2008 Woodie Awards
SpongeBob Queer Pants?? Nothing but Nautical Nonsense
Shooting From the Left
Dan Murphy
Issue date: 1/28/05 Section: Commentary
- Page 1 of 2 next >
The Christian Right is at it again. Their target: an oceanic sponge that lives in a pineapple under the sea. When his lovable cartoon is not hanging out with his buddy Patrick, he spends his days at the Krusty Krab, flipping Krabby Patties. Yes, SpongeBob SquarePants is apparently driving American children to a life of moral bankruptcy. Let me explain.
The porous and yellow SpongeBob is set to star in a children's music video of the disco hit "We Are Family." Producing the video is the We Are Family Foundation, a nonprofit group aimed at promoting tolerance and diversity. This all seems reasonable, right? Well not to Dr. James Dobson and his group "Focus on Families."
Dobson objects to the mission statement of the We Are Family Foundation. It says: "To help keep diversity a wellspring of strength and make America a better place for all, I pledge to have respect for people whose abilities, beliefs, culture, race, sexual identity or other characteristics are different from my own." He claims that the group is advocating homosexuality to children
"Their inclusion of the reference to 'sexual identity' within their 'tolerance pledge' is not only unnecessary, but it crosses a moral line," Dobson said.
This is nothing but nautical nonsense. In fact, when I heard this story, I almost dropped to the deck flapped like a fish!
Seriously though, there is nothing wrong with the pledge of the We Are Family Foundation that a child should not absorb. The message promotes treating others with respect and dignity. Respecting all people, regardless of sexual orientation, is a lesson all children should receive. By raising his objections to the foundation's tolerance pledge, Dobson suggests that it is immoral to respect people of different sexual identity. His assertions are bigoted and backwards. But really, are grade school children really going to be aware of any of this?
When kids sit down and pop in the tape of SpongeBob and others dancing around to "We Are Family," they don't care who sponsored the video. I don't think a nine year old would think, "Gee, the sponsor of this music video, the We Are Family Foundation, supports respecting the rights of gays and lesbians."
The porous and yellow SpongeBob is set to star in a children's music video of the disco hit "We Are Family." Producing the video is the We Are Family Foundation, a nonprofit group aimed at promoting tolerance and diversity. This all seems reasonable, right? Well not to Dr. James Dobson and his group "Focus on Families."
Dobson objects to the mission statement of the We Are Family Foundation. It says: "To help keep diversity a wellspring of strength and make America a better place for all, I pledge to have respect for people whose abilities, beliefs, culture, race, sexual identity or other characteristics are different from my own." He claims that the group is advocating homosexuality to children
"Their inclusion of the reference to 'sexual identity' within their 'tolerance pledge' is not only unnecessary, but it crosses a moral line," Dobson said.
This is nothing but nautical nonsense. In fact, when I heard this story, I almost dropped to the deck flapped like a fish!
Seriously though, there is nothing wrong with the pledge of the We Are Family Foundation that a child should not absorb. The message promotes treating others with respect and dignity. Respecting all people, regardless of sexual orientation, is a lesson all children should receive. By raising his objections to the foundation's tolerance pledge, Dobson suggests that it is immoral to respect people of different sexual identity. His assertions are bigoted and backwards. But really, are grade school children really going to be aware of any of this?
When kids sit down and pop in the tape of SpongeBob and others dancing around to "We Are Family," they don't care who sponsored the video. I don't think a nine year old would think, "Gee, the sponsor of this music video, the We Are Family Foundation, supports respecting the rights of gays and lesbians."