Jody Watley Barred From Talking About Gay Games During Chicago Radio Interview

By Keith Boykin, in music
Monday, July 24 2006, 12:05AM

Jody WatleyA Chicago radio station that invited R&B and pop singer Jody Watley into the studio for a live interview would not allow the singer to talk about her upcoming performance at the Gay Games. Watley arrived at Chicago's V103 radio station to do an interview not long before she was scheduled to perform at the July 15 Gay Games Opening Ceremony in Soldier Field. But before she went on the air, she was told by the interviewer that she could not discuss anything about the Gay Games. She could only talk about her "in-store" appearance at a local Virgin Record Store, they told her.

In a conversation backstage at Soldier Field and again in an interview last Friday, Watley reflected on the incident. “I was surprised but I wasn’t really surprised," she told me. The disc jockey who gave her the instructions is a friend of Watley's family, she said, and he told her that the station manager ordered him to impose the restriction. Watley said she complied with the gag order and only talked about the music store appearance instead of her performance at the much larger venue of Soldier Field. But the experience may have left a sour taste in her mouth.

From Chicago to Superstar

A native of Chicago, Watley has been involved in the music business since she was a teenager, but she has come a long way from her early days in the windy city. She's a Grammy Award-winning artist who has sold more than 20 million albums and singles worldwide. And she's recorded hit singles like "Looking For A New Love," "Don't You Want Me" and "Friends," that have made her legendary in the industry.

Despite her success, Watley was clearly excited to be a part of the performance at the Gay Games, and she was visibly moved by the experience during a rehearsal performance captured on video. Tens of thousands of tickets had been sold for the Opening Ceremony, and her performance at the Gay Games was already widely publicized in the media. So why would a radio station want her to avoid talking about such a major performance?

Homophobia At Black Radio Stations

"I had been to another station the day before -- a pop station -- and that’s all we talked about," she said. But V103 is an urban contemporary station catering largely to the African American community. Perhaps that explains the differing responses at the radio stations. "I think that [decision to censor the discussion] did surprise me because [the Gay Games advertisement] was all over the city. It wasn’t like it was a secret or something to be ashamed of. The city seemed to embrace the fact that the games were there."

Sadly, this is not the first time someone has tried to censor Watley's pro-gay message. When she wrote the song "Affection" back in 1996, that song also drew some criticism for a line in the lyrics that said "it doesn’t matter if you’re straight or gay."

"Over the years it has been my experience – a unique one – because I obviously have [walked] parallel paths. One is with R&B and the other is with [pop]. And it’s always been interesting to me the differences between the two. Going back to when I did "Red, Hot and Blue" [an AIDS benefit compilation album], on the black side I would be apprehensive to talk about AIDS and HIV. On the pop side, it’s like tell us more."

Watley says she finds the attitude "disappointing." "It just sort of reaffirms a narrow mindedness and a close mindedness that I think is very unfortunate," she said in the interview.

Watley Embraces Her Gay Fans

Watley has worked with a number of leading gays and lesbians in the entertainment industry, and she has collaborated with openly gay African American film makers Deondray Gossett and Quincy LeNear ("The DL Chronicles"), who directed her in a recent music video remake of "Borderline."

When asked what led her to embrace her gay fans, she said "It’s just who I am." She traces her history back to when she was a child and didn’t really know the meaning of the word gay. "My mom had gay friends when I was a kid. I didn’t know what [the word] was but they were people." Watley's father was a minister, but she remembers him as being supportive as well. "I don’t remember labels being put on people," she said.

Watley also spoke up about the recent incident in which a concert sponsored by LIFEbeat, an AIDS organization, was scheduled to include two anti-gay recording artists, Beenie Man and TOK. Without mentioning the artists by name, she discussed the life influences that encourage people to hate. "I think when people go out of their way to spread hatred, it’s probably a deeper issue going on there, some insecurities that they should look at. Because clearly if it has nothing to do with you."

Watley noted the irony that life-affirming gay-friendly music is sometimes banned from the airwaves but anti-gay music is embraced. "It's interesting that radio will play a song that can spew hate but I can write a song back in 1996 [that doesn't get played]…and it’s harder to get a song like that played even today than a song that promotes hatred."

Despite the V103 incident, Watley says she is not discouraged by the homophobia. "Everybody needs to feel love," she said. "Being an artist that has always acknowledged my gay fan base," ("A lot of artists won’t even acknowledge it," she said), "the best I can do as I continue on my journey is to continue to, from my point of view, to embrace all people," she said.

See more of Jody Watley

V103 Information

WVAZ-FM V103
233 North Michigan Ave, Suite 2700
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 540-2000
http://www.v103.com/main.html

V103 is a Clear Channel Communications Property
Earl Jones, Regional VP/Market Manager
Angela T. Ingram, VP, Communications
Elroy R. C. Smith , Operations Manager / Program Director
Armando Rivera , Asst. Program Director / Music Director

Comments (17) reveal

Comments conceal

Jeff Hobbs
July 24 2006, 1:31AM

Jodys Performance was AMAZING!!! Its the radio stations loss that they weren't a part of it.

Craig
July 24 2006, 7:14AM

It is disappointing that V103 imposed this gag order. I am more disappointed that Jody complied. She had a choice.

DDC
July 24 2006, 8:11AM

I'm proud of Jody Watley for not only being so accepting, but being honest about it. I think that makes her a good role model for heterosexuals and inspire them not to be so hateful and judgmental. For that, she's the exact opposite of Beenie Man & his ilk, IMO. Even artists that do accept their gay fans won't do so publicly for fear of angering their (Christian) hetero fans & these mega-church ministers. As for her complying with the radio station and not mentioning the Games, to me that shows she is a professional and has class. Nothing would've been gained if she just blurted out the scheduled appearance, accept a whole lotta unecessary drama. Her publicizing V103's homophobia afterwards was a better strategy.

Bernie[TypeKey Profile Page]
July 24 2006, 9:22AM

Let me see if I've got this right. A radio station invited her on as a guest then told her what she couldn't talk about. Da noive!

As much as I may admire her appearance at the Gay Games and willingness to support gay fans who support her, she had a choice. She could have agreed with their demands or not. She could have told them they were unacceptable and forced them to change their stance or threatened not to appear. To cave in to unreasonable, irrational and in this case, blatantly homophobic demands is to enable bigotry. She had no responsibility to do that.

taylor Siluwé[TypeKey Profile Page]
July 24 2006, 10:32AM

Has the Queen of Chicago, Oprah, said anything about the games? I don’t watch the show so I wouldn’t know.

Not to Oprah bash, and at the risk of sounding like a nip-picking hater, this is a topic it seems she avoids. Oh, if it’s salacious and has a wall-eyed Terry McMillan making faces and threatening to hurt her ex-man if he exposed her to something … then she’ll put it on. And JL King and his bullshit (we won't even go there)… but she never has anything positive black and gay, as far as I can see.

Homophobia in the black community is a major issue. Maybe now that she’s done throwing the ball of the century, she can get down to some real issues. Because I don’t know about anyone else, but I believe intolerance is mankind’s greatest threat … and anyone with that much power and pull who does not focus a light on the problem is just a waste of flesh to me.

I mean, one phone call from O (or a representative) to Clear Channel would send them into a pass-the-buck frenzy.

Cadence
July 24 2006, 12:32PM

Oprah's show is in re-runs, so no she didn't say anything about the games. And, it's not like the games are something that the entire country is interested in. I doubt too many gay people who don't live in the Chicago area, took off from work to go to the Gay Olympics. I'm not saying that the games aren't a good way to show unity and gay pride, but we shouldn't act like they are important to the whole country or on par with the regular Olympic Games.

One other point, why should Oprah have a say in this situation, it's not her problem. Everybody wants Oprah, or other celebs to comment on everything. She wouldn't have any credibility at all if she called Clear Channel and told them how to run their business. If the gay community in Chicago has a problem with what this radio station did, then they should be the ones to stand-up and say something.

Stuffed Animal
July 24 2006, 12:45PM

Give Jody a break. It can be hard to know how to respond when you're put on the spot like that. However, she and her handlers do need to develop a policy for dealing with these gag orders. Her record company should put out some kind of public statement to the effect that Jody reserves the right to promote her public appearances regardless of the venue. This will give her clearance to refuse to do censored interviews.

Jeff Smith
July 24 2006, 3:07PM

Oprah?????

taylor Siluwé[TypeKey Profile Page]
July 24 2006, 3:14PM


Cadence ...

I don't expect Oprah to take up every cause. But wouldn't you agree that HIV ravaging the black community is one of THE most important issues the black community faces?

Oprah only addresses it in the context of gay men spreading disease to black women. Her one-sided, ham-handed attempts to do good for black women only hurt us more.

The real reason for the spread of HIV is HOMOPHOBIA. So, yes, shining a favorable light on the games would be a very good thing. Especially since they're in her backyard, so to speak.

You know what, if Oprah hadn't taken the opportunity to sensationalize the DL, and infer (erroneously) that it was the cause of the spread of HIV to black women, then I would have nothing to say.

She opened that can of worms, and used her national forum to do it. Why can't she use her power for good?

Stop pussy-footing around Miss O, she must be held accountable when necessary.

tdubbs
July 24 2006, 3:29PM

now how did this issue get on Oprah, lawd lawd lawd,

Mike Prov1
July 24 2006, 3:29PM

This is a significant news story. The man who called the gag order should be indentified and asked to state a reason. The station is owned by Clear Channel, so they should make known if this is their policy as well. I would hate to find out this happens all the time at stations around the country.

Mark Norris
July 24 2006, 4:34PM

Like some of the folks said above, she had a choice. I don't think that Jody is that hard up for publicity that she would agree to be put on a gag order. I love Ms. Jody, but I thought she would have had much more courage than that. I am disappointed.

Oh well, I am sure that she might be kicking herself right now about appearing on the radio station.

Mark

saint james
July 24 2006, 4:57PM

The REAL reason for HIV is homophobia? It may be a contributing factor to people being in denial about their sexuality but that is a real overstatement if ever I've heard one.

In the United States it seems the real reason for the spread of HIV is ignorance and irresponsible/risky behavior; in straight and gay folk. Ain't none of that Oprah's fault.

j. brotherlove
July 24 2006, 6:15PM

I'm disappointed Jody agreed to do the interview but I can understand there are all sorts of reasons why she did. Nobody's perfect.

People talk a good game online but the truth is when most of us are asked to do things for work that conflict with our beliefs, we go along with it.

I respect her for at least bringing light to the incident. She could've pretended it never happened and we would never know either way.

Liquid Fonts
July 24 2006, 6:18PM

2 weeks ago Steve Harvey ( Soul106.3 Chicago)and his crew went off on a "sissy-joke" tangent that lasted about 20 minutes and just prior to it he was sending out a positive "keep ya head to the sky" message to the listeners so the next morning I turned on the radio and Steve was giving another one of his " Ya never know what God has planned for you " speeches and I rolled over in bed and slapped the radio to the floor, knocking the cord out the wall..bet he didnt expect that.. :P

Sexbox
July 24 2006, 6:19PM

I don't think Jody would be able to just back out of the interview. Don't you sign a contract for it since you're being paid? If thats the case, they could sue her for leaving.

What I would've done is just mention it once you're on the air. There is nothing they can do once you've said it. Kinda like Star Jones' exit from The View! :D

BTW, I listen to a lot of older pop music, but I haven't gotten around to Jody yet. Right now I'm listening to JADE and Color Me Badd which I picked up on from 90210 reruns.

jeffrey
July 24 2006, 9:23PM

My concern about the gag order is simply, what else has this radio station been censoring that we don't know about?