Hands Off SpongeBob!(Reuters more accurate than the NYTIMES)

Toonzone via Instapundit. ^ | 01/21/05 | Maxie Zeus

[Pikamax]

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First they came for the Teletubbies and I did nothing, because I hate mewling horribles who live in Orwellian romper rooms. But then they came for SpongeBob SquarePants. Now it's time to march.

That's the reaction a lot of people--not all of them cartoon fans--seem to have had when The New York Times on Thursday reported that James Dobson had criticized Nickelodeon's cheerful yellow sponge for appearing in a video promoting tolerance. The problem, apparently, is that the kind of tolerance being promoted would extend to (among others) people who are gay.

People who read the Times account weren't very happy with Dobson. Over dinner, for instance, my sister laid it on the table with the off-hand remark, "I see that now they're attacking SpongeBob for being gay." "They" are not one of her favorite groups. Nor one of mine.

At Toon Zone, we haven't followed this story with focused interest. But I have watched, with a mounting dread, as each piece of the current controversy started to fall into place. Last November we reported on the video now being criticized.

We reported, too, when the attacks started earlier this month.

And on Thursday we duly carried a summary and link to the Times article (registration required; here is a hassle-free copy).

So I'm not exactly surprised to see this break out into the wider world. While posting the earlier articles I could be heard silently muttering to myself: "3… 2… 1… Make controversy go now!" Complaints that cartoons are corrupting our kids are about as bewhiskered as the Bugs Bunny in a dress gag. This kind of hysteria makes me very tired, both because it's very silly and also very old.

At the same time, let's remember that it's The New York Times we're dealing with. These days it helps to have an advanced degree in Kremlinology while perusing their articles.

Look at the Times opening grafs:

On the heels of electoral victories to bar same-sex marriage, some influential conservative Christian groups are turning their attention to a new target: SpongeBob SquarePants.

"Does anybody here know SpongeBob?" James Dobson, 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.

In many circles, SpongeBob needs no introduction. He is popular among children and grownups as well who watch him cavorting under the sea on the Nickelodeon cartoon program that bears his name. In addition, he has become a camp figure among adult gay men, perhaps because he holds hands with his animated sidekick Patrick.

Now, Dobson said, SpongeBob's creators had enlisted him in a "pro-homosexual video," in which he appeared alongside other children's television characters such as Barney and Jimmy Neutron, among many others.

Compare it with this summary from Reuters:

Christian Conservative groups have issued a gay alert warning over a children's video starring SpongeBob SquarePants, Barney and a host of other cartoon favorites.

The wacky square yellow SpongeBob is one of the stars of a music video due to be sent to 61,000 U.S. schools in March. The makers -- the nonprofit We Are Family Foundation -- say the video is designed to encourage tolerance and diversity.

But at least two Christian activist groups say the innocent cartoon characters are being exploited to promote the acceptance of homosexuality.

Notice the difference?

The Times: Several conservative Christian groups are criticizing SpongeBob SquarePants for appearing in a video that they claim promotes homosexuality. (Those are the words of our reporter Ace the Bathound.)

Reuters: Christian groups are criticizing a video that exploits cartoon characters to advance a pro-gay agenda.

As Reuters describes it, Christian groups are attacking a video; the various cartoon characters and entertainers who appear in it are being criticized indirectly (if at all) for lending themselves to an agenda that these critics deplore. As the Times describes it, though, these groups are specifically attacking SpongeBob. And by sticking in an early and gratuitous reference to SpongeBob's popularity with gay men (a point utterly irrelevant to a story about the video), the Times creates the impression that Dobson is attacking SpongeBob for being a gay icon. No wonder a casual reader comes away with the impression that Dobson is attacking SpongeBob for being gay.

In fact, if you read the Times article carefully you'll see that it adds nothing to the story carried by WorldNetDaily two weeks ago, except for some innuendo about a popular cartoon character. (Reuters' more pellucid summary makes clear that the story hasn't advanced in the last two weeks.) Of course, I don't know for sure: maybe Dobson went off on an anti-gay tirade in which he mocked SpongeBob for his cheerfulness, his tendency to skip and sing, and his fondness for holding hands with his best friend Patrick. But if so, why is the only Dobson quote in the Times the colorless "Does anybody here know SpongeBob?"

I'm not interested in the "gay" angle to SpongeBob, and as an editor and reporter on this site I have no interest in gay marriage, gay rights or any of the other social controversies that so exercise Dobson. I think Dobson and his allies are very foolish to treat what sounds like a bland grammar-school video as a threat to American values; I think it is execrable that he should try piggybacking his social agenda onto innocent cartoon characters and their innocent creators.

But the Times, intentionally or not, appears to be guilty of the same thing. Deliberately or not, it appears to have twisted Dobson's position and imputed to him (without evidence) an argument he does not seem to have made. And in making SpongeBob sound like a martyr, it appears to be trying to piggyback a rival agenda onto his very thin shoulders: Save SpongeBob from the bluenoses!

Cartoons don't deserve this. SpongeBob doesn't deserve this. And SpongeBob's creator, Stephen Hillenburg, certainly doesn't deserve to have his creation kidnapped and turned into a giant puppet in some freak protest parade, no matter what its cause.

To Dobson and the Times I've a simple message: Get your hands out of SpongeBob's square pants.

Update: Dobson's organization has released a statement on the controversy.

[annyokie]

When 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 7 boys have been molested by the time they turn 18

What?! Citation for that outlandish statement, please.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Do you want elementary kids to be questioned by their teachers about whether or not they find gay and lesbian publications at their local newsstands? Should they be taught that religion and homosexuality are perfectly compatible? Do you know that the curriculum accompanying the video is steeped in feminisim and homosexual ideology?

[Luddite Patent Counsel]

GARTH: Did you ever find Bugs Bunny attractive when he put on a dress and played girl bunny?
WAYNE: No... No!
GARTH: Neither did I. I was just asking.

[gradient_salient]

What are you, the Cheka or one the Frankfurt School? My post was intended as humor, not an endorsement of sodomy. Please explain how "give Dobson a Krabby Patty" equals support for sodomy.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

I'm looking for the stats. I've heard variations of my claim, but I will try to find you a source. In the meantime: Source

Child sexual abuse has been reported up to 80,000 times a year, but the number of unreported instances is far greater, because the children are afraid to tell anyone what has happened, and the legal procedure for validating an episode is difficult.

Sexual abuse includes fondling a child’s genitals, intercourse, incest, rape, sodomy, exhibitionism, and commercial exploitation through prostitution or the production of pornographic materials. Many experts believe that sexual abuse is the most under-reported form of child maltreatment because of the secrecy or "conspiracy of silence" that so often characterizes these cases.

Child sexual abuse can take place within the family, by a parent, step-parent, sibling or other relative; or outside the home, for example, by a friend, neighbor, child care person, teacher, or stranger. When sexual abuse has occurred, a child can develop a variety of distressing feelings, thoughts and behaviors.

No child is psychologically prepared to cope with repeated sexual stimulation. Even a two- or three-year-old, who cannot know the sexual activity is "wrong," will develop problems resulting from the inability to cope with the over-stimulation and emotional deceit.

The child of five or older who knows and cares for the abuser becomes trapped between affection or loyalty for the person, and the sense that the sexual activities are terribly wrong. If the child tries to break away from the sexual relationship, the abuser may threaten the child with violence or loss of love. When sexual abuse occurs within the family, the child may fear the anger, jealousy or shame of other family members, or be afraid the family will break up if the secret is told.

A child who is the victim of prolonged sexual abuse usually develops low self-esteem, a feeling of worthlessness and an abnormal or distorted view of sex. The child may become withdrawn and mistrustful of adults, and can become suicidal. Personality disorders, such as Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder), have been linked to sexual abuse.

Some children who have been sexually abused have difficulty relating to others except on sexual terms. Some sexually abused children become child abusers or prostitutes, or have other serious problems when they reach adulthood.

Often there are no obvious physical signs of child sexual abuse. Some signs can only be detected on physical exam by a physician.

Sexually abused children may develop the following:

unusual interest in or avoidance of all things of a sexual nature
sleep problems or nightmares
depression or withdrawal from friends or family
seductiveness
statements that their bodies are dirty or damaged, or fear that there is something wrong with them in the genital area
eating disorders
self-injury
refusal to go to school
delinquency
conduct problems
secretiveness
running away
aspects of sexual molestation in drawings, games, fantasies
unusual aggressiveness
suicidal behavior

[BJungNan]

[annyokie]

Thanks. I await confirmation of your claim. I have friends who do social service work, and they do not make such a claim.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

SourceWhat are the statistics on boys vs girls who are abused?

Ninety percent of sexual abuse victims never tell.

Susan Forward, Ph.D., 1989.
Innocence and Betrayal Overcoming the Legacy of Sexual Abuse.

Statistics only come from reporting, so we don’t have accurate, objective numbers. But based on the reports we have, it’s believed that 1 in 3 girls is sexually abused, and a general consensus of 1 in 5 to 1 in 7 boys is sexually abused. ALERT: these are some explicit stories written by men who are speaking out about their own childhood sexual abuse.

[DaveDCMetro]

"Elementary school children will be shown videos and asked/encouraged(?) to make a "sexual identity" "tolerance pledge"?"

No. No. No. That's not it at all. The organization that distributors Spongebob and other kids cartoons has a tolerance pledge as part of its organizational direction. Basically something like, "this organization is inclusive of all people regardless of race, creed, or sexual identity." That has NOTHING to do with a) Spongebob, b) any other kids show they produce or c) the kids in elementary schools.

I'm sorry, but this whole topic is one of the stupidest things I've ever heard. The idea that because gay men like SpongeBob, he becomes off limits? What if gay men embraced Coca Cola as their drink of choice? No more Coke products for good Christians, right?

Give me a break. This thread almost makes liberals seem sensible.

Note that I said "almost."

[Mikmur]

It is indeed clear that the queer ideology will stop at nothing to promote their agenda. It is despicable to use innocent and enjoyable cartoon characters to put forth a 'tolerance' angle. IT is shameful.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

See Post 460 Tony should get all the facts before he condemns someone.

[annyokie]

Thanks.

I am of the opinion that "recovered memories" are nonsense. Look at all the debunking of the Satanic Ritual Abuse from the 80's and 90's.

FWIW, I have a BA in Psychology with a specialty in Research Psychology. I have yet to find a claim of "Recovered Memories" that proved to be true.

Thanks again.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Yes, but I've read those same statistics from several sources. This is not a case of recovered memories stacking the stats.

On the issue of repressing memmory, I think it does happen, and I think there are many false claims. The comments at the site I linked you to said as much.

I have seen the long term effects of child sexual abuse up close. It's horrible, and it is like a cancer that grows. As the child matures, she looks back and reinterprets the event (non-professional analysis). So the trauma mutates and grows over time. It is really tough, and it is very difficult for the child to come to terms with it. The last thing we need to do is to teach kids that they should tolerate everyone's sexual identity. That is not even close to appropriate for cartoon age children.

[SweetCaroline]

When Sponge Bob and some other character were talking about raiding grandma's panties it was the last time my 4 year old grandson was allowed to watch that program in my house.

[Zechariah11]

?

[DaveDCMetro]

I am now convinced that Dobson is a demagogue. This attack has all the makings of demagoguery at its finest. It plays on the fears of rural conservatives of those "evil" gays in big blue cities. Moreover, it identifies their children as the target of that attack --- one of the surest ways to get emotions trumping reason. But that's not all. Note how Dobson attacked SpongeBob instead of the other characters that are going to be in the video. Why? Because SpongeBob's demeanor, including his tendency to frolic around and his high-pitched voice, is consistent with the stereotype of gay men amongst, once again, rural conservatives.

Look, I'm not a Bible Belt conservative, and I don't live in an area where real men wear cowboy boots. What I do know is that, regardless of any culture war that may exist between Red and Blue America, SpongeBob is not a player in this conflict. Dobson's demagoguery is good, old-fashioned propaganda that follows a formula that's as old as time.

[garbanzo]

I'm sorry, but this whole topic is one of the stupidest things I've ever heard.

Certainly. And the funny thing is that it won't die. People (apparently myself included) seem compelled to discuss a stupid music video with cartoon characters in it.

[DaveDCMetro]

Of course they do, because it's a proxy for the culture war, and all the frustrations that we all feel (social conservatives v. liberals, libertarians v. social cons, etc).

[gradient_salient]

SpongeBob works for Mr. Krabs at a fast food joint, cooking fishburger-like concoctions called Krabby Patties. Okay?

[annyokie]

There is a tremendous difference between repressed memories and "recovered" memories.

Many people will repress traumatic/anguishing experiences----and this is at any age, not just childhood. One does not "recover" memories; either you have memories or you do not. Many people are influenced by quack psychologists/therapists to blame their current life problems on "abuse" that has been cued by the "therapist."


By no means am I excusing real abuse, physical, sexual, psychological, but the number of those "abused" has sky-rocketed over the last 20 years, and most of them are under the care of "therapists."