By Allie Martin
One News Now
June 27, 2007
http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/06/catholic_league_blasts_robin_w.php
The nation's largest Catholic civil rights organization is blasting comedian Robin Williams for his recent appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, in which he ridiculed priests.
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In his June 18 Tonight Show appearance, Williams plugged his upcoming movie License to Wed, in which the comedian plays a Protestant minister. But during his appearance with Leno, the popular actor targeted Catholic priests, pretending to play a game where "the pedophile" is hidden under a cup.
Kiera McCaffrey, director of communications with the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, says Williams would never bring up the fact that most priests involved in sex scandals were homosexuals.
"You don't hear anything about that," she states. "You don't hear comments about homosexuals from these comedians [because homosexuals are] pretty much a protected class ...." And that, she says, poses a problem. "They say, 'it's off-limits to mock gays, [but] it's perfectly okay to go after priests.' Now, what about gay priests? That's a tricky situation. You know the answer -- let's just label them all pedophiles."
McCaffrey points out that radio talk-show host Don Imus was fired recently for making racially insensitive remarks, while nothing has happened to Williams for his insults against Catholic priests. And that, she believes, is evidence of a clear double standard.
"I mean, Don Imus went on and made a remark about the [Rutgers] women's basketball team, which was, of course, offensive and wrong; and he should have some sort of punishment for it," says McCaffery, "but the man lost his job. He was fired. So there is a double standard here."
The Catholic League official wonders why bigotry against Catholics is deemed acceptable while the same attitude toward other groups is not.
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