Vince Vaughn Speaks

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Vince Vaughn talks about 'The Dilemma' joke controversy

Thursday, October 14, 2010
Posted by Kristina Lopez at 07:04:05 PM PDT


When Anderson Cooper mentioned he was offended by the use of the word gay in a trailer for Vince Vaughn's film The Dilemma, some agreed that the joke was in bad taste.

Now Vaughn is speaking up on the matter. "Let me add my voice of support to the people outraged by the bullying and persecution of people for their differences, whatever those differences may be," he said in a statement to Deadline. "Comedy and joking about our differences breaks tension and brings us together. Drawing dividing lines over what we can and cannot joke about does exactly that; it divides us. "

The controversy stems from the first trailer released for the film. In a scene Vaughn's character says, "Ladies and gentleman, electric cars are gay." Cooper said on The Ellen DeGenres Show, "I was shocked that not only that they put it in the movie, but that they put that in the preview. They thought that it was OK to put that in a preview for the movie to get people to go and see it."

Though the CNN news anchor doesn't reveal the name of the film or mention Vaughn, Universal Studios later re-cut the trailer, removing the scene from the new trailer of the film.

"The teaser trailer for The Dilemma was not intended to cause anyone discomfort," Universal Pictures said in a statement. "In light of growing claims that the introduction to the trailer is insensitive, it is being replaced."

In The Dilemma, a comedy is directed by Ron Howard, Vaughn plays a man who is reluctant to tell his best friend and business partner, played by Kevin James, that his wife, portrayed by Winona Ryder, is cheating on him. Channing Tatum plays the man she is seeing.

"I just find those words, those terms, we've got to do something to make those words unacceptable cause those words are hurting kids," Cooper added during his appearance on Degeneres' show. "I think we need to really focus on what language we're using and how we're treating these kids."

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) group released a statement about the scene saying, "It’s hardly a joke for LGBT audiences growing increasingly frustrated by use of the word “gay” as a pejorative." The group also adds, "GLAAD expressed these concerns directly to Universal Pictures prior to the trailer’s release, who have now assured us that the offensive joke will be removed from TV and Media campaigns promoting the film from this point forward."

Check out the new trailer for The Dilemma below. The film hits theaters on January 14.