I heard that Sponge Bob outed Squidward on the show.
Posted on 06/19/2002 7:49:15 AM PDT by 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.
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BTW the only polygamist family I knew was....tada....gay. Three women raising two foster kids.
I'm curious. When gay rights organizations try to use the courts to force their way into explicitly Christian institutions, is that 'peaceful coexistence'?
So far, it's not deeper. Don't child molestors and Molech-worshipers have a right to pursue their happiness? No? Why not? Think, this time.
Do I run into homosexuals daily? Probably. Them, rapists, murderers, thieves, unreflecting posters. But (A) that has nothing to do with parenting, and (B) it hasn't caused me to lose my ability to make moral distinctions yet.
Dan
Errr... we were talking about Nick-who?!?
Homosexual couples are allowed to adopt in some states. There's also the turkey baster method. And of course sometimes they have children the regular way before deciding that they are "gay".
Good point and I think that's mostly what this show was focusing on. In the aftermath of so many school shootings, it seems more relevant today to do anything we can to reduce the cruel teasing that goes on in every school.
One of the most popular put downs in schools today is the expression "that's so gay." I think that makes this special on Nickelodeon fairly appropriate. My 14 year old nephew says "that's so gay" all the time without realizing that his best friend's aunt is a lesbian. I know his best friend resents it but won't say anything about it.
This show was needed in this day and age. It was done appropriately and tastefully. It did not propagandize or promote homosexuality. It merely discussed, with equal weight and respect, differing viewpoints on the subject of gay parents.
I don't see what some people are so upset about. Unless you have your kids living in a bubble, they probably already hear most of the stuff discussed on the show anyway.
"so you should read everything David Duke writes so you won't be ignorant about racists?"
No, just so I won`t be ignorant of David Duke`s opinion on the subject.
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