Beyond Sponge Bob - censoring primetime TV

[KurtNYC]

There are many cartoon characters in the "We are Family" DVD but one has been singled out as the target. Which begs the question - why Sponge Bob?

I note that locally, Sponge Bob runs every night at 8PM - prime primetime. Many, if not most, American households have multiple TVs. Many children have TVs in their rooms. So the family no longer makes a joint decision on what to watch and kids can go watch the Cartoon network or Nickelodeon or whatever.

Possibly, the longer term agenda of these people is to smear Sponge Bob and make the misguided fearful of what their kids may be watching in the other room. The next step is then to pressure ALL of the broadcast networks to put family-fare on at 8pm. This leads to a scenario where they are the self-appointed censors of primetime TV.

[bryant69]

1. While I agree that is probably one of their goals

I'm not sure there's a direct tie to this. I mean personally if I were going after 8:00 fare that was inappropriate for kids there are a lot of other programs to go after.

Not that I'm a believer that palatability to kids should be the only consideration on what we put on TV anyway.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[KurtNYC]

5. There are definitely more inappropriate for kids shows

but this seems like the path of least resistance. It is a cable show which currently serves as an alternative to more adult primetime fare. If they can successfully make this alternative a non-option for their sheep then they will declare there is a crisis (part of the RW M.O. for everything from starting illegal wars to ripping off social security). The crisis will be that 'there is nothing suitable for children on TV' and 'this has gone too far for too long' and all that. Then they will go after the shows you are thinking of.

If Dobson went after say, Will & Grace, people would say 'OF COURSE that is not for children' and dismiss this as the craziness that it is. So they go after Nickelodeon. They did the same thing with Disney many times even having a prayer vigil for the soul of the Disney company when they released 'Splash'.

[Hugin]

2. Very good Kurt!

Is SpongeBob hitting them below the bottom line?

I noticed they had a show on one of the local fundie
stations which was identical in content to a competing
show. Except for yelling "Jeeeeezus" every ten seconds
and that little "Donate Now: 1-800-555-6758" scrollie
at the bottom of the screen.

[TlalocW]

3. My hypothesis

Is that Dobson et al have their collective knickers in a bind because the characters are all dancing and singing to "We Are Family" which has been adopted by some in the gay community as an anthem of sorts - not making it a gay-only song by any means just like Eye of the Tiger doesn't just apply to boxers... okay, so that's a bad example. :)

They decided to lie about Spongebob (who doesn't even say anything and is in the video for a maximum of 10 seconds) because they don't want their parishioners to start wondering how they know about the song.

TlalocW

[mattclearing]

4. Will never happen.

People will never give up their Desperate Housewives or 24. Sorry.

[DBoon]

6. I heard Viacom is a "blue" political donor

If so, my guess is to punish them for not supporting the Republicans enougn. See the related thread on IBM here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1190759

[Shopaholic]

7. I got a call last night from the "Dove Foundation"

who told me that they were working on eliminating profanity and sexuality from our airwaves. "No shit?" I asked. "Get the fuck out of here--really--fuck off." I replied. :evilgrin:

[Hugin]

10. LOL

Did you expect them to follow your words in a literal way?

What about violence?

[Shopaholic]

11. I'm sure I've been reported to the

Gestapo. . . I mean, the Dept. of Homeland Security, by now though.

[geniph]

12. LOL!

I think my response would have been "Eliminate profanity and sexuality from the airwaves? What the fuck for?"

I will never understand why people seem to feel the need to control what everyone else watches. If they don't like a particular show's profanity and sexuality, why are they watching it? Isn't their television set equipped with a device that can change the channel, or even turn the stupid thing OFF? Mine is. Don't tell me I have to watch bowdlerized crap just because Junior might hear the word "shit" or see a couple of actors writhing around in pretended passion under sheets because you can't be bothered to monitor what he's watching.

[MisterP]

8. like that decrepit fundie family in Tx. who effectively censored all U.S.

texts by putting up a big stink every time evvle'ution was mentioned

[MisterP]

9. repeat