NYT/AP: Talking Veggies Stir Controversy at NBC

[DeepModem Mom]

Talking Veggies Stir Controversy at NBC
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: September 22, 2006

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber always had a moral message in their long-running ''VeggieTales'' video series. But now that the vegetable stars have hit network television, they can't speak as freely as they once did, and that's got the Parents Television Council steamed.

The conservative media-watchdog group issued a statement Wednesday blasting NBC, which airs ''VeggieTales,'' for editing out some references to God from the children's animated show.

''What struck me and continues to strike me is the inanity of ripping the heart and soul out of a successful product and not thinking that there will be consequences to it,'' said L. Brent Bozell, president of the Parents Television Council. ''The series is successful because of its biblical world view, not in spite of it. That's the signature to `VeggieTales.'''

''VeggieTales'' is a collection of animated home videos for children that encourage moral behavior based on Christian and biblical principles. More than 50 million copies have been sold since 1993, according to Big Idea Inc., which produces the series.

Two weeks ago, NBC began airing 30-minute episodes of ''VeggieTales'' on Saturday mornings. The show was edited to comply with the network's broadcast standards, said NBC spokeswoman Rebecca Marks....

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/arts/AP-TV-VeggieTales-Flap.html

[sarcasmo]

1. BOOO Fing HOOO, poor little Brent Bozell can't have his way.

[MissB]

2. Bet he could get the uncut version to run on FoxFaith

or whatever Fox's new station is going to be called.

[LeftyMom]

3. Marketing religion to kids is a pretty shitty thing to do.

My mom bought one of those VeggieTales movies for my kid with no clue what it was about. She's not Christian, so she'd certainly not have got it if it's purpose was clear. Luckily I knew what it was and pitched it, they can go sell thier brand of crazy somewhere else thankyouverymuch. A little bit of the god talk is still entirely too much for a regular television station and a show aimed at kids, especially if the parents who find that little bit innocuous (or overlook it) get suckered into buying the videos not realizing that they're much more obvious about selling the god thing to your kids.

[TechBear_Seattle]

5. As with tobacco, they are pretty much forced to market to kids

Unless indoctrinated early, adults have too much intelligence to get suckered in.

[LeftyMom]

7. Which is why they'll get no place near my kid.

I'd rather he start smoking. It's easier to quit smoking than to start thinking for yourself again when you're brainwashed out of the habit.

[annabanana]

6. Yes, it is, and I wouldn't want my kids to watch it.

But NBC is certainly within it's rights to air it as it was written. When it gets kicked in the ass by the Neilsens it will go away quietly.

I am NOT into censorship.

[LeftyMom]

8. Oh, I'd rather they just not show it at all

Cutting the more obvious god stuff out makes it more potentially insideous. At least if there's a lot of God this and Jesus that people can perk thier ears up and change the channel before it does too much harm.

[LTR]

11. And I remember watching "Davey and Goliath" as a kid

Memories of it made me bust a gut when I saw the parody of it, "Moral Orel" on Cartoon Network.

:rofl:

[Demit]

4. Of course! Everybody knows moral behavior was invented by Christians.

And if Brent Bozell can't convince you of that, he for sure wants to make sure Christians at least own the trademark.

[bperci108]

9. I wonder; if Bob and Larry were soft-peddling Islam....

...instead of Protestant Christianity, or maybe Buddhism, would Bozell be so "outraged"?

He would likely be, but for a different reason.... ;)

What a bunch of hypocritical effing idiots.

[HuffleClaw]

10. personally, i think that sort of fundy propaganda has no business on

network tv. none. put that kind of indoctrination where it belongs, on some fundy cable station.

[Vinca]

12. Can't good and bad be represented to kids without God being

inserted into the mix? Chances are, if a kid grows up to be an atheist, they'll be more "Christian-like" than 99.9% of the Republican Party.

[LostinVA]

13. No, because only Christians and God believers are moral

I thought you understood that?

[donsu]

14. makes me think of my blind great aunt

when I was a kid, she could make up stories about anything. I'd say tell me a story about a stringbean, a carrot and a dragonfly - and she would.

none of the story would be violent and none of the story had gods or religion in it.

I loved her dearly.

kid's religious stories should be told in churchs, etc. not on public TV. and when sold should say on the packaging that it has religious content.

[mitchum]

15. William F Buckley must be heartsick that his daughter married an idiot...

Yes, Bozell is his son-in-law