Had you tuned in to HBO’s coverage of the pre-Inaugural concert, with its star studded line up at the Lincoln Memorial, hoping to catch a glimpse of Episcopal Bishop V Gene Robinson, who was hand-picked by President-Elect Barack Obama to deliver the event’s invocation, you were sorely disappointed. There was no gay bishop. After a week or so of raging controversy, HBO, for reasons unknown at this point, chose not include Bishop Robinson’s invocation in its coverage this afternoon.
Could it be that Bishop Robinson was censored for his outrageous rhetoric? After all statements like, “Bless us with freedom from mere tolerance – replacing it with a genuine respect and warm embrace of our differences, and an understanding that in our diversity, we are stronger,” do absolutely fly in the face of both conventional wisdom and … well … mere tolerance. You can read the full text of Bishop Robinson’s eloquent invocation at Episcopal Cafe.
Could it be that the American media has finally decided these public events should be 100% secular? Don’t count on it, friends, because you know as well as I do that pop-pastor Rick Warren will be front and center and at full volume to kick off President-Elect Obama’s formal Inauguration on Tuesday.
Today’s event at the Lincoln Memorial was entitled We Are One, but apparently We Are Minus One is closer to the truth.
I sincerely hope Mr Obama is made aware of this media faux pas. Dropping HBO a note is certainly in order. They even provide a convenient online form. And if you feel like directly chatting on the telephone, go for it:
Quentin Schaffer
Executive Vice President
HBO Corporate Communications
Phone 212.512.1329Jeff Cusson
Senior Vice President
HBO Corporate Communications
Phone 212.512.1343
UPDATE (01/18 7:50 pm) : I’m not the only one miffed by HBO’s error of omission. In no particular order:
- Joe.My.God.: No Bishop Gene Robinson On HBO Inaugural Concert Broadcast
- Dan Savage: Permission To Get Upset?
- Pam’s House Blend: The invisible, inaudible Bishop Gene Robinson
- Good As You: Curb Your Pro-Gay Enthusiasm: HBO shows no Big Love to Robinson speech
- Queerty: Live Blogging Obama’s Secret-Gay Inauguration Concert
- From the Left: Why Did HBO Censor Obama’s Openly Gay Bishop?
- Box Turtle Bulletin: Gene Robinson’s Invocation, D.C. Gay Chorus Shoved Into HBO’s Closet
- Boy in Bushwick: HBO neglects to include Robinson’s inaugural prayer in broadcast
- Lisa Derrick/La Figa: Bishop Excluded by HBO Broadcast, Opening Ceremony Prayer Edited Out
- Queers United: Bishop Robinson’s Prayer a No Show on HBO
UPDATE (01/19 9:28 am) : Mike Rogers, of PageOneQ news, has a collection of up-close-and-personal photos of the event, including the incredible disappearing bishop, at BlogActive.
Pam Spaulding has video of Bishop Robinson’s invocation and a roundup of blog reactions up at the Blend.
AfterElton is reporting that HBO’s management is pointing the fickle finger of blame for the missing invocation at Team Obama:
Contacted Sunday night by AfterElton.com concerning the exclusion of Robinson’s prayer, HBO said via email, “The producer of the concert has said that the Presidential Inaugural Committee made the decision to keep the invocation as part of the pre-show.”
Uncertain as to whether or not that meant that HBO was contractually prevented from airing the pre-show, we followed up, but none of the spokespeople available Sunday night could answer that question with absolute certainty.
Click for Printable Version
I got an email from HBO’s PR department. They’re claiming it was a “technical error” and not an intentional diss.
Maybe HBO needs to buy cameras that don’t flip out when pointed at homosexuals?
Wouldn’t it be just awful if a network TV glitch tomorrow replaced Warren’s invocation with a snippet of, say, Brokeback Mountain?
You’re a very naughty boy, Peter. Let’s hope preempted by accidental, hard-core gay porn from Falcon!!
It will be interesting to hear what the Presidential Inauguration Committee (PIC) has to say about the non-appearance of Gene Robinson.
My commentary to HBO. Yes, I know, I was feeling bitter and a wee bit petty, so what.
“So, HBO and the Obama team left out Bishop Gene Robinson’s invocation yesterday prior to the the pre-inaugural “We Are One” concert at the Lincoln Memorial?
So, we’re NOT one? Or it’s that Bishop Gene Robinson is the one who’s NOT one? I am very sorry to hear that it’s either HBO or Team Obama who do not like to have ministers who happen to be gay speaking on camera anywhere near Obama. I would guess it’s the later group. I mean, who has more power – a cable televison station, or the president-to-be of the United States?
And yet, tomorrow, we can be sure that Rick Warren will be featured front and center during his little speech.
Thanks, people. Nice job. And what was with that weird ending to Stevie Wonder’s performance? You lost it, there.”
The prayer and a link to the video is up on our blog, as well. HBO? Meet Gone Viral.