Bet you didn't see THIS coming....

[BernieLaraemie]

I personally thought the problem with "Buster" was stupid because if they're only going to show "normal, ideal" families, they're not exactly postcards.

Maybe it should be "Views of An Ideal Republican Society With Buster"

But even then, there are liberal republicans. . .poor them

~~Bernie L

[MrColossal]

Yak: What about kids who have parents that are white and black or black and asian? Can Buster visit them?

Not really an issue is it? But a few years ago it was the hot button issue. People died over that. Just as those crazy gays [I like to call them the "gayzies"!] are the hot button issue now. You said childrens shows should cover common issues, well that's common now, and what makes gay marriage [not even marriage, but the idea that sometimes a dude loves a dude and a bird loves a bird...] common is people not freaking out over it.

I guess what I want is just for people to look back, remember what happened with jungle fever and realize that, except for 10 absolutely insane people in Oklahoma, no one cares if you have a black dad. So why not just not care if you have 2 dads?

I mean no one complained about Nicole Bradford's 2 dads and that was 8 years ago!

[BernieLaraemie]

I wonder what the hot button issue will be when the gay issue passes. . .

What will be the no-no-no family type then?

~~Bernie L

[Peter Thomas]

I often wonder what the next "hot topic" will be, and it scares me to think it may well eventually become something like adult-child relationships (referring to children under 13 or 14 or whatever). It's already in the papers enough as it is...

Of course, when that time comes I'll just be considered "narrow-minded" and "over-conservative"

[MrColossal]

I highly, highly, highly doubt it.

The only reason people talk about bestiality and peadphelia is to compare it to homosexuals getting married. Liberals and conservatives won't battle it out over people being able to marry 10 year olds...

It'll probably be something like humans and aliens dating. Dads will see a UFO in the back yard and be like "No green tentacley creature from another planet will put his suction cups on my daughter!" and run out with a baseball bat, and Mom will cry and the daughter will scream "YOU DON'T KNOW HIM! YOU DON'T KNOW ME!" and sneak out of the house at night to make out with the alien

So please, can we get over that already and realize that it's just like interracial dating?

[[Cameron]]

Uh, dude... That was detailed.... This "Alien" wouldnt happen to be you would it?

[TheYak]

Also, I think comparing lesbians to abusive alcoholics is a bit of an apples-oranges comparison. But if you want to have realism, just put in the same old whitebread vanilla folk you see on nearly every show.

You can't contradict me.  You quoted me.  You worship me!  Noooo.... <stomps away>

It's amazing how anybody that tries to keep a balanced opinion and see both sides gets bitch-slapped by both extremes.  I wasn't making a comparison at all.  To be more specific; having raised 4 girls for 7 years, I met quite a lot of parents and their children.  Of those sets of parents, I never met a gay couple.  I did, however, meet many bi-racial couples, drug-dealing couples, abusive parents, Wiccan parents, ultra-conservative uber-Christian parents, strict parents and the 'cool' parents who'll let their kids experiment with everything regardless of age or maturity level. 

Once I state that I agree somewhat with a certain viewpoint, any words of explanation or justification are ignored.  Mr. C: I already stated that I have no problem with that episode and wouldn't have had any problem with my kids seeing it.  Why pull out the race card and toss accusations of bigotry out at every turn? I was merely saying that I could see how some parents might find that offensive and I didn't feel it was a realistic expectation of the show to assume that every child is going to come across a homosexual couple in their formative years.  I do, however, think that most children will come across a bi-racial couple among their friends' parents.  I haven't had any reaction upon meeting a bi-racial couple but it's the proliferation of controversy surrounding it that makes us even consider such issues. 

I do think you make a good point, Eric, when you say that controversy and lack of general acceptance are what makes these things 'issues' to begin with.  Ah, what I wouldn't give for a world wherein offensiveness and political correctness weren't words we needed to consider daily.

[MrColossal]

race card? bigotry?

Sorry man, you're reading into what I wrote, all I'm saying is what I wrote in my last post.

It's an issue that people don't think about in terms of history. They don't think back to other arguements and fights and legislation over white and black people getting married when they think about gay people. They seem to be perfectly happy just going through the same motions over and over and over again.

[Las Naranjas]

I met quite a lot of parents and their children.Ã,  Of those sets of parents, I never met a gay couple.

Liar, you don't live in the bay area at all!

I saw it on TV!

[TheYak]

Well, I live near A bay.  And by near, I mean that the average distance is more near than Colorado.  And as for that TV program - I was young, I needed cash.

[DGMacphee]

I mean no one complained about Nicole Bradford's 2 dads and that was 8 years ago!

This made me laugh more than anything in the last month. ROFFLE  ROFFLE!!

It's amazing how anybody that tries to keep a balanced opinion and see both sides gets bitch-slapped by both extremes.  I wasn't making a comparison at all.  To be more specific; having raised 4 girls for 7 years, I met quite a lot of parents and their children.  Of those sets of parents, I never met a gay couple.  I did, however, meet many bi-racial couples, drug-dealing couples, abusive parents, Wiccan parents, ultra-conservative uber-Christian parents, strict parents and the 'cool' parents who'll let their kids experiment with everything regardless of age or maturity level.

I just assumed since you mentioned both in sentences that run one after the other and linking them with the phrase "It would be far more realistic if" that you were making a comparison between the realism of gay couples and alcoholics on television. And I just followed that on with a comment that comparing gay couples with alcoholics isn't really much of a comparison anyway, and that you might as well just forego all "issues" on TV (such as gays, alcoholics, race, religion) and have shows where six zany-but-normal white people hang out at a zany-but-normal coffee shop every day and do zany-but-normal white people things like dance around zany-but-normal fountains.

But I was wrong to assume that comparison in the first place, wasn't I? 

[Peter Thomas]

Gay people belong on T.V like pin-pricks belong in condoms. We should all just shrivel up and never try to make ourselves known again.

[/dances round a fountain like a zany-but-normal white person]

[MrColossal]

No, gay people on TV are fine...

Well, only 5 of them really...

[TheYak]

I just assumed since you mentioned both in sentences that run one after the other and linking them with the phrase "It would be far more realistic if" that you were making a comparison . . . gays, alcoholics, race, religion) and have shows where six zany-but-normal white people hang out at a zany-but-normal coffee shop every day and do zany-but-normal white people things like dance around zany-but-normal fountains.

Very well, it was a comparison if you'd like to simplify it.  It was a greater than/ less than comparison but not a statement of equivalence.  The assumptions made are so asinine that I'm not even sure how to reply.  I, personally, have zero problem with the episode in question. 

I was stating that it seemed strange to introduce children to a situation that isn't all that common rather than choosing to introduce them to one that is.  I've had the kids come home and say things like, "My friend's dad drinks too much and I don't want to spend the night there anymore,", "My friends parents burned her hand on a hot stove for coming home late, I'm glad my parents aren't like that," , "My friend's mom has a drug problem," etc., but I've yet to hear anything about a parental couple my kids came across that were of the same gender.  Perhaps it's more common in other parts of this wonderful, wonderful world of ours but I haven't encountered it personally yet. 

Why this particular issue? Have they already covered divorced familes, bi-racial marriages, substance abuse or the other issues that just about every kid in the US (if not world-wide) will come across on a regular basis.  Making the assumption that I want white-bread edutainment that's devoid of any sort of diversity or critical thinking is way beyond the bounds of what I was expressing.  I just was explaining the I could understand why they yanked the program and knowing there are many people that would find it offensive.  I, for one, would not.   I just think it's "more realistic if" a kids' show covers issues that might actually affect the average child.  If you're going to use up your might-offend-some-folks-currency on such non-issues as homosexual couples (really, what the fuck does it matter to a kid what gender their friends parents are), it seems a waste when you could explore an issue that might actually save that TV-zombified kids life or one of their friends?    Alright, admittedly half the reason I'm pissy is that I'm running quite a fever but people's assumptions about my views have become the equivalent of schoolyard drama.

[MrColossal]

by people's assumptions I hope you aren't adding me in there, if so, read my last post again [not the horrible joke about Queer Eye...]

I haven't read what the segment is about but isn't the show about showing people and families and happy people and not showing a kid how to handle a situation that they may encounter in life?

and have they covered divorced familes and multi-ethnic families? I dunno, I just learned about this show with this stupid controversy.

I think your final statements are down to differences between what you'd do with a half hour block of kids television and what they're doing with it. Showing happy people working and having a family, in my opinion, is just as good as showing kids in trouble and how to deal with it. Letting a kid know that there are happy families out there and this is what they look like is not the same as mindless action cartoon # 4, which is what I'd equate more with zombifying a child.

[DGMacphee]

CHILLAX YAKSPIT. IT'S ONLY THE INTERWEB.

I know you weren't equating one to the other. I just though stating one is a greater topic than the other is kind of a non-issue anyway. There are many issues that affect kids differently, whether it's an issue that (IMO) should be acceptable in society (such as homosexuality) to that which is universally understood as harmful to society (alcoholism). Hell, I learnt about evil sexual preditors from that episode of Diff'rent Strokes where the bikeshop owner "touches" Dudley, but I'm not going to say that issue is more important than a lesbian encounter by Arthur's best buddy. They're both two different issues in a sea of a million. And I think any show that at least tries to educate a little is more beneficial than most of the shit you see on TV anyway (And I wasn't meaning that you'd prefer the whitebread seen-it-all-before TV, insead I meant what I said as a general comment that most of the whitebread vanilla TV is pretty bland and without any real cultural benefit and that shows, whether they be Buster Meets Lesbians or a documentary on drunken Dads, at least add flavour).

[modgeulator]

I wonder what the hot button issue will be when the gay issue passes. . .

What will be the no-no-no family type then?

~~Bernie L

My guess would be open relationships, group marriages, etc. Either that or the aliens...
Or what about human/animal relationships? Why can't two mutually consenting adults (of whatever species) enjoy a loving and beneficial relalationship with each other? It may seem strange to me, but who am I to judge?

[DGMacphee]

I'm sure one day scientists will create a animal/human hybrid, and on that same day a million furries will be calling their wedding planners.

[Peter Thomas]

The way you phrased that, Daniel, actually gave me shivers!

I hope you're satisfied...

Modge got me thinking - and I suppose the concept of group marriages DOES sound a plausible - albeit strange - one (however far off it may be). Fortunately I can't see animal celebrants in the near future...

[DGMacphee]

The way you phrased that, Daniel, actually gave me shivers!

I actually gave myself the shivers when I wrote that.

And not good shivers, either.

Also, on the same day, SomethingAwful will close down.