March 22, 2011
Is Victoria Jackson the new Anita Bryant?
Robert Nesti READ TIME: 8 MIN.
Is Victoria Jackson on her way to becoming the Millennium's Anita Bryant?
It's beginning to look that way, to judge from her rants about the gay kiss on Glee last week. Jackson first struck out at the same-sex snog on the popular TV series on her blog at worldnetdaily, which was widely reported over the weekend. She then made a March 21 appearance on CNN Headline News Showbiz Tonight where she was interviewed by Brooke Hammer.
"Sickening," is what she called the kiss in her blog entry. During the interview when the "kiss" sequence from Glee was shown, Jackson dramatically squinted her eyes and held up her left hand.
When questioned by Anderson as to whether or not she's homophobic, the goofy-looking Jackson answered, "That's a cute little buzzword of the liberal agenda.
"Basically the Bible says homosexuality is a sin," Jackson continued, "but it has also gossip is listed in the same paragraph as equal sin. And the reason the Bible tells us what is a sin is to point us to the savior and show us we need one: Jesus Christ. And I have noticed that the liberal agenda is anti-Christ, and I mean -- I mean, anti-Jesus."
Glee :: "trying to make kids gay."
Anderson confronted Jackson with a response that represented the overwhelming sentiment of viewers on the Showbiz Tonight Facebook wall. "Nicole M writes, 'This is America, things you see on TV are things that are happening in real life, and there are gay, lesbian kids out there afraid to express themselves. Everyone should be treated equally.' "
Asked if she thought the showing the kiss could actually help kids, Jackson responded negatively.
"It's not helping. Did you -- they should have a celibacy campaign and tell kids that 50% of teenagers now have this new STD from oral sex. That's what they should be, you know, doing, instead of trying to make kids gay.
"Now, listen, I just want to know why the liberals are pro-Muslim and pro-gay," Jackson continued. "Muslims kill gays. That's what's confusing to me. The only thing I can come up with is that the Muslims hate God and the gays hate his word." At this point, Jackson held up a Bible.
Glee makes changes
Anderson pointed out that Glee's creator Ryan Murphy has acknowledged he was aware that there wasn't always a strong Christian presence on the show. In June he added a Christian character. "We've taken a couple of jabs at the right wing this year," Murphy said. "So what I want to do with this character is have someone Christian kids and parents can recognize and say, oh, look, I'm represented there, too. If we're trying to form a world of inclusiveness, we have to include that point of view as well."
Murphy, who created the series and is its executive producer, is one of the more prominent out celebrities working in television today.
Asked if this was good enough, Jackson responded: "I think there's a spiritual war in our country right now. Ephesians 6:12."
The verse cited by Jackson reads, "For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." (New Living translation.)
"I want to encourage people who love the word of God to stand up for what they believe in and not hide in church and preach to the choir," Jackson continued. "This culture is affecting our children and making them run away from Jesus Christ. And that is -- God can't bless our nation if we are spitting in his space. Leviticus 26 says God will bless the nation that blesses him.
"That's all I'm trying to say," added Jackson. "I have gay friends. And we love each other."
The interview ended there.
Déjà vu
Jackson's comments bring to mind the efforts of another Floridian to demonize gays in the culture war: Anita Bryant, who in the 1970s waged an unsuccessful Save Our Children) to remove an ordinance that prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation from Dade County's public schools. (If the attempt had succeeded, teachers could have been fired for being gay.)
"As a mother, I know that homosexuals cannot biologically reproduce children; therefore, they must recruit our children," Bryant said in a sentiment that echoes Jackson's contention that the producers of Glee are "trying to make kids gay."
That feeling of d�j� vu recurred when Jackson said, "I think there's a spiritual war in our country right now." In the 1970s, Bryant said: "I believe that more than ever before there are evil forces round about us."
Echoing Jackson's statement that she had "gay friends," Bryant's second husband Charlie Hobson Dry said, "It's not the gay people (she objects to), it's the sin" of homosexuality. "She tried to make that perfectly clear," her husband continued, "but nobody would let it come out that way. Bryant has friends and show business pals who are gay -- I've known her all my life. She does not hate gay people."
But recent history belies those words. Bryant re-emerged last summer at a Reclaiming America for Christ rally in Oklahoma City, a group whose agenda demonizes Muslims and gays.
CNN transcript
Below is the full transcript of Jackson's CNN Showbiz Tonight interview. You can also watch it at A.J. Hammer: Hi there, everyone,
Brooke Anderson: I" m="" Brooke="" Anderson="" in="" Hollywood="" with="" big="" news="" breaking="" today.="" Glee="" gay="" kiss="" outrage.="" There's="" a="" brand="" new="" debate="" raging="" over="" the="" kiss="" on="" Glee="" between="" two="" of="" the="" show's="" leading="" teen="" characters.
A.J. Hammer: Brooke, some say it's a great way to let kids know it's okay to be gay, but today former Saturday Night Live star Victoria Jackson is generating big outrage over what she just blogged about the kiss. She called it sickening.
Brooke Anderson: And Victoria Jackson is with us today in Atlanta for an exclusive Showbiz Tonight newsmaker interview, speaking out and defending what she wrote. Victoria, thank you so much for joining us.
Victoria Jackson: You're welcome.
Brooke Anderson: All right. First, I want to take a look at what you wrote in your column for the website, worldnetdaily, about the kiss and the show. Here it is.
(Screen crawl of Jackson's comments): "Did you see Glee this week? Sickening! And besides shoving the gay thing down our throats, they made a mockery of Christians again. Wonder what their agenda is. Hey, producers of "Glee," what's your agenda?
Brooke Anderson: Victoria, you previously wrote about gay marriage, men in gay relationships in the article, you said "I don't care what is politically correct. Everyone knows that two men on a wedding cake is a comedy skit, not an alternate lifestyle. There I've said it. Ridiculous."
Victoria, I want to get to your response about how people are responding today. Let's take a look at the kiss in question on Glee last week between the characters Kurt and Blaine.
Here it is.
(Clip of Glee kiss between Kurt and Blaine.)
Brooke Anderson: Victoria, I've been reading the responses today on websites all over, and basically you are being accused of being homophobic. How do you respond to that?
Victoria Jackson: Well, I'm -- it doesn't matter what I think. What matters is what the Bible says. And I'm really concerned about our country because immorality is, well -- let's see. Secular humanism rules the airwaves, and it's stealing the innocence away from this generation of children. My daughter's a teenager. I can't find any show she can watch.
Brooke Anderson: You don't believe you're homophobic, you just believe in -
Victoria Jackson: That's a cute little buzzword of the liberal agenda. Basically the Bible says homosexuality is a sin, but it has also gossip is listed in the same paragraph as equal sin. And the reason the Bible tells us what is a sin is to point us to the savior and show us we need one. Jesus Christ. And I have noticed that the liberal agenda is anti-Christ, and I mean -- I mean anti-Jesus.
Brooke Anderson: Let's keep this focused on Glee and what you wrote about the show. That's what it's about. We posted what you wrote on our Showbiz Tonight Facebook wall. We were blown away by the response. Nicole M writes, "this is America, things you see on TV are things that are happening in real life and there are gay, lesbian kids out there afraid to express themselves. Everyone should be treated equally."
So Victoria, do you understand the other side of the argument. Some are saying the show could actually be helping kids.
Victoria Jackson: Okay. would like -- no. It's not helping. Did you -- they should have a celibacy campaign and tell kids that 50% of teenagers now have this new STD from oral sex. That's what they should be, you know, doing, instead of trying to make kids gay. Now, listen, I just want to know why the liberals are pro-Muslim and pro-gay. Muslims kill gays. That's what's confusing to me. The only thing I can come up with is that the Muslims hate God and the gays hate his word (holds up the Bible).
Brooke Anderson: You did also write about your concerns about Muslims. Your fears about Muslims in this same article where you did include these blistering graphs about Glee. But I also want to say, Victoria, you say the producers of Glee have an agenda of one-way tolerance that mocks Christians. The show's creator, Ryan Murphy, has told TV Guide he was all too aware there was not a strong Christian presence on the show, so in June he decided to add a Christian character saying, "We've taken a couple of jabs at the right wing this year," he admitted that. "So what I want to do with this character is have someone Christian kids and parents can recognize and say, oh, look, I'm represented there, too If we're trying to form a world of inclusiveness we have to include that point of view as well." So, Victoria, good enough or not good enough?
Victoria Jackson: I think there's a spiritual war in our country right now. Ephesians 6' target='_blank'>12. I want to encourage people who love the word of god to stand up for what they believe in and not hide in church and preach to the choir. This culture is affecting our children and making them run away from Jesus Christ. And that is -- God can't bless our nation if we are spitting in his space. Leviticus 26 says God will bless the nation that blesses him. That's all I'm trying to say. I have gay friends. And we love each other.
Brooke Anderson: Thank you so much for expressing your point of view. We definitely appreciate your time today.
Robert Nesti can be reached at [email protected].
