Nickelodeon's Homosexual Catechism

CNSNews.com ^ | June 19, 2002 | Scott Hogenson

[Constitutionalist Conservative]

By Scott Hogenson
CNSNews.com Executive Editor
June 19, 2002

Nickelodeon's June 18 special on homosexual parenting was not a sensitive presentation on a delicate issue; it was a slick piece of cultural propaganda designed to intimidate kids.

In airing the program, the nation's preeminent cable TV channel for children has traded on its brand to provide a new avenue for advocacy of homosexuality.

Aired without commercial interruption after rumors that advertisers didn't want to touch this 30-minute teenage gabfest with a 10-foot pole, the show went to considerable lengths to promote homosexuality and portray even measured, rational disagreement with homosexual behavior as narrow minded and hate-inspired.

The program was promoted as a 'news' show designed for youngsters, but it was little more than a platform for often uninformed opinion from fewer than a dozen teenagers; indoctrination; and the gay proselytizing of three adult in-studio guests.

Void of factual information about the considerable documented health risks associated with homosexual conduct, the program instead staked out a 'take no prisoners' approach to the subject: You either accept and agree with homosexuality or you are guilty of hate.

Among the kids on the show were a few who noted their disagreement with homosexuality based on religious grounds, along with a few pre-packaged sound bites from Culture and Family Institute Senior Fellow Peter LaBarbara and portions of a longer pre-recorded interview with Rev. Jerry Falwell. But these program elements, doubtlessly included in the name of 'balance,' were thin intellectual gruel compared with the overwhelmingly liberal slant of the program.

The show's brief introduction was followed by a gauzy feature segment about a kid being raised by two lesbians and the anxiety she experienced as a result of the intolerance of some of her classmates.

The in-studio kids, three of whom were from households with one or more homosexual parents, then proceeded to swap anecdotes and opinions about homosexuality, alternately demonstrating both the wisdom and naivete of youth.

A subsequent segment of the program delved into some of the reasons many people don't agree with homosexuality, but the entirely gracious remarks by LaBarbara and Falwell were stitched together with those of hard-line homosexuality advocates.

After another round of teen perspective, including a brief discussion on whether there may or may not be any substantive difference between being raised by a mom and dad versus being raised by homosexuals, a third pre-recorded segment was aired, this one equating homosexuality with religion and race.

Ironically, when one child on the set expressed his reservations about homosexuality on religious grounds, he was summarily dismissed as closed minded by a girl raised by homosexuals. So much for tolerance.

Further evidence of the program's pre-determined intention was offered by the closing credits, which acknowledged the cooperation of a smorgasbord of some of the nation's most militant homosexuality advocacy groups, including Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, and the Human Rights Campaign.

Nickelodeon and supporters of the program it aired Tuesday night will beat their breast about how the show offered a balanced, informed and age-appropriate examination of an issue they say is important to kids.

In fact, Nickelodeon and the show's producers offered up a liberal catechism for children designed to browbeat the next generation into further paying homage to one of the most destructive behaviors on the face of the Earth.

Scott Hogenson is executive editor of CNSNews.com.

Send a Letter to the Editor about this commentary.

[AppyPappy]

The point of the show was not to promote the homosexualagenda as much as it wes to reduce the amount of hate in the world.

Well Kumbaya. So do you hate hate?

[AppyPappy]

Anybody cared to watch it before making "rush to judgment" comments?

Have you ever eaten feces? How do you know they taste bad?

[Kevin Curry]

The children of gays expressed disagreement, but in a respectful way.

How do "gays" go about having children? What is the biological mechanism they employ to make this happen?

[Kevin Curry]

I use the TV as a facilitating tool.

Actually, TV uses you as a facilitating tool, just as Nickelodean seeks to use the children exposed to its pro-gay propaganda as facilitating tools.

[ricer1]

A friend of mine sent this letter to SICKOLODIAN yesterday.

I understand that you are planning to air the program, 
Nick News Special Edition: My Family Is Different, on 
June 18.  This is ironic, considering that homosexuals 
have created approximately zero customers for your
product.  As heterosexuals, my wife and I have created 
several current and potential future customers for your 
product and we don't appreciate this type of programming.  
The fact that you would even consider such a program 
points to your amoral beliefs.  Therefore, let me speak 
to you in terms that you will understand.  If this program 
airs, it will be the end of our association with 
Nickelodion.  Our children will no longer watch
Nickelodion or Nick Jr. on CBS.   No more Franklin or 
Little Bill programs.  No more Blue's Clues pajamas or 
Dora the Explorer sandals.  No more Nick Jr. website.  
Nothing.  The end.  In addition, we will let our
friends and acquaintances know about this program.  
They have also created many customers for your product, 
and they do not appreciate this programming either.  I 
hope that you will reconsider and decide not to
air this program.

[gear]

Well Kumbaya. So do you hate hate?

I guess I would have to say - No. It saddens me to see people cause or wish violence on others just because of who they are.

[AppyPappy]

If you don't hate hate, you must love hate. You must be one of those extremist hate mongers.

It saddens me to see people cause or wish violence on others just because of who they are.

Who doesn't? But it bothers me just as much to see people smeared as destructive for disagreeing with the status quo. It bothers me to see people accused of "hate" because they don't march over the cliff with the rest of the lemmings.

[gear]

Actually, TV uses you as a facilitating tool, just as Nickelodean seeks to use the children exposed to its pro-gay propaganda as facilitating tools.

Yeah, your probably right. This is what actually happened:

TV(off): Turn me on. You know you want to
Me: Nah. I'll just read a book
TV(off): Aw. Come on. I have this really good show coming on.
Me: Maybe later. I have to finish these chores.
TV(off): I must really insist. Your chores can wait. This show may never be on again.
Me: No, really. I just want to finish my work and go to bed.
TV(off): You will turn me on RIGHT NOW and watch or else I will send electromagnetic waves into your home rendering you incoherent and sterile.
Me: Alright, alright already. Yeesh.

TV(on): Now isn't that better.
Me(staring): Gay is good. We should all be homosexuals. Gay is good....

Yeah, that's what happened

[Risky Schemer]

How typical of the Left. Erect a flimsy straw man, claim it represents "the opposition," beat it down and present yourself to the world as a champion.

Great line, accurate and applicable in several areas. Allow me the honor of stealing it. =)

[mgist]

I don't hate anybody. I have a right to defend my children and my beliefs. People wouldn't have to react so offensively if they weren't being imposed upon by an ideology that a parent can never truly accept for their child. If I were a PR consultant for homosexual activists, I would honestly tell them to stay away from issues involving children. There will a backlash against their efforts and will end up worse off than where they started. Most people can tolerate different beliefs. No parent can tolerate what can be percieved as a threat to the well-being of their child. Not smart at all.

[gear]

Nice trap: "Do you hate hate?"

If I say "No", then I must love hate.
If I say "Yes", then how can I act in a way contrary to what I espouse.

You can't really have a feeling about a feeling, only on the actions derived from those feelings. I have no problem with those that don't agree with homosexuality. I do have a problem with those that call names, harm, and even kill others because of their homosexuality. It is especially hypocritical to hear some claim to act in God's Name and condemn homosexuals to Hell.

Then again, if one can be tolerant of homosexuals, than one can be tolerant of those that hate homosexuals

[AppyPappy]

I do have a problem with those that call names, harm, and even kill others because of their homosexuality. It is especially hypocritical to hear some claim to act in God's Name and condemn homosexuals to Hell.

So you have problems with name-calling by hypocrites? This is too easy. It must be a sin

[gear]

You make some good points. Children should never be directly targetted to further ones agenda (be it homosexuals, , entertainment industry, tobacco companies, etc). But, more and more children are encountering other children from nontraditional families. Being different has always been a reason to tease amongst children. Race, intelligence, shyness, eyesight, weight is being joined by parental sexuality as reasons to tease. They could have done a show on all these things but they chose homosexual parenting because this is a relatively new phenomenon.

With proper discussion, the show could be a real learning experience. The possibility of my child hearing at school that little Johnny is a freak because he has two moms is more of a threat to her well-being than this show was.

[gear]

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Your mastery of the English langauage is above reproach. Thank you for pointing out the error of my ways. I am only human.

[BibChr]

The fact that a television show even acknowledges that gay [sic] parents exist has people frightened. Well, they do and there's not much anyone can do about it except bitch

Ooh, that's deep! No wait -- is it? Let's try again:

The fact that a television show even acknowledges that child-molesting parents exist has people frightened. Well, they do and there's not much anyone can do about it except bitch

Like that one? How about this?

The fact that a television show even acknowledges that child-sacrificing Molech-worshiper parents exist has people frightened. Well, they do and there's not much anyone can do about it except bitch

Are you so sure? If you were to think it through, I mean?

Dan

[AppyPappy]

It's not mastery. You decry name-calling while calling people "hypocrites". Hellooooo....

Quit flooding your head with syrup. People who oppose homosexuality don't necessarily hate anyone anymore than you "hate" Christians because you disagree with those who don't like homosexuality.

[austen]

Your concern about children being teased is laudable, as is your desire to offer "a real learning experience" to children. However,the Nickolodeon program was not an argument against teasing as such. Nor was it aimed against hate, per se, since there is hatred among homosexuals directed at upholders of Judeo-Christian values concerning the nuclear family as well, a phenomenon we did not see mentioned. Nickolodeon has not put out comparable programming aimed at reducing the phenomenon of anti-religious prejudice, or programming calling attention to the phenomenon of obese or nearsighted children being teased, nor will it. There is not a political agenda aimed at legitimating a particular behavior associated with the conditions of weight or eyesight. Hence, there is not the same incentive to seek opportunities to use the experience of innocent children as a means of promoting the homosexual agenda. A principled rejection of homosexual acts is not the same as rejecting a person for "who they are." Behavior is not legitimized by being conflated with one's identity as a human being possessed of inalienable rights. A person who is bulimic might say "I am bulimic," but that does not mean that bulimia is to be identified as a constitutive element of his or her identity, to be seen as being inextricable from his or her very being. Nickolodeon's cycnical effort to distribute pro-homosexual propaganda is the farthest thing from "a real learning experience" imaginable. A real learning experience would involve confrontation with the unpleasant truth of homosexuals using children as fronts for their disordered behavior, rather than using the straw man of a vaguely defined "hate" (and who among us is in favor of hate?)as a means of domesticating their perverse behavior.