uncle_el

focus on the family is far from fringe. their much much more mainstream than you would think. for many christians in this country, focus on the family is very important (tons of books, videos, etc. et.c).

focus on the family is run by james dobson, a christian minister. while i think i understand the group's basic premise (reorient to family being the number one priority and center), in practice it doesn't seem so... apparently he is very influential with the current regime, err, administration.

why people continue to harp on fantasy characters/cartoons that aren't even human is beyond me. you'd think they'd have a larger problem with snl's "ambiguously gay duo" than a sponge and his starfish friend and hamburger car, or a bunch of creatures with televisions in their abdomens.

edit:
to be a delusion, the belief would have to be false in the face of overwhelming evidence of invalidating truth!!! but there is no overwhelming evidence of that truth...

i do get your point though.

__________________
An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of inprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law. - Martin Luther King, Jr.

The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses. - Malcolm X

Bodyhammer86

Mephisto, it was a nice little animated sequence that SNL had for awhile and yes, it was pretty funny. Too bad SNL doesn't show it much anymore

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uncle_el

i forget we're not all from the u.s sometimes, my apologies.


it was a pretty funny animation. i too am sad it's not on anymore.

basically, it was two guys in super tight super hero outfits, with a large bulge in the groin area... who fought evil with a car shaped like a penis... when in tight situations, they would somehow end up in each others arms, or one bent over in front of the other, etc. etc. pretty low brow humor, but pretty funny nonetheless.

would seem much easier to attack, as everyone involved was human, and the premise was obvious... but i guess it's not aimed at kids, and it wouldn't 'cause much of a buzz.

__________________
An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of inprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law. - Martin Luther King, Jr.

The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses. - Malcolm X

Willravel

Woody Woodpecker was gay for decades. Focus on the Family should focus on what's important: their own morbid fear of gays.

cowlick

Ya know, all my life I've secretly hoped there's some shady gay media control situation pushing some ambiguous gay agenda. Let's face it - there is so much right wing media pushing this divisive crap - don't you wish there really was some fabulous gay movement to fight the right?

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"It's a long story," says I, and let him up.

Mephisto2

Cue some sarcastic remark on the Democrats in 3... 2... 1...



Mr Mephisto

yellowchef

Its SANDY not Sally.

When I was younger, or even now I held hands or walk arm in arm with many of my friends.. male or female.... Im not gay, just affectionate.

This is so extreme. Ive never even imagined Spongebob to be gay, Bert and Ernie are more "gay" to me.

j8ear

Don't fall off your high horse while riding her on your high road, your majesty.

Boooohooooohooooohoooo. If you've got further barbs to jab me with try the PM avail through the forum. Personally I do hope your ~really~ done "lowering" yourself to my level this time.

-bear

__________________
It's alot easier to ask for forgiveness then it is to ask for permission.

j8ear

It seems I might need to reevaluate my thoughts on this AHA group. Maybe they aren't as fringe as I suspected.

Regardless...when spongebob becomes an object of your scorn YOU ARE wacko in my book.

Thanks for the insight Mike, Uncle_el...

-bear

__________________
It's alot easier to ask for forgiveness then it is to ask for permission.

Cynthetiq

j8ear...I happen to work for MTV Networks and I read this story in SEVERAL places from first in Variety, then the LA Times and finally the NY Times...web based only? why because if it's not in black and white print it doesn't make as much an impact or not truth? Do you not understand how media content is sold and resold from newswires like Reuters, UPI, and AP? Does that sour the content more because it's not "investigated" by thousands of reporters individually?

It is even being discussed among co-workers and fellow Nickolodeon employees. Fringe groups or not, MTV Networks employees are quite passionate about the products and brands we create.

Ironically I walked out of the building only to see someone dressed as Spongebob (with security escort) in front of the Toys R Us store.

__________________
I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not.

Mephisto2

Interesting.


Mr Mephisto

j8ear

We all know were you work Cyn...you mention it all the time.

That aside, you're right, since the BBC and Sydney Morning Herald stories first began running the story it has been picking up steam, gaining some legs and showing up in the US media. In more significant numbers then the NONE y'day morning (thurs..)when I first saw discussion of the issue.

I am beginning to understand why, since it is being used to lump the entire conservative base into one loony gaggle of SBSP haters...more specifically GAY sbsp haters.

I should have seem that coming.

I do not completely understand how the wire services work, however I do know what a headline, dateline and byline are. I am not a journalist. I am a consumer.

-bear

__________________
It's alot easier to ask for forgiveness then it is to ask for permission.

Mobo123

I'll bet Spongebob, dinosaurs and man were all running around the planet at the same time.

Half the fault of this world is because those dangerous dinosaurs refused to die in America, instead choosing the middle east to perish. The other half of all fault is because of that dastardly spongebob, saddam hussein and UBL were born, causing all our problems.

And all the rest of the problems is because we are NOT all right wing christians.

but dr. james dobson and his merry band of right wing christians crusaders are here to save us from ourselves.

but in all seriousness, dont these lunatics scare the hell out of you? How does 51% of the population listen to these so far out of touch wacko's?

Cynthetiq

I would also like to point out that today the big news was the Presidential Inaguration... all media outlets were on there about that subject.. side note:weird that the local UPN affiliate was using a feed from Fox News with all the graphics and logos I'm wondering if that's the CBS way of keeping the news from seeming like a duopoly.

But for me to see it in print this morning meant that it was already in the journalists hands as of yesterday or VERY early this morning....

I am not a journalist either, but I try to be an informed consumer. AP/Reuters/UPI are the most often syndicate articles (on top of daily columns), you'll see them from coast to coast and edge to edge of the globe. It's one of the reasons why all the news is very stagnant. Heck some of the papers don't even double check the wire services and they have mistakes all the time from spelling errors to factual errors as the story is developing and changing and those end up in your local paper too.

__________________
I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not.

pan6467

I see so when the left say Looney Tunes, the Little Rascals and The 3 Stooges and so on, promote violence and steroetypes, THAT IS OK.

But when a conservative group claims something promotes homosexuality or whatever.... it is a conspiracy against freedom of expression.....

Ah the hypocrasies........

Here's a thought: MAYBE ALL OF THE ABOVE IS JUST ENTERTAINMENT AND TRULY HAS NO "HIDDEN AGENDA" MAYBE THE PEOPLE READING INTO THESE SHOWS ARE PUSHING THEIR OWN AGENDAS.

At least when the right does it you can see the sheer stupidity and their agendas.....

__________________
I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

MuadDib

I'm sorry, but there is a slight difference here. Some humor can be destructive even if its not intended to be. There's a difference between promoting violent humor or having racist humor in a cartoon and having an animated sponge (who has a girlfriend) hold the hand of his best friend. Not to say I don't love me some Looney Tunes and Stooges, but its humor does cross the line into violence a tad more than SBSP crosses the line into homosexuality. And even if they were equally obvious then at most one promotes a kind a togetherness we aren't comfortable while another promotes a kind of violence we aren't comfortable with... which would you say is worse?

__________________
"The courts that first rode the warhorse of virtual representation into battle on the res judicata front invested their steed with near-magical properties." ~27 F.3d 751

pan6467

Actually the Stooges promote a great life lesson: that those you love can fuck up and make mistakes and piss you off, but in the end, that is what makes them the people you love.

As for Looney Tunes: there's the one where Elmer finally thinks he kills Bugs and he cries and is sorrowful for it.

But in answer to your question neither promotion bothers me because I look at the subjects as the subjects are supposed to be looked at ...... AS ENTERTAINMENT.

If I am stupid enough to want to gouge someone's eyes because I saw it on tv then I was probably prone to do something violent to begin with.

To defend either sides labellings and believe that one of these shows should be avoided because someone told you something is foolish.

You don't like the Stooges because you think they are violent.... fine.... but don't sit there and dictate to me how violent they are... Because I get the humor.

You don't like SBSP doing his thing because you thinkhe is promoting homosexuality.... fine..... but don't sit there and tell me my children (if I had any) can't watch it because YOU choose not to like it.... if my children like the show and I believe it to be ok for them then it is only my (as the parents) opinion that matters and you have no right to dictate that opinion to me.

To say one promotes "a good thing" the other promotes "bad" is only in the eye of the beholder and what THE INDIVIDUAL SEES, NOT AS DICTATED BY THE WHOLE.

It's the whole Political Correctness thing..... doesn't matter where the censorship comes from.... or even the purpose... censorship is about 1 thing and 1 thing only CONTROL.

__________________
I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

MuadDib

I dunno, man. I can't by into the whole anti-political correctness because censorship is bad bit. I mean, some things need to be censored especially from kids. Racist and hateful humor that adults might (or might not) take in stride can really effect people if they get the wrong message from it. Censorship might be about control, but some control is needed to maintain order in a society and, more to the point, raise decent children. The fact of the matter is kids see the Stooges gabbing someone in the eye and hear the canned laughter and associate that sort of humor with being cool and Speedy Gonzales can be their first and most lasting exposure to Mexican culture. I'm not saying that these things need to be taken off the air, but the way that kids today are often more raised by the television than their parents can cause some messed up effects. And personally, I think the reprecussions of a couple of 8 year old boys being comfortable holding hands is a lot less damaging than a bunch of 8 year old boys who think its funny to beat on eachother.

__________________
"The courts that first rode the warhorse of virtual representation into battle on the res judicata front invested their steed with near-magical properties." ~27 F.3d 751

Justsomeguy

I guess turning off the television and monitoring what children are watching is too difficult. Or making a phone call or writing a letter to the CEO. The #1 option always seem to feed the story to the media asap for people today.
lol

jimbob

According to the website they never claimed Spongebob was gay:
http://www.family.org/docstudy/newsletters/a0035339.cfm
"My brief comments at the FRC gathering were intended to express concern not about SpongeBob or Big Bird or any of their other cartoon friends, but about the way in which those childhood symbols are apparently being hijacked to promote an agenda that involves teaching homosexual propaganda to children."

Has anyone seen the Laurel and Hardy movie 'Their First Mistake'? In it the hapless duo get comfortable on a bouble bed, where they decide to adopt a baby! And this was 1932! I bet Focus on the Family would have something to say about this too.

I don't know what 'homosexual propaganda' was being taught in this video but there seems to be a trend for certain groups towards decrying anything that doesn't conform to the way they want society to be. And with an administration which 'moral' Americans were recently encouraged to believe thought the same way they do, they're only going to become more confident. There's been some successes reported this side of the Atlantic: the 'wardrobe malfunction' resulting in a large fine, the decision not to screen Saving Private Ryan on Veteran's Day (more distressing because it was censored preemptively based on what the reaction might be), the boycott of 'Alexander' in the bible belt states.


There's a film version coming out soon - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0339334/.