Shrek character is target of traditional values religious group

Canadian Press via Yahoo News ^ | Feb 21 2005 | John McKay

[pickemuphere]

TORONTO (CP) - The hit feature Shrek 2 joins the ranks of animated films to be "outed" by some Christian fundamentalists in the U.S., who charge that cross-dressing and transgender themes have made their way into the beloved kids' movie and warn parents to beware.

Although many people see the Oscar-nominated film as a humorous story about a green ogre and his true love, the Traditional Values Coalition has a different take on the animated feature.

"Shrek 2 is billed as harmless entertainment but contains subtle sexual messages," the coalition says on its website of the movie, a popular DVD rental. The group describes itself as a grassroots inter-denominational lobby with more than 43,000 member churches.

"Parents who are thinking about taking their children to see Shrek 2 may wish to consider the following."

The article then proceeds to describe one of the characters, an "evil" bartender (voiced by Larry King) who is a male-to-female transgender in transition and who expresses a sexual desire for Prince Charming.

In another identified scene, Shrek and Donkey need rescuing from a dungeon by Pinocchio and his nose, which is made to extend as an escape bridge by getting the wooden boy to lie about not wearing women's underwear.

[pickemuphere]

Parents Beware!!

[Bones75]

This has got to be a joke.

Don't these people have anything better to do?

Bones

[cripplecreek]

I thought they made fun of cross dressing in the movie.

[Fudd Fan]

it's cold up there

[GSlob]

"The article then proceeds to describe one of the characters, an "evil" bartender (voiced by Larry King) who is a male-to-female transgender in transition and who expresses a sexual desire for Prince Charming."
Blessed are those obscene in spirit, for they shall see sex everywhere...

[speed_addiction]

And all this time I thought only the DUmmies had a stick up their ass. I guess this is an affliction that crosses even moral and political lines.

[CaptRon]

Yes, things like this really help the conservative cause.

Wonder how these people felt about Milton Berle?

[Happygal]

Don't these people have anything better to do?

Obviously not.

[Rex Anderson]

The Traditional Values Coalition has nothing better to do, trust me.

[wimpycat]

They were making fun of Michael Jackson with the Pinocchio character. That's what I got out of it, anyway.

[El Conservador]

Some people just go too far...

It's good that there's people out there that want to bring back decency standards in entertainment, but sometimes there are others who just push the envelope, seeing immoral stuff where there's none.

Who's next??? Tom and Jerry? Captain America? Elmo? The CareBears?

Puh-leese!!!

[Paleo Conservative]

"Shrek 2 is billed as harmless entertainment but contains subtle sexual messages,"

What was subtle about them?

[Darkwolf377]

The DUmmies say "Thank you for the ammo!"

REALLY important issue--the morality of cartoon characters. Bunch of busybodies with too mush time on their hands.

You don't like it, don't watch it!

[hansel]

I wish they wouldn't do this. You can't fight every battle and this just seems very petty.

I think they are making too much out of this and just gives people a reason to say "Jeez. They can't even take a joke."

Big mistake, IMHO. Pick a target that is worth something if you win.

[F16Fighter]

"This has got to be a joke.

Don't these people have anything better to do?"

Don't YOU have better things to do rather than demonstrate that you are rather clueless on the subject?

[Strategerist]

Remember the immense amounts of nonsense regarding "Alladin"?

[BenLurkin]

More exposure of the wierdness in Hollywierd.

[Yinzer]

Nope, Warner Brothers. They're gonna go after Bugs Bunny. Remember the times he dressed as a girl bunny. And you just know Yosemite Sam was a closeted gay as angry as he was. Daffy Duck with his speech impediment, obviously gay. And Foghorn Leghorn was a no good womanizer. We must get these cartoons off the air to save the children!

[wimpycat]

Oh, you know Tom and Jerry had a thing going on. They were obsessed with each other, dontcha know. And Bugs Bunny was always cross dressing and kissing Elmer Fudd on the lips and stuff:

Gay! Gay! Gay!

(For the humor impaired: This has been a joke. This has been only a joke. If this had been an actual sincere comment, then some real-life Looney Tune would have said it, not me.)

[nmh]

"Keil says the whole idea behind the Shrek movies is a general message of tolerance - that outward appearances don't matter and that it's what's underneath that counts - and such complaints defeat that larger, more important message. "

Absolutely!

Have kids become as relative as possible. Make sure everything is acceptable BUT traditional values.

As you can see "conservative" parent(s) here see nothing wrong with relative kids. What these "conservative" parents DO despise ARE traditional values.

We'll pass on this kind of trash. But by all means take YOUR kids to see it.

[Sender]

Surely you have got to be joking. Shrek 2 is one of the best animated films EVER. These people need to get a life.

[From many - one.]

No. No kids around at the time of the movie. Synopsis please.

[nmh]

"The article then proceeds to describe one of the characters, an "evil" bartender (voiced by Larry King) who is a male-to-female transgender in transition and who expresses a sexual desire for Prince Charming."

If this is okay with you, then by all means drag the whole neighborhood with you to see it. We'll pass.

[BenLurkin]

Sure . . . you and I and everyone else on this board know that Hollywierd is full of perverts -- and that Hollywierd is always happy to twist the minds of our children.

What kind of sicko would put a cross-dressing joke into a children's movie?)

But I guess this 'coalition' outfit is concerned that somebody out there hasn't gotten the message yet!

[CzarNicky]

"The article then proceeds to describe one of the characters, an "evil" bartender (voiced by Larry King) who is a male-to-female transgender in transition and who expresses a sexual desire for Prince Charming."

How do they know the character is transgender?

[Sender]

I recognize Intelligent Design (God). I also recognize blatant stupidity (traditional values coalition).

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Some people have way too much free time on their hands.

[sandbar]

People have found gay people funny for years!

These people are giving regular conservative folks a bad name. We talk about the 'fringe left wing', we have a 'fringe right wing'.

[Lunatic Fringe]

There are far more pressing issues about which these folks can get in a tizzy.

[sandbar]

>Don't YOU have better things to do rather than demonstrate >that you are rather clueless on the subject?

Why is he clueless? Because he thinks this is the most ridiculous thing since they tried to out Tinky Winky for carrying a purse? I guess that makes my 7 year old a lesbian for playing with her ball and glove.

[Squawk 8888]

Geez, it's bad enough that the politically correct have ruined all the classic WB toons. The last straw for me was when they cut the "Free Beer" sign out of One Froggy Evening.

[GSlob]

In #5 I was quoting Tony Hendra's "Not the Bible". It is a hilarious book, and my apologies to everybody who might be concerned for not giving attribution then and there: I thought it is sufficiently known so as not to need it.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

The article then proceeds to describe one of the characters, an "evil" bartender (voiced by Larry King) who is a male-to-female transgender in transition and who expresses a sexual desire for Prince Charming.

No that was the evil Step-SISTER!

You know, from Cinderella?

[turnrightnow]

[ You don't like it, don't watch it!]

That was the point of the advisory.

I wish I had done more research before viewing it with my kids. There was definitely more sexual humor than I was comfortable with having my kids hear. Why scoff at trying to help interested parents make more informed decisions for their kids? Perhaps you felt the TVC's warning sounded too fevered?

[sandbar]

> What kind of sicko would put a cross-dressing joke into a >children's movie?)

You need to get a life. Men have been getting laughs dressing up as women for years. Just like the posts above regarding Bugs Bunny. Jeez, I realize how many of the 'fringe right wing' is on this site when this crap comes up.

[hole_n_one]

I read somewhere on the 'net that if you play the dialogue of Puss N Boots during the critical fight scene backwards, it sounds like I'm John Kerry and I'm reporting for duty.

[F16Fighter]

"Why is he clueless? Because he thinks this is the most ridiculous thing since they tried to out Tinky Winky for carrying a purse? I guess that makes my 7 year old a lesbian for playing with her ball and glove."

Thank you for demonstrating yet one more example of Free Republic's collective IQ plunging in recent months.

[TC Rider]

What about those protruding naked buttocks of Donald Duck?

I'd post a pic but prefer not to invoke the wrath of Disney copyright lawyers.

[wimpycat]

Yep.

[Clemenza]

Yosemite Sam was a Butch homosexual (mustache and all) into the cowboy and leather scene, who was obviously also into beastiality.

[nmh]

"I recognize Intelligent Design (God). I also recognize blatant stupidity (traditional values coalition)."

Sure you do!

LOL!

[steveo]

MooPoo

[sinkspur]

Lou Sheldon wears nail polish.

[Borges]

So do you also object to the homosexual innunedo and crossdressing in Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde as well? They teach them in High school after all.

[Darkwolf377]

I should have been clearer in that all these animated movies have messages about tolerance for all kinds of lifestyles, so if you're not into that sort of thing, don't watch these movies. What is this warning supposed to do--have parents somehow be ready for that one scene and skip it? Yeah, kids really respond to that kinda thing, doesn't make them want to watch it at all.

The politics of these films is objectionable only to the tightest of tightasses. Do they object to Bugs Bunny dressing in women's clothes? If they only want good pure programming then I'd say these modern CGI films are obviously aimed at an audience of both kids and adults, and if they want their kids just watching simplistic, boring junk, then they shouldn't be patronizing the Dreamworks animated films and that sort of thing. It's like being shocked at the violence in Friday the 13th films--I mean, what do they expect?

[gitmo]

Did anyone ever figure out how they knew Spongebob Squarepants was homosexual? I've watched the show and just don't get it.

[BenLurkin]