Being the pop-culture lover that I am, I think it goes without saying that I can't wait until the new Fall Season begins on television bringing new shows to watch and, in most cases, reject. One show, which has found itself firmly in my rejection pile before even debuting, is the CBS show The Mentalist. In a series of promos for the show, the title character, played by Simon Baker, declares a dead man is gay because he has a pedicure with clear polish. I actually had to see this thing a few times to make sure that what I thought I was hearing was correct. I couldn't (and still can't) believe that the show would have such a ridiculous line, and I really couldn't (and still can't) believe that they would actually put it in a promo. Not only is it offensive, but it makes the guy's supposed powers of observation and deduction look absolutely pathetic. It also doesn't help that those supposed powers of observation and deduction are an obvious rip-off of Psych. More on the show's offense and a clip including the ridiculous moment can be found after the click.
In today's world, it is ridiculous to assume that a pedicure has anything to do with someone's sexual orientation. I happen to be a gay man, and, the last time I checked, I've never had a pedicure in my life. Furthermore, in this age of metrosexuality, it's not so rare anymore for a straight man to get a pedicure. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me at all if Simon Baker was sporting recently pedicured feet while spouting that garbage. As a pretty-boy actor, it would very much be in the realm of possibility, and, as far as I know, he isn't gay. (Baker has a wife and children, which doesn't necessarily mean he is straight, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.) It's not very smart to market a show in a way that could alienate a segment of the viewing audience, especially if said segment would enjoy watching someone like Simon Baker as many gay men would. Unfortunately, the sheer stupidity of including that line in the show and the promo while totally failing to recognize how offensive and just plain incorrect such a statement is means that this is one gay man that won't be watching.
In today's world, it is ridiculous to assume that a pedicure has anything to do with someone's sexual orientation. I happen to be a gay man, and, the last time I checked, I've never had a pedicure in my life. Furthermore, in this age of metrosexuality, it's not so rare anymore for a straight man to get a pedicure. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me at all if Simon Baker was sporting recently pedicured feet while spouting that garbage. As a pretty-boy actor, it would very much be in the realm of possibility, and, as far as I know, he isn't gay. (Baker has a wife and children, which doesn't necessarily mean he is straight, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.) It's not very smart to market a show in a way that could alienate a segment of the viewing audience, especially if said segment would enjoy watching someone like Simon Baker as many gay men would. Unfortunately, the sheer stupidity of including that line in the show and the promo while totally failing to recognize how offensive and just plain incorrect such a statement is means that this is one gay man that won't be watching.
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