On Wednesday, we followed the story of Glee creator Ryan Murphy’s comments to The Hollywood Reporter. Ryan was talking about Kings of Leon, who are one of the few musical acts to refuse the use of their music in Glee. Ryan said, in part, “F*** you, Kings of Leon. They’re self-centered a**holes, and they missed the big picture. They missed that a 7-year-old kid can see someone close to their age singing a Kings of Leon song, which will maybe make them want to join a glee club or pick up a musical instrument. It’s like, OK, hate on arts education. You can make fun of Glee all you want, but at its heart, what we really do is turn kids on to music.” Immediately afterwards, Kings of Leon sent out their official response, which was basically like “Step off and chillax.” I’m paraphrasing. Then, the drummer for KOL, Nathan Followill, tweeted: “Dear Ryan Murphy, let it go. See a therapist, get a manicure, buy a new bra. Zip your lip and focus on educating 7yr olds how to say f-ck.” We asked whether or not that was homophobic, or simply sexist and douchey (and immature). The verdict? Douchey, but not homophobic.
Anyway, Followill later tweet-apologized, and then he took down the douche tweet. But that didn’t stop Perez Hilton from getting an exclusive statement from Ryan Murphy, a reaction to Nathan’s tweet:
“Just read Nathan Followill’s Tweet…in which he implied I should ‘get a manicure and buy a bra.’ Wow. That’s a homophobe badly in need of some education. I’m all for manicures, don’t wear a bra. Would guess most gay dudes don’t. But it’s telling that Nathan can reduce a group of people to a mean-spirited cliché, in a time where young gay men are killing themselves all over the country because of hatred like this.
That said, I would love to sit down with Nathan or any member of Kings and Leon, and tell them how on Glee we actually love their music, and support their artistry…but cannot condone or even laugh at their clear disdain of gay people.”
[Ryan Murphy’s statement, via Perez Hilton]
Eh. I consider myself somewhat sensitive to bullying and bigotry, and while Nathan’s tweet crossed a line, I’m not prepared to call him a some bullying, homophobic bigot. He just sounded like a douchey little kid, mocking another douche for whining like a girl. This whole thing has been a series of over-reactions, and Ryan Murphy totally started it. I don’t know… I just hope that this junk is over now.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I’ve never watched Glee. The entire cast annoys me. The commercials annoy me and I just have no desire to watch it. Now, knowing how big of an ass Ryan Murphy is, I’m GLAD i’ve never watched it. Nathan Followill may come off as a bit of a douche but Ryan Murphy is being a whiney little brat about it all.
Yeah, I would call this sexist rather than homophobic. Plus, Ryan’s statement in the first place was totally douchey. I have no problem with Glee, but surely artists should have the right to decide where they license their music?
Unless KOL responded to the request with something like “Ew, no, Glee is so tacky and has queers in it” then I’m reluctantly team KOL.
Ryan Murphy is a 2 year old and deserved every comment. There was nothing homophobic about it. Gays just love claiming someone is homophobic when they know they are wrong. They love putting the blame on someone else. Glee is not the most wonderful thing and the world and who could blame the kings of leon for not wanting Glee to sing their songs. It’s KOL right to say yes or no. Ryan Murphy also called Slash uneducated when he said no to allowing Glee to use his music. Ryan Murphy should be slapped in his ugly gay face!
Yeah see now, THAT was homophobic.
Someone should send RM a copy of Lane’s comment. Then he’d see what a real homophobic comment looks like.
I don’t really care about the fight, but KOL are douchebag egomaniacs, and anyone who has listen to them interviewed or read about them knows this.
Their music isn’t all that.
I dunno. While I think that Ryan Murphy is being REALLY sanctimonious about the entire exchange I do think that Nathan Followill’s remarks were homophobic and sexist. I think a few commenters pointed out yesterday that misogyny and homophobia are often closely linked. I believe that Nathan may not have thought that hard about how his words would come off but that doesn’t mean that his insults didn’t have that effect. I mean think about it – he’s essentially questioning Ryan’s masculinity, implying that he is not a “real” man, which is pretty ridiculous considering the fact that Nathan has long hair and “delicate” features himself.
I don’t think that one necessarily needs to be a member of a certain group or community to be able to identify when discriminatory or degrading remarks are made against them but it seems that most of the commenters on this site are women, and perhaps straight ones at that, and that having not having experienced homophobic (i.e. homophobia that is specifically directed towards men) firsthand that perhaps some of us shouldn’t be remarking with such certainty that Followill’s remarks weren’t homophobic.
This is ridiculous, they both need to stop, it makes them look childish.
Thanks Embertine and Jaye E.
As a gay person I hate when someone like Ryan Murphy or Perez Hilton politicizes a situation like this (Twitter war, really?) because it trivializes real instances of homophobia (like Lane at Comment #3) which should be called out for what they are.
This whole thing between Murphy and Kings of Leon is stupid. Murphy was whiny and the guy’s response was immature. Move along, nothing to see there.
Followill’s reply was insensitive and unnecessary – Murphy was digging his own hole and exposing himself to be a grade A asshat. But at least he apologized and took it down. I’ve yet to see Murphy express even the slightest regret at his initial rant.
I also find it wrong for Murphy to instantly label him a homophobe, but even more so for him to accuse ALL the bandmembers of “disdain of gay people” based on the comment of ONE person. Does he not see the hypocrisy of that?
Perez Hilton? Gay fail. That loser has said more inflammatory and inappropriate comments regarding sexuality that anyone in KOL. Murphy needs to stop the tantrum and STFU already.
renee, I see your point; I’m not straight, and I have to listen to homophobic conversations very frequently (not necessarily directed towards me) but I think people tend to be more aggressive towards queer men than women.
However, it was the idea that comparing a man to a woman is derogatory that I took from it; whether he only said that because RM is gay I don’t know.
Ryan Murphy does the gay community a greater disservice by playing the homophobia card over a complete non-issue than KOL ever will by telling a guy that’s acting like a spoilt child to “buy a bra”. As insults go it’s a beiger shade of vanilla. As for “mean-spirited cliche”, EVERY character in Glee is a (often mean-spirited) cliche, which is why – plus Lea Michele – I can no longer bring myself to watch, and it’s only series 2!
Seems like people think it’s not really that bad to be sexist and to teach young boys it’s alright to treat women poorly and make jokes about them “whining”.
Listen, LOTS of people say sexist and homophobic stuff and don’t really think about it or even really mean it. But it doesn’t make it right and it’s a large part of the overall problem we are facing today. Just what I think anyhoo.
@Renee Well put. It’s hard to know what is in someone’s heart.
I think the problem with a lot of homophobic slams are the people making them, they don’t intend them to be homophobic, but they end up being just that. They make these snide comments that they take no time to consider and whether they intend them to be or not…. They are homophobic. You do not have to be a homophobe to make homophobic remarks….. Making fun of a man by implying he wears a bra is homophobic….. Whether Murphy started it or not Douchy McDrummer was being ignorant in what he said…
That being said….. Who the hell are the Kings of Leon????????????????
Good thing he took his new rant to such a respected news outlet; God knows Perez Hilton is the ultimate in non-homophobic blogging. I hope the show and all it’s 25 year old teenagers, go quietly into the night. As soon as possible.
ycnan, sorry, to clarify I was not saying that Followill’s comments were OK – they certainly were not, and it bothers me greatly that this kind of casual sexism is still so pervasive.
I’m guessing RM doesn’t care too much that the comments were sexist though.
Glee is sophomoric pap. “Team KOL” and I don’t even know who the f they are. They don’t have to do something because some whiny producer who thinks he has some higher calling wants it.
Ugh, seriously Ryan Murphy? Hitching your pathetic and misguided outrage to an actual tragedy for the gay community? Gross. That’s a tactic that won’t win you many points in whatever crusade to which you think you’re attached.
Nathan Followill should think before he tweets, but come on. He called Murphy out for acting like a teenage girl, which is exactly what he was doing. As a former teen girl, I know they can be prone to exaggeration and claims that someone is trying to destroy them when the truth is much less salacious. With that in mind, I really don’t think his stupid comment was really that misogynistic, to be honest. Could he have put it more elegantly? Certainly. Still, this whole thing just got blown way out of proportion.
Ryan Murphy looks like the bigger tool here, though. Definitely.
Honestly, I think they’re both milking this fight to the fullest. They both made ridiculous remarks, Ryan freaking out over a band not wanting their songs on Glee, and Followill saying make an offensive remarks towards the other. They’re both egomaniacs that need to STFU.
Marjalane, ITA.
Yeah Ryan Murphy is being a jerk. No one owes it to him to do his damn show. Followill’s comment’s were stupid but I doubt he is some vicious homophobe he probably just doesn’t like the show like alot of people plus he apologized. Glee is overrated and has so jumped the shark I am really glad I never got on that bandwagon.
@ Cindy: I KNOW!!!!!! I don’t love Glee, I find the performances painful and embarrassing to watch but really???? Who gives a fiddler’s flute about KOL?????
I co-sign with your other remarks too:)
The way I see it, the one who ends up looking very bad in this situation is the Glee guy. He seems so determined on making KOL feel like dirt for not giving their music to his God’s gift to the world & 100% ‘educational’ show, that I’m sure he was grining from ear to ear upon seeing the drummer’s unecessary tweet, seeing how he immediately jumped on the homophobic wagon.
Ryan needs to stop and start working (hard) at becoming mature and humble, telling people ‘Fuck you’ because they are unwilling to give you something that belongs to them is CRAZY and not how an intelligent individual should act, creating a successful show is not where everything stops. I hope KOL don’t bother with another answer and go on their merry way, ’cause to me continuously replying to a fool makes you the idiot.
I’m not a KOL fan at all, but Ryan’s a whiny little bitch.
Perfect way for me to end this bickering…quit watching glee & only listen to the KoL songs I want.
I don’t have to get involved in two grown men’s drama as a consumer.
They want to bicker..do it on their own time, not mine.
I too thought he was saying quit whining like a chick.
Which is fair game, if a female wants to scratch her ass, cuss you out and try to fight telling her to cut back on the testosterone injections would be a not so subtle hint to “chillax” not assume they’re Chaz Bono.
Rockers don’t do Oprah while they’re still young and cool, they don’t do kid shows where 7 year olds are the target, and when the guy running the show takes his bitching and baby whining public expect a real rocker to mock.
Pathetic that Glee guy has to turn to Victimology when he’s the public whiner putting them on blast, which is SO unprofessional. He’s no chick, no man, he’s a spoiled angry baby who thinks all musicians should bow to… Glee? Whatev.
Can all these douche-y remarks just end now?
Don’t all these musicians know that you just don’t say no to Ryan Murphy? If he want to put your music on his morally-bankrupt show, then damnit, you say yes! Just think of all the seven year olds you’ll be helping by teaching them about teen pregnancy, lying, cheating, back-stabbing, gay-bashing and bullying! I personally think it’s good for my child to see that the right way to treat others is with disdain and cruelty, instead of kindness and patience.
I now see the error of my ways in not giving my sweet little girl a Glee education sooner. Her indoctrination begins tonight. I’ll have to let my church know we won’t be needing them for guidance anymore, we have Ryan Murphy now!
Hooray!
The Glee guy calls KOL a**holes but they can’t reply without being “homophobes”??? You don’t have to be a woman to be a bitch!!! Gay or straight, if your acting like a spoilt bitch you deserve to be told to STFU, especially if your of a “certain age” and should know better.
How is publicly calling a whole group of people a**holes because you didn’t get your way not being a biotch???
As for “educating” kids… to do what?? throw a hissy fit if you don’t get your way, then blame someone else???
I am a woman… I am Gay… I have children and I am more offended by the Glee guy saying his behaviour is “for the kids”… I would have said exactly the same to him as the KOL guy…
So If I watched Glee. I would decide to not watch it anymore.It looks like this gay man needs an education. I will not tolerate thought police. In fact most Americans won’t.I do not care about sexist comments as a woman from a stranger. Doesn’t bother me in the slightest. And for the glee guys information heterosexual teenagers are killing themselves also.The gays are being used to crack down on free speech. Wake up.USED How predictable. Good way to not be accountable for his own out of line. Way out of line reaction. Me thinks this guy likes attention. I hope someone has the nerve to call him out publicly at his apparent self serving hissy fit.
Murphy started it by saying “Fuck you” and calling them assholes. If you start out like that, in the midst of a self-important whine about how this band (and by extension everyone) should be delighted to have their music on his show, you have to expect a strong response. I wouldn’t have gone with the bra and manicure comments, but I certainly would’ve responded somehow.
Homophobic comments are bad, but it takes some of the punch out of one’s outrage when you started it by saying “fuck you assholes”.
Bad behavior all around. Ryan Murphy started it with his utter nonsense and perceived slight but Followill fueled it with his misogynistic and homophobic (I think it was) response. Now Ryan Murphy has a greater sense of outrage sanctimony! Although I think he was the initial “bully” – in the loosest sense. Great. When will it end? Probably with a KOL song on Glee.
This Ryan Murphy dude looks like he’s styled himself (clothing, hair, etc) on John Malkovich (who is awesome by the way and would never reduce himsel to producing the type of drivel that passes for a plot on Glee)..
Glee is terrible. If we were adding circles to hell I would nominate a circle where Glee is on all day, all night, without a break. Now that would be torturous.
Rubbish!
This makes me dislike GLEE!
Sure the tweet response was immature but Ryan started the who messed by CURSING OUT the Kings of Leon! And why? Because they didn’t want to commercialize their music? F-ck Ryan Murphy! KOL have the right to license or NOT license their music.
As for drummer boy, his tweet was a douche move. Ryan’s righteous indignation TWICE OVER? Yeah, makes him a bigger douche!
Don’t pick a fight and complain with someone fights back!
There is some serious baby behavior from both of these self-important jack***es-far too much for people who should KNOW BETTER.
I can’t stand ADULTS who get into pissing matches in PUBLIC over nonsense. It’s unprofessional, it’s whiny and pathetic. If someone tells you no, you leave it and go about your business. You don’t piss and moan about it in the public arena. If someone pisses and moans about you but you know you’re right, you don’t respond with some marginally offensive comment like a teenage boy-you let them shoot themselves in the foot.
Ryan Murphy was looking like a class A moron until this Kings of Leon (WHO??) idiot decided to go the adolescent route.
They are all adults. They need to act like it, at least in the public sphere.
They both are making total fools out of themselves. One needs to be the better person and shut up from here out. Murphy should have kept his face shut in the first place acting like a prissy girl with her panties in a wad. Get over it and move on to improving that lame ass show.
I wonder what other acts refused to let Glee use their songs. Anyone know?
This whole thing has been a series of over-reactions, and Ryan Murphy totally started it.
Exactly. I’m starting to really despise this guy.
when i was in 6th grade some girls kept notebooks called “slam books,” where they would write mean things about other kids and then share them in a pulling-the-wings-off-flies kind of way. all these celeb twitfights remind me of those slam books, except wealthy, emotionally stunted adults are involved.
ok, my two cents: ryan murphy is a babyman who needs to keep writing his lame show and STFU. followill & KOL are massively talented but need to just play music and also STFU. note to all celebs who twit about their every waking moment and vapid thought: just STFU already – we don’t care.
I now know why people place their true feelings and comments anonymously on websites-If they make one comment that may somehow be construed as homophobic then they are now labeled Homophobe for the rest of their life and career. Just as, if someone sincerely disagrees with President Obama’s policies they are labeled a Racist and a Teabagger for the rest of their existence. The “Labeling” damage control method that Ryan Murphy is employing towards Nathan from KOL-SUCKS! One other glaring thing I noticed is that Ryan never apologized for his F-U tirade BULLYING comments that started the whole mess but Nathan immediately issued an apology for his douchey comment. I love KOL and have been a fan of their music for years.
“Gays just love claiming someone is homophobic when they know they are wrong. They love putting the blame on someone else. ”
priceless.
I also agree with Neelyo.
Hold on a minute…Does Ryan Murphy really think Glee is age-appropriate viewing for 7-year-olds?
@ Tvf:
Apparently, not only appropriate but also “artistically educational”.
Is there a picture of Ryan Murphy where he ISN’T making “catty queen face?”
@Eve – it would probably be homophobic (and yes, technically incorrect) for me to say I’m thankful that Ryan Murphy can’t have children, then.
Who do you think would grow up better adjusted – B.B. Kiddo (the daughter from Kill Bill vol 2) or a kid who was immersed in Glee at an early age?
RM is a bully and needs to have a sit down with himself!
Ryan Murphy reminds me of the KGB/
Stasi/even Nazis wanting to send annoyances to Re-Education Camps.
F-ck Ryan Murphy’s bitch ass. Just shut up already. He was razzing you, you don’t represent every homosexual in the world. Nothing about his tweet (that really wasn’t all that douchey, IMO) suggested he hated or was scared of homosexuality. It suggested he was tired of your whiny bitch words. (Does thinking that make me a douche, too? Okay. I’ll take the t-Shirt in a Medium). I’m going to relax now, as I know this blog comment has no effect on the universe and Ryan Murphy’s bitch ass will probably never know how I feel about this pathetic attack on KOL. Good day to you, fellow commenters. Smile at someone today. It’s Friday! *exhales*.
Oh, please. He’s trying to twist it around to look like the good guy. I don’t think it was homophobic and the guy even apologized to those who took it that way.
GLEE sucks.
@ Tvf:
I don’t know about him not having kids being a good thing — for instance, I’m all for adoption and if he decides to adopt a kid someday I think I’ll be supportive (hoping he will teach the kid about tolerance the right way, not the “my way is the only way”).
My problem with his statements — what I think would be the biggest issue in case he had a child — isn’t necessarily a 7-year-old immersed in Glee’s universe (even though I already stated that I hate the show to no end and agree with others about its ridiculous stereotyped characters) but a child raised with this kind of mentality around: “If someone doesn’t like my work or agree with me, then he/she must be a homophobic a**hole” because that’s how Murphy has been sounding the whole time. He’s been playing the homophobia card simply because he was told “no”.
And I repeat, he’s the one who started the whole thing by telling the band members to f*ck off and calling them a**holes after they politely refused to have their song featured in Murphy’s show.
I watched 1 of the first episodes of Glee and wasn’t interested. This is coming from someone who was a chior and orchestra kid from 3rd grade to the 12th. Ryan was wrong for attacking KOL for not allowing their music to be used. I could understand if KOL came out and said, “We don’t want Glee to use our music because the show is horrible or gay”. They didn’t say anything publicly. I didn’t know Ryan was gay and it’s possible that Followill didn’t know he was gay either. Just seems like they’re making a sexist comment about Ryan acting like a bitchy girl. Followill apologized if his comments came off as being homophobic.
Wait… I thought homophobic was related to a fear of gays? Am I wrong? Because it seems as though the words “homophobe” and “homophobic” have been totally mis-used in this thread. Discriminatory? Perhaps. Homophobic? Uh – no.
Automatically assuming a comment made against you by someone who just does not like you at all is just another example of the proverbial race card. It’s ridiculous and only confirms that RM has issues within himself that are unresolved. People who are happy with who they are and where they are in life do not respond to silly name-calling and insults.
Murphy is very clearly heterophobic. He is frightened of and has a clear disdain for straight people. It’s probably because he secretly has straight yearnings he hasn’t come to terms with personally. He seriously needs to educate himself about straight people.
“Glee” exists to generate ratings which are used to market and sell advertising time on the network. It has zero to do with educating kids or spreading some sort of gospel of tolerance and love throughout the land. It will continue to air until it becomes unprofitable to the network at which point it will be canceled and replaced with something else. The producer asked a musical act if they were interested in having their music used on the show. They declined, at which point this Murphy guy went on the offensive and verbally attacked them personally. None of this has anything to do with “homophobia” or “bullying”, it’s simply a wealthy TV producer with a massively inflated sense of self-importance tossing a fit because he didn’t get his way.
I would have liked it if KOL never responded at all, including the initial professional response.
People like the Glee guy(not important enough for me to scroll back up so I can remember his name)need to be ignored when they act out like this. It eats them up inside when ppl don’t take the bait, and they end up looking all the more stupid.
Oh man, enough already. Just build a bridge and get over it.
RYAN MURPHY YOUR SHOW HAS ONE OR TWO SEASONS LEFT. DO US A FAVOR AND FUCK OFF!!!
Personally, Ryan Murphy has no room to say anything after telling them to f-ck off and calling KOL a$$holes, all because they didn’t want their music on his crappy little show and didn’t kiss up on his stupid little ass.
He has no right saying anything, as he owns no right to their music. And from what I got of it, they’re telling him to stop being a bitch, start acting like a big boy about things, and move on.
So, team KOL.
This spat is the most exciting thing that will ever happen to Ryan. Too bad its his cliche-like bitchy attitude that gets him attention instead of talent or achievement.
Ryan Murphy’s quickly developed that unfortunate ability to cheapen the principles and causes he associates himself with.
KoL have a right to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. I think Murphy is overreacting a bit, although Followill’s response was a tad unnecessary. That being said, KoL ARE douchebags nowadays.
This guy needs to stop. He is being a whiny, immature brat and is making me never want to watch Glee again.
KOL said they were making fun of him individually and not gays on the whole and arent homophobic so Ryan needs to grow up and move on.
Churchill Winston – i couldnt agree more.
Ryan Murphy seriously needs to get the f–k over himself. Not everyone watches that crapfest called Glee. KOL’s response was *hilarious*… Murphy is just digging himself a deeper and deeper hole (no pun intended) from which he will never escape. He really ought to buy a bra, get a manicure and quit bitch-whining like a little pansy-girl that those guys in KOL were so mean to him (pouty-face).
The Kings of Leon used to be cool, but have long since sold out. Now their music is unoriginal garbage, and they’ve essentially become self-absorbed Hollywood brats. They came to play in St. Louis (where I live) and at our outside venue, a couple pigeons crapped on them and they threw a huge fit and stormed off the stage and refused to play the rest of the show. I thought it was absolutely hilarious they got shit on, literally! They’re a bunch of self-obsessed prima donna bitches!
I’m cosigning with everyone who think this whole thing was started by *2* immature idiots that took it too far.
I’m not team anyone… because I think they both knew better. Someone didn’t get what they wanted, & out of anger, pitched a fit by saying that the ‘rejection’ meant the band basically didn’t give a crap about kids. Which was bull. So the guy in the band immaturely said something back, acted like a douche.
It should’ve stopped there. Both morons.
In Japan, “go buy a bra” means nothing and is neither sexist nor homophobic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhAoFajC3Qw
I’m over this little “feud.”
KOL doesn’t owe this ass-hat a thing.
Followill needs to grow up.
I hope this is the end of this stupid thing.
Oops
Ugh. I can’t stand either of these twits!
The glee guy needs to get over himself, move on and get a publicist who will teach him to keep his mouth shut more often. Glee is not anything to get that excited over.
KoL are egotistical d-bags and their music sucks. I’ve never understood the appeal. All the dumber had to do was keep his mouth (keyboard) shut! Apparently, that’s something neither of these people know how to do.
If I had to paraphrase this fight, it would go like this:
Ryan Murphey: Kings of Leon didn’t want to play with me at lunchtime. So F*CK THEM! You know why they should have given me their song? Is it because I’m the greatest thing that ever happened to music and popular culture? No. Well, yes, I am those things too. But, it’s because I speak to the CHILDREN. Won’t someone please think of the f*cking children?!? F*CK!
Drummer dude: Ryan Murphey’s a b*tch! I can’t let this go without tweeting about it, because that would require a sense of maturity! PS teaching kids to say f*ck is not cool. Kthnxbye.
Ryan Murphey: HOMOPHOBE!!!!!
Ugh, they are both idiots! Although, after writing that little recap there, I will grudgingly admit that Ryan is the bigger loser here.
Nathan’s comment was more disrespectful to women than gays IMO. Kings of Leon are hardly the sharpest tools in the box – Please read any of their interviews for evidence. When Nathan tweeted his apology. He said he was told his original comment came across as misogynistic. I’m suprised he knew what it meant.
great points altogether, you simply gained a new reader. What would you suggest in regards to your post that you made some days ago? Any positive?