Ratner comments stir ire, apologies

RatnerBefore he grew to become producer from the Academy awards, Brett Ratner's utilization of a homophobic slur might possibly not have reverberated around it did.Ratner, in the end, has cultivated a poor-boy status -Making buddy-based actioners, investing time around the party circuit and boasting about his actress conquests (and naming names). Politeness were never his phone card.But Ratner's comments came not only from the brash and polarizing Hollywood producer-director. They originated from the man lately put responsible for the 84th Oscars.Based on entertainment blog Vulture, Ratner was requested through the moderator in an Arclight screening of "Tower Heist" on Friday whether he's his stars rehearse moments. Ratner ignored the idea, saying: "Practicing is perfect for fags."The Academy of movement Picture Arts & Sciences attempted to keep its usual prim control, giving a no comment Monday. However, Academy prez Tom Sherak went rogue, speaking to 1 website by which he excused Ratner by guaranteeing that his close friends are gay, and making clear that Ratner wouldn't be relieved of Oscarcast responsibilities. Following the comment hit the net on Monday, Ratner was all of a sudden remorseful. Inside a statement released to TheWrap.com, he stated: "I am sorry for just about any offense my remarks triggered. It had been a dumb method of indicating myself. Everybody you never know me recognizes that I do not possess a prejudiced bone during my body. But like a storyteller I ought to happen to be a lot more thoughtful concerning the energy of language and my selection of words."The Academy rejected to deal with the problem formally, however the dunia ngeblog considered in Monday.Mark Harris, Oscar author for that blog Grantland, was one of the primary to demand Ratner's mind, saying: "There's not just a lengthy, nuanced debate available relating to this. If he'd used a similar racial or religious slur, the discussion would go something similar to, 'You're fired.' ... You do not get a mulligan on homophobia. Not this year.InchGLAAD, which decried Ratner's comments over the past weekend, released an answer to his apology: "This apology is a great start, but we are dealing with Ratner's people for additional action, to obviously send a note to Hollywood the anti-gay slurs utilized by bullies and bigots don't have any place on the planet of entertainment, or elsewhere."In recent days, Ratner continues to be offering his radical method of the Academy awards, saying he was trembling some misconception behind the curtain, and ruffling down along the way. He told Daily Variety's Peter Bart in Monday's column he has introduced in new authors, including Shaun Nathanson, and told the La Occasions now the writing team would likewise incorporate Ted Griffin (from "Tower Heist"), Alec Berg and David Mandel.If the Academy told Oscar-ceremony stalwart Bruce Vilanch -- who's freely gay -- that his services wouldn't be needed this year is a touch less obvious. Contact Christy Grosz at christy.grosz@variety.com