Outrageous Media Distortions: Dr. Dobson and SpongeBob
A news wave started at the NY Times and gained force through various news outlets and blogs (including CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News' Bill O'Reilly) characterizing Dr. James Dobson, of Focus of the Family, as objecting to SpongeBob Squarepants as being gay. He was even accused of claiming that watching the cartoon character would turn kids gay. Such an accusation would be silly. And so far, among leaders of the so-called Religious Right, Dr. Dobson has avoided being characterized as silly.
His credentials are impeccable:
A more obvious example of media bias against Christians would be hard to find. Dr. Dobson never claimed that SpongeBob was gay. He never claimed that watching SpongeBog would make anyone gay. He objected to the use of SpongeBob by a radical group attempting to use the cartoon character to promote an activist homosexual agenda.
But enough from me. I will let Dr. Dobson speak for himself (someone should):
Whatever one thinks about the intentions of “We Are Family,” the gross distortion of Dr. Dobson’s comments are themselves an outrage. What good is a “free press” if it uses that freedom in such an abusive manner to promote its own agenda? Freedom of the Press is one of our most valuable rights. I just wish we had more to show for it.
Note: Apparently Reuters covered the protest in a more fair manner.
A news wave started at the NY Times and gained force through various news outlets and blogs (including CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News' Bill O'Reilly) characterizing Dr. James Dobson, of Focus of the Family, as objecting to SpongeBob Squarepants as being gay. He was even accused of claiming that watching the cartoon character would turn kids gay. Such an accusation would be silly. And so far, among leaders of the so-called Religious Right, Dr. Dobson has avoided being characterized as silly.
His credentials are impeccable:
For 14 years Dr. Dobson was an Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Southern California School of Medicine, and served for 17 years on the Attending Staff of Children's Hospital of Los Angeles in the Division of Child Development and Medical Genetics. He has an earned Ph.D. from the University of Southern California (1967) in the field of child development.
He is a clinical member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, a licensed psychologist in California, and is listed in Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare.
A more obvious example of media bias against Christians would be hard to find. Dr. Dobson never claimed that SpongeBob was gay. He never claimed that watching SpongeBog would make anyone gay. He objected to the use of SpongeBob by a radical group attempting to use the cartoon character to promote an activist homosexual agenda.
But enough from me. I will let Dr. Dobson speak for himself (someone should):
"I've been in the public eye for thirty-something years and I have never had my words more misrepresented than they were in this instance," Dobson said on today's installment of his internationally syndicated radio program. "I was said to be on the warpath for my dislike for SpongeBob — who supposedly has homosexual characteristics.
"I said no such thing."
What Dobson did say, in a speech last week in Washington during an event sponsored by the Family Research Council, was that SpongeBob is one of 100 popular animated characters that may have been co-opted by an innocuous-sounding group to promote acceptance of homosexuality to children. The group, the We Are Family Foundation, has produced a video slated for distribution to 61,000 public and private elementary schools; it features SpongeBob, Big Bird, Barney and others singing the old disco hit "We Are Family" and spreading a message of "diversity and unity."
Whatever one thinks about the intentions of “We Are Family,” the gross distortion of Dr. Dobson’s comments are themselves an outrage. What good is a “free press” if it uses that freedom in such an abusive manner to promote its own agenda? Freedom of the Press is one of our most valuable rights. I just wish we had more to show for it.
Note: Apparently Reuters covered the protest in a more fair manner.
Comments