The Hemmer-Beaumont Family Blog

MTV, by refusing to air commercials for the movie “Super Size Me” has shown to the world that it is more interested in appeasing their advertisers and their prized demographic than in the health and well being of that demographic. "Super Size Me", for those who don't know, is a documentary about the impact that fast food has on our bodies. Understand, that this is an extreme example, as most (99% I would guess) people don't eat McDonalds for every meal, including all drinks. However, it is an important film in that it shows people what this food can do to you long-term. Hyped? Yes. A Bit Over The Top? Yes. Should Be Banned from Advertising on MTV? No.

MTV has said to the producers of the film that the ads are "disparaging to fast-food restaurants." One could argue that Troy was disparaging to classical literature lovers or that Jackass was disparaging to anyone with an IQ over 50. Let's face facts; MTV isn't afraid of hurting the feelings of anyone at McDonalds because they are such nice people. More likely they are afraid that by hurting the feelings of the people at McDonalds that McDonalds will take their advertising dollars elsewhere.


MTV Won't Show Ads For 'Super Size Me' (washingtonpost.com)

Another Firestorm. There is no question that Bill Cosby is a great man. As an entertainer and as a role model for youth, Cosby has spent much of his life pursuing equality for all people, especially people of color. However, his comments at a dinner commerating the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Ed. have been deemed inappropriate by some black leaders. Comments deemed inappropriate because they address in a straightforward fashion, the black community's responsibility for shaping their own future. Comments deemed inappropriate because black America doesn't want to hear what needs to be said. Comments deemed inappropriate because they are true.

The pioneers of the Civil Rights movement have every right to be disappointed with the next generation's handling of their legacy. They fought to ensure that their children were given access to a quality education, equal health care, the same privileges provided to other groups in this country. This generation does not see the need for many of these things, especially education. They have bought into the ghetto lifestyle that their parents worked so hard to get away from - bought into it because it has been sold to them as "cool". Gangster chique, they call it. It is encouraged not only by peers and role models (rappers, sports and entertainment stars) but also by the conglomerates that make the products (nike, adidas, etc). It is cool and corporate. It is rebellious and mainstream.

Cosby's comments centered on the failure of parents to instill the proper values into their children. It is their de-emphasis on the available opportunities for enrichment and their continued reliance on old excuses for their behavior that has caused this phenomenon. He says: "These people are not parenting. They are buying things for kids -- $500 sneakers for what? And won't spend $200 for 'Hooked on Phonics.'...I can't even talk the way these people talk: 'Why you ain't,' 'Where you is,' . . . and I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk. And then I heard the father talk. . . . Everybody knows it's important to speak English except these knuckleheads. . . . You can't be a doctor with that kind of crap coming out of your mouth!" His indignation that people would not use the rights and privileges that were bought at such a dear cost to his generation is palpable.

Many people in the black community have felt that not only was this the wrong forum for Cosby to be making such remarks, but that the remarks themselves went too far in blaming the community and not placing at least some of the blame on the government and white culture in general. Now, this is just me talking here: This is NOT the government or anyone else's fault. Before everyone gets all up-in-arms about that statement, let me expand on that by saying that I've seen the same thing happening across a cross section of the current generation: black, white and other (apologies to those grouped in 'other'). To paraphrase a famous movie line: What we have here is a failure to parent. Some examples (I know that there are many more):

I know that in my community of dual income families, many of the parents have a tremendous sense of guilt about the amount of time spent working on their 'career' rather than with their family. They make up for this by being the 'good time' person with the children when they are home. They are concerned with being their child's friend. They want to be "cool". They aren't interested in doing the difficult things when it comes to being a parent such as setting boundaries and saying 'no'. Far too many children are being "raised" by nannies or day care providers and are living with adults whose primary concern is to reduce the guilt of sending them there in the first place.

Single parent families have similar problems where the parent has trouble handling the responsibility of being the sole adult figure in their children's lives. It is tough to take the role of two parents, but many of these people refuse to take on the one role they were performing previous to the breakup of their marriage. Many of my friends are from divorced families & they can tell you - it can be messed up. However, there are also many instances where one or both of the parents got their acts together and began acting like responsible adults with children again. Sometimes it took time, sometimes it took therapy, but it eventually they realized that there was something more important going on than what was happening to them.

To conclude this tirade, it is not the duty of the government, school, day care facility, nanny, or any other person outside of the mother and father to raise a child and instill in them the correct values. Cosby says: "I am talking about these people who cry when their son is standing there in an orange suit," Cosby said. "Where were you when he was 2? Where were you when he was 12? Where were you when he was 18, and how come you didn't know that he had a pistol? . . ." Wake up America. Stop blaming others for your personal failure to be a parent.



'Fix It, Brother' (washingtonpost.com)

Some Blacks Find Nuggets Of Truth in Cosby's Speech (washingtonpost.com)

I don't even send these to Gretchen anymore, it just makes her nuts & talk about moving to Canada. Is there anyone who doesn't think that the whole reason that Bush is President is so that he can give jobs to all his friends and supporters? What an embarrassment this guy is to our country.

Fundraiser Denies Link Between Money, Access (washingtonpost.com)

Not sure how to approach this one without starting a firestorm...

Oh well...

Hooray! It's about time. The only reason that the gay rights movement hasn't captured the momentum of the civil rights movement in the 60s is because of people's religious upbringing. For some reason, that one passage in Leviticus carries more weight than the ones saying that slavery is ok, or that you must sacrifice doves when menstruating. Here are some classics that people tend to overlook:

Deuteronomy 20:10-15:
"When you march up to attack a city, make its people an offer of peace. If they accept and open their gates, all the people in it shall be subject to forced labor and shall work for you. If they refuse to make peace and they engage you in battle, lay siege to that city. When the Lord your God delivers it into your hand, put to the sword all the men in it. As for the women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may take these as plunder for yourselves. ... This is how you are to treat all the cities that are at a distance from you and do not belong to the nations nearby.
However, in the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance do not leave alive anything that breathes. Completely destroy them--the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites--as the Lord your God has commanded you."

Ephesians 5:22-24:
"Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything."

The bible: a wonderful book, filled with stories that reflect the times in which it was written. However, those that say that the bible is the direct word of God should strongly think about how strictly they follow those words. With time, people will see that gay married couples are just like other married couples in America. In ten years, it is possible that we will look back on this and wonder what all the fuss was about - after all: love is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13:
"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."




Gay Couples Line Up for Mass. Marriages (washingtonpost.com)

A quick one here. How is it possible that the "Supreme Court" of Israel determined that it was legal for the army to just destroy hundreds of people's houses? Because of a "terrorist" threat? Has anyone given thought to the concept that terrorists will simply begin meeting somewhere else, like a school, store, park, or simply in the street? Have the Israelies thought that one of the reasons that the Palestinians HATE them is because they keep destroying their homes?

They will reap what they sow today for generations.

Israel Plans To Destroy More Gaza Dwellings (washingtonpost.com)

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