| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"Liz" |
| Date: |
27 Jan 2005 05:53:45 AM |
| Object: |
Action Alert called by Dobson (ROTFL) |
Dr. Dobson believes he has been unfairly maligned in the media.
Personally, I think the maligning was about as fair as one can get.
Follows a blog by Keith Olbermann of MSNBC:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6210240/
PINEAPPLE UNDER THE SEA— There are going to be a lot of mixed cultural
references in here. Sue me, I’m on vacation.
SpongeBob SquarePants has made me think of Mickey Mantle, and
Godfather III (I still want my eight bucks back, Mr. Coppola). Like Al
Pacino’s character in the latter, I keep getting pulled back in.
Last week we reported on that enormously silly speech of a Dr. James
Dobson of a group called Focus On The Family, in which he warned a
largely congressional audience that a new video featuring the
SpongeBob was being used by a "pro-homosexual" group. This 21st
Century of the infamous Tinky-Winky controversy emerged from a simple
set of facts.
A DVD featuring a video created by another group, "We Are Family
Foundation," used dozens of top kids' characters, and was being sent
to thousands of elementary schools to promote tolerance on all levels.
But the teachers' booklet included with the video included three
passing mentions of what to do if kids asked about atypical families,
ranging from one-parent homes, to children living with their
grandparents, to families with same-sex parents or couples. The answer
in the booklet was, simply, to remind kids that all families are
different, but all are based on love.
The video itself, which we showed on Countdown, contains not a single
reference to sexuality (and only about four clips of SpongeBob, heck,
the Count from Sesame Street stole the damn picture). And the advice
to the teachers seemed pretty logical (as opposed to telling a
seven-year old that his best friend and his two Mommies were all going
to Hell).
That didn’t stop Dr. Dobson from approaching the video, and its
producers, and SpongeBob, as if they were the warm-up act for the
Apocalypse. Before airing the video (which should have been criticized
for being a little long— where are the protest groups for that
issue?), I jokingly warned that if Dr. Dobson’s group was right, the
video could turn you or your kids or your furniture gay. Or tolerant.
The spam e-mails began coming in Tuesday night. They were pretty
routine, damning me to eternal fires and reminding me what they “did”
to Dan Rather and how I’d be next. But they were generated from
Dobson’s own website, which of course negates their impact, and as a
result a lot of them were downright hilarious.
Something approaching 20 percent of them were simply blank. Others
began with, or consisted entirely of, the preamble “(Please delete
these words and type your own message here.)” Others referred to Dr.
Dobson as Dr. Dobsin, Dr. Dobsen, or Mr. Dobbins. Many were
cut-and-paste repetitions of one another, and about 20 percent were
from false e-mail addresses.
One particularly useful one included the actual instructions on the
Website as to how to conduct the campaign, which I reproduce here in
full:
"Action Alert
Set the Media Straight on SpongeBob
Urge them to stop distorting Dr. Dobson's words
Hundreds of media outlets in recent days have vastly distorted
comments made by Dr. James Dobson designed to warn parents of efforts
to promote homosexuality to their children through the schools. Dr.
Dobson has been mocked for saying that a group calling itself the We
Are Family Foundation is using a video on "tolerance" -- one which
features popular cartoon characters like SpongeBob SquarePants -- to
potentially teach children that homosexuality is the moral and
biological equivalent to heterosexuality. Instead of reporting those
concerns accurately, though, reporters have twisted the story to say
Dr. Dobson has suggested SpongeBob is gay.
Among the greatest offenders in the media:
—New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd, who sarcastically wrote Dr.
Dobson had done "the country a service be reminding us to watch out
for the dark side of lovable but malleable sponges."
—Today show anchor Matt Lauer, who suggested that "Focus has made a
mistake and really doesn't want to apologize for it."
—MSNBC.com columnist Michael Ventre, who called Christians "creepy,
rigid, arrogant, cruel, know-it-all, pompous, obnoxious and
treacherous -- better know by the acronym CRACKPOT." He added: "They
are giving Jesus Christ a bad name."
—Crossfire host James Carville, who said: "How stupid am I? I thought
these (tolerance and diversity) were actual virtues."
—MSNBC anchor Keith Olbermann, who said: "If the folks at Focus on the
Family are right, it could make you, your children or maybe your
furniture gay. Or tolerant."
[Just for giggles, here's the link to Dobdon's Action Alert page]
http://capwiz.com/fof/issues/alert/?alertid=6852451&type=CU
Still, that wasn’t the best of them. One harangue went on at length
and then concluded thusly: "In addition, do you miss doing sports for
Sports Center? I am a huge Oklahoma State Cowboys fan and love to
catch up on the world of Sports with their show."
Mickey Mantle used to joke that when he died, he’d go to Heaven to
meet his maker and his sins would be read out at great length, after
which he’d hear, "Sorry, Mick, you can’t stay here. You’ll have to go
to the other place. But, before you go, could you sign a dozen
baseballs for me?"
Now I know how he felt.
Nice e-mails go to
Überwench #658 Now a *real* atheist!
Dame Liz the Undaunted Ath.D BAAWA
Charter Member of SMASH
and Queen of the known universe
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| User: "Tock" |
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| Title: Re: Action Alert called by Dobson (ROTFL) |
27 Jan 2005 03:52:59 PM |
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Cool! I sent some e-mails to various dignitaries with some choice
comments about the idiot Dobson, and to Proctor & Gamble, who Dobson is
evidently sponsoring a boycott against because they gave $10,000 to
something to do with civil rights in Cincinatti.
-Tock
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| User: "sanguinevikings" |
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| Title: Re: Action Alert called by Dobson (ROTFL) |
27 Jan 2005 10:41:58 AM |
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Liz <ehuth1@donotspam.com> wrote in message
news:2elhv0ljrgcd2c6jodir4g555ikcabj07o@4ax.com...
Dr. Dobson believes he has been unfairly maligned in the media.
Personally, I think the maligning was about as fair as one can get.
TalibaniChristfanatictouchyandatrocious!
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| User: "Al Klein" |
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| Title: Re: Action Alert called by Dobson (ROTFL) |
27 Jan 2005 01:32:51 PM |
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On Thu, 27 Jan 2005 11:53:45 GMT, Liz <ehuth1@donotspam.com> said in
alt.atheism:
Follows a blog by Keith Olbermann of MSNBC:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6210240/
[snip]
[Just for giggles, here's the link to Dobdon's Action Alert page]
http://capwiz.com/fof/issues/alert/?alertid=6852451&type=CU
Too bad they don't have a contact address on the page.
--
"Does it ever amaze anyone else how little faith some heterosexuals have
in heterosexuality? It's supposed to be this god-given human instinct
that only the warped and perverted ever stray from; but, it seems, if we
once tell our straight children a message even as mild as "some people
are gay, and that's all right," that'll be enough to send lil' Suzy into
the arms of women forever. It's a wonder the race has survived this
long, really..."
- Charles M Seaton (21 Dec 1994)
(random sig, produced by SigChanger)
rukbat at verizon dot net
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| User: "stoney" |
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| Title: Re: Action Alert called by Dobson (ROTFL) |
27 Jan 2005 11:00:04 PM |
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On Thu, 27 Jan 2005 11:53:45 GMT, Liz <ehuth1@donotspam.com> wrote:
Dr. Dobson believes he has been unfairly maligned in the media.
Personally, I think the maligning was about as fair as one can get.
I saw that. If he doesn't want to be a laughed at moron then he
shouldn't spout the mindless rubbish he does, but then all he has is
mindless rubbish.
Follows a blog by Keith Olbermann of MSNBC:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6210240/
[]
--
Contempt of Congress meter reading-offscale.
Hello, theocracy with a fundamentalist US Supreme
Court who will ensure church and state are joined
at the hip like clergy and altar boys.
America 1776-Jan 2001 RIP
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