08/19/2008
Irish Singer Brian McFadden: Straight Men Don't Wear Pink
Irish singer Brian McFadden has demonstrated what a homophobe he is in a New Zealand radio interview. McFadden, formerly a singer with the Irish boyband Westlife, spouted off about the color pink:
"Saying pink is a form of red is the same as saying homosexual is a form of male....In the old days there was no such thing as gay. It was frowned upon, the church would burn you at the stake. Modern day, if you are not gay, a man should not be wearing pink, unless of course you're in the America's Cup and you're one of these pansies who walk around with Gant t-shirts with your collars up, adn you wear pink and you wear white trousers with those dirty brown slip-on shoes. Then you're just an idiot..."
McFadden's former bandmate, Mark Feehily, announced he was gay in 2005. Shortly thereafter, Feehily said he would marry his boyfriend, singer Kevin McDaid.
Listen to McFadden's full radio rant, AFTER THE JUMP...
Posted 8:41 AM EST by Andy Towle in Brian McFadden, Fashion Men, News | Permalink
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What a knob. Too bad, I actually liked his first CD.
Posted by: Wayne | Aug 19, 2008 12:18:12 PM
What a knob. Too bad, I actually liked his first CD.
Posted by: Wayne | Aug 19, 2008 12:19:17 PM
Do TR comment'ers live in glass houses?
Posted by: anon | Aug 19, 2008 12:55:00 PM
ANON, I'm an Irish-American fag and definitely NOT an alcoholic. I take great offense at your racist remark and you should be ashamed! Maybe it's easier to live in a world full of stereotypes rather than educate yourself. I hope you and this McFayden guy are very happy together.
Posted by: JerzeeMike | Aug 19, 2008 1:38:13 PM
Oh, dear, McFadden was an asshole to say what he did, and ANON was an asshole for saying what he did.
What surprised me though, was the fact that ANON's comment was full of sarcasm. Gays wear pink like Irish are drunks. Not all pink wearers are gay and not all drunks are Irish. Where is your sense of humor?
Posted by: lizzardbits | Aug 19, 2008 2:44:27 PM
I think some people need to lighten up. ANON was kidding, though obviously it touched a nerve.
Posted by: Paul R | Aug 19, 2008 4:17:34 PM
Ugh. This is so sad. I have a mad crush on is fiancee, Delta Goodrem. She's an amazing singer from Australia...
... and if you go to the Wikipedia page for Brian McFadden, the intro paragraph says, and I quote, "Though he is openly gay, McFadden is currently engaged to Australian pop star Delta Goodrem."
I'm like... quoi?!
Posted by: Matt | Aug 19, 2008 5:22:59 PM
Thanks Andy for posting the clip - it actually made me more angry listening to the words come out of his mouth.
Such bitter queen.. He wasn't the cute one (Mark) and the good-in-singing one (Shane), and his career now is half-baked... For sure now no gaymen in Sydney and SF (at least) will buy his next CD (if there ever will be one).
I wonder how he will face Delta Goodrem's gay friends. Delta is so gay-friendly yet she chose such a homophobe? Delta dear, you choice of men is prolly as poor as your choice of hairstyle..
When my friends have children and I hear them say, Oh little Michael must wear blue or little Christine must wear pink, they are gonna get a load full from me, or they will get loads of free pink clothes for their boys or free blue clothes for their girls!
I agree that ANON was kidding but it's not a funny joke.
Posted by: Alfred | Aug 19, 2008 6:39:45 PM
I've been to Ireland three times, both my Dad's and brother-in-law's parents were born there. Like any other place on the planet you will find douche bags like McFadden, but the majority in the country, even back in 83 on my first trip across the pond were cool.
But as I wrote earlier about the poor kid who was just beaten to death by his 'friends' in Baltimore this hate is being spoon fed by conservatives in both the Church and Politics.
Posted by: patrick nyc | Aug 19, 2008 6:43:24 PM
My comment was a private message to Mr. McFadden and should not have been read by others. I shall now return to being the flippant voice of reason on this site.
Posted by: anon | Aug 19, 2008 8:37:34 PM
Indeed, DERRICK FROM PHILLY, McHasBeen should know better - it's not so long ago that you'd walk past a pub in London and see a sign "No blacks, no dogs, no Irish"... and they meant it.
While ANON was surely using his dry wit (a quality I usually appreciate), the idea that the Irish are alcoholics is a painfully true notion. People are appalled when they visit Dublin and see the carry-on of young people on the street, with their parents often worse. When I was working there a few years ago, we admitted a 17 year-old to the hospital for alcohol-induced liver failure, and sadly he was not so unique a case.
It's like someone saying "Gays = AIDS patients you know" or "Latinos = TB carriers you know". Even if what the mysterious ANON said is true, alcoholism is a disease that ruins lives and families faster than James Dobson can say 'DOMA'.
The really sad thing is that many gay men (Irish and otherwise) have longer-lasting relationships with bottles of liquor than with their partners.
Posted by: McMan | Aug 19, 2008 9:36:22 PM
I detest the color pink (even on women)..Lavender for both men and women is simply sublime!!!!
Posted by: nikko | Aug 19, 2008 10:06:01 PM
It's been confirmed that he's engaged to Australian pop singer Delta Goodrem. Well, she better be ditching him now or the gay boys of the USA will trash her career here before she ever makes it on shore!
As for the Wikipedia quote, I could type the same thing about you and it can't be verified. That's why it's a wiki!!
Posted by: DKNATL | Aug 19, 2008 11:30:45 PM
a wanker by any other name is still a wanker.
Posted by: johnozed | Aug 20, 2008 8:21:08 AM
MCMAN
...I dunno, when you live in a country where the head of state actually walked into the German Embassy and signed the Book of Condolence for the death of Hitler, sometimes you need a drink....
Posted by: LIFFEY | Aug 20, 2008 11:14:23 AM