VALUES -- THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT GETS IT WRONG AGAIN

progressreport.org
2/23/2005

VALUES -- THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT GETS IT WRONG AGAIN: What is it with
Christian fundamentalists and cartoon characters? First there was Rev.
Jerry Falwell's "outing"
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/276677.stm) of Tinky Winky.
Then Focus on the Family's leader James Dobson decided to attack
(http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/20/politics/20sponge.html?ex=1109307600&en=3934353b562b7492&ei=5070)
what he saw as a pro-gay message behind SpongeBob SquarePants. The
newest make-believe figure under fire from the religious right? Shrek.
That's right. The uber-right Traditional Values Coalition is warning
parents
(http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/cpress/20050221/ca_pr_on_en/film_gay_animation_1)
about the cross-dressing and transgender subtext in the movie about the
beloved green ogre. The group is promoting "family values" by deciding
to ignore the overall theme of Shrek -- a "general message of tolerance
-- that outward appearances don't matter and that it's what's
underneath that counts" -- and instead focus on a line in the movie in which
Pinocchio is teased about wearing a thong. It's time for these groups to
relinquish the remote.