Well, speechless as I am that HD has touched me (and as much as I will ignore the fact that she was checking up on that girls fashion sense when it was completely unrelated, and it sort of didn't make sense, because it seemed like wearing a skirt as a top really WAS bad, and so that's not the greatest of examples), I have to say good on to her. Picking people up on saying that is getting tiresome, and now I can point to the Duffster.

Yay! A young celebrity exhibiting a sense of social responsibility. I'm particularly impressed that she focused on a potentially "uncool" issue like entrenched homophobia in colloquial language. Gracefully done.

That was pretty cool.

Yeah, thats good and it was done well.

Back in my super fundamental, Christian right-wing days...I remember expressing displeasure to my roommates who continually used the phrase "that's so gay". It was surprising that we all had the same opinion of homosexuality and gay rights and still I was the only one to bring up the issue of dehumanization and offense. They all thought I was nuts! : ) BTW, I think 3/5 roommates including myself have a very different opinion these days...ahhhh, progress.

Sigh. But how typical that she has to insult the girl's shirt before walking off.

And wouldn't it be nice if this was aimed at teenage boys instead of girls, since they seem to be the most dangerously homophobic demographic.

It would be nice if it was aimed at teenage boys, but at least it is something.

Also, Hilary has supported the LGBT movement for a while. I'm not her biggest fan, but she is probably the only (former) disney kid/child star I like and respect. Well done.

I almost fell out of my chair. I hate that phrase, especially when it's applied to an inanimate Yay! I officially give myself permission to stop feeling guilty about liking that one song she did.

Not to be the party-pooper, but nobody says, "It's so gay" about a top they kind-of-don't like. Most young people I know will laugh about how the person making this PSA, like many PSAs, seemed to misunderstand how slang is used (That's so wack!).

I've never heard "gay" as in "bad" or "ugly." It's either used as "stupid" (as in, "Dude, that move was so gay.") or, if used towards a guy, "You're not upholding the tenants of masculinity" ("You're wearing cherry chapstick? That's so gay!")

I mean, I do appreciate what she's trying to do, but sometimes I wish the people who did these things would actually pay attention so that my fellow young idiots would think about it instead of snickering about how it's missed the mark.

It's a great swipe at the ignorance behind that phrase. I won't quibble with the specifics of the ad. And no, changing the spelling to 'ghey' when using the phrase online does NOT make it any better.
I agree they should target guys as well, who seem to be the biggest perpetrators. That ad would probably be structured to play to stereotypically male insecurities rather than stereotypically female (fashion-related).

*inanimate object.

@konkonsn - I've heard kids in my circle use it that way, so I get what you're saying, but maybe it's used differently in different areas.

I while back, I was spending time with my 10 year old cousin, and was surprised to learn how many things were "gay."
To get rid of a behavior, you replace it with another. I told him that he should just say that it "sucks" or "blows," instead. That's an improvement, right?

@konkonsn: Where I live teens do use "gay" to mean bad or ugly, so perhaps there's a geographic difference. I've heard plenty of girls using it in the way the video does.

"Not to be the party-pooper, but nobody says, "It's so gay" about a top they kind-of-don't like."

As a sophomore in high school who is surrounded by this brand of idiocy 5 days a week, I can tell you this is false.

On another note, I can't decide what's worse - "no homo" or "that's so gay".

I agree they should target guys as well ...

There's a Wanda Sykes version of the PSA (there are three in total) that takes place in a diner that targets teenage boys.

I think I mostly like this PSA because Duff looks like she's channeling Dolly with that hair.

I think a better way to give an example of why "that's so gay" is wrong is to say ask if "that's so black" would be ok. Another way is to use individual names like "that's so Emily" which doesn't make fun of any individual people (cause it's my name), but still points out how it can be really insulting.

Jay Smooth has a good video addressing "no homo", too.

I like this ad. I like that someone thought to make it and actually put enough money into it to get a celebrity of Hilary Duff's level to be a part of it. I remember once when I was part of a diversity seminar at my college, some frat boy and I got into it about this subject. His argument was that if he is saying it to his friends, and there aren't any gay people around (that he knows of...) then it's okay because it's not hurting anyone. I shot back that every time he says something is "gay" or calls someone a "fag" when in fact he is saying they are bad or stupid, he is reinforcing to himself and his friends the connection between things he sees as negative and homosexulaity, whether he likes it or not. That's a piece of this discussion that people often overlook I think. This association hurts the gay community as a whole, not just one person at a time.

This just made my day. For years I have been complaining about the usage of this term, and all I ever hear is how I'm oversensitive. I also hate "that's so retarded" and it's less-popular cousin, "that's so Jewish". I don't understand how people can't see these are offensive terms. It just blows my mind.

I am glad Hillary Duff did this PSA and I have to give her kudos for doing it. Even if it only speaks to a small number of people, it will be worth it. (But I really can't wait until these terms just go away. Wishful thinking!)

Wow. Great ad. I went to the site and watched all three, because I'm a huge Wanda Sykes fan. I think maybe Duff appeals to kids who are too young to know better, but who are getting to the age where they need to know better than to say such a thing. I like Sykes' better but like I said, huge fan.

I think this is a sign of hope for change. Years ago "that's so retarded" was very common where I grew up. With some education and some "enforcement" by people who cared (people saying the very things in these ads) it became a bad thing to say. Now its pretty much disappeared - indeed, I'd forgotten about that mouldy-oldy until reading the above post.

It is a good start. Now people just need to do the same thing in real life too.

My husband (high school teacher) tried to explain to his students once why that phrase was bad, and asked, "What if people said, 'That's so Asian'?" (He teaches in a part of LA County that is mostly Chinese). They're response was, "But we DO say 'That's so Asian.'" So it didn't really get through.

This is good, though. Plenty of kids won't care, but those kids aren't really the target audience. Hopefully it'll get people thinking.

@The Blue Druid

I'm impressed that "that's so retarded" has almost completely disappeared where you are. Here it's still alive and kicking. I wish it weren't.

How about, "That's so McCain" or "That's so Palin?" Those two are about as icky as a person or object can get.

@ Manya,
Yeah, I wondered if it was a bit of a local fluke.

Some years ago (sometime in the early 90's, can't recall exactly when) my province's education dept "mainstreamed" all students into the same classrooms, so it became impossible to call someone a "retard" when there was (actually or potentially) a mentally disabled/delayed student standing two feet away from you. The few dumb youngsters who tried it also got a sound telling-off PDQ. Teachers, support staff and students were on them instantly. Didn't take too long to realize that if they said it, they'd be publicly embarrassed for it.
Like I said, people said the very things being said in these ads. It could work if it gets reinforced in real life.

That's outstanding.

@The Blue Druid

That's great that the students learned how those terms are offensive. It's sad it takes "mainstreaming" the classes and for the students to be exposed to the mentally disabled/delayed in order to feel remorse for saying such hateful things, but at least its happened there.

And I agree this stuff should be reinforced in real life. But as I mentioned earlier, I'm a standout here and often get called oversensitive (and sometimes much worse) because I bother to say anything at all. It's quite frustrating.

i just watched the other two videos at www.thinkb4youspeak.com and, even though i didn't know the celebrities in them, i think they are better than hilary's one, especially the one with the blonde woman where the voice over says "imagine if who you are was used as an insult"

still, awesome that this is happening...

Whenever I hear someone say "that's so gay" I say, "Yeah, it's pretty homosexual." It gets them to think about what they're saying, and I don't come off as a tight-ass to someone who might otherwise have ignored me.

I should add that even if you don't know me, it's usually pretty obvious I'm gay.

@ Emily:

"I think a better way to give an example of why "that's so gay" is wrong is to say ask if "that's so black" would be ok. "

That's exactly what I used to say when I was a high school teacher. It made for a lot of uncomfortable silences, but even some of the more ignorant kids told me later that what I'd said made them stop using the phrase.

I LOVE that this ad exists, and am only a little bit sad that it took til 2008 to make it.

Way to go, Hilary!

AlmostAmanda- Those sound like really weird spinoffs of "That's So Raven".

"That's So Palin"- every Friday night on Kid's Fox News!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWS0GVOQPs0
That's the Wanda Sykes one

And as far as the "making fun" of the other people hillary and wanda seem to be doing in these, i think its a light-hearted way to inspire some empathy; make people aware of the things they say without thinking that may hurt or insult others.

Having recently left my favorite int0r-wab forum because people were writing essays defending the use of the word "fag" or "gay," this makes me really happy. (My favorite argument? If gay people would just stop reclaiming the term "gay," it would be completely dissociated from homosexuality and only to mean "stupid" or "bad". Yes, that's right: it is gay people's fault that "gay" is an insult.)

I know people (not people here, thank God) will get pissed off about policing language or some such bullshit, but these ads make a really good point: imagine if who you are was used as an insult. Obviously, you're allowed to use these words, but you should know that when you do, you are actively hurting others.

I think it's terrific that she's involved with this... but I hate to be the party pooper and remind everyone that Hilary Duff said the following:

"I'm not, like, a crazy feminist. I think women definitely need men. Like, I couldn't imagine having a girlfriend!"

"Women are definitely home-makers. We're obviously very different from men. But everyone's looking for love, in the end. Men aren't as strong as women. And they don't have as big an attention span. They want things immediately, from food to girls. The women I know are more successful than the men. It's hard for me to meet someone. I don't need someone who, like, has as much as me, but I don't want someone who has much less because then you never really feel taken care of. And it would always make a guy feel not like a man."

Here's the link:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2007/jul/08/familyandrelationships

Not to be the party-pooper, but nobody says, "It's so gay" about a top they kind-of-don't like.
LOL, um, yes, they do. They totally do. Maybe not in the circles you run in, but I hear it used that way where I live all the time.

Skinny jeans? They're so gay.
Detention? That's so gay.
My ex-boyfriend? He's so gay.
Late fees from the rental place? That's so gay.
Emo hair? Gay.
Shoplifting? Gay.
Broken cellphone? Gay.
MySpace? Gay.
Bonobo primates? Gay, gay, gay.

Yeah, they do. A few years ago I had to deal with a teenaged co-worker who used it all the time: "That ugly purple office chair, that's so gay, why don't we get rid of it?" I'd reply, "Oh, I'm sure the chair is bi, at most."

Now that I think about it, and given who and what this particular girl was, I realize now that I should have started saying things like, "J______, get that ugly poster off the door, that's so Mormon."

I've always done the "Yeah, that shirt's totally attracted other shirts of its own gender" I get some really weird looks, but they stop saying it :-)

It's actually spelled "Hilary Duff." And yeah, good for her. As for the stuff she's said in the past - so what? Those are her personal views. She believes in somewhat traditional gender roles, or at least she does in the context of close relationships. That doesn't make this any less awesome.

I just finished reading this section of "Guyland." Good book, by the way. I had no idea this term was so pervasive.

I was a tad confused-from the tones of their voices, I wondered if the girls weren't using 'gay' as a compliment-I was kind of expecting the punch line to tell Hillary that gay was a good thing, not an insult.

I agree with the commenters who have said that "that's so gay" is often used to mean "stupid" or to actually demean something that has purported homosexual qualities; I've definitely seen too too much of that and it really pisses me off to no end. However, I like that Hilary Duff uses the antecedent "bad" here instead of one of the more specific adjectives. I like it because of its generality, the fact that it just lays down the most all encompassing line. Gay doesn't equal bad (and by extension, any of those negatively connoted terms, like stupid, weak, etc).
But, like stuperb said, it's a long time coming, unfortunately.

Hillary Duff seems repectable for a former Disney child star. She can do no wrong (by me). kudos to her for doing this PSA.

I have never been a fan of her, but I am now. It's nice to see a celebrity speaking out!

MLEmac, when I was in high school I had a teacher who used those examples on why saying that phrase is wrong. She was the only teacher I was aware that actually got on to kids about that.

She's doing the PSA because LiLo came out so her publicist told her she had to one-up her. And maybe she cares a little, too.

She's doing the PSA because LiLo came out so her publicist told her she had to one-up her. And maybe she cares a little, too.