LOS ANGELES, Oct. 9 (UPI) -- NBC Universal executive Jeff Gaspin defended his network's position on tolerance even as Universal was criticized for a so-called intolerant movie trailer.
Gaspin, chairman of NBC Universal Television Entertainment, said in a speech Thursday at the Anti-Defamation League Awards in Los Angeles that those in the entertainment industry have an opportunity to promote tolerance, The Hollywood Reporter said Friday.
"Done right, television at its finest can help break down stereotypes and help us all find and appreciate our common humanity," Gaspin said, nothing the "opportunity we have in this business to stand up to hate and to call for our greater good: promoting tolerance, understanding and human dignity." He also reminded the audience that NBC was the first network to broadcast a gay kiss in a 1991 episode of "LA Law."
The speech came one day before Universal sent a statement to THR announcing it was pulling a movie trailer for "The Dilemma" in which actor Vince Vaughn is shown calling electric cars "gay."
The trailer was criticized by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, which said the clip presented a "message of intolerance." CNN anchor Anderson Cooper also weighed in on the film during an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," saying he was "shocked" to hear such "unacceptable" language.
