Greg Gutfeld's gay bar fail
August 11, 2010 9:14 am ET by Eric Boehlert
Fox News' Red Eye host this week announced he wants to open a gay bar near the proposed Islamic Center in downtown Manhattan, the one that has so many right-wingers unhinged and inspired one Andrew Breitbart blogger this week to accuse New York City's Jewish mayor of acting like a Nazi collaborator because he supports the Islamic Center.
Gutfeld and his fans think it's hysterical and that he's struck upon a genius idea to "build dialogue" because a gay bar would make Muslims furious and they'd oppose one opening near their Islamic Center and, OMG, that would highlight the hypocrisy of the whole endeavor because they don't care that their Islamic Center makes some New Yorkers (and GOP partisans) furious.
But of course the p.r. stunt only works if Islamic Center supporters react as insanely as do those who view their proposal as an act of war. The gay bar shtick only works if Gutfeld can get Muslim leaders to take the bait and go off on tangents about how a gay bar placed near the Islamic Center is offensive and that Gutfeld must move the location! Meaning, the gay bar idea only works if Muslims match the hate rhetoric on the right.
So yeah, the idea's already a fail because in a Twitter exchange with Gutfeld here was the response from "Park51," the official account of the proposed Islamic Center [emphasis added]:
You're free to open whatever you like. If you won't consider the sensibilities of Muslims, you're not going to build dialog
And:
We're a community center. @GregGutfeld's baiting isn't really our issue.
Have fun with dealing with the Zoning Commission Greg! And oh yeah, the open-a-gay-bar-to-build-dialogue idea only works if you don't already have a well-earned reputation for gay baiting.
UPDATED: Too funny for words: Newsbusters has determined, based on "Park51's" tweets, that it "has apparently taken a stance against Gutfeld's bar."
Right, by telling Gutfeld he's "free to open" whatever he likes, the Islamic Center opposes Gutfeld's p.r. stunt, just like critics have condemned the Muslim project.
UPDATED: Do I even have to point out that it's absurd to take Gutfeld's bar-opening proposal seriously just because he claims to have spoken to investors and wants to move forward. He’s a comedian with no background (I don't think) in New York City real commercial estate and development. I mean, I'd like to build a roller coaster on top of the Empire State Building. If I write a blog post claiming I've talked to "investors," would anyone take that seriously?
And yes, I'm betting you'd be able to buy tickets for my roller coaster ride before you're able to visit Gutfeld's gay bar.
Does he understand how much it would cost? Does he understand that most bars fail within the first five years? Does he really think he can get people with money to invest in his doomed enterprise?
Even if he were able to open his bar, does he think the people he's made a living antagonizing are going to spend their money at his business?
This seems to work on the Fox/am radio crowd. Just as they can get outraged at the most far-fetched strawmen, they can get furious at the hypothetical based on nothing. " If this was a Republican, you know the media would be...blah blah blah", " If some liberal did that, you know he'd get a free pass, blah blah..."
It's just another benefit of playing to an audience that has such a hard time separating fact from fantasy.
In his favor, if he ever needs an imaginary plumber for his imaginary bar, I'm sure the Teahaddists can hook him up with one.
To be consistent with wingnut economic philosophy, if he made a lot of money, his taxes would go up, and he'd have to fire all of his employees and close down the place to increase his wealth.
Two doors down, two different worlds
In the meantime, the Saadehs and their customers are happy to continue ignoring its existence.
Sabah Yafai, an immigrant from Yemen who lives in the neighborhood and regularly shops at the Saadehs’ store, shrugged when asked what she thought of the theater.
“We never think about the club,” she said.
I guess we read that differently. Hmmmm.
I am sure GOP Proud is inviting him to dinner soon, though.
I am sure GOP Proud is inviting him to dinner soon, though.
I am sure GOP Proud is inviting him to dinner soon, though.
Conservatives insist that Ground Zero is sacred ground and this Muslim community center constitues a grave insult to all real Americans.
What confuses me, would not the establishment of a gay bar across the street also constitue a desecration of sacred ground? Perhaps it is that sacred groud stops at the community center, thus putting the gay bar on non-sacred ground. Perhaps it is that conservatives are not as opposed to teh gay as they would have us believe.
Very confusing.