Sanctity in the Madness

friend: [sends me a link to an eight minute youtube video]

So as the night started to grow to a close tonight, I noticed something starting to trend on twitter. Ian Thrope. Someone who I haven’t seen pop up for a decent period of time. But then I was even more surprised when I read what the news article said “Brave Australian Olympic Games champion Ian Thorpe tells: I’m Gay” and don’t get me wrong I’m totally happy for him and for all I care the more the merrier seeing as the representation of openly gay sportsmen in Australia is seriously lacking to non existent. But its not him being gay that I would like to address. Its the media and in particular Channel 10 and their portrayal of this story thus far. 

Even though we haven’t seen the interview as of yet as it airs tomorrow night, they have released a short trailer of what to expect from the interview of Thorpe interviewed by Sir Michael Parkinson. With the narration starting with “No question will be off limits”, this sets the tone immediately of what is to be said, and after reading the title of this news article I start to shake my head somewhat in disbelief knowing exactly what is going to be said from here. As it plays on “You always said you’re not gay, is that true?” says Parkinson then cutting to more rubbish of when we can see it and how its for everyone should see it. I’m calling out Channel Ten on their representation of such a... emotional (for a lack of a better word) and significant event in someones life, the act of coming out. This trailer that they have revealed ahead of tomorrow night has hyped of something that doesn’t need to be dramatic. Something that doesn’t need to be taken beyond the simple fact that Thorpe is coming out as gay. I feel that such a person issue has been turned into an on screen drama for all to see and most probably, the interview has been edited in a way the to once again, ‘make this a big issue’. 

If we cast our minds back to the coming out video of Tom Daley, his coming out was unfiltered, unedited and purely organic to the situation on hand, compered to what Channel 10 will be doing to this interview tomorrow night. And I am really feel sick of this hyping of gay individuals coming out. Yes I get that the world will want to know about what is happening, but not in the way that Channel 10 has done this. And by all means I’m not criticising Thorpe, he should actually be commended so much for his actions and I don’t think he realises yet how much he is helping LGBTI youth and other individuals across Australia and the world by addressing this issue, but I’m calling for more sensitivity to be placed on this issue in the future when advertising the sexuality of an individual and more clear boundaries to be placed on the ethics and morality of this issue in the media.