Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Culture War Wednesday: Another Gay Cartoon Character
Stations to air controversial cartoon
Yes, the Bunny is back and causing a furor because in this episode (as you've probably read elsewhere), Buster visits a farm in Vermont that is run by a Lesbian family. Now, keep in mind that this Buster character, from what I've read, has visited other families across the country including a mormon family and an evengelical family in Viriginia. In those two cases the faith of the families was discussed as part of the episode. My understanding of the Vermont episode is that the 'L' word is never mentioned, the fact that the two women are a couple is not address, the program simply shows that they are the owners of the farm. No discuss of their 'life style' is presented. So why the fuss?
I don't know. But apparently our new Education Secretary Margret Spellings seems to have figured it out. She decried the use of public money to "promote alternative lifestyles".
But is merely showing two women who happen to own a farm 'promoting' a lifestyle?
If it is, then does the fact that Margret Spellings has divorced, remarried and left her young children with one of her husbands back in Texas make her a bad mother and promote poor mothering (at tax payer expense no less!)?
The answer to both questions is a resounding No!
If PBS focused solely on single sex couples and excluded showing people of faith, or more traditional couples then I'd join the chorus of critics. But to demand that even showing an image of a lesbian couple is tantamount to promoting an alternative lifestyle demeans the very important issues of educating our children. Tolerance of same sex couples is not a tacit approval. According to the last census there were at least 600,000 such couples in our country (probably more). So if just acknowledging their existance is some how detrimental and encouraging tolerance is some how a vice, then what is the alternative? Reparative thearapy camps?
http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/02/tv.pbs.lesbians.ap/index.html
Verdict: Today's Emeny of the Future: Margret Spellings
Yes, the Bunny is back and causing a furor because in this episode (as you've probably read elsewhere), Buster visits a farm in Vermont that is run by a Lesbian family. Now, keep in mind that this Buster character, from what I've read, has visited other families across the country including a mormon family and an evengelical family in Viriginia. In those two cases the faith of the families was discussed as part of the episode. My understanding of the Vermont episode is that the 'L' word is never mentioned, the fact that the two women are a couple is not address, the program simply shows that they are the owners of the farm. No discuss of their 'life style' is presented. So why the fuss?
I don't know. But apparently our new Education Secretary Margret Spellings seems to have figured it out. She decried the use of public money to "promote alternative lifestyles".
But is merely showing two women who happen to own a farm 'promoting' a lifestyle?
If it is, then does the fact that Margret Spellings has divorced, remarried and left her young children with one of her husbands back in Texas make her a bad mother and promote poor mothering (at tax payer expense no less!)?
The answer to both questions is a resounding No!
If PBS focused solely on single sex couples and excluded showing people of faith, or more traditional couples then I'd join the chorus of critics. But to demand that even showing an image of a lesbian couple is tantamount to promoting an alternative lifestyle demeans the very important issues of educating our children. Tolerance of same sex couples is not a tacit approval. According to the last census there were at least 600,000 such couples in our country (probably more). So if just acknowledging their existance is some how detrimental and encouraging tolerance is some how a vice, then what is the alternative? Reparative thearapy camps?
http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/02/tv.pbs.lesbians.ap/index.html
Verdict: Today's Emeny of the Future: Margret Spellings
