Posted on 07/23/2005 10:39:02 PM PDT by Coleus
by Aaron Atwood, assistant editor
TV's Food Network takes Boy Scout idea off the table.
When the Food Network asked "How do you Iron Chef?" on its Web site, Boy Scout Troop 99 of Colorado Springs responded. They were accepted—then rejected because they pledge to "being morally straight."
The troop had been doing Iron Chef competitions at campouts and Scoutmaster Dave Maher thought a vignette of his troop cooking up a storm would make a great promo for the company.
The competition gives two chefs an identical cache of food and challenges each to outdo the other in creativity and taste. Maher's crew takes cooking seriously and had the Boy Scout version of the popular TV program down to a science. Maher said some of the food threw the Scouts for a loop.
"One of the foods I put in initially was an eggplant," Maher said. "A lot had never seen it before."
Maher answered the casting call and the producers responded. In a few weeks Maher was discussing with the show's staff the logistics of hauling cameras to its next campout. Would there be electricity? Do you need parking? What date works best?
The excitement faded when Food Network producers took the idea to parent company, E.W. Scripps.
"It went to Scripps for a rubber stamp but got shot down at corporate approval," Maher explained. "Scripps was unwilling to work with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) because of the Boy Scouts' position—policies which they perceive are the Boy Scouts' discriminatory practices on gays."
This isn't the first time BSA has been singled out for a perceived anti-gay agenda. Several lawsuits have been brought against the nearly century-old organization by the American Civil Liberties Union in recent years. In fact, Congress is getting involved after the Department of Defense balked at allowing Boy Scouts to use military facilities. As Scouts from around the world converged on Fort A.P. Hill, Va. for the 2005 National Scout Jamboree, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., took to the floor of the Senate to propose the Support Our Scouts Act 2005.
"This legislation . . . is necessary to press back on the lawsuits that seek to sever the ties between our military, which has hosted the Boy Scout Jamboree on its bases, and the Boy Scouts of America," he said. "America's youth can learn so much from the men and women in uniform today: love of country, commitment to values, sacrifice for others. It is simply wrongheaded to conclude that Pentagon support of the Boy Scouts of America violates the establishment clause. It is time to return some common sense to the courts."
The lawsuits stem from the unabashed religious thread woven through BSA policy. In 2002 the Executive Board of BSA issued a resolution stating, "(T)he national officers agree with the report that 'duty to God is not a mere ideal for those choosing to associate with the Boy Scouts of America; it is an obligation,' which has defined good character for youth of Scouting age throughout Scouting's 92-year history and that the Boy Scouts of America has made a commitment 'to provide faith-based values to its constituency in a respectful manner.' "
The resolution continued in waters where many politically correct are unwilling to tread: "WHEREAS the national officers further agree that homosexual conduct is inconsistent with the traditional values espoused in the Scout Oath and Law and that an avowed homosexual cannot serve as a role model for the values of the Oath and Law."
The Scripps decision to nix the Boy Scouts' campout would have little consequence had it only affected Maher. However, Forrest Eaglin, a 12-year-old Tenderfoot in Troop 99 had to come to terms with the fact that he wasn't considered worth being on TV because of the oath he'd taken.
"I was really amazed (at being on the Food Network) because this has pretty much never happened in the troop," he said. "Everybody was thrilled."
But when they got the message that the deal was off?
"I felt really disappointed. We were, like, all excited to have them come and film us. It really bummed us out."
Eaglin will still go on the July camping trip. He's excited because he has earned enough rank to sleep in his own tent. But the Food Network will miss the opportunity to show what America truly values—not the Iron Chef—the Iron Will.
TAKE ACTION
You can send your comments to the Food Network's parent company through the CitizenLink Action Center.
His use of large quantities of garlic, hot sauce, or booze seems to cause the most audience excitement - as if they are shocking or naughty substances. That has grown tiresome.
Well, so much for the Texas BBQ's I loved drooling over...sent in my complaint, forwarded it to all in my address book! To he** with them.
I agree. If you post contact info, we'll let our thots be known.
I've been a big Food Network fan but I think that I'll tune out and read the Bible instead; far more enriching than watching Bobby Flay pretend to be an authority on Southwestern cooking or barbecue (he seems to know how to "grill" but not barbecue.)
Would they ever allow someone from New Mexico to be presented on multiple shows as the authority on New York deli food? ;-) Probably not.
So long "30 Minute Meals" and "Everyday Italian." The Food Network was one of the very few things I watched, but no longer.
The only E.W. Scripps executive likely to have an axe to grind with the Boy Scouts must be an angry and frustrated pederast.
Seriously, who else would sign-off on such a bizarre temper tantrum?
The folks at Scripps seem to have their fudge packed a bit too tight.
Can anyone find and post ALL companies that this E.W. scripts is in charge of or has any influence on them?
Maybe we can get our list together and find out new products to buy from companies that do support the BSA.
This stuff is just disgusting. It makes me sick. If you ever listen to any old time radio programs you will here how the USA has changed. They used to support BSA and would let the owner of Kraft come on each year to give a Christmas speach.
If you ever get a chance to listen to the Great Gildersleeve. Do it. I have every episode that I know of and it is a great show that has a lot of humor but also has many lessons for kids and young families alike.
Are all the cable networks being taken over or something?
Maybe it does, but we won't be watching their network in my house until the Boy Scouts are on...maybe never.
The competition to add a new show to Food Network was just recently won by a couple of gay guys. I guess they don't believe in diversity by including the Boy Scouts.
I thought Home & Garden Television had gotten unwatchable because it has been invaded by mostly gays. Now the Food Network is following in their footsteps.
I think I'll just turn it all off and go for a walk (which is better for my health anyway).
I just finished emailing them tonight because of a show done by Mariel Hemmingway in CUBA where her grandfather lived for a while. She made it sound as if it was a fantastic place to live. In fact, she said that she "hoped" the Cuban people could pull their country out of it's "hard times" it was having lately. I was furious! What a dumb*ss.
comments@foodtv.com
Cat Cora is a PC Iron Chef..
I guess the Food Network can't deal with real manly cooking, as opposed to some of the candy asses they have on.
the next iron chef america:
the boy scouts vs the two new fags they hired
secret ingredient: foot long weiners
one caveat for the gay boys you could only use them for cooking
Contact Info:
http://www.scripps.com
Corporate Headquarters
312 Walnut Street
2800 Scripps Center
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Phone: 513-977-3000
Fax: 513-977-3721
corpcomm@scripps.com
Scripps owns:
DIY Network
Fine Living
Food Network
Great American Country (GAC)
Home & Garden Television
HGTVPro.com
KJRH, Ch. 2, Tulsa, OK
KMCI, Ch.38, Lawrence, KS
KNXV, Ch. 15, Phoenix, AZ
KSHB, Ch. 41, Kansas City, MO
WCPO, Ch. 9, Cincinnati, OH
WEWS, Ch. 5, Cleveland, OH
WFTS, Ch. 28, Tampa, FL
WMAR, Ch. 2, Baltimore, MD
WPTV, Ch. 5, West Palm Beach, FL
WXYZ, Ch. 7, Detroit, MI
Food Network's loss.
Shop At Home Network
Abilene Reporter-News
The Albuquerque Tribune
Anderson Independent-Mail
Birmingham Post-Herald
The Cincinnati Post
The Kentucky Post (an edition)
The Commercial Appeal
Corpus Christi Caller-Times
Daily Camera (Boulder)
Denver Rocky Mountain News
Evansville Courier & Press
The Gleaner (Henderson, Ky.)
The Knoxville News-Sentinel
Naples Daily News
Bonita Daily News (an edition)
Port St. Lucie News
Redding Record Searchlight
San Angelo Standard-Times
The Stuart News
The Tribune (Ft. Pierce)
The Kitsap Sun
Ventura County Star
Vero Beach Press Journal
Wichita Falls Times Record News
The Courier (Jupiter)
The Sebastian Sun
Marco Island Eagle
Blount Today
Scripps Howard News Service
This was a calculated intolernat political move by the suits at e.w. scripps.
Scouting was all about camping, getting merit badges and doing things for the community. We learned how to properly whittle wood, start a campfire, use a compass, etc., etc. We used to go around Saturday mornings picking up trash in run-down neighborhoods and blazing trails in the nearby woods.
As for homosexuality, it's only an issue in Scouting because pedophiles and other deviants are attracted to the organization because of all the boys. When I was growing up, I remember at least two Scout leaders who were bounced out because they tried to get too close to the boys. It's not that the Scouts have a vendetta against homosexuals, they are just trying to protect their members. Is that such a bad things?
All this Scouting backlash by the media is a bunch of nonsense. Scouts are discriminated against far more than they discriminate against others.
They banned the boyscouts so I just banned them from my home! You will be missed!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.