. you were fired on the spot and escorted out of the building.
There were a lot of people lined up for your job – it is a privilege to be able to be able to do what you love and what you are good at. But you aren’t paid to be careless, unprofessional or rude.
That slur he used is not ‘rude’, it is a word with a violent and ugly history that diminishes the dignity of another human being and a group of people. Language is important. As a broadcaster you are paid by a company to represent them to the public.
I get he is sorry – I get that he is loved by fans. He is a pro, and no doubt prepared to accept the consequences.
Bene D,
I appreciate your sharing what you know.
I mean, the guy was in charge of his own behavior, right? Especially on the air, for Pete’s sake.
It does kind of make you wonder about his habits off the air.
And then why does he have to mention that he’s a believer? What a lousy advertisement! Apparently makes not difference w/regard to his behavior.
Well said Bene D.
It is not a rude word, but a slur, and needs to be understood in the context of violenct history.
The Scriptures have something to say about consent. ..”And Saul was consenting unto his death..”. Saul did nothing to participate in the murder of Stephen, but he is included as though he also is one who did.
And again, it is not only those who commit an act that are guilty:
..”Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them..”..
One might ask, could there not be a homosexual in this or that town? The Lord left instructions in this way also:
..”Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.”..
Here is part of his written apology in the Cincinnati Inquirer.
“”I used a word that is both offensive and insulting. In the past 24 hours, I have read about its history; I had no idea it was so rooted in hate and violence and am particularly ashamed that I, someone who makes his living by the use of words, could be so careless and insensitive. It’s a word that should have no place in my vocabulary and I will certainly never utter it again.”
https://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/2020/08/20/thom-brennaman-what-said-wrong/3401957001/
His first apology wasn’t.
His first “I’m sorry” was to his employer.
“This isn’t who I am” – I think was directed at the people who sign his paycheck.
It is who he is, he said what he said.
I’m not convinced a 56 year old man who grew up with a famous sportscaster father, and who started at the top of his field at the age of 23 didn’t know the history and hate of the word he used.
And I suspect an agent or image consultant helped him with the second attempt to apologize.
Self-awareness doesn’t seem to one of his strengths. Maybe the diversity training he says he is going to take will help him get a clue.
Fox pulled him for the season.
Bride of Christ nailed it. “I agree with you, Jim. He wasn’t just an ordinary employee, either. Millions heard him say it, and many of them were children. Those words hurt.”
Jerry Falwell Jr is now cancelled. It appears to be by deliberation and process and not mob rule or media shame though the latter was abundant. Not defending him by pointing that out.
Jerry cancelled himself.
And…Yecccccccccccch!