Party of 'Joyous Vulgarity' Why the Democrats are losing the culture wars.

WSJ OPINION JOURNAL EXTRA ^ | APRIL 16, 2005 | DAN GERSTEIN

[CHARLITE]

If the Democratic chieftains in Washington really want a window into why heartland residents are tuning out our party, they should stop huddling with loopy linguists from Berkeley like George Lakoff and just start reading Frank Rich's commentaries in the New York Times. There they will find a perfect distillation of the arrogance and narrow-mindedness that typifies the cultural thinking of our elites--and turns off red-state voters. In the view of Mr. Rich and his acolytes, freedom in our culture has been "under attack" ever since 9/11. Indeed, Mr. Rich has argued that this attack is being led by "new Puritans" who want to "stamp out" all that is "joyously vulgar" in American culture and who are fomenting a "government war against indecency" to get the job done.

Once you get past the absurdity of Mr. Rich's hyperbole--vulgarity, joyous or otherwise, is hardly in retreat--the implications of this mindset and the battle lines it establishes are clear. On one side are the forces of freedom, tolerance, diversity, modernity; on the other those of repression, intolerance, conformity and zealotry. And if you're not exactly enamored of watching titillating stunts and ads at the Super Bowl with your 6-year-old, you're part of the TV Taliban.

In this, the cultural elites are guilty of the very sin of silly oversimplification of which they frequently (and rightly) accuse conservatives. Not all parents who are concerned about the avalanche of crud crushing their children every day are obsessed with SpongeBob's sexual orientation. Nor are they seeking to shred the First Amendment. Most are just looking for a little cooperation from the captains of culture to make the hard job of raising children in a fully-wired universe a little easier.

[CHARLITE]

Dan Gerstein had me in his camp, right up to the end, when disappointingly, he gives credence and what looks like genuine praise to Hillary Clinton, for her new stand against sex and violence in cyberspace and entertainment.

"She does not demonize cultural producers, overstate the extent of the problem, or let parents off the hook. She frames the culture's influence as a public-health issue as much as a moral one, and cites research showing the potentially harmful effects of screen sex and violence."

If Gerstein believes that Hillary is "for real" in this new "moderate" (even conservative) approach, then I wish he'd call me about a bridge in Brooklyn that I have for sale.

[Servant of the 9]

Some day our kids will have to face the vulgarity and temptations of the world.
I found it best to expose mine at an early age to everything and then explain what he should reject and why.

It worked very well.
He is 25, a Navy vet, married and a Deputy Sheriff.
He's seen it all and stood tall against it.

So9

[CHARLITE]

"I found it best to expose mine at an early age to everything and then explain what he should reject and why.

It's the second part which is important. I call it "the guiding hand." You are obviously wise, and have a very strong hand. I raised 3 boys and 2 girls. Like your son, mine all turned out wonderfully - thoughtful conservatives ALL! I'm very pleased with my "products!" Supervision, caring, guidance - those are the important ingredients.

Char

[wardaddy]

Sorry but the Dems have already won the culture wars. I don't know where this author lives.

Abortion has been a forced legality now in every state for 33 years.

The establishment clause post-Everson has been replaced diligently by the wall of separation.

Firearms freedoms have been severely curtailed.

Our entertainment and media cultures are now far more coarse and vulgar than I ever imagined and aside from FOX have been inundated by the Left and are truly the Fifth Column of the Left without even the pretense anymore.

There is open hostility to Christianity and even practicing Judaism ...even on this forum.

Serial illegitimacy is now the rule rather than the exception for nearly all lower income starta no matter what racial or ethnic group. A bitter fruit we will all bear.

Homosexuality is on a roll.

The will to protect our borders or to candidly address the massive immigration wave we are experiencing is absent from many of the leaders of the supposed Conservative party.

Even on this forum, the "TS Wars" notwithstanding many if not a majority of FReepers who consider themselves conservatives haven't a clue about cultural conservatism and either never knew or eschewed it way back. They are moderates in favor or lower taxes and a strong military.

We have been obliterated in academia by the culture destroyers.

All the proactive crap legislated by Congress or Judicial Fiat back in the 60s and 70s pretty much killed the cultural conservatism I'm most familiar with.

When I speak with the under 35 crow today....I can feel a real disconnect about culture. They simply don't remember when things were different. and like I was back then...who really cares when reminded how the present is different from the past if you weren't there?

[concerned about politics]

We homeschool our kids to make sure the liberal influence doesn't defile them.

My 15 year old daughter says liberals are just small children with pubic hair. I'm so proud of her for noticing that.

[dr_lew]

When I speak with the under 35 crow today....I can feel a real disconnect about culture. They simply don't remember when things were different. and like I was back then...who really cares when reminded how the present is different from the past if you weren't there?

"To these ways of ours Posterity will have nothing to add; our grandchildren will do the same things and desire the same things that we do."

Juvenal - lamenting the plateau of decadence that Roman society had reached

[SteveMcKing]

They're a party largely made of 20-somethings who were sent to college by their parents and lost all concept of what it means to be both free and responsible. Reality hits when they start paying bills and pointing fingers for their problems.

As far as parenting goes, I wouldn't shield junior from vulgarity. I want him to see it, hate it, and despise the libertines who produce it - just the way I do. If you make our evil culture patterns mysterious to kids, all you'll get is a naive dork who's attracted it.

[Jeff Chandler]

I believe that it is best to allow children to be children. When they reach puberty they can be taught about the world, and in no uncertain terms.

[CyberAnt]

I can go one better than that - I have this bridge over in AZ with an offer he can't refuse.

[I still care]

I did the same thing. I did come under criticism from many protective Christian parents, who are very strict with their kids. I never had curfews, never went ballistic when they rented an R rated movie, etc. My oldest has held jobs since he was 14. I figure he worked like a man, why treat him like a child? Responsibility is the best curb on excess.

But when the situations came up we had serious discussions about the right and wrong of such things, and the way God sets guidelines to both protect us and prosper us.

So many of the other kids, when they got out from underneath their parents protection, went nuts. My sons think they are crazy.

[garylmoore]

Not all parents who are concerned about the avalanche of crud crushing their children every day are obsessed with SpongeBob's sexual orientation.

Your wrong Dan, most ARE concerned what these preverted shows on TV are trying to brainwarp our children.

[ABG(anybody but Gore)]

I can go one better than that - I have this bridge over in AZ with an offer he can't refuse.

I got you both beat: I've got some ocean front property in Arizona... From my front porch you can see the sea... ;^)