Diver Matthew Mitcham wins gold!

[ariadne1880]

The Aussie spoils the Chinese sweep by winning gold in the 10m platform. Yes, he's the openly gay guy -- and no -- NBC didn't mention this and they didn't show his partner and family in the stands. Shame on NBC.

 

While we all look forward to the day when someone's sexual orientation need not be mentioned -- because it won't matter -- Mitcham is the first openly out diver to win a gold medal and you would think NBC would mention it.

 

Further, NBC has made the medalist's families a key part of these games so their bigger failure is not to show Mitcham's partner and family in the stands. Shame on NBC.

 

But Bravo to Matthew Mitcham!

[Guest LatinoRican]

Congratulations to Matthew on his gold medal! I had to do something and lost track of the diving competions when he was in 4th place, so it was a surprise to know that he had won gold. I am glad that he was able to break the Chinese stranglehold on divers' medals. Some of those judges seemed to be watching a completely different competition by the way that they gave high points to some mediocre performances...mainly to the Chinese divers!

[Rick Munroe]

That's disgusting on the part of NBC. I've seen bits and pieces of the Olympics when I'm at the gym or restaurants and yes, they do love to show the athletes back-story, family, etc. How shameful to ignore his incredible story. This person puts it well: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/8/24/114747/291/551/574056

[al]

I am not surprised to find he is gay. My gaydar was in high alert when I watched him onscreen.

The networks are so political, distorting reality to promote their social and philosophical agendas.

[Guest ReturnOfS]

In this video you get to see Mitcham's partner

[Guest ReturnOfS]

Congratulations Matt!!

 

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd221/awerling/MatthewMitcham.jpg

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd221/awerling/MatthewMitcham1.jpg

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd221/awerling/MatthewMitcham2.jpg

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd221/awerling/MatthewMitcham3.jpg

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd221/awerling/MatthewMitcham4.jpg

[Guest ReturnOfS]

http://premium1.uploadit.org/ChrisCornwall3/News/Mitcham002.jpg

http://premium1.uploadit.org/ChrisCornwall3/News/Mitcham004.jpg

http://users.tpg.com.au/adsl2nr9/MM/10.jpg

http://users.tpg.com.au/adsl2nr9/MM/09.jpg

http://users.tpg.com.au/adsl2nr9/MM/08.jpg http://users.tpg.com.au/adsl2nr9/MM/00.jpg

http://img27.picoodle.com/data/img27/3/8/23/f_MatthewMitcm_2ca2bf8.jpg

http://img28.picoodle.com/data/img28/3/8/23/f_MatthewMitcm_e95e886.jpg

http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w352/cdboy2002/mm4.jpg

http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w352/cdboy2002/mm2.jpg

http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w352/cdboy2002/mm3.jpg http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w352/cdboy2002/mm1.jpg

[bernardfff]

Thanks for the great pics too.

He's such a sweet kid.

Won my heart when he came out of the water and burst into tears.

We all cried with with him in Oz

BUT who are these maniacs who have nothing better to do than post hate on Youtube. I was apppalled and my family too to see such crap attached to the afirementioned Youtube post!

There's a way to go yet for us humans.

[Rod Hagen]

I'm so proud and happy I can hardly stand it. And I am SO ashamed of NBC. The Fucks.

[Rick Munroe]

Yeah, what Rod said. And damn, that boy is cute.

[ariadne1880]

Yes, he is cute. And I think his partner is even cuter ... but they started living together when he was only 17 3/4 years old? Wow. That's early! Lachlan is so tall ... at least a head and a half taller.

 

But I have to asked -- based on these pictures -- does Matthew have a penis? That speedo is very tight and one doesn't seen anything there?? LOL. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

 

The interview in Advocate is pretty good -- he sounds level-headed.

[Guest Tristan]

I found a good article on 356gay.com about NBC's failure to cover Matthew Mitcham's achievement as an openly gay man winning the gold and the background leading up to it. It had the makings of a first-rate movie, and NBC really blew it. I learned a few things from this article I hadn't known, such as the fact that his last dive had the highest score for a single dive in olympic history.

 

http://www.365gay.com/features/nbc-on-not-mentioning-mitcham-is-gay/

[luvtheblues]

"While we all look forward to the day when someone's sexual orientation need not be mentioned -- because it won't matter -- Mitcham is the first openly out diver to win a gold medal and you would think NBC would mention it."

 

HUH? If you're looking forward to that day, then why do you and others consider failure to mention that he is gay should matter? Isn't that a contradiction of your very own rant?

 

NBC, at least so far, has concentrated on American athletes and their families. Gee whiz imagine that! So limiting any coverage of athletes from countries other than the USA to who won what and how has been standard procedure. As so, why the big outrage?

 

Anyone dissing NBC over this is just an angry, self-centered, it's all about me, how dare you ignore me, demanding special rights, irrational faggot (love that word)!

 

The olympics should be abolished! It is the absolutely lowest point of true athletic competition with all its nationalism, flag waving bull shit!

:-(

[Guest ReturnOfS]

>

>NBC, at least so far, has concentrated on American athletes

>and their families.

 

That just isn't true. NBC focused on "Lightning Bolt" from Jamaica, Kenyan athletes in the marathon, a marathon runner who took 3rd place in the last Olympics marathon who wasn't even running in this Olympics, and several other non-USA athletes.

 

If you're going to say such hateful things about posters as "Anyone dissing NBC over this is just an angry, self-centered, it's all about me, how dare you ignore me, demanding special rights, irrational faggot", you should at least get your facts right.

[ariadne1880]

I think that everyone who reads this forum would immediately acknowledge that I am not a "special rights demanding faggot." If anything, I get criticized constantly because I don't fit the stereotype of the Advocate/Out Magazine-reading gay man who hews to a far left wing agenda.

 

So calling me that is pretty damn hysterically funny. But it goes to show you cannot please most people most of the time.

 

I don't think my original post was a rant. I look forward to a day when sexual orientation and gender and race are not important things to be mentioned. That's not asking for "special rights."

 

But until that happens, ignoring a story about Mr. Mitcham being openly gay and having a partner is simply ludicrous. Not because of an agenda but simply because it is a FUCKING NEWS STORY.

 

And if you actually read my original post you would see that my comment was more directed at NBC's failure to acknowledge his family.

 

And this is not an "American thing." NBC didn't solely feature American athletes. It did features on athletes' and their families from many different countries.

 

And the Mitcham story was even more important because it was his gold medal that kept the Chinese from sweeping the golds in diving. That alone should have made it a story and keeping his sexuality out of it was simply ridiculous.

 

Here endeth the lesson.

[Rod Hagen]

Who's this luvtheblus (which by the way, is some of the shittiest music ever) idiot?

[luvtheblues]

>Who's this luvtheblus (which by the way, is some of the

>shittiest music ever) idiot?

>

Just because my opinion goes against the opinion of the majority of the posters here does not make me an idiot. It was not my intent to call anyone anything, but I should have phrased it differently in that they come across to me as that way not that they are that way. And that applies to every site not just this one.

 

I have never liked the word gay ever since it came into being in the 70's. I think that word is so effeminate (picture rainbow filled skies, daisy filled fields and unicorns). Fag is so much more masculine and can be a word that can be owned like #### is to black people (fag rap, now that would be aok!). But then again, my take and opinion which I have a right to express.

 

Calling blues some of the shittiest music ever is your opinion, which is your right to express. Here's my opinion of the shittiest music ever: anything from eastern Asia or India, rap, classical and jazz.

Best, imo: blues, rock and roll of all eras, bluegrass, classic country and alternate country.

 

So enlighten me as to what is so shitty about the blues. A genre of music that has given the world such unforgettable, uniquely talented, enjoyable artists such as to name just a few: Billie Holiday (the greatest ever!), Bessie Smith, Dinah Washington, Ray Charles, Etta James, B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt and Maria Muldaur.

[dfw2sfo]

And back to Matthew Mitcham...

 

Very exciting and especially, from what I heard, divers generally peak later. He seems very mature and well spoken. I have a definite crush. Hubba hubba.

[Guest ReturnOfS]

>(which by the way, is some of the

>shittiest music ever)

>

>

 

I really have to disagree with you there, Rod.

[EXPAT]

NBC has responded to complaints and claims that its Olympics coverage was tinged with some homophobia.

 

The net's Olympics President, Gary Zenkel, issued an apology for the NBC reporting team's failure to mention on air that gold-medal diver Matthew Mitcham is gay and has a partner, who was there rooting him on. That's in stark contrast to the Peacock nets coverage of straight athletes an their partner.

 

Says the NBC rep:

 

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

[uwsman2]

Apologies after the fact are easy, they cost nothing but a little lost pride, and they don't compensate for the lost opportunity before millions upon millions of TV viewers to see a handsome, wholesome, gay man and his partner as part of the family of Olympic athletes. And what is the likelihood that this apology will receive any play whatsoever in the mainstream press? Did NBC issue a big press release accompanied by film of Mitcham and his partner embracing after his win and run it on their network news and sports programs, or did they just issue a letter to somebody in the gay community which will provide chatter fodder for gay blogs and websites like this one? NBC's slip-up is as much of a news story as the original story that they "inadvertently missed", so why have there been no headlines about it?

[buzz]

Oh, come on! He certainly isn't the most endowed guy in that lower region, but it is subtly obvious in the pix that he's got what it takes. Look again...it's there.

buzz :9

[Rod Hagen]

ok ok, this may be a matter of experience, mine lacking. so please please list the 5-7 BEST/most important (actual best, not "your favorites"*) blues songs, i'll get 'em, review 'em, and get back to you. thanks!

 

*ie, you may love Rape Me and Footsteps, but "come as you are" and "jeremy" are inarguably more important examples of, in this experiment, grunge.

 

p.s. I love Matthew!!!

[Guest ReturnOfS]

>And what is the likelihood that

>this apology will receive any play whatsoever in the

>mainstream press?

 

Thats a good point. I didn't hear about NBC's apology until I logged on here.

[Guest ReturnOfS]

Theres a duet that Eric Clapton and BB King did called "Riding with the King" or something like that. But that song is so upbeat that I'm not even sure if it is truly blues :-)

 

My advice is to check out the performers in Luvtheblues post.