Dr. Dobson, Spongebob, and Liberal knee-jerking

Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, and one of my personal heroes is taking a beating in the liberal press this week. In a week that should have been totally dominated by the Innauguration and by the anniversary of Roe V. Wade, all of the media is transfixed with the story of James Dobson vs. Spongebob Squarepants.

I heard the story everywhere: on WLS talk radio from Chicago, on MSNBC from the smug and self-righteous Keith Olberman, and even tonight on Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update from the cute but equally smug Tina Fey. They all told the story essentially the same way. I'll paraphrase them: "Dr. James Dobson, the conservative Christian founder of Focus on the Family, is claiming that Spongebob Squarepants is gay, and is brainwashing schoolchildren through a video in schools that encourages tolerance." Ha, Ha, Ha. Let's all have a laugh at the crazy religious zealot.

Of course, I knew better. I've followed Dobson's ministry for many years. He's conservative and passionate and now even political. But he's very sane and very mainstream and does not throw around wild accusations. The story must be more complex than the knee-jerk liberal press was reporting. And it is.

Here are the facts:

- Record producer Nile Rodgers is producing the video and distributing 60,000 copies to elementary schools, with teacher's guides.

- The video features a selection of cartoon characters promoting a message of "tolerance". SpongeBob Squarepants is one of the characters.

- Dr. Dobson did not explicitly say that the character is gay. He "alluded to SpongeBob SquarePants' role in a 'pro-homosexual video' ". (AP article) The same AP article that quoted Dobson also acknowledges that some cultural analysts have mused about whether SpongeBob, a talking sponge, is "gay" and that "the cartoon character does have a loyal following among gay men". Oh, but it's crazy for Dobson to assert that the producer's use of Spongebob in his video may have something to do with a gay agenda.

- The video includes a "tolerance pledge" for the little kiddies to say which says:

"To help keep diversity a wellspring of strength and make America a better place for all, I pledge to have respect for people whose abilities, beliefs, culture, race, sexual identity or other characteristics are different from my own."

Oh, but it's wrong to point out the "sexuality identity" part of the "pledge" which elementary school students are encouraged to pledge as a group. That's just crazy religious zealotry.

Okay, just to recap: the issue is not about Spongebob Squarepants. (Personal disclosure: I have kids and yes, they watch Spongebob - endlessly). The issue is about the agenda of the video's producers, who co-opted Spongebob, Clifford the Big Red Dog, and others.

I personally think it's egregious for the producer to use cartoon characters to advance an agenda in an elementary school. I think it's right for parents to challenge any agenda inserted into the school outside of the school board approved curriculum. And I think that Dobson was right to highlight it.

And, if you think that a Hollywood music producer produced 61,000 videos for free distribution to elementary schools, with teachers guides, including "pledges" for the students to recite, without having an agenda that needs to be challenged - then you need to rethink who is the crazy one here.