Cut From the Oscars: (ABC Censors Dobson/Focus on the Family Reference)

[truthpusher]

Moderator: This thread was moved to the lounge when I posted it earlier. After reading it I am pretty sure you would agree that this is a real story and not Lounge material. I have added a note to the headline to give a better idea of what the story is really about. This is an important story about political censorship; ABC Executives Censored a skit from it's original format. A reference to James Dobson (Focus on the family) was removed. The fear of the Right is starting to have a real effect in the media. I promise I will not post this again if moved but If you move the story again, please explain.


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/27/movies/oscars/27williams.html

Cut From the Oscars: Cartoon Characters' Sins
By DAVID M. HALBFINGER

Published: February 27, 2005

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 26 - ABC executives have forced Robin Williams to drop a comic song from the Oscars show that might well have proved one of the most political and racy numbers of the broadcast, despite the fact that the network and the show's host, Chris Rock, have been promoting the night as anything but tame.

Mr. Williams, the presenter of the Academy Award for best animated feature, decided last week that his one minute on stage would be a prime time to lampoon the conservative critic James C. Dobson, whose group Focus on the Family last month criticized the cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants for appearing in a video about tolerance that the group called "pro-homosexual."

(snip)

The producer of the Oscars telecast, Gil Cates, urged Mr. Shaiman to make the bit "less political," Mr. Shaiman said, so he quickly removed any reference to Mr. Dobson's protests - and turned Mr. Williams into a fabulous, lisping character dishing up the latest juicy gossip:

complete story: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/27/movies/oscars/27williams.html

[Skip Intro]

1. So we might see a pissed-off Robin Williams, huh?

That ought to be interesting.

[mitchtv]

4. better if he called them on it and walked off at the last minute

IMO

[hvn_nbr_2]

38. Or tell what happened and stand there in silence for a minute. n/t

[Not_Giving_Up]

5. Oh man....I don't normally watch the Oscars

But I might now just to see Robin Williams on a tirade.

(Of course, that could be the goal...get more people to watch)

My head hurts now. :crazy:

[merwin]

11. Robin Williams is the kind of guy that will do something crazy...

Just to piss off the MSM (I consider the Oscars to be a production of the MSM)

[truthpusher]

13. He was certainly off the hinge a bit when he appeared on Bill Maher...

...this week.

[merwin]

17. I'm expecting a bit of '1 hour photo' crazy going on. :-)

[truthpusher]

19. Now that there is some serious 'crazy'...

[msanthrope]

31. Great Movie, btw.....n/t

[truthpusher]

37. Different Article:

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/1785.html

same info, here's some more from the article:

Apparently ABC officials failed to see the lighter side of it & ordered massive trimmings. Mr. Shaiman was asked to either rewrite or kill as many as 11 out of a proposed 36 lines. After consultations with Mr. Wittman, Marc Shaiman refused to rewrite the lines. Among the lines to come under the hammer were juicy ones like "The Road Runner's hooked on speed" and "Pocahontas is addicted to craps."

When contacted for his take on the attitude of the ABC officials Robin Williams said,"For a while you get mad, then you get over it, They’re afraid of saying Olive Oyl is anorexic. It tells you about the state of humor. It's strange to think: how afraid are you?" He added: "We thought that they got the irony of it. I guess not. Sadly for the viewers the proposed item has been clipped."

[VegasWolf]

39. I loved him on Bill Maher, I wonder what William's IQ is? It is

obviously very high.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

42. Knock, Knock.... "Karl?" "I know you're in there"

"Karl, let me in"


I just about wet myself, I was laughing so hard!

[henslee]

45. Robin sure seemed to be chomping at the bit during the Independent Spirit

Awards last night. I bet he will bark and bite tonight.

Nevertheless, a manufactured "censorship controversy" is just the thing to boost network ratings. And... if they manage to get Robin and company all pissed off and myopic over "family values"... they may be succeeding in distracting him from discussing other things like Iran/Iraq and privatization of SS.

[Erika]

2. I would say we need to protest to ABC

I guess it's now politically incorrect to say anything against Bush and his theocratic and stupid neocons.

[asjr]

7. ABC and others didn't flinch when Repubs

were blasting Bill CLinton all the time. We must remind them of that. The odor of Joe McCarthy is getting stronger and stronger.

[Enquiringkitty]

10. I just set an email to ABC reminding them that in the last election

there were 48% of the population who are not members of the religious right, are not conservatives who think Sponge Bob is going to come and get their kids in the middle of the night, and did not vote for Bush and we do not want this country to go back to the 40s even though Bush seems to be pushing us back to the 30s. I told them that they probably had a good idea of the ratings to expect for the Oscars and if censorship was going to be the rule of the day out of fear, then they can subtract the 48% of the population whole are still fighting for the freedoms won over the last 100 years from their projected ratings and see how censorship serves their profits.


Send your complaints to [e-mail]

[Wright Patman]

26. The difference is perception

of which group has money and power. The combined net worth of the 48 percent who voted for Kerry is only a fraction of the big bucks behind the BFEE slime machine, although there are many wealthy Dems in the entertainment industry. ABC knows the demographics in terms of wealth as well as raw numbers of viewers.

I was saying the other day to co-workers (as a joke) that I wouldn't want to be a kid today and have to see all the "filth" in the cartoons. They nodded their heads grimly. I said, "You think I'm serious, don't you?" They didn't realize I was trying to make a joke. There is a seriously warped view of reality here in Jesusland and I think the divide between here and the blue states is only going to get worse and intensify.

[Jokinomx]

29. Thanks for the link...

I just emailed my protest about censoring television. Enquiringkitty I also would like to welcome you to the Democratic Underground. I hope you enjoy your time here.

:toast:

[EVDebs]

54. Right On ! Here's another thread on how to protest...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3185863

and

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3185863#3185937

Let 'em hear from the DU community !

[Catamount]

50. More than that, it's becoming illegal!

:puke:

[searchingforlight]

3. You are right - and the ugly 50's that everyone creams about

are here in a modern version.

God, help us a repeat of the 60's and 70's can't be far behind. It may be our only saving grace.

[DS1]

9. Ahh, the Glorious 50's. It reminds me of a very heated argument that

myself, matcom, WilliamPitt, and jmm got into at Harvard Square a couple years ago. Some guy came up to us and started yelling at us for being godless impure liberals and other inanities, I suggested that we bomb ourselves back to the 50's, he glared at me for a long time, pointed his finger in my face, and walked off.

As he was walking away he stated that ~we~ were exactly what's wrong with America, and that we have the wrong values. How he didn't see the irony in telling a black person (jmm) that the 50's were pure was beyond all of us. :eyes:

[VegasWolf]

40. How did he know that you were godless liberals, by the intelligent

look in your eyes.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

43. At least in Harvard Square you're among friends and that bozo is the odd

man out.

At least I hope it's still like that...

[DS1]

53. Well, the MBTA made sure we had a regular cycle of idiots

driving the buses around, honking their horns and flipping us off.

One of them took a liking to waving his keyring in Will's face while telling how his daddy lost his ass in Dubya Dubya 2 so we could protest, while missing the point that his daddy lost his ass in Dubya Dubya 2 so we could protest. :D

[gottaB]

6. Why don't they just get Dobson to entertain us?

No more comedians. No more writers. No more cartoons. No more movies. Just Dobson.

[otohara]

8. Sponge Bob Scaredy Pants

ahh...the wingnuts win

[Kimber Scott]

12. We have got to start working the phones harder than the wingers do.

It's the only way to put a stop to this type of stuff. The "media" must be made to realize we are out here, too.

[bluestateguy]

14. Red State whining about OUR BLUE STATE event

Last time I checked Hollywood elites did not make demands upon what kind of entertainment was "acceptable" at a tractor pull or a NASCAR race.

[lostnfound]

23. The blue states are allowing it to be done..

I'm assuming ABC is based in a blue state. So what if the spongedobbies are likely to whine? Why is ABC paying attention to them? All it does it teach them that whining works.

[bluestateguy]

25. Just like CBS did with the Reagans miniseries

They cranked up the echo machine and ole' fat Leslie Moonves capitulated.

You show them weakness and appeasement and they exploit it.

Those of us who did have Showtime were forced to wait for the Reagans to come out on DVD and spend 4$ at the video store to rent it.

[SOS]

36. ABC

"The following brief history of ABC offers a perfect snapshot of everything that has gone wrong with the media. This remarkable story includes ABC's takeover by a conservative parent corporation":

http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/L-libmedia.htm

[0007]

33. ......or genuine Championship Poker games with fake money

fake players and a fucking mindless audience waiting to be ripped off by a real poker cheat after one goes to Poker Playing School and buys all the necessary equipment from Wall-Mart, that includes chips, cards, layout and dark glasses to see all.

What a jaded fucking country! NASCAR & Championship Poker games!

[Merlin]

15. America: Land ruled by Mullahs and Moolah!

This is pathetic. We're back in the 1950s again.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

44. Mullahs/Moolah = You rule

:thumbsup:

[paineinthearse]

16. Look on the bright side...

Maybe you'll stir some reaction in the lounge as well!

Edit: Just checked. Not one reply in the lounge thread.

[greatbubba]

18. Na No - Na No

[cascadiance]

20. You know what I'd really like to see for the documentary award...

is that the winner who gets the Oscar follows the tradition of the last two years documentary speeches (Moore for "Bowling for Columbine" two years ago and Errol Morris last time for "Fog of War" who both made anti-Bush and anti-war statements in their acceptance speeches) and give an acknowledgement to Michael Moore to help counter any attempt to squelch any attempt to ignore Fahrenheit 9/11 in this year's Academy Awards (or for that matter other politically hot films that got ignored this year too like "Hunting of the President", "Bush's Brain", "The Take", etc.).

I bet the audience would give the winner a standing ovation if he found a way to accept humbly his award but also constructively acknowledge Moore's and others accomplishments this year in documentary filmmaking which are largely getting ignored by the academy. This year's films seem so tame otherwise that I think such a speech would make these award ceremonies that much more notable than they would be otherwise.

[Daphne08]

21. This all reminds me of the late '60s

The country was very divided at that time, too.

Is anyone else here old enough to remember what happened to the Smothers Brothers Comedy Show in 1969?

[Dervill Crow]

48. Yup, I remember the demise of the Smothers Brothers well.

[reprobate]

49. Sure. Mom always liked you best. Maybe the funniest on TV at the time.

[lostnfound]

22. No mirrors allowed, no cracks in the fantasy bubble

that the people are supposed to live in.

[TomClash]

24. Oh please please pretty please ABC!?!?

Can't John Ashcroft do his stirring rendition of "Let the Eagles Soar"?

:puke:

[snippy]

27. Mocking the Republican Taliban is not allowed. n/t

[VegasWolf]

41. Yes, after all, their leader talks directly to god. n/t

[dsc]

28. and note what is appropriate

a fabulous lisping gossiper. How delightful.

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

30. he should his number with duct tape over his mouth

[robbedvoter]

32. Soo, can SpongeBob come or not? And am I a sinner for watching it

with my kids? How far does the insanity go?

[paineinthearse]

34. Contact Williams

Robin Williams
C/O Blue Wolf Productions
725 Arizona Ave., Suite 202
Santa Monica, CA 90401

[ozone_man]

35. The Daily Show?

Ask Robin Williams to do a Sponge Bob skit on the Daily Show, though I think this issue was covered already. But this Oscar stuff brings some new material.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

46. Williams should do 10 minutes of silence, and refer the viewing audience

to The Daily Show or Maher where he will do the actual skit.

Would serve the bastards right, Andy Kaufman style in your face.

[NNguyenMD]

47. Special Protection for Fundies

Nice to finally see the fact that the executive wing of the entertainment industry isn't much different than the MSM.

[Cocoa]

51. if you can't parody Dobson

then who can you parody?

The guy cries out to be parodied, he's a total fraud and there's no way he should be taken seriously.

[BigBearJohn]

52. I'm writing ABC -- I hope you will too!

[paineinthearse]

55. Will ABC censor Carlos Santana, too?

Carlos will be performing. He arrived wearing a Che Guevara shirt. Think he'll be wearing it during the performance?

See photos and discussion at http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3190764

[trudyco]

56. SO has he already been on -nt

[hvn_nbr_2]

57. I didn't watch the show. What did he do? n/t

[KDLarsen]

59. According to my fuzzy memory:

"So now they Spongebob Squarepants is considered gay. Spongebob? No. Squarepants? No. Hotpants? Maaayyybe. Spongebob Hotpants? You go girl!"

[cascadiance]

58. Did it bug anyone else tonight....

... that they played the Terminator theme at on at least three different occasions? Heck what was with that? Were they trying to pay "homage" to Arnold "The Governator" with that or what? They didn't even play many of this year's films' theme music that much.

[anitar1]

61. A Govenor's Ball Was Held

after the awards. There were reporters there interviewing the "stars" Maybe that is the reason for the Terminator music.Looked like a huge crowd there.

[seventythree]

60. thanks for the post -- I have been wondering

what the hubbub was about Williams. I thought his piece -- racier than the song, it seems -- was quite clever, tonight, and I couldn't figure out why it was not carrying with the audience -- they are all too scared, I guess, to even laugh. The song would have been better because it hit on all sorts of prejudice/right-wing-we-are-the-moral arbiters of the world, hang ups, not just the gay issue.