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05/12/2011
What was CWA's problem with 'Idol'? (Hint: Missing Ellen DeGeneres not it)
Despite both Scotty McCreary and Lauren Alaina dropping mentions of God and Jesus, Concerned Women For America's CEO Penny Young Nance still felt betrayed by last night's "American Idol." You can blame a Lady and an animated wooden doll for the couch-based consternation:
Lady Gaga, who by the way is no lady, consistently spewed foul language and instructed the contestants with helpful hints like “pretend the microphone is your girlfriend and see how far you can stick your tongue down her throat,” or something very similar. Okay, she could have been much raunchier — and routinely has been — but most of her comments weren’t helpful when viewing with my ten-year-old. The problem here is a bait and switch. Just when you think a show’s producers have your back as a mom, bam! Lady Gaga.
Thank you for cleaning up the Viagra commercials Fox, but PLEASE what’s with the new tolerance for homosexuals campaign disguised as anti-bullying? Bullying is wrong. It is wrong for any reason. Apparently, American Idol, with the help of Woody from Disney’s Toy Story, thinks that my 4th grader needs to be fully aware of the plight of teens who view themselves as “gay.” I am sorry, but he doesn’t even know about heterosexual sex yet. Can you give me some room here?
Ga-Ga-Gamerican Idol [CWA]
"Some room here," Penny? Uhm, the organization of which you are CEO dedicates considerable time and resources to anti-tolerance campaigns (designed as pro-family). Like daily, you do this. In fact, if your side of this "culture war" would enjoy the considerable room that you've been granted rather than constantly trying to encroach on others' fair share, then you would be far freer to enjoy commercials more befitting your consumer needs, as a world without a far-right movement would be far less in need of positive, principled push back. Because we all know that pro-LGBT advocacy is always a fight to stop the considerable antipathies groups like CWA hopes will take hold!
And as for Gaga? She's the most successful pop star in our current culture. "American Idol" is a contest to make a pop star. If you want a Concerned Women For America recruiting manual, then the Duggars are superstars over on TLC. But if you want a pop star primer for 2011 America as it actually exists, then it's Gaga and "Glee" all the way. That both are non-negotiably pro-gay is just icing on the cake of a fair and free music market.
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*REMINDER of what Penny does find acceptable for children: Telling kids that gay people's civil rights are a wrong-headed "issue" deserving to be put to public vote: