Summary

A NEWSPAPER AD FOR SKI BOOTS HAS SOME PEOPLE HOPPING MAD. NOT BY WHAT'S BEING SOLD, OR THE PRICE. THEY'RE ANGRY ABOUT THE WORDING. THE AD WAS PLACED BY A SPORTING GOODS STORE IN THURSDAY'S CHARLOTTE OBSERVER IN NORTH CAROLINA. IT TURNS OUT THE AD WAS THE RESULT OF A BAD JOKE... AND AS JANYCE RUCKER TELLS US, THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE ISN'T LAUGHING, BUT IS LOOKING FOR ANOTHER JOB.

Source CONUS Archive
Record ID 69942
Story Slug NEWSPAPER AD GAY SLUR (03/02/1995)
Location CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA
Format PKG no tag
Date 03/02/1995
Archive Time 39:24
TRT 1:24
Supers VOICE OF: KELLY CONWAY, THE SPORTS AUTHORITY ROLFE NEILL, CHARLOTTE OBSERVER BOB BARRETT, PSYCHOLOGIST JANYCE RUCKER, REPORTING
Video Description NEWSPAPER AD, FULL SCREEN GRAPHIC, SOTS
Description A NEWSPAPER AD FOR SKI BOOTS HAS SOME PEOPLE HOPPING MAD. NOT BY WHAT'S BEING SOLD, OR THE PRICE. THEY'RE ANGRY ABOUT THE WORDING. THE AD WAS PLACED BY A SPORTING GOODS STORE IN THURSDAY'S CHARLOTTE OBSERVER IN NORTH CAROLINA. IT TURNS OUT THE AD WAS THE RESULT OF A BAD JOKE... AND AS JANYCE RUCKER TELLS US, THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE ISN'T LAUGHING, BUT IS LOOKING FOR ANOTHER JOB.
Script THIS IS THE AD THAT APPEARS ON PAGE 12-A IN THURSDAY'S CHARLOTTE OBSERVER. LOOKS FINE UNLESS YOU'RE IN THE MARKET FOR A PAIR OF THESE SKI BOOTS... THE TERM IN QUESTION HERE IS "FAGGOT"... SLANG FOR HOMOSEXUAL. THE SPORTS AUTHORITY CONTRACTS ITS SKI ADVERTISING WITH A COMPANY OUT OF FLORIDA CALLED PETER GLEN SKI AND SPORTS. SOMEONE THERE REPLACED THE WORD "PRO" WITH THE WORD "FAGGOT" AND IT WENT TO PRESS. (SOT: "THE USE OF THIS LANGUAGE WAS OBVIOUSLY IN ERROR. THE INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBLE WAS TERMINATED IMMEDIATELY AND SAFEGUARDS HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE TO ENSURE THAT THIS DOES NOT OCCUR AGAIN.") THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER SAYS IT DOESN'T NORMALLY PROOFREAD ADS THAT ARE NOT DONE "IN HOUSE"... BUT THEY TOO APOLOGIZE FOR THE AD. (SOT: "WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE INADVERTENT TRANSMITTER OF SOMETHING THAT IS OFFENSIVE TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE INCLUDING US.") (NAT SOT OF DICK ARMEY) THAT SLIP OF THE TONGUE LANDED HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER DICK ARMEY IN HOT WATER. BOB BARRETT, A PSYCHOLOGIST AND A HOMOSEXUAL, SAYS THESE SLIPS OF THE TONGUE AND PEN ARE MORE THAN TASTELESS JOKES. (SOT: "IT SEEMS LIKE THAT KIND OF THING ON THE SURFACE IS JUST A JOKE, IT'S JUST BEING FUNNY. BUT IT'S REALLY ABOUT OPPRESSION. THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE. AND OPPRESSING ANY PEOPLE BECAUSE OF WHO THEY ARE IS WRONG.") TAG: A NEW AD WITH AN APOLOGY WILL APPEAR IN TOMORROW'S OBSERVER... WITH A TOLL FREE NUMBER TO CALL WITH COMMENTS. THE AD APPEARED IN PAPERS ACROSS THE NATION, BUT THE CORRECT VERSION, WHICH READS "YOU'LL SKI LIKE A PRO" APPEARED IN ALL TEH OTHER PAPERS. APPARENTLY, CHARLOTTE IS THE ONLY MARKET THE ALTERED AD APPEARED IN.
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Keywords

GAY
SLUR
FAGGOT
HOMOSEXUAL
SKI BOOTS AD
SPORTING GOODS
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