[schrocat]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/20/po.../20sponge.html

Conservatives Pick Soft Target: A Cartoon Sponge

By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK

ASHINGTON, Jan. 19 - On the heels of electoral victories barring same-sex marriage, some influential conservative Christian groups are turning their attention to a new target: the cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants.

"Does anybody here know SpongeBob?" Dr. James C. Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family, asked the guests Tuesday night at a black-tie dinner for members of Congress and political allies to celebrate the election results.

SpongeBob needed no introduction. In addition to his popularity among children, who watch his cartoon show, he has become a well-known camp figure among adult gay men, perhaps because he holds hands with his animated sidekick Patrick and likes to watch the imaginary television show "The Adventures of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy."

Now, Dr. Dobson said, SpongeBob's creators had enlisted him in a "pro-homosexual video," in which he appeared alongside children's television colleagues like Barney and Jimmy Neutron, among many others. The makers of the video, he said, planned to mail it to thousands of elementary schools to promote a "tolerance pledge" that includes tolerance for differences of "sexual identity."

The video's creator, Nile Rodgers, who wrote the disco hit "We Are Family," said Mr. Dobson's objection stemmed from a misunderstanding. Mr. Rodgers said he founded the We Are Family Foundation after the Sept. 11 attacks to create a music video to teach children about multiculturalism. The video has appeared on television networks, and nothing in it or its accompanying materials refers to sexual identity. The pledge, borrowed from the Southern Poverty Law Center, is not mentioned on the video and is available only on the group's Web site.

Mr. Rodgers suggested that Dr. Dobson and the American Family Association, the conservative Christian group that first sounded the alarm, might have been confused because of an unrelated Web site belonging to another group called "We Are Family," which supports gay youth.

"The fact that some people may be upset with each other peoples' lifestyles, that is O.K.," Mr. Rodgers said. "We are just talking about respect."

Mark Barondess, the foundation's lawyer, said the critics "need medication."

On Wednesday however, Paul Batura, assistant to Mr. Dobson at Focus on the Family, said the group stood by its accusation.

"We see the video as an insidious means by which the organization is manipulating and potentially brainwashing kids," he said. "It is a classic bait and switch."

[Ninong]

We are truly blessed that people like James Dobson, one of my favorite right-wingnut religious fanatics, is keeping a watchful eye on all those closeted gay cartoon characters for us. How did that ever slip past the watchful eye of Jerry Falwell?

We will all have to tune in to the 700 Club to find out what God has in store for us as punishment for our evil ways. Remember that it was Jerry Falwell who told Pat Robertson that 9/11 was God's punishment of America for allowing all the gays and feminists and abortionists to run around on the loose. Pat agreed with him. He later said he didn't but it was taped. He did.

And the same right-wingnut religious fanatics who celebrated the murder of that gay college kid in Wyoming by attending his funeral with their cute little protest signs just revealed that God told them that the recent Indian Ocean tsunami was His punishment of the Swedes (2000+ died in Thailand) for legalizing gay marriages in their country.

We will all have to call Michael Powell, while he's still running the FCC, and tell him of our revulsion and disgust at seeing an obviously gay cartoon character on good ole American television. First Tinky-Winky and now SpongeBob! What's this world coming to? Speaking of gross and bizarre: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...-conduct_x.htm

There are a lot of things on TV that upset me. I usually just change the channel. Sometimes I even watch Fox News so that I can keep up with the latest propaganda. BTW, how can they even call themselves a "news channel" when they don't even gather any news? My favorite Roger Ailes puppet is Bill O'Reilly. Now if I had seen a report about him doing on-air what that Oklahoma judge is charged with doing on the bench, I would have understood, except that he prefers a different sort of "toy" to pleasure himself: http://thesmokinggun.com/archive/1013043mackris1.html

Every time I see people like Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and Bill O'Reilly on TV, I feel very uncomfortable and want to puke. I think I'll call up The Parents Television Council, the group that is responsible for 99.9% of all complaints filed with the FCC in the past two years, to complain that children might be watching and they should get the FCC to do something about people like that on TV. Give them something real to complain about for a change. You should call them, too. Try to sound hysterical. Tell them your children just saw Bill O'Reilly on TV and now they can't sleep without the light on. Call them as often as you can -- it costs them money! The number is 1-800-882-6868.

[Ninong]

Here's the proof:



That's a picture of evil gay heathen SpongeBob cavorting in an unnatural way with his pagan friend, Patrick! They are obviously off to some pagan gay ritual or something. Or the Super Bowl!

I hope "Dr." Dobson doesn't watch the winning team's locker-room celebration after the game. The sight of grown men hugging each other may generate another series of complaints to the FCC.

Dobson's real complaint is that SpongeBob is now appearing, alongside noted pagan cartoon perverts Barney the Dinosaur and Winnie-the-Pooh and the Rugrats, in a nonprofit video sent to 60,000 schools to promote that vile concept called tolerance. And diversity.

Where will it all end. This is what happens when you allow them to teach that evil evolution theory in the schools. Next thing you know, they're trying to teach tolerance and diversity.

[zhenya]

Originally Posted by Ninong

Where will it all end. This is what happens when you allow them to teach that evil evolution theory in the schools. Next thing you know, they're trying to teach tolerance and diversity.

That's right,George. Off with their heads....

Originally Posted by Ninong

That's a picture of evil gay heathen SpongeBob cavorting in an unnatural way with his pagan friend, Patrick! They are obviously off to some pagan gay ritual or something. Or the Super Bowl!

What the heck is going on in this Country? Why some people just can't have a beer and relax...or maybe it is the beer that makes them think of all the unnatural things in our cartoons?

[Ninong]

I wonder what Dobson thinks about that?

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...PGIHB2KSJ1.DTL

[schrocat]

Originally Posted by Ninong

I wonder what Dobson thinks about that?

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...PGIHB2KSJ1.DTL

EEEEEEEEWWWWW GROSS!

Get a room guys!!!

[almostdiva]

Ninong,

CLEARLY Spongebob and Patrick are scampering off to wreak havoc with the nation's moral fiber... Just look at the swishy lilt in their steps.... and how tight their short pants are. Clearly intended to arouse and provoke an unnatural response.

I'm sure Jerry is in deep consultation now to determine what the appropriate punishment for Nile Rogers should be... never mind that Sister Sledge, the group for whom he wrote "We are Family" are deeply religious young ladies... it's obviously a gay conspiracy...

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by acer

Dobson and other Christians...

Dobson and other Christians? Dobson is a nut case. According to Dobson, God has talked to him personally and given him instructions. The guy is a joke.

...are not worried about Sponge Bob, rather the use of his likeness and other cartoons in a school program (for junior high kids) that promotes or at least states the the gay lifestyle is "normal".

Now that gay marriage is legal in Massachusetts, Canada, Sweden, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, The Netherlands and a few other countries, it may be time to teach tolerance instead of hate based on sexual orientation.

Surely it's time the rest of the conservative movement caught up with the Bush administration and it's welcoming stance on what you call the "gay lifestyle." Especially now that in addition to the openly gay Chairman of the House Rules Committee (David Dreier), we will have the incoming gay Chairman of the Republican National Committee (Ken Mehlman), to say nothing of the many other gay members on the Republican congressional staff, like Dreier's chief of staff, Brad Smith. http://www.bluelemur.com/index.php?p=314 They had a cozy living arrangement, sort of like J. Edgar Hoover and Clyde Tolson. Do you think the Christian Coalition knows about that? They gave Dreier a 92% rating.

Maybe if all the gay Republicans in the administration were outed, it would shake up things a bit? Maybe that's the new "gay conspiracy?" Outing all the gay Republicans, also known as exposing hypocrites. http://www.bluelemur.com/index.php?p=315

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by acer

Obviously- I am in the minority on this site ...

Not necessarily. We just ran off most of the more rabid conservatives.

Those little discussions used to be so much fun, too.

[acer]

Originally Posted by Ninong

Not necessarily. We just ran off most of the more rabid conservatives.

Those little discussions used to be so much fun, too.

Hey N--, is that the best you can do? I didn't think the vastly tolerant liberal mindset would just stoop to name calling so quickly = Dobson is a "nut/joke" just because someone doesn't think like you. Doesn't sound to tolerant or understanding to me. Why can't you just admit that being gay doesn't define a person anymore than not being gay does. I personally do not like Mr. Dobson either, but I think he makes a good point regarding this presentation to our young people. I don't think that age group should be having a program on abnormal sexuality. Certainly, you dont think being gay is "normal". It may be "normal" for some individuals, but at that age group most are just figuring out what heck is up in a heterosexual relationship. Isn't that complicated enough? There are good and bad people in the world and their sexual orientation doesn't play any part in it. As I said , I really don't care what an adult does in the privacy of their own bedroom. Why do you?? Why do you have to define someone based on their sexuality at all. You failed to actually make any points on the discussion points I made earlier. Rather- you just name call, switch the subject from a discussion of a junior high school presentation dedicated to molding young minds to consider homosexuality to be "normal" (that is paid for by my tax dallars) and ended up slamming the republican leadership. What's the relationship between the two?? Don't join a debate club and give up your day job N---. No wonder you used to like those "little discussions" in the past - they weren't discussions, just you going on and on with whatever you wanted to say. Without any regard for any real thought process or discussion, just emotional outbursts. Sorry- won't work here.

[Ninong]

Dobson is a nut case and that has nothing to do with his particular views on the topic at hand. The man is delusional. Have you ever read any of his stuff? He's off the deep end and always has been. Fortunately he's no longer a practicing child psychologist.

Are you in favor of sex education in junior high school? Do you think the schools should consult you to determine what is normal and what is not? Or should they consult the American Psychiatric Association, for example, where it is considered "a normal variant of human sexuality."

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by acer

If you would actually get informed instead of taking turns patting each other butts you would know that Dobson and other Christians are not worried about Sponge Bob, rather the use of his likeness and other cartoons in a school program (for junior high kids) that promotes or at least states the the gay lifestyle is "normal".

Speaking of getting informed, the video does nothing of the kind. Where in the video does it state anything about the gay lifestyle, normal or otherwise? Even Dobson doesn't claim that. He says its "beneath the surface."

Did you bother to read the opening post that Schrocat put up at the top of this thread?

"The video has appeared on television networks, and nothing in it or its accompanying materials refers to sexual identity."

"The pledge, borrowed from the Southern Poverty Law Center, is not mentioned on the video and is available only on the group's Web site."

Not very original of them. They could have at least come up with their own pledge.

[almostdiva]

Originally Posted by acer

I didn't think the vastly tolerant liberal mindset would just stoop to name calling so quickly = Dobson is a "nut/joke" just because someone doesn't think like you. Doesn't sound to tolerant or understanding to me. Why can't you just admit that being gay doesn't define a person anymore than not being gay does.

MY original point is that I think it is ridiculous that someone -- ANYONE-- thinks a cartoon character is an icon for/representational of ANYTHING...

It is a CARTOON CHARACTER. It is intended to make people smile, impart humor and entertain. Tinky Winky and the rest of the tubbies were geared to a target audience of 3 or 4 year olds (pre-literate). It's ENTERTAINMENT. It's not someone's politial agenda. That is the part that invites ridicule, jibbing etc from my perspective.

And I resent the comment about butt patting. I've never even SEEN Ninong's, much less touched it.

[zhenya]

Originally Posted by almostdiva

And I resent the comment about butt patting. I've never even SEEN Ninong's, much less touched it.

Amen!

[goldfishees]

I'm glad that they said that Spongebob is gay. Hopefully kids will stop making fun of gay people because the only thing that makes them different is insted of a guy going out with a girl or a girl going out with a guy it's a guy going out with a guy or a girl going out with a girl. What's whong with that??????????