Is Satan your DM? (Morality vs. Media)

Remove all ads!

@ Greenlion

No, Spongebob is not a homo. Neither are Tinky Winky or Barney. Spongebob is popular amongst the gay community because he sends a message of tolerance and being happy with who you are. Nothing more. He even took that whale girl to her prom, so as far as I know no related connotation to Spongebob's gayness can be seriously made (I watch it with my nephews). This idea comes from the same idiots who got Burt kicked off of sesame street because he lived alone with Ernie, and they said that they were gay too. Equally ridiculous and over-sensative. Don't worry, your kids are safe. I promise.

(you were kidding...right?)

 

no, i wasn't kidding and i love ernie & bert, if they're gay then this world is a complete screw up.

BTW... DeathRabbit, you're cool as hell Texas rocks!!!!

 

This is off-topic but why on earth would it even matter if those cartoon characters were gay or not? If I had run those networks that aired them I wouldnt defend them and claim that they are not gay. I would tell the narrow minded hateful bastards that Sponge Bob's sexual orientation is none of their freaking buisness.

 

@ Greenlion

Why thank you, oh mighty hornet's nest basher.

@ jaocqin

I completely agree - it shouldn't matter. But it would seem you aren't terribly familiar with the state and standards of American television. Political correctness and a "proper" moral example on television are so fussed over here in the states it's obscene. Too many people here (and by "too many" I mean just enough to make TV executives nervous) still equate being gay with promoting a sinful, immoral lifestyle. You'd think we were bigger than this as a society, but we aren't. People are especially ferocious here when it comes to children's programming. If there's even the slightest indication - intentional or not - that a program portrays or advocates anything "alternative," child advocate groups have a total fit. They read so much into harmless shows like Spongebob that people actually begin to associate them with the unfair accusation these groups seem to pin to it. Thereby furthering the controversy and giving rise to more moral witch hunts to "protect our children." It happens here all the time.

Standards of decency with regard to the media varry greatly from country to country. In Germany, for example, it's perfectly acceptable to show a naked woman or a thinly-veiled boner in a commercial. But in America, even showing an inter-racial couple in a TV commercial gets networks nervous. Not offending anyone takes far more precedence than substance, meaning or new ideas.

Alas, this would be better suited in another thread. It'd probably be a good one, too.

 

Concerning TV. Except for the UK (and Ireland, I guess), that statement of Death Rabbit applies to the whole of Europe. He, he, you should tune in to Italian TV. Understanding is not required, seeing is enough. And that starts with the daly news show. But yes, that's one of those cute cultural differences, which are bigger than a galaxy.

And concerning this topic, there is another cultural difference. I can not imagine any European country, were someone would say something like that about D&D. That would be approx. the same as saying, that women shouldn't be allowed to work or that electricity is a sin or that bathing in a sea heals cancer. In short, the person would be stared at. Very, very stared at.

 

This topic is taking an interesting turn, so I think I'll let it.

@ Yago

Moral standards with regard to broadcasting and mass media, IMO, are at a much more mature level in most of Europe than they are here. I personally see nothing wrong with a child seeing a naked adult body in a non-sexual circumstance on television or whatever. We all mature, we all go through puberty. This isn't something that should be shielded from children for any logical reason IMO. But I'm sure many here in the states would argue (this is their arguement mind you, not mine) that the lack of moral standards with regards to the media contribute to the crime rate, apathy, and general deterioration of proper family life in many European countries. I'm no expert on European culture, so I can't agree or disagree, but it would seem to me that those who make this arguement don't know much about Europe either.

 

That's for sure. Now, (I just state a fact, not bashing), if you ask most Euorpeans, what country comes to mind when "crime rate" is mentioned, it is not an European one. And to apathy in general and detoration of family life. I haven't stumbled over general apathy yet, nor does anyone blame detoration of family life with naked people on the tv, rather with bad choises people make.

 

With regard to these so-called moral advocate groups...

Let's take Burt getting kicked off of Sesame Street (assuming Sesame Street's international popularity negates a need for explanation here). Throughout my childhood, and even into grade school, I loved Sesame Street. Burt and Ernie were my favorites by far, becuase Ernie was always cheery and a good friend, despite Burt always being cranky. I always thought they set a great example of what it meant to be a good friend. Never - NEVER - did it cross my mind that they were anything but good buddies. Even as I got older, and actually learned what homosexuality was (I have a gay cousin who brought a "friend" to Thanksgiving when I was 9 ). The very idea never even crossed my mind - or the rest of America - until some self-righteous parent's group jumped up on their soapboxes. The Sesame Street people of course denied and fought this, because it was completely ridiculous and untrue. But the controversy surrounding it was so bad they eventually yanked Burt from the show to quiet the controversy and avoid legal action. Now Ernie lives alone.

So my question is, who's the real sicko here? These people were the ones who "decided" Burt was gay, not Jim Henson (Sesame Street's creator). These people put that idea in the air and exposed millions of kids to the idea of homosexuality, not Burt. Hell, maybe Burt was gay! Major closet case if he was, but still - it was never Burt, Ernie or their actions that brought light to the idea...it was the parent's groups.

 

I think that Nitche said that when you hunt a beast at some point you become the beast.
All this is just another witch hunting that comes from people (zealots) who try to put the blame for something (decay of the society) on something (see D&D, rock, internet you name it). All these people fail to see a very simple fact there are not evil things there are evil people. And by acting this way (selfishly,unwilling to accept different points of view) they become exactly what they are hunting, evil.

 

Thats Nietzsche

BTW, if we gonna simplify it to moralist vs. media,
which way should the immoralist who would rather not stand on the media side go?

@Ironbeard

yes, Nietzsche

[ May 15, 2003, 19:37: Message edited by: Morgoth ]

 

Wasn't that Neitzsche quote at the start of Baldur's Gate. At least it was something along these lines...

That's the one...I couldn't remember it properly. Oh, and I've corrected the spelling, like you pointed out

[ May 15, 2003, 23:57: Message edited by: Ironbeard ]