ABC's Prank News Show Hunts for Secret, Anti-Gay Bigotry in a NJ Diner
ABC's undercover news show, What Would You Do, on Friday continued to search for examples of bigotry across America. Anchor John Quinones narrated a segment featuring two men pretending to be gay military veterans displaying affection in a New Jersey restaurant.
As cameras rolled, Quinones explained the set-up: "They're holding hands, stroking each other's hair and caressing each other's legs...So what will happen if we throw in our actor Vince, posing as an irritated diner, who's had enough of this PDA?"
An actor, "Vince," interrupted the faux soldiers and complained, "Excuse me. We appreciate your service to the country and everything, but you should respect the uniform a little bit more than that."
Many patrons ignored the two, prompting ABC's sting operation to try harder to provoke bigotry. Quinones announced, "Even with that bit of gossip, the other diners don't seem to notice. But then, here comes Vince again."
Later, when some patrons do complain, the host lectured, "In December 2010, an ABC News poll found that 77 percent of Americans are in favor of allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military. But in our diner, there are plenty of people against it."
This program, airing as an edition of Primetime Live, debuted only a month after Quinones took his show to Arizona to find racism related to that state's new immigration law.
It's odd for a news organization to repeatedly air a program which essentially plays out like an episode of Ashton Kutcher's Punk'd. It also doesn't leave ABC much room to criticize conservative sting operations.
A partial transcript of the March 4 segment, which aired at 9pm EST, follows:
JOHN QUINONES: Don't ask, don't tell. That's what gay and lesbian service members were told for 17 years. It was a policy that many Americans felt was unfair and had to go. And in late 2010, Don't Ask, Don't Tell was repealed by President Obama.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: This is done.
QUINONES: Though the repeal has yet to take effect, the President's decision ignited a firestorm of controversy.
SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN: We are doing great damage.
QUINONES: So what would you do if you saw this in public?
ACTOR (MALE): I mean, how is it over there?
SECOND ACTOR: Good. I mean, it's rough, you know, but it's getting better.
QUINONES: A gay couple in military uniform becoming affectionate while sharing a meal. We bring our hidden cameras to the Colonial Diner in Lyndhurst, New Jersey. Our two actors in Army fatigues pose as a gay couple reuniting after a long tour of duty. They're holding hands, stroking each other's hair and caressing each other's legs. It's all affection any soldier, gay or straight, isn't supposed to show. So what will happen if we throw in our actor Vince, posing as an irritated diner, who's had enough of this PDA?
VINCE AUGUST (ACTOR): Excuse me. We appreciate your service to the country and everything, but you should respect the uniform a little bit more than that.
FIRST ACTOR (MALE): Excuse me?
QUINONES: Immediately, these two diners are curious about what Vince has to say.
AUGUST:And I understand the whole thing, but respect the uniform.
SECOND ACTOR: Respect? I don't understand what you're saying.
AUGUST: You know, tone it down.
SECOND ACTOR: Tone what down?
AUGUST: The whole thing.
QUINONES: The couple can't seem to believe what they're hearing.
AUGUST: Guys, tone it down, you know.
QUINONES: But our soldier doesn't wanna tone anything down.
SECOND ACTOR: I haven't seen my partner in seven months, and you're telling me that.
CLAIRE DEMETROULES (DINER): I wouldn't worry about it.
EMMANUEL DEMETROULES (DINER): Don't go there. It's inappropriate.
CLAIRE DEMETROULES: Yeah.
AUGUST: I don't think so.
FIRST ACTOR: I think you need to walk away.
QUINONES: Vince doesn't walk away on his own, but he's about to get a little help.
EMMANUEL DEMETROULES: Hey dude, take a hike. Really. No, seriously. I'm gonna ask you to leave. That's being disrespectful.
AUGUST: Okay. Well...
DEMETROULES: All right? I'm gonna ask you to leave.
AUGUST: I think that's wrong.
EMMANUEL DEMETROULES: All right?
AUGUST: I'm allowed to say it.
EMMANUEL DEMETROULES: It's disrespectful.
AUGUST: It's wrong. They should have more respect.
EMMANUEL DEMETROULES: Get out.
...
QUINONES: Once again, our happy couple starts to get touchy-feely.
FIRST ACTOR: I feel like it's been forever.
SECOND ACTOR: It's been forever, what, seven months now?
FIRST ACTOR: Yeah, feels like seven years.
QUINONES: This man seems to be doing everything he can to ignore what's happening just a bar stool away. So we send in our waitress, also an actor, to see if she can pry into the soldiers' personal lives.
TRACI HOVEL (ACTRESS): So you guys were in the military together? Or-
FIRST ACTOR: Well, we met at Fort Hood.
HOVEL: Oh.
SECOND ACTOR: Basic training. But then, Iraq, Afghanistan.
...
QUINONES: Even with that bit of gossip, the other diners don't seem to notice. But then, here comes Vince again.
AUGUST: : Guys, not that we don't appreciate the service, 'cause we do, but you should tone it down a little bit.
FIRST ACTOR: What? Tone what down?
AUGUST: The relationship part, you know, you're in uniform, respect the uniform.
QUINONES: As our soldier stands up to Vince face to face, this man looks like he wants to say something.
SECOND ACTOR: So you're telling me that it's okay for me to take a bullet for your rights, but you wanna deny me my rights?
AUGUST: Respect the uniform. That's all I'm saying.
SECOND ACTOR: I am respecting the uniform.
AUGUST: I don't think you are.
QUINONES: And with that, the diner can't bite his tongue any longer.
BILL (VIETNAM WAR VETERAN): Why don't you just keep going?
AUGUST: I don't think their commanding officer...
BILL: Your opinion is your opinion. Keep going, all right.
...
QUINONES: In December 2010, an ABC News poll found that 77 percent of Americans are in favor of allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military. But in our diner, there are plenty of people against it.
DINER (MALE): I originally thought that the way it was was okay.
QUINONES: Keep it quiet.
DINER (MALE): Keep it quiet. Just for yourself. Bringing it out like this, to me, I take, maybe I'm from the old school, but it's nice the way it was.
— Scott Whitlock is a news analyst for the Media Research Center. Click here to follow him on Twitter.
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Comments
Stop Bigotry - Turn off Your TV
Submitted by libBuster on Tue, 03/08/2011 - 6:42pm.
The best way to shut this stuff down is to turn off your TV. Do what millions of viewers have done to Diane Sawyer. Turn it off.
The only thing
Submitted by Tugboat Phil on Tue, 03/08/2011 - 6:54pm.
"Vince" should have mentioned to them would be to obey the Uniformed Code of Military Justice. There are standing orders in all branches about PDA in all situations. Other than the immediate greeting of returning deployers, hugging and kissing in uniform is unauthorized.
I have no idea about today, but when I was in the Army, sitting down to eat in a diner while wearing fatigues was also unauthorized. Was the purpose of this show to demonstrate that gay military folks have no discipline or feel no duty to obey orders off post? That would be what I'd take away from it. That is, if I could stomach watching anything on ABC.
I agree with you!
Submitted by vaboxrboy on Tue, 03/08/2011 - 7:44pm.
My dad served in the Army for 30 years and NEVER wore his uniform off post. Now I see uniforms everywhere. I don't know when that regulation changed, but I certainly don't like it.
So, Cheery Chuck---
Submitted by matthewdean on Tue, 03/08/2011 - 8:16pm.
your dad lived on an army post for thirty years, eh? Never assigned anywhere else but that one post? If he was assigned elsewhere, he wore only civilian clothes when he traveled, you say? Spent thirty years in the military and never ONCE wore his uniform off post; that is amazing. Is he listed in the Guiness Book of Records?MD
Submitted by MOS7532 on Tue, 03/08/2011 - 11:22pm.
While I can't speak for him, I believe he may have meant something along these lines- in 21 years in the Marines I have never worn my utility uniform to an unauthorized establishment (like a diner) off of the base where I was stationed, regardless of location. Never. Not once. I drive back and forth to my home in that uniform and wear one that is authoirized if I have to stop out in town. Two morons like these guys in that uniform would have been grabbed by the throat and reprimanded by the first soldier or Marine that saw them if they were in a military town.
MOS7532---
Submitted by matthewdean on Tue, 03/08/2011 - 11:33pm.
Appreciate your comments, Marine, and especially appreciate your service. My apologies if my post could have been construed to be critical of the military itself. It was my intention to just mess with Virginiaboxerboy Cheery Chucky cuz he strikes me as a liberal boob. :o)Exactly
Submitted by JeffWeimer on Sat, 03/12/2011 - 10:09am.
It's prejudicial to good order and discipline, no matter the gender of the participants. It's also unprofessional and casts a bad light on the Service. Everyone in the military is taught that. their fellow actor buddy had it unwittingly exactly right - respect the uniform. I've had to pull apart couples - mixed gender - who were merely holding hands in uniform, in my old life as a Navy Senior Chief. I'll do it again as a retiree if I see it, gay or straight. If these actors were really servicemembers, they wouldn't have done that in public. If Quinones and his producers were ever in the military (or actually did their homework), they would have known to not create this situation to "prove" people don't like gays in the military. It does no such thing, it only exposes their own ignorance of military rules.They met at Fort Hood?
Submitted by ant on Tue, 03/08/2011 - 6:55pm.
They met at Fort Hood? HAhahahahahahahahahahahahaha! That's the only military base they lib/media assholes can think of. I wonder why, what happened there? Hahahahahaha!
Where in NJ?
Submitted by brutony1 on Tue, 03/08/2011 - 6:57pm.
It better not be near MY town, lol!
When will liberals WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE! -Me
Do you remember
Submitted by Tugboat Phil on Wed, 03/09/2011 - 12:30am.
The Luna Bell diner where Rt 1 & 9 split near Woodbridge? I hear it's gone now. Great diner! I also used to frequent the Bendix Diner in Hasbrouck Heights.
I'd give em fifty bucks and
Submitted by Miss_Me_Yet on Tue, 03/08/2011 - 7:02pm.
I'd give em fifty bucks and tell to get a room and their food to go. There's a time and place for everything, gay or straight, and the counter in a N.J. diner is not the right place, ever.
Liberals ... we can't live with them, they couldn't survive without us ...
I agree.
Submitted by ant on Tue, 03/08/2011 - 7:16pm.
I was in a bar/restaurant not too long ago during dinner rush (a lot of old couples,grandchildren, that kind of thing.) two VERY unattractive lesbians were standing in the middle of the room making out and groping each other. They were nicely asked to take it elsewhere and they stopped, cannot say whether they did it to start something or maybe they just found each other that damn irresistible. But, basically, their sexual preference was not the issue and they knew it, some places are not the place for that kind of PDA, you want to grope each other, don't do it in a restaurant, there are many other choices.
But but but
Submitted by Radical1979 on Tue, 03/08/2011 - 7:31pm.
If gay couples cannot make out in public how will people know how in love they are?
In my daughter's high school she'd get so mad because the only kids not busted for PDA's were gay kids. The school was afraid of them. Straight kids, they were told to knock it off all the time.
They can bottle it up ( their
Submitted by Miss_Me_Yet on Tue, 03/08/2011 - 8:23pm.
They can bottle it up ( their love ) and hawk it on late night TV infomercials just like the Kardaskian sisters.
Liberals ... we can't live with them, they couldn't survive without us ...
I might be cynical, but I wonder if sometimes...
Submitted by PrairieSky on Tue, 03/08/2011 - 7:36pm.
people such as the ones you describe, engage in behavior like this just to see what kind of reaction they'll get, perhaps in the hopes of suing the restaurant when they're asked to knock it off or leave.
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction...It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them (our children) to do the same." ~President Ronald Reagan
ABC, obviously operating on the premise that most Americans...
Submitted by PrairieSky on Tue, 03/08/2011 - 7:17pm.
are hate-filled bigots, has really sunk to the bottom here...This has got to be one of the most absurd, pathetic, and egregious attempts at trying to manufacture a story that I've ever seen.
And people wonder why network TV ratings are in the toilet?
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction...It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them (our children) to do the same." ~President Ronald Reagan
ABC displays IT'S bigotry
Submitted by MidAmerica on Tue, 03/08/2011 - 7:20pm.
This whole Gay thing is reeeeeally getting boring. Does ABC think that us rubes in diners give a flying fig what Gays are doing? The scenario presented would have annoyed the diners even if it had been a straight couple. The people are there to eat some food and don't wany to endure people who cannot respect simple public etiquette ..
And isn't it interesting that they chose a diner??
Submitted by PrairieSky on Tue, 03/08/2011 - 7:27pm.
Not a 4 star restaurant in Manhattan, but a diner in NJ?? Was this an accident? Nope...The diner was intentionally chosen in an attempt to help these fools illustrate their belief that those who frequent diners, namely mostly white, blue collar, lower to middle class folks, are a bunch of hateful bigots.
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction...It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them (our children) to do the same." ~President Ronald Reagan
better yet
Submitted by MidAmerica on Tue, 03/08/2011 - 8:04pm.
Yeah, why doesn't ABC go into one of those fancy Manhattan restarants secretly film a couple of actors with Southern accents, wearing Tea Party t-shirts and loudly speaking of their support of Sarah Palin and how they miss George Bush. Now that would be some entertainment.
Perfect! A riot would probably break out...
Submitted by PrairieSky on Tue, 03/08/2011 - 8:11pm.
with all those elite, Manhattanites throwing their salmon mousse, porterhouse steaks and bottles of Cristal at the poor, beleaguered actors, while they run for their lives!! LOL!
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction...It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them (our children) to do the same." ~President Ronald Reagan
What you'll NEVER see ...
Submitted by LSBeene on Tue, 03/08/2011 - 7:45pm.
Is the show where a mixed race (black man and white woman) couple goes into a predominantly black establishment and do this exact thing to see if there is intolerence of "dissin' black sistas" (and I have NO problem with the reverse of this either)
Or Where Christians are outside a mosque and are handing out conversion pamphlets (and I have NO problem with the reverse of this either)
Or where anti-PEU (Public Employee Union) protesters are planted outside a Teamster Hall (and I have NO problem with the reverse of this either)
And the list goes on - but, I promise you: you'll never see it.
How about colleges
Submitted by LSBeene on Tue, 03/08/2011 - 7:53pm.
Or how about a semester long expose on colleges where a conservative plan & a liberal plant each take the same class and each provide the liberal/conservative view - in the hopes of showing professors being intolerant and failing people?
Oh, or the one where a person pretends to be a reporter and blends in with other reporters of MSNBC, CNN, ABC, CBS, and NBC and starts making derogatory comments about coservatives to see what reactions they get?
We could do this list all-d*mn-day-long.
Great ideas and...
Submitted by PrairieSky on Tue, 03/08/2011 - 7:59pm.
I'd love to see it, but it'll never happen...Not by the MSM anyway.
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction...It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them (our children) to do the same." ~President Ronald Reagan
You and MidAmerica both have
Submitted by ant on Wed, 03/09/2011 - 12:26am.
You and MidAmerica both have some good ideas there. I really like the idea of catching the bias and intolerance of a university professor confronted by a student or students with dissenting viewpoints. (As long as the failing grade won't actually carry any weight.)
But, like you say, it will never be done. Unless,by some snowball's chance, John Stossel gets hired for such purposes, he used to pull pretty good stuff like that.
Maybe they should try a
Submitted by the struggler on Tue, 03/08/2011 - 9:44pm.
Maybe they should try a sting of Chris Matthews humping the leg of an Obama cardboard stand-up.
Oh hell, just file criminal
Submitted by Willis_Leon_Johnson on Tue, 03/08/2011 - 10:48pm.
Oh hell, just file criminal charges for impersonating a member of the military.
abc snooze used to blow up chevy trucks for the sensalitionism of it all and got their tails handed to them.
A couple of 'actors' dressed up in uniform and playing 'gay' for a 'prank' is not "Fair Use" and should be considered a criminal act.
End 'gun violence in America' - Require training and MANDATORY "Shall Carry" by every Citizen.
If harry reid is the best person to lead the senate, what does that say about the other 99 senators?
This show is a real POS, with
Submitted by richard on Wed, 03/09/2011 - 1:44am.
This show is a real POS, with the latino big guy John Quinones, constantly trying his damnest to conjure up any kind of racism, any where, any how. They always go to extremes to try and bait someone to make a scene to titilate the veiwer. I hope someday some irate foil puches big John in the puss for goading them into irrational behavior and then has their lawyer sue the sh*t out of ABC for purpously causing mahem.
So, the "bigotry" was a media
Submitted by robert108 on Wed, 03/09/2011 - 2:01am.
So, the "bigotry" was a media setup? What does that prove?
This whole series is
Submitted by humanzee on Wed, 03/09/2011 - 4:49am.
This whole series is staged.
The old veteran coming to defend the gay couple making out in public, against the girl was definitely a plant. I watched it and immediately thought the guy that intervened was acting. Hisresponses to Quinones' questions just seemed too scripted after the "confrontation."
This show is just a silly attempt to indoctrinate bored people on Friday nights. I caught this show last week and I thought there was something fishy about it. I think they may not be completely forthcoming about which confrontations involve fully casted actors and which involve random passersby.
This is JUST CRAZY. How
Submitted by Jack Bauer on Wed, 03/09/2011 - 7:33am.
This is JUST CRAZY.
How nauseating would it be to be forced to warch a MALE & FEMALE in full military uniform fondling each other with tongue in a freakin' restaurant while you're trying to keep down a meal.
PUKE ALERT. I guess this is what passes for NEWS at ABC.
Try to entrap average Joe and Josephines, whilst giving THE HIGH AND MIGHTY A PASS.
Such as biased NPR big wigs
All of the above Mr Obama? --- How about ALL OF THE BELOW, instead.
In the next episode of ABC's
Submitted by Beukeboom on Wed, 03/09/2011 - 10:57am.
In the next episode of ABC's Punk'd...er...What Would You Do, John Quinones pokes pit bulldogs with sticks.
actually
Submitted by theduck6 on Wed, 03/09/2011 - 11:12am.
that WAS the reg for the longest time. That may have changed but you might want to know what you're writing about before you wax sarcastic. I've been out for 19 years and it was only eased to allow travel to and from duty post in work uniform and only out in public while in class A uniform or higher. It also used to be a crime to impersonate a member of the armed forces by wearing an authentic uniform. I admit I see class B, BDU and work uniforms everywhere these days to include airports, so the reg or enforcement has clearly changed but that was not the statement of the poster, was it?
I think it tacky and classless for overt PDAs from anyone of any stripe. Not criminal but rude and tacky. Kinda like ranting on a blue tooth and then taking umbrage when you get dirty looks. Did they see what the same people would do if the pawing couple had been heterosexual? If not then the implication is flawed. From the mainsteam media? I am as shocked as learning NPR is biased. AAARRRGGGHHH!
I have a gay daughter and am
Submitted by Hologram5 on Wed, 03/09/2011 - 12:33pm.
I have a gay daughter and am not on any side of this as It doesn't affect my marriage or anything like that but I still have enough respect for people not to engage in this type of behaviour anywhere but my bedroom. It's not that I find this offensive or anything but there is a thing called common decency where you just don't do some things in public, gay or straight. I mean really, do we straight people have hetero pride parades? Do we complain about hetero rights? Let's call it for what it really is, pushed into people's faces for shock value.I EXPECT NOTHING LESS FROM THE LEFTIST TV NETWORKS
Submitted by tomf on Wed, 03/09/2011 - 3:09pm.
Can these bozo's at ABC try any harder to "manufacture" anti-gay outrage!?!? They are so desperate to do a "gotcha" on anyone who does not toe the liberal line! Fisrt of all, I don't know anyone, especially in uniform who would carry on like that in public! It just does not happen! Gay people are not insatiable sex maniacs! I am sure that just like hetrosexuals, they practice good judgement and appropriate behavior! Leave it to the "peace and love" liberals to try and create a controversy when there is noe!