Irish singer, Bob Geldof, is in hot water for repeatedly misgendering fellow musician, Sam Smith, on the talk show This Morning.
Adding to the controversy is the fact that the show's co-hosts, Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield, didn't correct Geldof — despite the fact that Smith switched to they/them pronouns more than three years ago.
His appearance started in a straightforward way, as he talked about his career in the Boomtown Rats and discussed the high price of real estate.
It makes perfect sense, as Geldof was discussing his music career and segued into a discussion of Sam Smith. The two know each other and collaborated on a song in 2014.
It didn't seem to be maliciously motivated. After all, Smith went by masculine pronouns when they worked with Geldof, who perhaps didn't get the memo that Smith uses different pronouns now.
Way back in September of 2019 — pre-pandemic times! — Smith announced that they'd be using they/them pronouns instead of he/him.
Smith wrote, "After a lifetime of being at war with my gender I’ve decided to embrace myself for who I am, inside and out."
He continually referred to Smith using masculine pronouns, saying, "Sam Smith, I remember him at the microphone had his eyes closed, and he was singing away to the song."
It seems that Geldof had no idea that Smith had changed their pronouns, and judging by the response, neither of the hosts had any idea either. It's still fairly disappointing to see all three of the people on the show fail to recognize Smith's preferred pronouns.
Almost as soon as the show aired, there was a backlash on Twitter — and, predictably, a backlash to the backlash (and probably some backlash to that, too).
Earlier in the month, ITV — the same network that aired the Geldof interview made the exact same mistake, although it was on a different show. Host Ranvir Singh also referred to Smith as 'he.'
Their latest Instagram post teases "something unholy on set," but doesn't reference the Geldof interview.
Although the singer has been on the scene for around 15 years, their career has really taken off in the past couple of years. Earlier this month, they made headlines for a mind-bending latex outfit that was worn at the BRIT Awards.
Smith released Gloria in late January, but had spent much of the previous year collaborating with artists like Summer Walker and Kim Petras. In fact, the Petras duet represented the first openly non-binary and first openly transgender musicians to release a number one hit.
It's tough to say without putting words in their mouth, but judging by Smith's announcement, it does matter a great deal that they're referred to by their preferred pronouns. At the same time, Smith and Geldof seem to have a good relationship, and it doesn't seem like Geldof was trying to cause any drama.
Anyone who's had a friend or family member come out as non-binary can tell you that it's tough to switch up pronouns, and mistakes are inevitable. That said, it's important to correct oneself when these mistakes happen and to bargain in good faith.
A quick look at Twitter shows many users outraged that Smith uses anything but he/him pronouns, along with an obsessive focus on their genitalia. It doesn't need to be this way. Just use the pronouns that a person prefers.
A quick search of 'Sam Smith' on Twitter shows no shortage of hot takes, but looking at Smith's actual profile shows them having good times with friends.
The album received decent reviews, so it'll be interesting to see how it performs in 2023.
The BRIT Awards ensemble certainly grabbed attention, but true Sam Smith stans have known about their wild fashion sense for awhile now.
It doesn't seem like Bob Geldof or Sam Smith are interested in the beef — but it's still led to some good conversations online. Let us know what you think in the comments.
