US media body receives 20 complaints over Sam’s gay kiss
By Josh Haggis
US media regulator The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) received 20 official complaints after American football player Michael Sam kissed his boyfriend live on TV last month.
Sam kissed his boyfriend, Vito Cammisano, when he was told over the phone that the St. Louis Rams NFL team had selected him last month (May) – and the kiss was broadcast live during daytime programming on sports cable network ESPN.
The 20 complaints received by the FCC is reasonably high for a daytime broadcast on a cable network, US media pundits have noted. Read a selection of the complaints below:
“The FCC chastised Janet Jackson’s breast during the Super Bowl, but will anything be addressed about two men tongue kissing during the NFL Draft?”
“…He was shown to be repeatedly kissing his ‘boyfriend’. This is harmful to children, and is also obscene and disgusting, and should not be shown on daytime television. If it must, then the rating must be changed to suit the poor quality of the show.”
“I’m watching the draft with my son, trying to teach him right from wrong, and ESPN, yes I said ESPN, shows some kid who got drafted kissing another man and then licking cake off each other. Totally disgusting, totally inappropriate, totally classless. The government needs to get involved ASAP….”
“….It’s needless to say I was incensed at this vile, disgusting, inappropriate display of homosexual behaviour on American TV programming, it’s inexcusable that we have to endure homosexual behaviour of a major cable network such as NFL….I have gone to great pains to explain this horrendous conduct to my children who had never been exposed to this filth before this past Saturday”
To read the full list of 20 complaints, click here.
Meanwhile, a survey taken last month found that 47% of Americans believe it was “inappropriate” for Michael Sam and his boyfriend’s gay kiss to be screened on television – click here to read the full story.
If you have yet to see the kiss between Michael Sam and his boyfriend, click here to watch it.