| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"johac" |
| Date: |
19 Jan 2005 08:04:07 AM |
| Object: |
SpongeBob GayPants? |
Wildmon's AFA is even more bonkers than usual.
---
SpongeBob GayPants?
Bill Berkowitz - WorkingForChange
01.17.05 - Fundamentalist Christians are increasingly involved in the
political process, organizing ambitious voter registration drives to
institutionalize their gains, and threatening to take down Democratic
Senators that attempt to block President Bush's conservative nominations
to the Supreme Court. It's enough to make one nostalgic for those late
twentieth-century days when the Rev. Jerry Falwell outed Tinky Winky.
Back in 1999, the Tinky Winky Affair became a major media story complete
with late night talk show hosts having a blast at the Reverend's
expense. The fact that the brouhaha became a Christian public relations
disaster didn't stop fundamentalist organizations from their appointed
rounds. Despite their grasp for political power, there's always room for
another "culture war" battle.
And, where there's "culture war" smoke, you can count on the Reverend
Donald Wildmon's Mississippi-based American Family Association to be
there fanning the fire.
These days, the Rev. Donald Wildmon's organization's fangs are nipping
at the We Are Family Foundation (WAFF) an organization that recently put
together a video remake of "We Are Family" -- a popular song recorded by
the group Sister Sledge.
The video uses the voices and images of more than 100 characters from
popular children's television programs including Arthur, Barney, Blue's
Clues, Bob the Builder, The Book of Pooh, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Dora
the Explorer, Jimmy Neutron, Kim Possible, Lilo & Stitch, Little
Mermaid, Madeline, The Magic School Bus, The Muppet Show, Rugrats,
Sesame Street and SpongeBob SquarePants.
The video, a collaboration of WAFF and the Anti-Defamation League, Crown
Theatres, Disney Channel, FedEx, Nickelodeon, HIT Entertainment, Nile
Rodgers/Sony Publishing/The Bernard Edwards Estate/Warner Chapel,
Nelvana, PBS, Scholastic, Sesame Workshop, Toni Mendez Shapiro Estate,
and WGBH, will be simultaneously telecast March 11, on Disney Channel,
Nickelodeon and PBS. And, according to a WAFF press release, a PSA will
also air in Crown Theatres across the nation.
"Cooperation and unity are the most important values we can teach
children. We believe that this is the essential first step to loving thy
neighbor," says Nile Rodgers, co-writer of the song "We Are Family" and
founder of WAFF. "And the fun and exciting format makes it a lesson
that's easy for children to learn."
So what's not to like about a video promoting diversity and tolerance,
true family values? A lot says Ed Vitagliano, the news editor of AFA
Journal, a monthly publication of the American Family Association, who
sees the devil -- also known as the homosexual agenda -- at work: The
effort by WAFF, he writes in the January issue of AFA Journal, "is as
unprecedented as it is cunning, using all the right words and happiest
faces in an attempt to speak directly to the nation's children about
'tolerance and diversity'." For Vitagliano, the whole project smacks of
"homosexual advocacy."
In addition, writes Vitagliano, "the DVD of the song will be distributed
to 61,000 public and private elementary schools across the country" in
March, "accompanied by a teacher's guide, designed by the
Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a group that, among other things, promotes
the normalization of homosexuality."
Lurking beneath an attempt to celebrate diversity amongst young
children, Vitagliano has spotted something nefarious: "A short step
beneath the surface reveals that one of the differences being celebrated
is homosexuality," he writes.
"The [WAFF] website is filled with pro-homosexual materials," Vitagliano
charges. "A 'Tolerance Pledge,' for example, created by Tolerance.org,
part of the leftist Southern Poverty Law Center, encourages signees to
pledge respect for homosexuals and work against 'ignorance,
insensitivity and bigotry.'"
"Most Christians are now aware of what those code words mean," said
AFA's chairman Don Wildmon. "If you are a person who accepts the
homosexual lifestyle, then you are tolerant," he said. "If you don't,
then you are a bigot who is motivated by ignorance and hate."
The Rev. Wildmon's organization has been in the forefront of "culture
war" campaigns for twenty years. Recently on its Web site, it celebrated
a successful effort making sure that Kid Rock -- the Republican-leaning
rock-rapper -- will not be performing at one of President Bush's
inaugural balls. Another high-profile AFA target is Procter & Gamble
because it made a $5,163 donation of P&G stock "to help the homosexual
community repeal a law in Cincinnati that prohibited giving special
rights to homosexuals."
Within two weeks of 9/11, the We Are Family Project was launched by
songwriter/producer Nile Rodgers and Tommy Boy Music president, Tom
Silverman who brought some 200 celebrities together to re-record Nile's
hit song "We Are Family" as a step towards the healing process. WAFF, as
a not for profit 501(c)3 corporation, "was formed in July 2002 to
continue the work of promoting our common humanity and the vision of a
global family through the use of a simple song and message -- We Are
Family."
The We Are Family Foundation is issuing a special package with lots of
"We Are Family" bells and whistles. Each package includes a DVD of the
music video and a booklet containing educational lesson plans developed
in collaboration with the Anti-Defamation League's Miller Early
Childhood Initiative of A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE Institute. According to
WAFF, "The lessons aim to put the video's themes of respect,
understanding and appreciation of diversity into practice and are
designed for pre-K through first grade audiences with additional
teaching guidelines for grades two to six."
On the face of it, "We Are Family" might be an ideal theme song for a
group with the name American Family Association. Now, however, given the
song's association with diversity and tolerance, it's doubtful that the
Rev. Wildmon, Ed Vitagliano or other AFA staffers will be humming the
tune anytime soon at the organization's Mississippi headquarters.
All teaching guides will be available to be downloaded from the Web
sites of both the Anti-Defamation League and WAFF. You can catch a
preview of the children's video at the WAFF Web site.
---
http://www.workingforchange.com/printitem.cfm?itemid=18386
--
John Hachmann aa #1782
Intelligent Design has as much to do with science as reality
television has to do with reality. - Barry Lynn on CNN 12/25/04
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| User: "Enkidu" |
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| Title: Re: SpongeBob GayPants? |
19 Jan 2005 02:40:40 PM |
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johac <jhachm@ixpres.com> wrote in news:jhachm-BAABAF.00040719012005
@news.giganews.com:
"Most Christians are now aware of what those code words mean," said
AFA's chairman Don Wildmon. "If you are a person who accepts the
homosexual lifestyle, then you are tolerant," he said. "If you don't,
then you are a bigot who is motivated by ignorance and hate."
I can agree with that.
--
Enkidu AA# 2165
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?
Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing?
Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing?
Then where does evil come from?
Is he neither able nor willing?
Then why call him God?
Epicurus 341-270 B.C.E.
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| User: "johac" |
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| Title: Re: SpongeBob GayPants? |
20 Jan 2005 06:33:07 AM |
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In article <Xns95E343FB069B5255229@130.133.1.4>,
Enkidu <enkidu@leaddogs.org> wrote:
johac <jhachm@ixpres.com> wrote in news:jhachm-BAABAF.00040719012005
@news.giganews.com:
"Most Christians are now aware of what those code words mean," said
AFA's chairman Don Wildmon. "If you are a person who accepts the
homosexual lifestyle, then you are tolerant," he said. "If you don't,
then you are a bigot who is motivated by ignorance and hate."
I can agree with that.
Out of the mouths of religious nut cases...
--
John Hachmann aa #1782
Intelligent Design has as much to do with science as reality
television has to do with reality. - Barry Lynn on CNN 12/25/04
.
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| User: "raven1" |
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| Title: Re: SpongeBob GayPants? |
19 Jan 2005 09:18:54 PM |
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On 19 Jan 2005 14:40:40 GMT, Enkidu <enkidu@leaddogs.org> wrote:
johac <jhachm@ixpres.com> wrote in news:jhachm-BAABAF.00040719012005
@news.giganews.com:
"Most Christians are now aware of what those code words mean," said
AFA's chairman Don Wildmon. "If you are a person who accepts the
homosexual lifestyle, then you are tolerant," he said. "If you don't,
then you are a bigot who is motivated by ignorance and hate."
I can agree with that.
Seconded.
.
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: SpongeBob GayPants? |
20 Jan 2005 01:30:18 PM |
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johac wrote:
Wildmon's AFA is even more bonkers than usual.
---
SpongeBob GayPants?
Bill Berkowitz - WorkingForChange
01.17.05 - Fundamentalist Christians are increasingly involved in the
political process,
Even though it violate the IRS's rules....
And, where there's "culture war" smoke, you can count on the Reverend
Donald Wildmon's Mississippi-based American Family Association to be
there fanning the fire.
More like "wild-eyed", with such rabidness....
These days, the Rev. Donald Wildmon's organization's fangs are
nipping
at the We Are Family Foundation (WAFF) an organization that recently
put
together a video remake of "We Are Family" -- a popular song recorded
by
the group Sister Sledge.
The video uses the voices and images of more than 100 characters from
popular children's television programs including Arthur, Barney,
Blue's
Clues, Bob the Builder, The Book of Pooh, Clifford the Big Red Dog,
Dora
the Explorer, Jimmy Neutron, Kim Possible, Lilo & Stitch, Little
Mermaid, Madeline, The Magic School Bus, The Muppet Show, Rugrats,
Sesame Street and SpongeBob SquarePants.
The video, a collaboration of WAFF and the Anti-Defamation League,
Crown
Theatres, Disney Channel, FedEx, Nickelodeon, HIT Entertainment, Nile
Rodgers/Sony Publishing/The Bernard Edwards Estate/Warner Chapel,
Nelvana, PBS, Scholastic, Sesame Workshop, Toni Mendez Shapiro
Estate,
and WGBH, will be simultaneously telecast March 11, on Disney
Channel,
Nickelodeon and PBS. And, according to a WAFF press release, a PSA
will
also air in Crown Theatres across the nation.
In the anime fanfiction community, "WAFF" means "warm and
fuzzy feeling", somehow quite apt with all the cartoons.
On the face of it, "We Are Family" might be an ideal theme song for a
group with the name American Family Association. Now, however, given
the
song's association with diversity and tolerance, it's doubtful that
the
Rev. Wildmon, Ed Vitagliano or other AFA staffers will be humming the
tune anytime soon at the organization's Mississippi headquarters.
No. Rogers' and Hammerstein's "You've got to be taught"
would be far more appropriate for them and their ilk:
You've got to be taught to hate and fear
You've got to be taught from year to year
It's got to be drummed in your dear little ear
You've got to be carefully taught.
You've got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made
And people whose skin is a different shade
You've got to be carefully taught.
You've got to be taught before it's too late
Before you are six or seven or eight
To hate all the people your relatives hate
You've got to be carefully taught.
You've got to be carefully taught.
Bob Dog
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