Charles Barkley, the "Inside the NBA" commentator who ruffled feathers in San Antonio last week after joking about its "big ol' women," said on Monday "hell gonna freeze over" before he apologizes.
"Some of you people don’t like my sense of humor. Here’s what I got to say — turn off your damn television. I’m not gonna change. If you don’t like me or the show, turn it off," he said,
according to The Blaze. "I’m gonna have fun on television," he stated, reiterating that he was joking when he said "That's a gold mine for Weight Watchers . . . Victoria is definitely a secret [in San Antonio] . . . they can't wear no Victoria's Secret down there."
Among those offended by Barkley's comments were the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, whose spokesperson, Peggy Howell, said, "Making slurs about body size is just as offensive as making comments about body color."
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She originally demanded an apology, but it doesn't look like she's going to get it.
The Obesity Action Coalition also expressed "extreme disappointment" with Barkley's statements, and their president said, "As a former NBA player and sports entertainment figure, Mr. Barkley should encourage equality and respect among society and not look to shame or segment one population because of their size. Obesity is a serious medical condition and not a joking matter."
The Washington Post reported that Elizabeth Zavala, the digital news editor for the San Antonio Express-News, penned an open letter to Barkley. In it she said, "Seriously, did you think you’d make your wife, your daughter proud? What would your momma say? Or, how about the women who run Weight Watchers? Don’t they write you a check, spokesman?"
Barkley also made fun of the San Antonio River Walk during his comments last week, calling it a "dirty creek," to which San Antonio River Authority's Suzanne Scott responded with her own sense of humor.
"The problem with Charles Barkley’s recent comments about the San Antonio River is that they are less accurate than his golf swing. But, we take his comments with good humor and are glad to have the opportunity to set the record straight,"
she told My San Antonio.
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