Kissing the Kiss Cam Goodbye
Living in Cleveland for four years, I attended countless sporting events. While it may not be the most ideal time-out activity, I always got a little giggle when spotting people pucker up for the kiss cam. However, due to a few—and by few, I actually mean two—politically correct individuals, it seems the kiss cam may be near the end of its days.
In the first case, a spectator at a Syracuse University basketball game, Steve Port, wrote a letter to Syracuse.com complaining about “horrifying” behavior when hands in the crowd pushed a young woman to kiss on camera the man seated next to her. Syracuse University issued a statement saying the kiss cam at Orange sporting events would be going under review and discontinued until further notice. Port claims he wasn’t out to kill the kiss cam. He says he just wanted to raise awareness to the issue at a time of excessive sexual violence on college campuses.
Port has a legitimate point. I am in no way advocating against the “no means no” standard. But who is Steve Port to step in and voice an opinion for the young woman in question? If she had an issue, she could have pressed charges on her own accord. I know if I were that female student, I would feel mortified that something as silly as the kiss cam had the whole nation writing articles—including this one—about me. Especially if I hadn't raised concerns in the first place.
In the second case, a Mets baseball game attendee voiced his anger over the kiss cam putting two players from opposing teams inside a heart on the big screen. He took to Twitter and tweeted: “Hey Mets, putting two opposing players on the KissCam for laughs is more homophobic than my team should be. Lets be classy instead!”
The Mets organization responded: "We have, on occasion, included players from opposing teams in our popular in-game kiss cam feature. While intended to be lighthearted, we unintentionally offended some. We apologize for doing so and no longer will include players in the feature. Our organization is wholly supportive of fostering an inclusive and respectful environment at games."
To this particular Mets fan, I only have one thing to say: Lighten up, man. It’s a joke. And quite frankly, it’s funny. And I don’t mean it’s funny because it alludes to two guys kissing. It’s funny precisely because it’s players from opposing teams. It has nothing to do with their sexual orientation; it’s just another way to play up a rivalry.
Okay, perhaps the kiss cam shouldn’t be the hill I choose to die on. But I put these whistle blowers in the same category of people who raise hell over saying “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays”, those who believe students shouldn't read classics like To Kill a Mockingbird, and others who say the Pledge of Alliance shouldn’t be allowed in schools.
President Obama even commented on the problem when discussing it as a practice on college campuses. “I don’t agree that you, when you become students at colleges, have to be coddled and protected from different points of views,’’ he said. And he’s right.
I for one believe political correctness is getting out of control. The truth is that the majority of people get upset when you don’t agree with them. But what kind of precedent are we setting for society by continually letting one individual ruin something with one complaint? And if we continue, how far is too far?
Steve Port doesn’t have a right to be the voice for a young woman at a college event. And the Mets shouldn’t have to change their policies for having done nothing wrong. And I won’t apologize if my opinion on that offends you.
