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Thu 20 Jan, 2005 03:58 am
From today's New York Times:
January 20, 2005
Conservatives Pick Soft Target: A Cartoon Sponge
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK
WASHINGTON, 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."
Whew!
I feel ever so much safer knowing the conservative Christians are watching out for our safety.
NOT!
Anybody wears square pants got to be a threat.
Way to go. Now I won't be able to see Patrick without thinking of Kicky's shaved area... Not a connection I wanted to make.
Theyre introducing another gay character, SAM THE CLAM McANUS.
God Bleess you revereend Dobson, Ill send my generous love offering in an envelope
It is comforting to know that all other social problems have been solved. Why else would they be working on this?
And I'm sure Sandy is a lesbian from Texas.
Here is the syllogism:
I can find some conservatives who are imbeciles.
Therefore, all conservatives are imbeciles and all conservative positions are wrong.
you ned a major and a minor premise in a deceent syllogism. Youve jumped from major to conclusion. We need to add somethhing in the middle.
Even I, liberal to the core, would wish that we keep our arguments robust.
God forbid, anyone would promote "tolerance" for anything........................the nerve!
Brandon9000 wrote:Here is the syllogism:
I can find some conservatives who are imbeciles.
Therefore, all conservatives are imbeciles and all conservative positions are wrong.
That is not a syllogism...that is a sillygism.
But it sounds like the kind of thing a conservative would come up with.
rodeman wrote:God forbid, anyone would promote "tolerance" for anything........................the nerve!
That is amazing, isn't it, Rodeman.
They actually are worried about people being tolerant of one another.
Frank Apisa wrote:Brandon9000 wrote:Here is the syllogism:
I can find some conservatives who are imbeciles.
Therefore, all conservatives are imbeciles and all conservative positions are wrong.
That is not a syllogism...that is a sillygism.
But it sounds like the kind of thing a conservative would come up with.
Yes, silly me. I thought you were criticizing conservatism by displaying the ridiculous positions of a few nuts.
Brandon9000 wrote:Frank Apisa wrote:Brandon9000 wrote:Here is the syllogism:
I can find some conservatives who are imbeciles.
Therefore, all conservatives are imbeciles and all conservative positions are wrong.
That is not a syllogism...that is a sillygism.
But it sounds like the kind of thing a conservative would come up with.
Yes, silly me. I thought you were criticizing conservatism by displaying the ridiculous positions of a few nuts.
Oh no...I was definitely criticizing conservatism by displaying the ridiculous position of a few nuts.
But you sillygism was not especially well thought out.
Try to get with the progam, Brandon.
Frank Apisa wrote:Brandon9000 wrote:Frank Apisa wrote:Brandon9000 wrote:Here is the syllogism:
I can find some conservatives who are imbeciles.
Therefore, all conservatives are imbeciles and all conservative positions are wrong.
That is not a syllogism...that is a sillygism.
But it sounds like the kind of thing a conservative would come up with.
Yes, silly me. I thought you were criticizing conservatism by displaying the ridiculous positions of a few nuts.
Oh no...I was definitely criticizing conservatism by displaying the ridiculous position of a few nuts.
But you sillygism was not especially well thought out.
Try to get with the progam, Brandon.
In what way was it not well thought out? Aside from maybe replacing the word "all" with "most," I cannot see much difference between your position and the way I characterized it.
Ahhh...my wit, intelligence, and charm have left you speechless.
And don't forget that SpongeBob Pervertpants lives in Bikini Bottom and he works at the Crusty Crab.
The sexual metaphors are everywhere.
Who is this SpongeBob Squarepants? And why exactly does he have square pants? Inquiring minds want to know.
Oh you know SpongeBob -
He lives in a pineapple under the sea
Absorbent and yellow and porous is he
I assume his pants are square because he is more of a Scoth-Brite type sponge (without the scrubber side) than a natural sea sponge so he needs square pants to fit his square body.