Outsports Discussion Board > Lance Armstrong at the ESPYs -- funny?

Full Version: Lance Armstrong at the ESPYs -- funny?

Outsports Discussion Board > Outsports > Gays in Sports

DCBucky

Jul 18 2006, 09:00 AM

"Jake. "Why are you sitting in the front? I though you liked it in the rear?"

I'm sure few of us bothered to watch the made-for-ESPN "award" show (I didn't) -- but have now seen reports of host Lance Armstrong's dialogue, which included a poke (so to speak) of his buddy Jake Gyllenhall.

Watch for yourself.

For those who can't access the you tube, Armstrong pointed out Gyllenhall, fresh off his Oscar nomination for Brokeback, and then asked: "Why are you sitting in the front? I though you liked it in the rear?"

ok kinda funny -- actually lame and tame -- the sort of banter that my brothers and close friends exchange in with my partner and me.

I can't believe Lance had the balls to say it. Or would that be ball?

But some are offended (this is Richard Sandomir in the NY Times): The ESPY for bad taste goes to ...

QUOTE

\"I can’t remember hearing anal-sex jokes on ESPN, so I was stunned to hear Lance Armstrong make one in his monologue at the ESPY Awards show televised Sunday night.\"

Huh? This is the ESPYs -- a sports award show - - it's supposed to be fun -- equivalent to junk like MTV Video or People's Choice.

[ July 18, 2006, 09:07 AM: Message edited by: DCBucky ]

Bryan

Jul 18 2006, 10:40 AM

I saw it, and while Lance cleared it with Jake ahead of time, they're friends, it still felt uncomfortable and well, tacky. Lance had this vibe of "I love being a celebrity" which didn't come off so good. Ego will get ya every time.

Enigma

Jul 18 2006, 12:22 PM

I thought it was hilarious! Lance did a good job from the bits and pieces I've seen.

Munson Man

Jul 18 2006, 02:07 PM

I thought it was very funny. Lance made fun of himself as well, ie. saying he'd "give his left nut" for something or other.

Adam

Jul 18 2006, 05:14 PM

I'm amazed that Disney--ESPN's parent company--allowed Armstrong's joke, especially since ESPN has always promoted itself--and the ESPYs--as family friendly.

If Ozzie Guillen had said his "fag" comments towards Jay Mariotti had been meant as a joke, would it have been OK?

~Adam

Maddog

Jul 18 2006, 05:33 PM

I'm with Bryan. While I kinda see what he was going for, I still felt uncomfortable. Sorta like I did when Dennis Quaid made the dick flick joke at the Golden Globes. I think those kinda jokes work better in informal intimate gatherings and not on national TV.

Maybe if Brokeback Mountain was a comedy or just about anal sex, the jokes might work better too. But I really liked the movie so 3rd grade dick jokes about it don't work for me.

But I agree it took ball for Lance to say it.

Joe in Philly

Jul 19 2006, 05:22 PM

QUOTE

Bryan:
Lance cleared it with Jake ahead of time,

Do we know this for a fact?

My guess is, like all awards shows, the ESPYs had writers who come up with pretty much every line beforehand. I'm sure Lance Armstrong isn't writing his own material.

It was a crude remark, not particularly clever or funny. The fact that Hollywood writers came up with that line tells you everything you need to know about the state of movies, television, etc. today.

And this (from the same NY Times article) tells you all you need to know about ESPN:

QUOTE

This, then, was another episode in the ongoing battle of Good ESPN and Bad ESPN, juggling inspirational stories with the fluffy and the profane.

Good ESPN produces “Outside the Lines” while Bad ESPN creates the now-dead “ESPN Hollywood” daily series, a howlingly awful effort to blend sports and entertainment celebrity news.

Good ESPN televised Sunday’s well-produced ballgame for six and a half innings — with super slow-motion replays that gave terrific portraits of Mets and Cubs batters connecting with the ball — before it gave way to Bad ESPN’s excessive promotion for the ESPYs.

In the bottom of the seventh, the bottom-line scoreboard was replaced by a constant alert (total elapsed time: 32 minutes 17 seconds) that the ESPYs were “Coming Up Next.”

All interest in the results of other games in baseball or other sports was to cease immediately as per Bad ESPN fiat. The announcer Jon Miller also had to hype the ESPYs with outright pitches (“We’re one out away from the ESPYs,” he said), by links to a nominee (the Mets’ David Wright) or by a suggestion for an ESPY for best performance by a 47-year-old (Julio Franco).

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