Real World Police | Homophobic Z-list celebrity trespassed from Red Roof Inn with male companion @RealWorldPolice | Uploaded March 2022 | Updated October 2024, 6 days ago.
The short version is that I had no intention of publishing this footage, until Benzino changed my mind.
Lil Nas X was the main event at the BET Music Awards in June 2021, where he performed his hit single “Montero.” He closed out that performance by kissing one of his male dancers. Oh, heavens. What has the world come to. Two grown men kissing each other on TV? On BET, that last bastion of morality on cable? Someone had better call Benzino. He always has misplaced outrage to spare.
Just think! His kid could see that and turn gay himself! Or even worse, he might become tolerant of people who are different from him. Maybe even accepting! Nuh uh. No. No way. Benzino needed to step up. That... stuff. It's wrong.
He took to Instagram: "That s# BET pulled yesterday was lame asf. It was too uncomfortable, too irresponsible, too forced and too irrelevant to the awards. Homie ain’t even hot like that for music anymore anyway. It’s a shame what all this is comming [sic] to.” Taking his inspiration from luminary of love Louis Farrakhan, Benzino even referred to "Old Town Road" as "Satanic."
"I bought ol town road for ZINO [his son], he knows every word but all the satanic s#. I'm just not with. I mean how do you explain s# like this to your kid? [that gay people exist?] I got nothing but respect and love for the gay community but that ain't it, I could see if he was pooping [??] but it was unexpected and unnecessary. I didn't care for the Madonna kiss either. I could see if they way [sic] dating. Now I hope I don't offend anyone because this post wasn't meant for that. It's just my opinion of the production. Only God judges."
Benzino subsequently learned that there are, in fact, judges other than the big dude in the sky. He caught a lot of well-deserved heat and deleted his own Instagram post. Then Instagram deleted his account, though I am not sure if that was in relation to this particular incident. Believe it or not, I rarely pay attention to the guy.
But I did see his subsequent doubling-down non-apology apology interview. Which prompted me to revisit the Red Roof Inn footage. It was exactly as I had remembered. This is it.
And yes, I understand that two men sharing a motel room does not mean that they had their own Montero. To loosely quote Benzino, "It's the optics of the situation." Couple that with the reality that he contrasted himself and his companion to an imaginary white couple named John and Bill Summerfield (who for some reason would be exempt from checkout times) along with some other clues, and I guess it's possible that they were just planning Benzino's next diss track. But, y'know, the optics.
I want to be clear about something: Benzino or anyone else's sexual orientation is not newsworthy on its own. Those years are fortunately decades in the past, where they should stay. Fundamentally, this is not about anyone's sexual orientation. It is about the hypocrisy of a mildly-public figure who uses his position to marginalize and belittle others. Others who happen to be, in his own words "just like me."
In 1989, Newt Gingrich began spreading rumors about Representative Thomas Foley being gay. In response, openly-gay Representative Barney Frank threatened to out five closeted top Republican officials, saying, “If they don’t cut the cr#&, something’s going to happen, and I’m going to happen it...and my list will be accurate.”
The rumors immediately stopped.
That was the genesis of "The Frank Rule." As Barney Frank put it, “I think there’s a right to privacy. But the right to privacy should not be a right to hypocrisy. And people who want to demonize other people shouldn’t then be able to go home and close the door and do it themselves.”
That, I am onboard with.
Public figures who use their position to marginalize and belittle others should not be surprised when anyone else shines light on their hypocrisy.
Q: "But when did Benzino marginalize or belittle gay people? He is just being canceled for having an opinion!"
A: Yeah, okay. https://rwp.yt/bzt
Benzino, gay people were definitely around when you were younger. The "movement," as you call it, has existed longer than you or anyone else. I am sorry if you didn't get to be yourself. I don't know what that's like, and it sounds pretty terrible. Bur that doesn't excuse the way you act. Times have changed, man. Get with them. Take advantage of them. For your own sake, if not for anyone else's.
In the words of the great Ali G, "Without realness, we is nothing."
Peace.
See pinned comment for the longer version.
~~~
@realworldpolice
/r/realworldpolice
The short version is that I had no intention of publishing this footage, until Benzino changed my mind.
Lil Nas X was the main event at the BET Music Awards in June 2021, where he performed his hit single “Montero.” He closed out that performance by kissing one of his male dancers. Oh, heavens. What has the world come to. Two grown men kissing each other on TV? On BET, that last bastion of morality on cable? Someone had better call Benzino. He always has misplaced outrage to spare.
Just think! His kid could see that and turn gay himself! Or even worse, he might become tolerant of people who are different from him. Maybe even accepting! Nuh uh. No. No way. Benzino needed to step up. That... stuff. It's wrong.
He took to Instagram: "That s# BET pulled yesterday was lame asf. It was too uncomfortable, too irresponsible, too forced and too irrelevant to the awards. Homie ain’t even hot like that for music anymore anyway. It’s a shame what all this is comming [sic] to.” Taking his inspiration from luminary of love Louis Farrakhan, Benzino even referred to "Old Town Road" as "Satanic."
"I bought ol town road for ZINO [his son], he knows every word but all the satanic s#. I'm just not with. I mean how do you explain s# like this to your kid? [that gay people exist?] I got nothing but respect and love for the gay community but that ain't it, I could see if he was pooping [??] but it was unexpected and unnecessary. I didn't care for the Madonna kiss either. I could see if they way [sic] dating. Now I hope I don't offend anyone because this post wasn't meant for that. It's just my opinion of the production. Only God judges."
Benzino subsequently learned that there are, in fact, judges other than the big dude in the sky. He caught a lot of well-deserved heat and deleted his own Instagram post. Then Instagram deleted his account, though I am not sure if that was in relation to this particular incident. Believe it or not, I rarely pay attention to the guy.
But I did see his subsequent doubling-down non-apology apology interview. Which prompted me to revisit the Red Roof Inn footage. It was exactly as I had remembered. This is it.
And yes, I understand that two men sharing a motel room does not mean that they had their own Montero. To loosely quote Benzino, "It's the optics of the situation." Couple that with the reality that he contrasted himself and his companion to an imaginary white couple named John and Bill Summerfield (who for some reason would be exempt from checkout times) along with some other clues, and I guess it's possible that they were just planning Benzino's next diss track. But, y'know, the optics.
I want to be clear about something: Benzino or anyone else's sexual orientation is not newsworthy on its own. Those years are fortunately decades in the past, where they should stay. Fundamentally, this is not about anyone's sexual orientation. It is about the hypocrisy of a mildly-public figure who uses his position to marginalize and belittle others. Others who happen to be, in his own words "just like me."
In 1989, Newt Gingrich began spreading rumors about Representative Thomas Foley being gay. In response, openly-gay Representative Barney Frank threatened to out five closeted top Republican officials, saying, “If they don’t cut the cr#&, something’s going to happen, and I’m going to happen it...and my list will be accurate.”
The rumors immediately stopped.
That was the genesis of "The Frank Rule." As Barney Frank put it, “I think there’s a right to privacy. But the right to privacy should not be a right to hypocrisy. And people who want to demonize other people shouldn’t then be able to go home and close the door and do it themselves.”
That, I am onboard with.
Public figures who use their position to marginalize and belittle others should not be surprised when anyone else shines light on their hypocrisy.
Q: "But when did Benzino marginalize or belittle gay people? He is just being canceled for having an opinion!"
A: Yeah, okay. https://rwp.yt/bzt
Benzino, gay people were definitely around when you were younger. The "movement," as you call it, has existed longer than you or anyone else. I am sorry if you didn't get to be yourself. I don't know what that's like, and it sounds pretty terrible. Bur that doesn't excuse the way you act. Times have changed, man. Get with them. Take advantage of them. For your own sake, if not for anyone else's.
In the words of the great Ali G, "Without realness, we is nothing."
Peace.
See pinned comment for the longer version.
~~~
@realworldpolice
/r/realworldpolice
