SpongeBob In Crosshairs (Dobson Alert)

Kansas City Star ^ | January 20, 2005

[E Rocc]

SpongeBob in crosshairs

The New York Times

WASHINGTON — On the heels of electoral victories to bar same-sex marriage, some influential conservative Christian groups are turning their attention to a new target: the cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants.

James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, said that SpongeBob's creators have enlisted SpongeBob in a “pro-homosexual video,” in which he appeared with other children's television characters.

The makers of the video, Dobson said, plan to mail it to thousands of elementary schools this spring to promote a “tolerance pledge” that includes tolerance for differences of “sexual identity.”

[foreverfree]

What's the gist of the rest of the article. The Star requires registration and I don't want to do it from work.

ff

[E Rocc]

I think Dobson and Wildmon are good fellows and while I don't agree with all their positions they are on the Freeper side of the Culture War.

There really is no "Freeper side" in the so-called "Culture War". I'd say we're about evenly split. Even many who aren't into "naughty" culture don't particularly want the government to enforce "decency".

Wildmon clearly does, and Dobson is at least leaning in that direction. I would consider both to be "cultural collectivists", attempting to suppress the cultural choices of a free people.

-Eric

[E Rocc]

Given that it was Dobson and his fellow nay-sayers that started the whole "Mighty Mouse snorts cocaine"

That was Wildmon, specifically. His organization also has been known to support Prohibition (aka "dry counties") in some areas. He's no friend of liberty, to be sure.

-Eric

[freedomcrusader]

If a free people elect representatives that enforce decency, they're hardly having their cultural choices suppressed.

[sasafras]

I think you are the joke. Go hang out at DU where you belong.

[Chemist_Geek]

Teaching anything less than "Get out the pitchforks, torches, and rope" would be considered "promot(ing)acceptance and advocacy of the homosexual lifestyle" to some.

[Celtjew Libertarian]

If a free people elect representatives that enforce decency, they're hardly having their cultural choices suppressed.

Only if decency is enforced within the bounds of the Constitution.

[sasafras]

"Just to make the comparison fairer, could you list your accomplishments for the American family? So we can lay them up against your target, Dr. Dobson?

And since you single out Dobson and Wildmon, could you tell us who's doing a more tireless and effective job of opposing the forces that are morally degrading our culture? Who is hated more than Dobson by the ACLU and PAW and the Michael Newdows of the world?"

Great Post - thanks

[freedomcrusader]

Given that it was Dobson and his fellow nay-sayers that started the whole "Mighty Mouse snorts cocaine" and "Bert and Ernie are gay lovers" crap,

So you are smearing Dobson with guilt by imagined association. He neither started nor promulgated either rumor you specifically mention. In this case, there is no imagination or contrivance necessary, this is an openly pro-gay video that features Spongebob.

[buwaya]

Eh, thats not right.

Thats what the DU people would say. The conservative tent has always been more diverse and friendly than that. That is one reason people on FR can actually have arguments.

[buwaya]

Alcoholism is also deadly. It is also great material for humor.
Humor is cruel, and it takes its best material from sin and failure.

[fortunecookie]

I love SpongeBob and the whole cartoon. I don't believe he's gay at all. He is just purely innocent. I think the gaybies are hijacking him for their own nefarious purposes because of SpongeBob's popularity. It's no surprise those who would twist the childlike innocence of SpongeBob into something 'gay' would fail to recognize his innocence, an innocence much like that of young children. Too bad, too, because the Dobson crowd will follow his lead and if he boycotts, then Spongebob will become to be understood as the gay movement would have him, as a tool of their movement.

[Hemingway's Ghost]

Skip pebbles off the surface all you want. Maybe your readers, like you, don't understand multi-front propagandizing. Hollywood loves and depends on you for your shrugging off their efforts to capture and re-mold the values of the next generation. Sing it with them, if you like: commercials are worth spending hundreds of millions of dollars, because they affect people's thinking — but half-hour cartoons and two-hour movies are just shows!

There will always be people who see ghosts under every bed and monsters in every closet. You are one of those people. Don't even pretend to think you're somehow tapped into this Great Conspiracy Against Us, and you're the only warrior who can possibly save the innocent. That's your ego talking, Dan.

[Dionysius]

Why Sponge Bob? Why not JoJo the Gerbil?

[E Rocc]

If a free people elect representatives that enforce decency, they're hardly having their cultural choices suppressed.

So if people elect representatives that enforce a ban on handguns, they're not having their Second Amendment rights suppressed?

-Eric

[ItsOurTimeNow]

"I've always suspected Sponge Bob was a flamer."

His best friend is a pink starfish. Subtle.

My daughter like the Disney - Lilo & Stitch movie, so when the started the animated series, I let her watch it.

Until I realized that one of the male aliens admitted to preferring womens clothing, and didn't ever want to get married. My daughter asked me why a boy alien was wearing a girls dress. She's 4 - I should not have to explain such things to a 4 year old. The TV got shut off, the channel was blocked, and Disney got a nasty letter.

[sasafras]

Oh come on - this guy puts down Dobson and you are defending him. That is part of the problem - the PC crowd are disguising the good with the bad. Aholes who allow evil to flourish without restaint because we dont want to offen is how we have ended up with the immoral decay known as liberalism. For too long conservatives have kept quiet because of the leftest vile attack and we didnt want to be called names - no more - time to bring it on - Im confident in my values - I believe all are equal but not all actions are - can the left make the same claim?

[E Rocc]

Just to make the comparison fairer, could you list your accomplishments for the American family? So we can lay them up against your target, Dr. Dobson?

Dobson uses the word "family" like the Clintons use "for the children", as cover for an anti-liberty agenda.

-Eric

[freedomcrusader]

From the following article in the International Journal of Epidemiology:

Modelling the impact of HIV disease on mortality in gay and bisexual men

In a major Canadian centre, life expectancy at age 20 years for gay and bisexual men is 8 to 20 years less than for all men. If the same pattern of mortality were to continue, we estimate that nearly half of gay and bisexual men currently aged 20 years will not reach their 65th birthday. Under even the most liberal assumptions, gay and bisexual men in this urban centre are now experiencing a life expectancy similar to that experienced by all men in Canada in the year 1871.