# Did you find Colbert's Trump Comment Homophobic? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 3, 2017, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-find-colberts-trump-comment-homophobic/785785 "2017-05-03T16:21:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2017, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-find-colberts-trump-comment-homophobic/785785/41 "2017-05-03T21:14:12Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > “Sir, you attract more skinheads than free Rogaine,” I don’t get this remark. Why would a skinhead want Rogaine? They are a _skinhead_ after all. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2017, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-find-colberts-trump-comment-homophobic/785785/42 "2017-05-03T21:18:29Z")
I don’t think his last comment was homophobic, but I did find it somewhat juvenile. Kinda like when one kid calls another a poopyhead. There has to be a more elegant way to express the same sentiment. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2017, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-find-colberts-trump-comment-homophobic/785785/43 "2017-05-03T21:59:30Z")
I don’t consider it homophobic. But I do question the implication that cock sucking - by someone of either gender - is anything other than a total delight. And as much as I dislike Putin, in all honesty the guy could do better. ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2017, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-find-colberts-trump-comment-homophobic/785785/44 "2017-05-03T22:21:51Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Not remotely. > > If Trump were a woman the joke still works. Would it be heterophobic then??? > > Ditto changing Putin’s gender and making suitable physiological changes to the joke. Even a liberal comedian wouldn’t get away with a joke that visualized a female Republican fellating Putin, by similar token to how a conservative comedian wouldn’t get away with the joke male to male if the target were a liberal. So you’re switching stuff around under the assumption it shouldn’t matter which perhaps it shouldn’t, but it definitely does. On whether it’s ‘remotely homophobic’ this would be parallel to endless discussions here about whether particular events, comments reactions etc are ‘racist’. Besides being a matter of opinion inherently, it also depends on relatively stricter or more elastic definitions of the terms. If ‘racist’ means a belief in strict racial hierarchy based on categorical inferiority/superiority by race that’s one thing, but the term is often stretched way beyond that (perhaps it should be, but people still often talk past one another as a result of not sharing the same definition). Likewise if the question is whether the joke signifies Colbert’s mentally disturbed ‘fear’ of homosexuals then no IMO. If OTOH ‘homophobic’ includes any implied disparagement or accusation of weakness on the part of a man who performs oral sex on another man, it kind of obviously is IMO. I think under a broad definition of ‘homophobic’ the joke just gets a pass from many because Colbert is on the liberal team and it’s against Trump (whether or not he’s actually a conservative, I’d say not, but he’s on the liberal disliking team anyway). ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2017, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-find-colberts-trump-comment-homophobic/785785/45 "2017-05-03T22:27:39Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > I would say that, in general, it’s a homophobic remark but also that Colbert is using it in context of two very homophobic men. Putin and Trump are willing to do real damage to homosexuals. Claiming that they are homosexual partners is deliberately playing on their own homophobia. > > I think that Colbert was deliberately reaching for a phrase that would hurt the men in their own inadequacies […] Right. Spot on, I think. Which is along the lines of what I meant when I was pondering whether the joke was homophobic or meta-homophobic. If it’s the latter, then the real joke is the mental image of Trump, with smoke coming out of his ears, thinking: “Is he calling me _gay?_” Followed by Colbert, calmly pointing out that, “Yeah, and you’re such an insecure homophobe that you’re actually insulted by that.” ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2017, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-find-colberts-trump-comment-homophobic/785785/46 "2017-05-03T22:56:17Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > It was disrespectful to the office of the President… This is my take. No matter how odious the current Prez is, you shouldn’t say shit like this. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2017, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-find-colberts-trump-comment-homophobic/785785/47 "2017-05-03T22:58:09Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > “In fact, the only thing your [Trump’s] mouth is good for is being Vladimir Putin’s cock holster.” Well, that’s not enough use of leather for it to be considered animal cruelty, but if Trump gets The Order of Lenin for being a Grade-A “Spertsnaz Command-Oh”, I wouldn’t be surprised. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2017, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-find-colberts-trump-comment-homophobic/785785/48 "2017-05-03T23:11:04Z")
No, it’s more like he’s always sucking up to Putin, kissing his ass, that he’s worshipping the guy, has a huge crush on him, etc. Basically, he’s a prostitute for the guy. If it was Hilary making those remarks, I imagine Colbert might say the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2017, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-find-colberts-trump-comment-homophobic/785785/49 "2017-05-03T23:31:41Z")
No. It wasn’t anti-gay. It was meant to portray Trump as a ‘bottom’, a submissive who gives pleasure to and takes orders from the dom, it has nothing to do with gender. If Putin were a woman I’m sure Colbert would’ve accused Trump of wearing a gimp suit with whip marks across his ass. Anyway, PC stuff like this is why so many people hate us liberals. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2017, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-find-colberts-trump-comment-homophobic/785785/50 "2017-05-04T01:52:35Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > I don’t get this remark. Why would a skinhead want Rogaine? They are a _skinhead_ after all. The joke is that involuntarily bald people (interested in Rogaine) could be described as “skin heads”. No one would say that due to the strong idiomatic meaning, but playing with the tension between literal and idiomatic meanings is a common component of humor (Carlin’s “get _on_ the plane”, etc.). ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2017, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-find-colberts-trump-comment-homophobic/785785/51 "2017-05-04T02:40:41Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > It was disrespectful to the office of the President… No, Trump himself is disrespectful to the office of the President. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2017, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-find-colberts-trump-comment-homophobic/785785/52 "2017-05-04T02:51:59Z")
Every gay person I know (which is more than a couple but not a huge number) has said it’s “not homophobic.” Almost every Twitter account calling for “FireColbert” has a frog picture and/or something about MAGA/alt-right, being a proud white nationalist, blatant white supremacist language, antisemitic posts complete with the triple parentheses, anti-gay slurs, stuff about Hillary’s emails, etc But I agree that there is a double standard. I’m a liberal who doesn’t reach for and find offense everywhere and going around shaming and calling for peoples’ jobs. But a lot of the left does. So, as political tactics go… ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2017, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-find-colberts-trump-comment-homophobic/785785/53 "2017-05-04T03:03:14Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > 1. In my opinion, it’s not a homophobic remark. > > 2. In my opinion, if this comment had been made by a conservative about a liberal politician, many people would call it homophobic, and many of those same people are now defending this as not homophobic. Of course, if this remark had been made by a conservative, there’s a real good chance that conservative has a documented history of homophobic speech and opinions. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2017, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-find-colberts-trump-comment-homophobic/785785/54 "2017-05-04T03:14:30Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I don’t find it Homophobic. Neither do I. Stupid, childish, retarded and completely unprofessional…yes. But not homophobic. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2017, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-find-colberts-trump-comment-homophobic/785785/55 "2017-05-04T03:42:56Z")
Whether it was or wasn’t, it was foolish of him to say it. All this uproar about it distracts from why Colbert was saying it in the first place. It would have been just as meaningful to say something like “your mouth is only good for kissing the ring of Putin” and there wouldn’t be all this distraction about nothing. There’s no need to give ammo to the morons. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2017, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-find-colberts-trump-comment-homophobic/785785/56 "2017-05-04T03:49:05Z")
… ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2017, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-find-colberts-trump-comment-homophobic/785785/57 "2017-05-04T04:13:20Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > It’s of a piece with all of the imagery depicting Trump and Putin as lovers or sex partners. It’s calling Trump “gay” and intended as an insult. > > Take it out of the political realm. If one of your coworkers directed a putdown at two other coworkers by saying, “they’re gay for each other,” would that be a slur? I tend to think so. I wouldn’t. I’ve heard that phrase plenty of times. It just seems too common. I can imagine a version that’s a homophobic putdown, but the one I heard in my head when I read you comment isn’t. It’s making fun of them for being too close. Colbert’s quote, however, does have a tinge of homophobia in it. Though I agree with the history remark. If you don’t have a history of saying bad things, you’re inherently more forgiving. I tend towards the version of “they would find it offensive, so it works.” But I can understand people finding it homophobic in a way in which just calling them lovers would not be. Making fun of people for being too close by implying they are hot for each other isn’t gender specific. But using sucking cock to imply subservience… ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2017, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-find-colberts-trump-comment-homophobic/785785/58 "2017-05-04T04:39:56Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > The joke is that involuntarily bald people (interested in Rogaine) could be described as “skin heads”. No one would say that due to the strong idiomatic meaning, but playing with the tension between literal and idiomatic meanings is a common component of humor (Carlin’s “get _on_ the plane”, etc.). I mean, I understood what the joke was supposed to be, it just didn’t really work IMO. I’ve never once in any context understood “skinhead” to be anything other than a term for white, racist/supremist groups that shave their heads as a form of ideological identification. Involuntarily bald men are practically the antithesis of this. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2017, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-find-colberts-trump-comment-homophobic/785785/59 "2017-05-04T05:05:52Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > There’s no need to give ammo to the morons. Giving ammo to morons doesn’t have to be a bad thing, though. They’ll often use it for shooting themselves in the foot. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2017, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-find-colberts-trump-comment-homophobic/785785/60 "2017-05-04T06:33:07Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > In Russia, Putin blows you! > > Regards, > Shodan That explains a lot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-find-colberts-trump-comment-homophobic/785785.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-find-colberts-trump-comment-homophobic/785785.md?page=4)