"Not that I have a problem with it"

[sundog]

or "Not that there's anything wrong with that."

Could someone please step into the mind of someone who makes this sort of statement & tell me what compels them to say it. What sort of thought process goes into that expression?

I'm too tired to try to try to figure the reasoning behind it...

[HEIL PRESIDENT GOD]

1. They might just be making a Seinfeld reference...

Or they might be straight people trying to distance themselves from both homosexuality and homophobia.

[donheld]

10. I say it too

For me it's just recalling a fabulous Seinfeld episode.

[ICantBelieve]

15. Me too...

At this point, I see it as mocking homophobics. Or, as mocking myself if I ever express something that might be homophobic. I'm not perfect, and that line lets me tell everyone that I recognize that I'm not. It's self-deprication.

Now, anyone that uses it literally... Well they're either an asshole or still coming to grips with the idea of homosexuality.

[BR_Parkway]

2. Kinda sits there like "some of my best friends are black" huh?

[Moloch]

12. That always bugged me....

if "some of my best friends are black" I wouldn't follow that by a racist statement.

:grr: It drives me close to madness to hear people say that!

[Alpharetta]

3. a couple of reasons

it's a Seinfeld line

they're trying to make sure their point is understood. the point is about rightwing hypocrisy and rightwing self-hatred regarding homosexuality. the point is NOT that Gannon may be gay.

[LiberalVoice]

4. Not that I have a problem with it

but it does get kind of annoying. :)

[davidinalameda]

5. it's a CYA thing

the person is showing how accepting they are and of course, they're not really

[sundog]

6. that's always the vibe I get

[Sapphocrat]

13. Bingo.

The red flag/alarm bells/sirens always go up/off every time I see/hear:

"Now, don't get me wrong -- some of my best friends are gay..." (which means you know more about what it means to be gay than we do, don't you?)

"I'm not gay, but..." (usually followed by a know-it-all analysis of the entire LGBT world, because the writer/speaker happened to have met the lesbian sister of a cousin's college roommate for five minutes in 1979)

"I know I'm going to get flamed for this, but..." (followed by pathetically-veiled flame bait, masquerading as "friendly" -- read: paternal, condescending -- advice to the LGBT community)

and

"...not that there's anything wrong with that."

Seems to me if a person's secure in his/her sexuality, none of the above disclaimers are ever needed. Funny, but I don't feel compelled to needle a straight person about his/her sexuality when the issue is his/her hetero relationship. But I suppose I know who I am, and don't need to prove anything to anyone.

P.S. Seinfeld quote or not, I hate it. It's old, it's obnoxious, it grates on me like a bastard file, and it prompts the retort, "Who GIVES a fuck whether you think there's anything wrong with it or not?"

[Unity]

7. Seinfeld reference...

I know some people brush it off as the old Seinfeld reference and that's probably true. And some just say it without thinking cause it might get a snicker and seems harmless. But I think many homophobes use it sarcastically because they DO think there is something wrong with it and they are being forced to say it's OK.

"Not that there's anything WRONG with it."

[Nimrod]

8. I understand why

It's hard to offer any criticism of anything without SOMEONE pouncing on you for being biased, bigoted, racist, whatever. I've had people online accuse me of being a homophobe because I use the word "faggot" a lot - imagine their surprise when they find out the truth. :)

I believe often as not it's a disclaimer. It sucks, but it's there. Think about how many posts, LTTE's, etc begin with "I support the troops, but..." in an attempt not to be called an anti-American blah blah blah blah. Same thing.

[sundog]

9. um

:wtf:

[sundog]

17. oh - I read your post in GD

from yesterday... now this makes sense... thanks :)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=221x6891

[Dookus]

11. I read nothing into it

beyond the speaker is a Seinfeld fan.

[foreigncorrespondent]

14. Simple!

That line always follows some slanted thing about gays. They use that as a cover up in the hopes no one will pick up on their "stealth" (as they see it) homophobia!

The one that really irks me to no end is "oh you are just being overly sensitive!" In other words: "don't you come here and begin defending your 'debauched' lifestyle to me" crap!

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Misunderestimator]

18. I have a similar reaction when people say "Not there's anything wrong with

it." But I also see people here using it in a humorous way clearly meant to imitate Seinfeld and make fun of homophobes. In the outside world, it makes my hair stand on end to hear it, because it invariably prefaces some criticism about homosexuals.