“Wedding Crashers” star Vince Vaughn is known for his comedy flicks, but the actor isn't laughing over a recent campaign to get a gay joke scrubbed from his newest movie.
CNN host Anderson Cooper and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) took offense at a scene in the upcoming film “The Dilemma” in which Vaughn's character calls electric cars “gay.”
“I just find those words, those terms, we've got to do something to make those words unacceptable cause those words are hurting kids,” said Cooper during an appearance on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” in early October. “I think we need to really focus on what language we're using and how we're treating these kids.” A campaign by the CNN host and GLAAD effectively got the joke removed from the movie's trailer.
But Vaughn thinks that these attempts at political correctness have gone too far, and has argued to keep the scene intact.
“Let me add my voice of support to the people outraged by the bullying and persecution of people for their differences, whatever those differences may be,” said Vaughn, in a statement on Friday. “Comedy and joking about our differences breaks tension and brings us together. Drawing divided lines over what we can and cannot joke about does exactly that; it divides us. Most importantly, where does it stop.”
GLAAD is an organization that lobbies against gay and lesbian discrimination. The group has criticized the use of the phrase “that's so gay” as a synonym for something that is uncool or unappealing. Some gay rights activists believe that this negative connotation can lead to an atmosphere of intolerance and even violence against gay people.
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