M.I.A., 'Paper Planes,' and coasting to fame on 'Pineapple Express'

current mood: amused

NBC Olympics President Gary Zenkel has issued an apology for his reporting team not mentioning on air that gold-medal diver Matthew Mitcham is gay and has a partner:

“We regret that we missed the opportunity to tell Matthew Mitcham’s story. We apologize for this unintentional omission.”

The statement comes after an NBC spokesperson defended the network’s decision not to mention it.

Zenkel’s response was pretty short and sweet, but is this case closed? They blew it and acknowledged such (after, as I said, defending the decision).

Does Zenkel mean what he says? We’ll see. Couldn’t they make good by doing a story on Mitcham on one of their news or talk shows? That would ceratinly show a deep acknowledgment that they messed up.

The real test will come the next time they’re faced with such an opportunity. Do the commentators mention next time that the athlete they’re reporting on is gay? And now, at what point does NBC or any other media company feel the responsibility to mention someone’s sexuality? I can’t imagine that the softball or soccer commentators mentioned the sexual orientation of lesbian players out there (there were three out American lesbians between the two sports). But on the flip side, I haven’t heard anyone getting up in arms about it. I wonder why.

Keira Knightley hates being chased by the paparazzi as it ruins her social life.
The ‘Atonement’ star is well known for her distaste of snappers who try and secure photos of her personal life.
And the actress has admitted her pals fail to invite her to social events in case they are harassed by eager photographers.
“One of them (friends) asked me if I would mind not going out with them to a
restaurant one evening as they find the whole paparazzi thing
alarming,” Contactmusic quoted her, as telling Britain’’s Tatler
magazine.
“I don”t blame them. It can be very intimidating,” she added.