A Child Learns a Harsh Lesson in Politics (more on Buster)

[gorbal]

For adults, the fuss over a PBS children's television show featuring an animated bunny - and real lesbian mothers - was nothing new. But for Emma Riesner, 11, who was supposed to be a star of the now-controversial episode of "Postcards From Buster," what began as a participatory social studies lesson has become a harsh lesson in exclusionary politics.

"I was pretty upset when the show was canceled, because I was very excited about it," Emma said in a telephone interview from her home in Vermont. "I know some people don't like gays and lesbians because they think they are bad people. That's just a stereotype and it's kind of hurtful. I don't think people should think of us as very different. We are just the same except we have two moms."

Complete article here-

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/05/arts/television/05bust.html

This is ten hours old, but as Democrats are most likely just getting up after a long night of partying, it should be fresh.

I think if everyone could see how these kids are effected by the idea that their parents didn't have the right to be seen, their minds might well change just like the girl at the end of this article.

Buster must be a good show, I love the song from the "Sugar Time" episode-

http://pbskids.org/buster/songs/vt_hinesburg_sng.html

[thedailyshow]

1. Hopefully she'll be ok

and fuck those stupid conservatives.

[havocmom]

2. Expect more teen suicides as the hate mongering goes up

Just read about a pair of high school boys who suicided together. Don't know if they were gay and couldn't take the warm welcome from society or not, but I expect a lot of kids will have shortened lives because of the intolerance of our tolerance shown by some members of communities.

Oh, yes, the fundy xians are sure looking out for the
children. </disgust>

[fugue]

7. Gay teens are six times more likely to commit suicide

I say until the rate goes down to the same level for heterosexual teens, homophobia kills, even if the homophobes themselves don't.

[w13rd0]

3. I hadn't realized...

...that the family Buster was visiting was an actual family (thought they were just animated). I'm fairly certain Dobson makes Jesus very angry. There is a real child at the receiving end of their hate.

[gorbal]

6. It is a mystery to me how their minds work

Is it a disgust of their own inner urges that makes them feel that way?

[reprobate]

14. Psychology 101 calls it 'projection'.

Or the seeing in others those urges in ourselves that we are taught are unacceptable.

It's a basic defense mechanism.

[gratuitous]

4. So an 11-year-old kid got her widdle feelings hurt -- Boo hoo!

That's peanuts compared to showing a lesbian couple in their home, working to support and nurture the family they've built together. Don't you know how utterly damaging such a presentation of the ordinary lives of a lesbian couple would be to the campaign of hatred and bigotry that Dr. Dobson is carrying out? Don't you know how much his donations would drop if people quit buying the fear he's so avidly huckstering?

Won't you liberals PLEASE think of poor Dr. Dobson???

[gorbal]

5. great sarcasm

You almost got me at first. I really hope allot of people read this article, people shoudl know that the religious right is really hurting people deeply.

When will they realize that god is love and that they are denying him?

[gratuitous]

8. I tried to find a picture of Helen Lovejoy

The sanctimonious wife of Rev. Lovejoy from The Simpsons, but she's apparently too minor a character to merit a picture. Fortunately, I knew that most DUers were smart enough to figure it out without a pop culture visual aid.

Dr. Dobson is a real piece of work: A man who gets off bullying 11-year-olds.

[merh]

9. And attacking animated characters!

"Dr. Dobson is a real piece of work: A man who gets off bullying 11-year-olds."

What a brave man, what a loyal soldier of God! Whose god? I don't know, seems to me this is apposite of the teachings found in the new testament, but I am just a poor lowly nobody, what the f do I know?

[gorbal]

13. Understanding sarcasm should be a prerequisite for posting here.

And to be fair, we can give sarcasm lessons.

[reprobate]

15. Theirs is the old testament god of vengeance and retribution.

Love? Pshaw. First comes obedience.

[JAbuchan08]

10. Next up on the agenda attacking unmarried couples and

"effeminite" men. After that they will start attacking people who marry for love.

I went to high school. I know its not just gays who get called "faggot" and "queer." Once they beat down homosexuals their hate will just move on to some other group.

[zara]

11. Diversity OK except for gays: PBS Flacks.

Consider: The purpose of Postcards From Buster, is to celebrate American diversity. 40 epidisodes were funded with federal dollars. It is an excellent show.
1 episode in 40 has a (partially) gay theme. That's 2.5% of the episodes, no?
In such case, does that not approximately mirror the percentage of gays in the nation? Is that not what diversity is all about--showing the range of persons in the nation? And so, isn't a gay episode a virtual requirement for a show that is supposed to show diversity?
Well, obviously its ok in the Bush years to exclude from diversity those groups deemed to be deleterious to the nations morals.
My feeling is next group to be ousted from diversity will be either dems or union members.
But hey, I like sponge bob.

[gorbal]

12. Perhaps atheists should be offended.

The visited an evangelical family as well, perhaps we should be offended that they are pushing THAT crap on us then? There were all sorts of different families visited by Buster, we don't have to approve of any of them, just accept them.

Looks like the religious right can't even do that.