Last week, Peter Berg got caught up in some well-deserved controversy after he Instagrammed a transphobic meme about Caitlyn Jenner. We covered the controversy on Friday – you can see a screencap of the meme here. Why a screencap, you might ask? Well, it’s because on Saturday, after leaving the Instagram up for more than three days, Berg finally deleted it. Why? Was he ashamed of his false equivalency that “courage” could only be about soldiers and veterans, that it couldn’t be about an Olympic athlete transitioning in public? Not really.
Peter Berg Etch A Sketched his Instagram post, which made Caitlyn Jenner look like a joke. Peter was remorseful, saying he meant no harm when he re-posted a meme scoffing at Caitlyn winning the ESPY courage award … showing a soldier with 2 legs amputated next to Caitlyn with the caption, “One man traded 2 legs for the freedom of the other to trade 2 balls for 2 boobs.”
Berg says, “I deleted it because I am deeply saddened over the rage and hatred on both sides it is responsible for.”
Berg goes on to say he believes we don’t give enough credit to our vets, adding he has no issues with Caitlyn.
Aw, he deleted it because he’s “sad”. Sad because he was called out. Sad because he was called a douche. But Perez Hilton (I know, I know) says that Berg also deleted the meme for another reason: one of the side-by-side photos was owned by AKM-GSI and the photo agency sent Berg a cease & desist because, in their spokesperson’s words:
“The reason we asked Peter Berg’s rep to take down our image is because we don’t agree with his message. Not because we weren’t getting paid… we would have in no way authorized use of this image in this context. AKM-GSI supports both the LGBT community and our nation’s troops and applaud their courage. To needlessly put these proud groups at odds with one another goes against the very freedoms our armed forces bravely fight to preserve and the sense of inclusion that Caitlyn Jenner is trying to foster.”
Wow, that’s a pretty great statement from AKM-GSI, right? Good for them. So did Berg delete the Instagram because his soul was bruised from the backlash or because he got pwned by the photo agency?
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Shorter Berg: “I got SADFEELS because now everyone knows I’m an asshole.” What a knobend.
GREAT statement from AKM-GSI, too.
Boo hoo, everybody called me a douche just because I’m a douche. Not fair!
Very impressive statement by the photo agency.
People didn’t agree with my narrow-minded view and sad attempt at humor! Wah woe is me!
Here I was thinking we needed yet another descriptive term these past few weeks, and you break out ‘knob end.’ Thank you for the instant gratification.
Now, I’m thinking it would be swell to have one that describes the succinct kind of set-down that the photo agency beautifully delivered… some word for putting a certain kind of particularly odious knob end back in their place…
Thanks. Spookily coinciding with Brian Cox on Twitter debating on the correct way to spell it!
@embertine: sounds as if Mr. Cox knows there’s nothing like wrapping your head around a good lexicon. I’m not on Twitter, though, so I can only imagine the things that might come out of his mouth!
Exactly. Some of these douchecanoes go around getting backslaps and pounds from their equally obnoxious dude bros with each foul BS wisecrack/comment, that they just forget where they are when tweeting, and expect to get the same validation of their dudebro-ness on twitter…but then they wake up, when they see, oh gee, I actually sent my slurs to the rest of the world and now I’ve ruined my life. Own it Berg, donate to a worthy cause, admit your sexist homophobic ego.took over and pledge to be a better person.
Yep awesome statement. One act of bravery does not eliminate another.
There was a vet that also said something similar to buzzfeed. This whole argument was stupid and its the ESPYs a show that honors athletes smh
Is it just me, or does he look like Ethan Hawke’s douchier, less attractive older brother?
You mean the rage and hatred on both sides YOU were responsible for.
UGH COACH TAYLOR WOULD NOT HAVE APPROVED
Can I still enjoy Friday Night Lights? I really don’t want to have to give up Coach and Mrs. Taylor because the show’s creator is a jack@#$.
Big ups to AKM-GSI — that is what everyone has been saying. Stop comparing these two groups of people. Makes no sense and is just so transparently hateful.
Lots of men trade in their balls for a pair of boobs, metaphorically speaking
But technically, she didn’t trade her ball, she just added some boobs.
Once again, tearing down one person or group does not build another up. Good on AKM-GSI, they seem to have grasped the point that Berg completely missed.
Boo-f*cking-hoo for him.
Exactly. I’m glad they issued the statement they did.
Haha, assface. I don’t like when stars use one person’s struggles against another’s. Comparisons are odious. And if that douche is “deeply saddened”, I’m the cover model for the next Vogue issue.
Aren’t the Espys an award show for sports/athletes? Why would a soldier be given an award at a lameass sports award show?
He was a star athlete at the Naval Academy.
Unless he did rep sports, not just some little academy games, it doesn’t really count, I don’t think.
An a** will be an a** will be an a**.
Btw, which agency allowed that cover of then-Bruce with that crappy photoshopped makeup job? Please tell me it wasn’t the same one.
It was a dumb offensive tweet, meme whatever. Berg is a mid level person in Hollywood and celebrityville. He apologized, whether with heart or not. Who cares at this point? Why so much hoopla over this? Not being mean, but I am sure this isn’t the only nasty thing being said about Caitlyn Jenner. Just wondering why the legs on this story, not bashing Caitlyn or her story.
That statement from the photo agency is amazing. Good for them
After spending all weekend reading and replying to nasty comments about Caitlyn in other gossip sites I just want to say I’m very proud to be part of this community (Celebitchy) and it makes me happy to see such a large amount of intelligent comments about the whole transgender issue whenever Caytlin is mentioned here.