sponge bob

[NatetheGreat]

The below text was found at http://family.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/fami ... aqid=17669 Their are links to more of Dr. Dobsin's opynons on SPM at that page.

Why is Dr. Dobson objecting to a video featuring characters such as SpongeBob?
Question


Why is Dr. Dobson objecting to the distribution of a video featuring such popular children's characters as SpongeBob SquarePants?
Answer


Note: The most up-to-date information on this subject is at the bottom of the answer.

From the outset, let's be clear that this issue is not about objections to any specific cartoon characters. Instead, Dr. Dobson is concerned that these popular animated personalities are being exploited by an organization that's determined to promote the acceptance of homosexuality among our nation's youth.

We applaud the ideal of championing to children the value and dignity of every human life as well as respect for our differences. What we vehemently object to is using these beloved characters to help advance an agenda that's beyond the comprehension of 6 and 7-year-old children, not to mention morally offensive to millions of moms and dads.

The video in question is slated to be distributed to 61,000 public and private elementary schools throughout the United States. Where it is shown, schoolchildren will be left with the impression that their teachers are offering their endorsement of the values and agenda associated with the video's sponsor. While some of the goals associated with this organization are noble in nature, their inclusion of the reference to "sexual identity" within their "tolerance pledge" is not only unnecessary, but it crosses a moral line.

We believe that it is the privilege of parents to decide how, when and where it is appropriate to introduce their children to these types of sensitive issues. The distribution of this video trumps the authority of mothers and fathers and leaves it in the hands of strangers whose standards may very well be different than the children they teach.

By calling to light this video and its affiliation with this larger organization, we are attempting to do for parents what their busy lives often prevent them from doing themselves--connecting the dots.

[EK]

i also like it becuse when i babysit i put on sponge bob on and there happy

Babysit or babysat? Just kidding CfJ id reccomend you put on some Tenchi Muyo or some Fruits Basket or meybe dome G Gundam

[Jonathan]

I find him absolutely halirious, or at least used to. I used to watch a lot more before, not so much now. Don't mind him though.

-Jonathan

to be honest I find that very surprizing to here that from you John.

heh, why's that?

I dunno you just seem like the type of kid who would look down on cartoons and not like little sponges running around and yelling.

I can see why that would be. Truth be told, it's one of the few current cartoons I can tolerate.

From the outset, let's be clear that this issue is not about objections to any specific cartoon characters. Instead, Dr. Dobson is concerned that these popular animated personalities are being exploited by an organization that's determined to promote the acceptance of homosexuality among our nation's youth.

Now, I'm not sure what the point was you were trying to convey, but I wanted to point out that paragraph just to make it clear that it's not Spongebob that Dr. Dobson is opposed to. I followed this story closely when it happened (and the media's shameful twisting of Dr. Dobson's words) and know the facts.

-Jonathan

[Aslan]

crazyforjared babysits??

yeah i babysit my siblings

[godisawesomeness99]

*threads merged*

Some people think he's awesome. Others think he's horrible. What about you?

[bookworm]

Didn’t a study show that it damages kids’ brains?

[godisawesomeness99]

uhhhhh I don't know

[bookworm]

Study: SpongeBob hinders kids' minds, quickly

The cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants is in hot water from a study suggesting that watching just nine minutes of that program can cause short-term attention and learning problems in 4-year-olds.

The problems were seen in a study of 60 children randomly assigned to either watch "SpongeBob," or the slower-paced PBS cartoon "Caillou," or assigned to draw pictures. Immediately after these nine-minute assignments, the kids took mental function tests; those who had watched "SpongeBob" did measurably worse than the others.

Previous research has linked TV-watching with long-term attention problems in children, but the new study suggests more immediate problems can occur after very little exposure — results that parents of young kids should be alert to, the study authors said.

Kids' cartoon shows typically feature about 22 minutes of action, so watching a full program "could be more detrimental," the researchers speculated. But they said more evidence is needed to confirm that.

The results should be interpreted cautiously because of the study's small size, but the data seem robust and bolster the idea that media exposure is a public health issue, said Dr. Dimitri Christakis. He is a child development specialist at Seattle Children's Hospital who wrote an editorial accompanying the study published online Monday in the journal Pediatrics.

Christakis said parents need to realize that fast-paced programming may not be appropriate for very young children. "What kids watch matters, it's not just how much they watch," he said.

University of Virginia psychology professor Angeline Lillard, the lead author, said Nickelodeon's "SpongeBob" shouldn't be singled out. She found similar problems in kids who watched other fast-paced cartoon programming.

She said parents should realize that young children are compromised in their ability to learn and use self-control immediately after watching such shows. "I wouldn't advise watching such shows on the way to school or any time they're expected to pay attention and learn," she said.

Nickelodeon spokesman David Bittler disputed the findings and said "SpongeBob SquarePants" is aimed at kids aged 6-11, not 4-year-olds.

"Having 60 non-diverse kids, who are not part of the show's targeted (audience), watch nine minutes of programming is questionable methodology and could not possibly provide the basis for any valid findings that parents could trust," he said.

Asked aboput the Nickelodeon statement, Dr. Alanna Levine, a pediatrician and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, told ""Early Show" co-anchor Jeff Glor that, "From my point of view, the idea of the study is to look at specific effects of media on children. It doesn't matter specifically which television show it is. It's the qualities the television show has and what that does to children. So, I think there's a broader perspective here, and there actually is something we can learn from it."

But, she said, "We really need more studies to look at precisely what effect it is that these cartoons are having."

"The recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics," Levine noted, "is that children under two watch no television at all, and for children older than two, you want to limit their combined media use, which includes computers and video games, to two hours a day. And we also want to be careful about the type of programming our children are watching. It's not just the quantity, but the type, too."

Lillard said 4-year-olds were chosen because that age "is the heart of the period during which you see the most development" in certain self-control abilities. Whether children of other ages would be similarly affected can't be determined from this study.

Most kids were white and from middle-class or wealthy families. They were given common mental function tests after watching cartoons or drawing. The SpongeBob kids scored on average 12 points lower than the other two groups, whose scores were nearly identical.

In another test, measuring self-control and impulsiveness, kids were rated on how long they could wait before eating snacks presented when the researcher left the room. "SpongeBob" kids waited about 2 1/2 minutes on average, versus at least four minutes for the other two groups.

The study has several limitations. For one thing, the kids weren't tested before they watched TV. But Lillard said none of the children had diagnosed attention problems and all got similar scores on parent evaluations of their behavior.

The actual study.

[Woody]

Believe it or not, I actually used to watch Spongebob to make my brain stop thinking after doing too much math. >_>

[Laurie]

Never watched it and don't really care to.

[~JCGJ~]

Never, until recently, did I realize how many sexual inuendoes that shows contains...

It's rediculous.

[fodo14]

Who cares if it turns are kids brains to mush, ITS FUNNY

Also when I was little I wasn't allwoed to watch it, till like I was 10. Then I really didn't care till I was 15.

[Jesus' Princess]

I've never seen it, and I really don't want to. I wasn't allowed when I was younger (actually I wasn't allowed to watch most TV shows, but anyways) and I have absolutely no interest in it now.