Gay, Gay, Gay, Gay, Gay

February 21, 2005 7:24 PM

The gays continue to spread their “homosexual agenda” through cartoons and children’s shows. First it was Tinky-Winky (the Gay Teletubbie), then SpongeBob SquarePants and PBS’s Buster. Last night it was The Simpsons. And now today we learn that Shrek is up to no good! What should a proper upstanding citizen do? Get me the President!
posted by ericb (52 comments total)

All I can say is : "We live in interesting times."

As a gay man, I am astounded at the tactics of the Christian Fundamentalists and the Repuglicans (many of whom may indeed be closeted ("Not that there's anything wrong with that!").
posted by ericb at 7:34 PM on February 21, 2005

Its hard to be hypocritical about morality when you choose not to play dirty.
posted by AlexReynolds at 7:36 PM on February 21, 2005

You mean this President?



Cause that would be awesome...
posted by idontlikewords at 7:36 PM on February 21, 2005

This whole issue always makes me wonder if it would be worth sending some truly subversive stuff to these nut-jobs, just so they'd raise a giant stink about it and help some less appreciated artists move product. I mean, Sam Henderson wrote for frickin' Sponge Bob and I'm sure there's plenty of stuff in his portfolio that could provoke the wrath of the No Fun brigade!
posted by idontlikewords at 7:41 PM on February 21, 2005

speaking of spongebob and the president...
posted by amberglow at 7:44 PM on February 21, 2005

Springfield Is for Gay Lovers of Marriage!
posted by ericb at 7:47 PM on February 21, 2005

As a gay man, I am astounded at the tactics of the Christian Fundamentalists and the Repuglicans

"I used to be disgusted, but now I'm just amused."


posted by Armitage Shanks at 7:48 PM on February 21, 2005

What does that AARP gif mean? Can someone explain that please? No joking or snide remarks, a real answer. Thank you.
posted by Dean Keaton at 7:51 PM on February 21, 2005

From the very same site:



Guckert Is Everywhere.
posted by AlexReynolds at 7:51 PM on February 21, 2005

Go Gays!
posted by Witty at 7:53 PM on February 21, 2005

Its [sic] hard to be hypocritical about morality when you choose not to play dirty. - AlexReynolds a point well taken!

I think amberglow's post to the rude pundit subversive strategy is one step we can take.

I'm all for playing dirty!
posted by ericb at 7:56 PM on February 21, 2005

Y'know, one day fundamentalists are going to realize that all children's show characters, what with their bright colors, flamboyant costumes, squeaky voices, and emphasis on getting along and tolerance, are all obviously big ol' fags.

And then we should all laugh and laugh, because when that day comes and they demand Elmo and Winnie-the-Pooh be dragged off for shock treatments they will have exposed the true extent of their insanity to the rest of the world and become effectively marginalized.

It will be awesome.
posted by schroedinger at 7:57 PM on February 21, 2005

Damned apostrophe! Sorry...
posted by AlexReynolds at 7:57 PM on February 21, 2005

Dean, they're saying that the AARP is for gay marriage and against our soldiers, so don't listen to them about Social Security--it's insane.
posted by amberglow at 7:59 PM on February 21, 2005

Elmo and Winnie-the-Pooh are gay! No fucking way. But, that Christopher Robin was always suspect to me!
posted by ericb at 8:00 PM on February 21, 2005

it's insane.

But hilarious!
posted by kavasa at 8:03 PM on February 21, 2005

Wow, if anyone followed that AARP agenda gif- that's some fucked up shit. Because the AARP opposes Bush's SS privatization, they're a subversive liberal organization against the troops and for gay marriage. It's incredible. From what I understand, these are the same people behind the swiftboat campaign.
On preview: Amberglow.
posted by underer at 8:03 PM on February 21, 2005

they are the same people
posted by amberglow at 8:06 PM on February 21, 2005

Off topic - but related to the AARP .gif and posts (above) - check out this article in today's New York Times:

A New Target for Advisers to Swift Vets
"Taking its cues from the success of last year's Swift boat veterans' campaign in the presidential race, a conservative lobbying organization has hired some of the same consultants to orchestrate attacks on one of President Bush's toughest opponents in the battle to overhaul Social Security."

More media manipulation by Bush and his cronies? No way!
posted by ericb at 8:06 PM on February 21, 2005

What does that AARP gif mean?

It means that the ad sponsor is circumventing actual debate by smearing the AARP with random, irrelevant, unsubstantiated allegations instead. More importantly, it means that they have reason to believe this tactic will resonate with a certain segment of the country.
posted by Armitage Shanks at 8:07 PM on February 21, 2005

Remember: this ain't about Gannyguck. Who the fuck cares about some sell out, self-hating homosexual who shilled for the Bush administration? This is about Negroponte, Rumsfeld, Cheney, and Bush. This is about torture and the dismantling of the New Deal. And, let's face it and embrace it - it's about payback, bitch, and fucking with people who have fucked us over so egregiously.

I can't say it isn't tempting to coerce the right-wing to amplify its own hatreds to the masses. It may be the only way to get the right-wing MSM to pay attention.
posted by AlexReynolds at 8:09 PM on February 21, 2005

On preview - yes, amberglow and underer - the same fuckheads (pardon my "French" - but a cocktail or two loosens one up!) are behind it all!
posted by ericb at 8:10 PM on February 21, 2005

Whoa. You make a couple of cavalier clickthroughs starting with that AARP banner above because you're Canadian and don't know what the hell the acronym actually stands for, and before too long you wind up here, and you're greeted by a big long list of astounding vox populi that begins:

Wayne B from Smithtown Says:
Their magazine is full of liberal propagander, making it obvious they have a selfish agenda.

"Propagander"? "Smithtown"? Even though it must be made up, it's still gold.

And "Smithtown Propagander Rag" is the best song Dylan got so stoned he forgot he wrote at Big Pink.
posted by gompa at 8:14 PM on February 21, 2005

Elmo and Winnie-the-Pooh are gay! No fucking way.

They are too, you boys.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 8:20 PM on February 21, 2005

"Joe A. Wiggins from Timmonsville Says:
We just don't like whiney little socialists."


Holy crap..that was pretty funny stuff. Sadly this attack strategy seems to work for Karl Rove way too well. Maybe some day he will orchestrate an attack on a group that will fight back. I won't hold my breath!
posted by UseyurBrain at 8:29 PM on February 21, 2005

Here's a clip for a 70s British children's show. Basically, two muppets talk about taking out their twangers and playing with their balls. The double entendre's are brilliant! It's about 2 mb, but worth it. Link goes to embedded video, because I'm too dumb to figure out how to link directly.
posted by Arch Stanton at 8:31 PM on February 21, 2005

omfg! they really aired that??? unbelievable--hysterical!
posted by amberglow at 8:35 PM on February 21, 2005

And in enlightened areas of the world, gays are making gains in equality. The UK Royal Navy is recruiting gays. Also from the article:

"Gays in Britain [during the last 5 years] have benefited from a number of new laws, including one that makes it illegal for employers to discriminate on the basis of workers' sexuality."
posted by MLIS at 8:51 PM on February 21, 2005

From NYTimes on the Simpsons:

L. Brent Bozell III, president of the Parents Television Council, criticized "The Simpsons" for addressing the issue of gay marriage, though he cautioned that he had not seen the episode.

"At a time when the public mood is overwhelmingly against gay marriage, any show that promotes gay marriage is deliberately bucking the public mood," he said

I just recently watched a Popeye cartoon from WWII. It was called "Mr. Jap, You're a Sap." I believe this cartoon reflected the public mood of the time.

It may be true that most of America is against gay marriage. If that's the case then the decision to air this episode is commendable. No matter your politics, the popular side shouldn't be the only voice in the debate.
posted by underer at 8:56 PM on February 21, 2005

amberglow: they really aired that???
posted by tellurian at 9:19 PM on February 21, 2005

Damn, I missed that the first time around as well, tellurian. Good thing I didn't try to make it an FPP. Nice catch.
posted by Arch Stanton at 9:25 PM on February 21, 2005

Has anyone ever figured out how such piffle has come to be so ubiquitious in American culture ?

Dang, I'm scratching my head.
posted by troutfishing at 9:31 PM on February 21, 2005

Point of information: the guy with the ultimate fitness programme is the terribly butch Matt Furey. Jeez, every buff white guy with a shaved head is going to have to live down the Gannon stigma now.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 9:36 PM on February 21, 2005

Here's a bit of the transcript of the Simpsons show in Google Video
posted by w0mbat at 9:39 PM on February 21, 2005

and the Repuglicans

Now tell us how you really feel.
posted by thedevildancedlightly at 9:52 PM on February 21, 2005

Somebody recently said (here or elsewhere, wish I could properly credit them) that the Moral Majority types were notorius for missing subversive sexual themes in the media for many years, and are now overcompensating by assuming that everything under the sun is a vessel for subversive sexual messages.

I think that pretty much sums it up.
posted by davejay at 10:18 PM on February 21, 2005

Now tell us how you really feel.

Um, maybe innuendo is in order.

BTW - thedevildancedlightly - from your profile: "My thoughts about Harvard University."

I harbor no hard feelings for Eli's.

While I have allegiance to the Crimson myself, others in the bloodline claim connection to the Bulldog!
posted by ericb at 10:19 PM on February 21, 2005

See Little Georgie and Karl, playing with fire. They don't realize how dangerous that is, and that children who play with fire end up getting burned.

Sadly, when that happens, the whole house sometimes goes down.

See the other children come running, they want to play with the fire too. They want to burn the text books.

If the fire burns too big, then the Bad Men will come, and they will want to burn the people they don't like. First the cartoon characters, and latter, real people.

Won't some grownups come and put out the fire, or will we instead burn down the whole country? The last time this happened, they did burn down the whole country, and the rest of the world had to put out the fire. Very very sad.
posted by Goofyy at 10:29 PM on February 21, 2005

Wow, if anyone followed that AARP agenda gif- that's some fucked up shit.

what I wanna know is, who taught these assholes how to use a computer in the first place?
posted by mcsweetie at 11:28 PM on February 21, 2005

Let's not forget cartoon god's glory hole experience (end of episode 3).
posted by CaptMcalister at 11:38 PM on February 21, 2005

Wait on just one darned minute. I thought everyone knew Patty was Gay. I'm sure that she was "in the closet" at a gay pride parade from an episode a year or so ago. How can they have been taking bets on this.
posted by seanyboy at 2:01 AM on February 22, 2005

omfg! they really aired that??? unbelievable--hysterical!

No, that was never aired. The characters (human and puppet) come from a TV show called Rainbow, but that clip was either: a) made for an awards show special, or b) made for a Christmas "gags tape" for circulation among ThamesTV staff, depending on who you believe.

(There's also no truth to the rumours that Captain Pugwash had characters called Master Bates and Seaman Staines, either...)
posted by benzo8 at 2:17 AM on February 22, 2005

Aha!
For the next two minutes I am Simpsons God, and I *will* roar.
posted by seanyboy at 2:18 AM on February 22, 2005

(There's also no truth to the rumours that Captain Pugwash had characters called Master Bates and Seaman Staines, either...)

Nor Roger the Cabin Boy neither. Sodding urban myths!
posted by dmt at 4:39 AM on February 22, 2005

From the Bush link in this thread:

"I'm not going to kick gays, because I'm a sinner. How can I differentiate sin?"

Unable to differentiate sins? All sin is equal? What kind of moronic philosophy is that?
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 6:01 AM on February 22, 2005

made for a Christmas "gags tape" for circulation among ThamesTV staff, depending on who you believe

...was the case. I used to share a house with an editor who worked for LWT/Thames, as it was then. UK commercial TV used to be more regionalized than it is now. At christmas the regional stations' technical staff traditionally exchanged tapes like this, compilations of local presenters cursing and making mistakes and suchlike, that were too naughty to broadcast.
posted by normy at 6:27 AM on February 22, 2005

I haven't watched the Simpsons in years. Is it a children's show now? 'Cause these wanks have been complaining about its unsuitability for children since day one. I figured they would have written it off by now.
posted by casu marzu at 6:31 AM on February 22, 2005

Ok, before I click any links. Whose private life am I supposed to stay out of, and whose am I supposed to delve into like an anus?
posted by 31d1 at 6:34 AM on February 22, 2005

Dances with sneetches: Actually, its surprisingly good theology, the surprise being the souce, of course. In case you didn't know, driving a car anytime from Friday night 'til sundown Saturday is an abomination. No worse than any other abomination. All abominations are created equal, that's what I always say.
posted by Goofyy at 7:23 AM on February 22, 2005

Was the Ugly Stepsister supposed to be perceived as a transsexual? I thought the joke was that she looked and sounded like that, but actually was a woman. Who's being dense here, me or them?

And in this PDF from "Traditional Values", they express horror that openly homosexual actors like Rupert Everett and Jennifer Saunders are allowed to work. (Among many other dobsinine statements.) Also... Jennifer Saunders? Openly lesbian? Since when? Does her husband know?
posted by Shoeburyness at 12:12 PM on February 22, 2005

are now overcompensating by assuming that everything under the sun is a vessel for subversive sexual messages.

I really hope the reaction inside the animation community is to create more subversive sexual messages.
posted by Arch Stanton at 12:28 PM on February 22, 2005

From the PDF posted by Shoeburyness:

If the transgender movement is not already active in your community, it will be. Wherever there are homosexual activist groups, you will find transgendered individuals working alongside them to establish policies and recruitment programs in public schools and to change laws to redefine what it means to be male or female

It's true! At this very moment, transsexual activists could be plotting to forcibly change your sex by law right now!

Monitor city and state legislative proposals that contain the word "gender" in them. Gender is code for cross-dressers, transvestites, and transsexuals. Oppose and legislation that redefines what it means to be male or female ... Oppose Gay Straight Alliance clubs on school campuses. These are recruitment programs to lure children into sexually destructive lifestyles

Replace the words "homosexual" and "transsexual" with "communist", and this pamphlet could have been written in the 1950's.
posted by casu marzu at 12:51 PM on February 22, 2005