Dobson Setting the Record Straight on SpongeBob (or not)

[truthpusher]

http://www.theconservativevoice.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2389

National : Dr. Dobson Setting the Record Straight on SpongeBob
Posted by Senior Editor on 2005/1/30 14:52:07

If you had told me a month ago that I’d be devoting my February letter to a cartoon character named SpongeBob SquarePants, I’d have said you were crazy. Nevertheless, by now you probably know that I have been linked to that famous talking sponge by hundreds of media outlets, from the New York Times to "MSNBC" to "Saturday Night Live." The story of how this situation unfolded is somewhat complicated, but it must be told.

In truth, this tale has very little to do with SpongeBob himself, and everything to do with the media’s ability to obscure the facts and to direct lies and scorn toward those of us who care about defending children. It all began on an evening in late January, during Inaugural Week in Washington, D.C. At that time, I spoke briefly to 350 guests attending a banquet hosted by Tony Perkins and the Family Research Council, Focus on the Family, and Gary Bauer’s American Values. I concluded by sharing a word of concern about a video that will be distributed to 61,000 public and private elementary schools across the nation, for use on the proposed "We Are Family Day," March 11.

The video, which millions of children will soon see, features nearly 100 favorite cartoon characters that kids will instantly recognize, including not only SpongeBob, but also Barney the Dinosaur, the Muppets, Dora the Explorer, Bob the Builder, Winnie the Pooh, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Jimmy Neutron and Big Bird. The video itself is innocent enough and does not mention anything overtly sexual. Rather, it features the children’s cartoon characters singing and dancing along to the popular disco hit "We Are Family."

But while the video is harmless on its own, I believe the agenda behind it is sinister. My brief comments at the FRC gathering were intended to express concern not about SpongeBob or Big Bird or any of their other cartoon friends, but about the way in which those childhood symbols are apparently being hijacked to promote an agenda that involves teaching homosexual propaganda to children. Nevertheless, the media jumped on the story by claiming that I had accused SpongeBob of being "gay." Some suggested that I had confused the organization that had created the video with a similarly named gay-rights group. In both cases, the press was dead wrong, and I welcome this opportunity to help them get their facts straight.

more unpleasentness from Dobson here:
http://www.theconservativevoice.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2389

[Borgnine]

1. Dobson can eat my ass.

Since when it teaching tolerance a bad thing? These people are fucking disgusting.

[CO Liberal]

2. The Biggest Threat to America is James Dobson, IMHO

In the past few years, he has had several heart attacks. Do you think someone is trying to tell him something?????

[ruggerson]

3. Dobson is one of the biggest liars out there

Their entire organization is based on lying. what a great example for kids.

[RedSpartan]

4. The "sinister agenda" is, of course,

tolerace! Dammit, we have to stop such a hideous concept before our children grow up to become, um, good. Or something.

[ultraist]

7. exactly...

The sinister agenda is teaching the TRUTH and respect for diversity rather than lies and HATE.

Hate is not a family value we teach our children. My son has a friend whose mother is a lesbian. Nearly half of his friends parents are divorced. Some of his friends are being raised by a grandmother or Aunt.

Selected Bible quotes do not define family in an honest manner.

[MissB]

15. "Hatred is not a family value" was a great bumpersticker

Very popular here in Oregon when Lon Mabon and his ilk first tried to pass anti-gay measures.

[merwin]

12. My favorite line re: tolerance

"I’m sure you can see, now, why I expressed great concern about the intention of the We Are Family Foundation in using SpongeBob and company to promote the theme of "tolerance and diversity,"..."

HOW DARE THEY PROMOTE TOLERANCE!?!?!

[hfojvt]

30. I had a cousin who took a summer college course

She complained that the Prof had a hidden agenda and that it was "peace". I could not understand why she thought that was so sinister.
Tolerance is a little bit different. If you think about it there are alot of things that most liberals are intolerant of - racism, rape, misogyny, infanticide, pedophilia, heroin use, ignorance, torture, genocide, ...
I do not find Dobson to be that far away from my parents, who I think are most excellent people (and we kids softened them up too). Of course, I grew up in the 1970s when homosexuality was mostly hidden in small town America, but none of their children are bigoted in that regard.
It seems to me that Dobson gets put in a box labelled "homophobe" as if that is the only thing that defines his character. However, to a large extent he has the same concerns as my sister. I watched "according to Jim" last night from 8 to 8:30. I found it hilarious, but I would agree with my sister and Dobson that its content would not be appropriate for my nephew. I am sure you would not have found such a show at 8 in the 1970s. It is that "decaying moral standard" which mostly concerns Dobson. If liberals are for a promiscuous, sex-centered society, then I am not very liberal in that regard.

[jody]

5. The Ku Klux Klan hijacked the cross and the agenda behind that act

is sinister. Using Dobson's twisted logic, does that not mean the symbol of Christ should be boycotted?
:shrug:

[ultraist]

6. MORE INSANITY

"and everything to do with the media’s ability to obscure the facts and to direct lies and scorn toward those of us who care about defending children.

EXCUSE ME? Teaching children HATE and intolerance is not defending them. LYING to children and teaching them religious based ideas rather than FACTS is not defending them.

"those childhood symbols are apparently being hijacked to promote an agenda that involves teaching homosexual propaganda to children."

HOMOSEXUAL PROPAGANDA? WTF? This guy is fucking INSANE! The FACT IS that we do have homosexuals in our society and they DO HAVE FAMILIES. Let's just teach our children LIES, that FAMILY is ONLY one white male father, white female mother and 2.5 kids. Whatever.

The fact is, MOST families are not comprised in the "traditional" structure. Why should we sheild our children from the truth about the structure of families in our society?

When they get to college, they will have to UNLEARN this misinformation. WHAT is the point, really? These people are nuts.

[merwin]

8. Just a little more rope...

and there will be plenty for him to hang himself.

[Sandpiper]

9. How typical of the "personal responsibility" crowd

"It's not my fault I'm an obnoxious ass. The media did it."

[DalvaThree]

10. Imagine being an old man like Dobson is and being embroiled in

a controversy about Sponge Bob. It must suck to be him.

[Sandpiper]

13. Maybe it's time for him to Focus on his own damned Family

And leave the rest of us alone.

[Wright Patman]

21. Don't kid yourself

The son of Dob is loving every minute of the limelight. He's probably already got a fundraising letter in the mail.

[Misunderestimator]

11. So... Wait... His whole problem is with the song "We Are Family?"

Watch out sports fans... YMCA is next.

LOL at Dobson's retractions... it's all the media's fault!! sounds like "The media kept pounding the drum in a march to war" from Dimson's head... the war was the media's fault too, after all.

[Why Syzygy]

14. "defending children"?

you say?

When Dobson and his ilk move a finger to "defend" the children of war torn countries (and I don't mean shoving x-tianity down their throats), THEN I MIGHT believe he gives a damn about CHILDREN!

The AUDACITY! Oh.. ever so much better to blow CHILDREN to bits than let them learn 'tolerance' or <gasp> love who they want to.

x-tians are a plague upon the planet!
(And to those of you who are .. DO SOMETHING about your PEERS!) :mad:

[Sandpiper]

16. The same guy who says beat your children in the name of the Lord

Claims to be their defender.

How he gets away with it is beyond me.

[Why Syzygy]

17. good point

Not only that, but most of 'them' are convinced that gawwwd whips up on them! To teach them 'lessons'!! How blessed.

More shirking of personal responsibility and total ignorance of Free Will.

It makes me sick beyond description.

[merwin]

18. EVERYONE reply to the article listed with what you think

BUT, don't resort to low attacks as they do... be kind in your words, and most of all, use their own words against them. It's actually the best weapon when they say things this absurd.

[Kimber Scott]

19. Maybe he should find something a little more constructive to focus on

besides other people's sexuality. Like sheltering battered wives, abused children, or feeding the homeless. In his spare time, he could read the Bible - the part about "he who is without sin should cast the first stone."

This guy is a pervert.

[Plaid Adder]

20. Dobson is right about one thing.

His original comments have in fact been misrepresented by the media. He didn't claim that SpongeBob himself was gay; he said SpongeBob was being used to promote homosexuality.

Now you can argue that the difference is academic; but it's not, and in fact I think it's absolutely critical that people understand why this matters. According to his logic, SpongeBob is "promoting homosexuality" by appearing in that video because the video encourages children to be tolerant of people different from them. Although he claims that he's down with tolerance, in fact that entire screed shows you that in his mind, it is unacceptable to teach children anything that conflicts with "Scripture" (his Scripture, not anyone else's). Since Scripture (his Scripture, remember) teaches that homosexuality is an evil and a perversion, anything that encourages children to tolerate evil perverts is, well, evil.

This thing with SpongeBob is part of what is obviously a much larger campaign to take children's programming, and children's education, away from godless secular humanists who believe in things like tolerance and diversity. That's why the new director of the Education Department just sent out a fiat to PBS telling them not to air an episode of a cartoon that represents a lesbian couple with children.

It is certainly easy enough to make people like Dobson look ridiculous; but we shouldn't let that prevent us from understanding how serious this really is. These are the voters of the future. The Traditional Values Coalition, the Family Research Council, and all the other right-wing "family values" groups are all workign toward the same goal, which is to ensure that their value system is the only one to which children are exposed--not just within their own homes, but in the public sphere. We, as gay Americans, are to be erased from the schools, the public airwaves, and anywhere else.

There's another thing Dobson is right about: children's TV programming has a tremendous influence over the kids who watch it. I grew up on Sesame Street. It was not obvious to me at the time, but looking back it's clear that Sesame Street was created by people who had a real commitment to promoting not just equality but familiarity, sympathy, and empathy across racial and class lines. Sesame Street was an urban environment, not some pastoral fantasyland. It was tenanted by a multiethnic group of human characters and a host of muppet characters who expanded the concept of 'diversity' beyond any boundaries you care to devise. There were not a lot of lawyers and CEOs living on Sesame Street; most everyone was either working-class or owned a small business (Luis's Fix-It Shop, Mr. Hooper's store, etc.). Some of the programming was bilingual or Spanish-only. ANd through it all, the show was animated by a zany sense of humor that taught kids to expect the unexpected, and shriek with delight when they got it.

There was a little cartoon bit they did to teach the concept of "first" and "last." There were 3 bananas dancing in a line; one banana said, very solemnly, "I'm FIRST!" The third said, equally gravely, "I'm LAST!" Then the middle banana busts out of the line and says, "I'm Crrrrrazy Melvin! Hot cha cha!"

Now, I'm 35 years old, and I still remember that bit. I also still remember a number of Spanish words, and could probably still count to 20 in Spanish if you gave me enough time and do-overs. I remember when I was about 5 talking to a friend of my mother's and telling her I watched Sesame Street (it was new then). She said she thought that show was awful. I was amazed, since I loved it so, and I asked her why. She said, "They're teaching kids to speak Spanish!" Later I asked my mother what she could possibly mean by it. What could be wrong with learning Spanish? Wasn't learning a good thing?

In fact, Sesame Street did not teach me to speak Spanish. I still can't. However, it did introduce me to a number of Latino (or, back then, Hispanic) characters, and it also taught me to recognize a fair number of useful Spanish words, so that now when I see Spanish, it isn't completely alien to me. I haven't become a Spanish-speaker, but I am, as it were, more Spanish-friendly. More tolerant of Spanish (and Spanish-speakers) if you will. At least more tolerant than I'd have been if I'd grown up listening to that friend of my mothers rant all day about what she must have seen as the Hispanic Menace.

The ultimate goal of organizations like Dobson's is not to get hysterical parents to boycott SpongeBob, but to make it impossible for anyone to do for gay people what Sesame Street did for Latinos, African-Americans, and working-class families. It's important that we understand how profound the change will be if they are successful.

The Plaid Adder

[atommom]

23. Good point! They're doing this in a variety of ways...

targeting kids' television, trying to purge "controversial" books from the public schools, etc. It's making me very uneasy.

[Ian David]

24. Don't forget,: DOBSON HAS HIS OWN CHILDREN'S CARTOON TO SELL!

Yes, that's right.



Dobson is in direct competition with Spongebob for a share of the children's cartoon market.

http://www.realitybasednation.com/cgi-bin/MT/mt-tb.cgi/178

January 22, 2005
Erect frog on Dobson kiddie site
By Bob Cesca



Dr. James Dobson is on a homophobic crusade against SpongeBob for promoting tolerance towards the gay community.

However, I clicked over to Dobson's Family.org website and onto his kiddie section called "Ribbits". Cute enough, except for the frog with the giant erect penis -- WHAT?! A purple frog with a big ol' woody. Dr. Dobson! An erect purple frog? A horny toad, if you will? Gasp!

Spongebob isn't even the center-piece of the diversity training.

Who is the centerpiece?

Sesame Street!

Over 100 Beloved Children's Characters Unite in Unprecedented Recording November 10, 2004

November 10, 2004, NEW YORK – Arthur, Barney, Bear, Big Bird, Clifford, JoJo and SpongeBob, as well as over 100 other beloved children's characters, have united to re-record the smash hit "We Are Family" in an unprecedented music video to

promote tolerance and diversity to America's children. The video, which demonstrates to children the importance of togetherness embodied in the word “family”, will be distributed to 61,000 public and private elementary schools in the United States on March 11, 2005, in celebration of the proposed National We Are Family Day.
<snip>
The video also features cameo appearances by Bill Cosby {adulterer and accused fondler} , Diana Ross and Whoopi Goldberg {race-mixing bisexual}. A PSA will also air in Crown Theatres across the nation.

More:
http://www.wearefamilyfoundation.org/Article_PR_ChildDV...

Yes, James Dobson at Focus on {your} Family wants to protect our children from "tolerance."

Because, as Al Franken puts it, "To James Dobson, 'diversity' is a code-word for 'anal sex'."
http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubb/Forum1/HTML/008991.html

James Dobson says you have to "dig deeper" into the video because they are promoting the homosexual agenda by sneaking-in the back door of tolerance.

Arthur- PBS / WGBH
Barney- PBS / WGBH
Bear in the Big Blue House- Playhouse Disney
Big Bird- PBS (Sponsored by MacDonalds)
Clifford the Big Red Dog- PBS
JoJo's Circus- Disney
SpongeBob- Nickelodeon
Between the Lions- PBS
Blue's Clues-PBS
Bob the Builder-PBS
The Book of Pooh-Disnet
Dora the Explorer-- PBS and Noggin,
Jimmy Neutron- Nickelodeon
Kim Possible- Nickelodeon
Lilo & Stitch: The Series- Nickelodeon
Madeline- PBS
The Magic School Bus- PBS
The Muppet Show- Disney
The Proud Family- PBS
Rugrats- Nickelodeon
Zoom- WGBH Boston
Thomas & Friends- HIT Entertainment {hosted by George Carlin, blasphemer}
Pingu- HIT Entertainment
Rubbadubbers- HIT Entertainment
The Wiggles- HIT Entertainment
Babar- Nelvana
Franklin- Nelvana
Maurice Sendak's Little Bear- Nelvana
The Berenstain Bears- Nelvana
Beyblade- Nelvana
Dragon Tales- Sesame Workshop
Sagwa, The Chinese Siamese Cat- Sesame Workshop
Sesame Street- Sesame Workshop
Clifford The Big Red Dog- Scholastic Entertainment
Clifford's Puppy Days- Scholastic Entertainment
I SPY (HBO Family)- Scholastic Entertainment
The Magic School Bus (The Learning Channel), starring Lily Tomlin{lesbian}- Scholastic Entertainment
Dear America- Scholastic Entertainment
Animorphs- Scholastic Entertainment
Goosebumps {already banned by fundies}- Scholastic Entertainment
Maya & Miguel PBS KIDS GO!- Scholastic Entertainment
The Baby-sitters Club- Scholastic Entertainment
The Indian in the Cupboard - Scholastic Entertainment
The Mighty- Scholastic Entertainment
Philip Pullman trilogy- Scholastic Entertainment
His Dark Materials, for New Line Cinema- Scholastic Entertainment
The Koala Brothers- Cookie Jar Entertainment
Postcards from Buster- Cookie Jar Entertainment


Companies:
The Anti-Defamation League
Crown Theatres
Disney Channel

FedEx {When your boss asks you to over-night something, be sure to explain why you're boycotting Fedex! Fedex is sponsoring AND providing free shipping for the tolerance video}.
Nickelodeon
HIT Entertainment
Nile Rodgers/Sony Publishing
The Bernard Edwards Estate/Warner Chapel
Nelvana
Scholastic Entertainment
Sesame Workshop
Toni Mendez Shapiro Estate
WGBH
PBS
Guinness World Records (HIT Entertainment)
Corus Entertainment (owns Nelvana)
New Line Cinema
Spellbound Entertainment
Cookie Jar Entertainment
TV Ontario
Marc Brown Studios
Discovery Kids
The Discovery Channel

Yes, the fundamentalists have some MAJOR boycotting to do!

So, if you object to things like "diversity" and "tolerance" and "refraining from driving your peers to suicide," PLEASE, DOBSONITES, TELL YOUR CHILDREN TO BOYCOTT ALL OF THOSE!

Now, remember, tell your children: No Spongebob. No Elmo. No Wiggles. No PBS. No Disney. No Nickelodeon. No muppets.

And good luck getting your kids to stop hating you!

When they come for Spongebob, all the cartoon characters will stand beside him, and we will stand with them. When they come for Spongebob, we will all stand and say...

"I am Spongebob!"

"I am Spongebob!"



"I AM SPONGEBOB!!



"I AM SPONGEBOB!!"

"I AM SPONGEBOB!!"

"I AM SPONGEBOB!!"

"I AM SPONGEBOB!!"


See also:
Homosexual themes corrupt Sesame Street | rc6.org
http://rc6.org/node/287

Tough Pigs News Extra -- The GOP vs. Sesame Street
http://www.toughpigs.com/extragopvssesame.htm

Mister Rogers Caused the Space Shuttle Disaster
... And, of course, there could be only one man in America bizarre enough to protest
Mister Rogers -- you guessed it, Fred Phelps. What's Phelps' angle on Rogers? ...
http://www.brian.carnell.com/discussion/fullthread=3556

And the CLASSIC DU thread:
First they came for Bert and Ernie
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=2999888

[Maat]

29. So well-put, Plaid Adder.

That is why I am researching how to e-mail PBS and request that I (and my eight-year-old daughter) be allowed to watch the "Sugartime" episode of the PBS series, "Postcards from Buster." We paid for it (my husband and I, as taxpayers, and my fellow DUers as well), and we should be able to see it.

[merwin]

22. Did we slashdot the website?

It's unavailable now :-)

[Catfight]

25. The man is anti-love, anti-tolerance and a bigot. A bigot is a bigot

is a bigot. When will Americans stop allowing anyone to be treated with disrespect and condemnation? He would be much more credible if he was on a crusade to stop the exploitation of children in pornography and the sex slave industry. The fact that he goes after and attacks citizens who contribute to society by raising their children tolerant and open to accepting humanity as it is, DIVERSE, is hypocrisy at is worse. He can wrap himself in his 'christian' cloak, but it's still just playing dress-up 'christian' because the 'deeds' are missing from his life.

[GoldenOldie]

26. Dobson, Falwell, etc., Old Farts who have become pros

at using the media to scam the peoples.

I have heard more educated and intelligent ministers, priests and rabbi's within small communities talk with and guide their parishioners with grace and dignity. The only connection to honest faith and religion with these CONS are their likeness to the money-changers in the temple.

They have gained their fame and fortune through the media and it is the media that gives them voice....not only their personally owned facilities but the National media who is eager to give them all the attention they desire. The "good Christian's," then mindlessly open their pockets and come to the support of these money-changers.

[yellowcanine]

27. Dobson has figured out the whole world is laughing at him.

And he doesn't like it one bit. Heh.

"But while the video is harmless on its own, I believe the agenda behind it is sinister."

I guess you could say that about a lot of Dobson's stuff too - except most of what he puts out is harmful AND the agenda behind it is sinister.

[Maat]

28. LOL! You hit the nail on the head, Yellowcanine.

n/t

[Elidor]

31. Actually, Dobson was right

[fortyfeetunder]

32. Where is the video where I can see for myself?

Anyone have a link?