Douchebag Decree: Bret Easton Ellis

OK, we’ve published plenty of posts here on Glee and how it maybe isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Many of us are not exactly what you’d call “fans.” We know the show has problems. We get it.

What we don’t get, however, is Douchebag de la Semaine Bret Easton Ellis’ recent tweets about the show. To quote:

I like the idea of ‘Glee’ but why is it that every time I watch an episode I feel like I’ve stepped into a puddle of HIV?

Hm. We don’t know Bret. Maybe it’s because you are wrongly associating gay characters on television with a virus in a way that is not only douche-y but outrageously homophobic and ableist?

Ellis followed up his tweet with another one, saying:

No, I wasn’t drunk last night. I was watching Chris Colfer singing, um, ‘Le Jazz Hot’ and felt like I had suddenly come down with the hivs.

Don’t blame it on the alcohol; it was a televised show tune performance that made him do it! Oh, now it makes sense! (It doesn’t make sense.)

Not drunk you guys, just douche-y!

Now it’s very likely that Ellis was just trying to stir up controversy with these remarks so that he can tell even more people that they don’t get it. He’s a notorious shit-stirrer and, from what I can tell, he doesn’t mind negative attention. At all. But even if this homophobia was a desperate ploy for the spotlight, that doesn’t make it any less douche-y. And, jokes about gay people (teenagers, no less!) and HIV aren’t just offensive—they are also completely lazy and not funny in the slightest (not that a homophobic joke would ever be funny, but come on Ellis, at least put a little effort into skeezing us out next time). AND, jokes that frame HIV in this way (as a horrible, disgusting “puddle,” among other things) are also ableist.

Now, not that it matters, but Ellis himself identifies as gay sometimes (he also identifies as straight sometimes and bisexual sometimes). Of course identifying as gay doesn’t mean that a person can’t be homophobic, but I think it’s worth noting all the same. (Also worth noting: This isn’t the first time Ellis has tweeted something offensive to LGBTQ folks.)

Newsflash, Ellis: It doesn’t matter whether you were trying to be all “Post-Empire” with your hateful tweets or whether you were post-drunk or post-gay or whatever. Homophobia is homophobia, and ableism is ableism, and even too-cool-for-school tweeters like you (#getoffmylawn) should be held accountable for your actions. Maybe this Douchebag Decree will help.