Two things before we begin here. Firstly, we have absolutely no desire to keep bringing this story back up, but apparently Chris Gayle does. His steadfast refusal to shut up about it bears mentioning because it’s sorely indicative of an (amplified in isolation, we’ll concede that) insidious unprofessionalism and inequality shown towards women throughout the sports broadcasting industry.
“They knew the person they are interviewing. They knew the person is like that. So it wasn’t any surprise to anyone. Not even the interviewer, Mel. She knew exactly how the West Indians are.”
“It was just a joke. The players are laughing. They know I like to clown around. She knew it as well. She was laughing before the interview and saying: ‘Guys, stop it, stop laughing.’ But you’re a woman in an environment with men. You’re good-looking. What do you expect? People are going to make jokes. I’ve seen people kiss the same Mel on live television. There are double standards. All the commentary guys found it amusing – but then someone whisper in their ears and everything was blown out of proportion.”
“She got more bad press than me. The public gave her the bad press. She was the one who looked bad – not me.”
“If she was upset she would’ve said it. At no stage did she say she felt offended by me. Then they wanted an apology and she came on air and said: ‘He’s apologised – so let it go everybody.’ You could tell she had been forced to say those things. Trust me.”
“They knew the person they are interviewing.”
“She was laughing before the interview and saying: ‘Guys, stop it, stop laughing.’”
Nervous laughter to placate and otherwise uncomfortable and awkward situation: A thing that’s clearly never happened.
“But you’re a woman in an environment with men. You’re good-looking. What do you expect?”
To not be sexually harassed on live internationally broadcast TV whilst attempting to perform a professional duty. Or to be sexually harassed at all, for that matter.
“I’ve seen people kiss the same Mel on live television.”
Citation. Fucking. Needed.
“She got more bad press than me.”
In the quiet words of the Virgin Mary: Come again?
“The public gave her the bad press.”
Voracious online harassment from gormless internet commenters =/= “bad press.”
“If she was upset she would’ve said it.”
She did.
“At no stage did she say she felt offended by me.”
Yes she did. To her bosses. Straight after the segment. Which is why they aired an immediate apology on the air.
“Then they wanted an apology and she came on air and said: ‘He’s apologised – so let it go everybody.’”
“EVERYBODY” INCLUDES YOU TOO, NUMBNUTS. YOU CAN SHUT THE FUCK UP WHENEVER YOU WANT.
“Trust me.”
No thank you lol.
Photo: Graham Denholm/Getty.
