Smacking down the stupid
Jun. 5th, 2009 08:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thebratqueenYou have probably heard (or at least I hope you have) about radio station KRXQ, aka home of Rob, Arnie and Dawn in the Morning, aka where transphobic bigoted assholes vomit their stupid all over the airwaves, aka NAMBLA. If not, GLAAD has a good roundup. The short version is that the show's hosts thought it'd be funny to spend a half hour talking about how transgender children are freaks who should be beaten with shoes. Good times, no?
The happy news, such as happiness can be found in a situation like this, is that people are pissed and have been making their displeasure known. This has resulted in companies like Nissan, Chipotle, Sonic, Verizon Wireless, and Bank of America pulling their advertising dollars from the radio station.
But the fight is not over yet. The hosts have refused to apologize and some companies haven't yet responded one way or another.
So what you, the viewers at home, can do is contact their sponsors and folks at the station (scroll down) to let them know just how much you appreciate this kind of humor brightening up the airwaves.
I've already done so, and I've included my letters for your enjoyment:
To whom it may concern,
I am writing to you because your company advertises on radio station KRXQ, which in turn broadcasts the "Rob, Arnie, and Dawn in the Morning" show. On May 28, 2009 this show aired a half-hour long segment on transgender children during which the hosts, particularly Rob Williams and Arnie States, talked about how they would call a transgender child a "little idiot" "dumb*ss" and how, if a son of theirs tried wearing high heels, the best response would be to hit them with a shoe. They also spoke of how such "freaks" needed to be "beaten down."
When asked to apologize the hosts and the radio station did not, instead saying that the segment was a joke and that they should be able to freely express their opinions.
I agree that everyone should be allowed to express their opinions. Which is why I am expressing my opinion that jokes about adults beating and tormenting children for any reason are not particularly funny. Nor do I feel it is appropriate to spend so much time on a public radio show encouraging people to look upon children who do not fit into strict gender roles as "freaks." So-called joke or not, it contributes to a cultural climate in which children are teased and tormented to the point where death seems like their only escape, such as in the case of Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover who committed suicide after months of being taunted by his peers for being "gay" since he "acted like a girl."
As a person, I can only express my opinion through speech and the written word. As an advertiser, you can express your opinion with your dollars. I ask that you please consider if your company is best represented by being associated with a radio show that thinks intolerance and cruelty to children is funny. If not, then please join other companies such as Nissan, Verizon, Snapple, Bank of America, Carl's Jr, and Chipotle by refusing to give KRXQ any more of your advertising dollars so long as they support this hateful stance.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read this.
***
and
I am writing with regards to the May 28, 2009 show and the comments made about transgender children.
I agree with the hosts that we should all be able to express our opinions. I disagree with the hosts in their apparent belief that we should all be able to express our opinions without consequence.
As horrific and distasteful as the comments made on May 28 were, what makes it worse is the lack of apology as well as a lack of so much as a glimmer of understanding of what the problem is.
Mr. States, you say that you weren't advocating violence against children because you were joking. You have also pointed to your show's support of the UC Davis Children's Hospital as proof of how you do not condone violence against children. Please tell me, then, how many hours would your show need to donate in support of the NAACP in order for it to be okay for your show to spend a half hour joking about hitting and insulting black children because they were black? How many hours donated to RAINN would make it acceptable for your show to spend a half hour joking about raping little girls?
In case this really does need to be clarified, the broadcast of May 28 cannot be excused via actions elsewhere. Put frankly, don't do the crime if you can't do the time. If all of you want to be edgy and make your mark through controvertial humor go right ahead. As Ms. Rossi points out, the freedom to do so is part of what makes this country great.
But don't act surprised when your tasteless humor comes around to bite you in unpleasant places. You can say what you want, but so can the rest of us. And there are plenty of us out here who think that at the very least you should issue an apology, if not completely lose your jobs.
I'm one of the many people taking my freedom of speech to your advertisers, and that's why you've been losing so many of them. If that bothers you, by all means feel free to take my comments here as a joke. After all, joking is what makes it okay, right?
Sincerely
[TBQ]
Now go forth and kick bigot butt, assuming you haven't already.
The happy news, such as happiness can be found in a situation like this, is that people are pissed and have been making their displeasure known. This has resulted in companies like Nissan, Chipotle, Sonic, Verizon Wireless, and Bank of America pulling their advertising dollars from the radio station.
But the fight is not over yet. The hosts have refused to apologize and some companies haven't yet responded one way or another.
So what you, the viewers at home, can do is contact their sponsors and folks at the station (scroll down) to let them know just how much you appreciate this kind of humor brightening up the airwaves.
I've already done so, and I've included my letters for your enjoyment:
To whom it may concern,
I am writing to you because your company advertises on radio station KRXQ, which in turn broadcasts the "Rob, Arnie, and Dawn in the Morning" show. On May 28, 2009 this show aired a half-hour long segment on transgender children during which the hosts, particularly Rob Williams and Arnie States, talked about how they would call a transgender child a "little idiot" "dumb*ss" and how, if a son of theirs tried wearing high heels, the best response would be to hit them with a shoe. They also spoke of how such "freaks" needed to be "beaten down."
When asked to apologize the hosts and the radio station did not, instead saying that the segment was a joke and that they should be able to freely express their opinions.
I agree that everyone should be allowed to express their opinions. Which is why I am expressing my opinion that jokes about adults beating and tormenting children for any reason are not particularly funny. Nor do I feel it is appropriate to spend so much time on a public radio show encouraging people to look upon children who do not fit into strict gender roles as "freaks." So-called joke or not, it contributes to a cultural climate in which children are teased and tormented to the point where death seems like their only escape, such as in the case of Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover who committed suicide after months of being taunted by his peers for being "gay" since he "acted like a girl."
As a person, I can only express my opinion through speech and the written word. As an advertiser, you can express your opinion with your dollars. I ask that you please consider if your company is best represented by being associated with a radio show that thinks intolerance and cruelty to children is funny. If not, then please join other companies such as Nissan, Verizon, Snapple, Bank of America, Carl's Jr, and Chipotle by refusing to give KRXQ any more of your advertising dollars so long as they support this hateful stance.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read this.
***
and
I am writing with regards to the May 28, 2009 show and the comments made about transgender children.
I agree with the hosts that we should all be able to express our opinions. I disagree with the hosts in their apparent belief that we should all be able to express our opinions without consequence.
As horrific and distasteful as the comments made on May 28 were, what makes it worse is the lack of apology as well as a lack of so much as a glimmer of understanding of what the problem is.
Mr. States, you say that you weren't advocating violence against children because you were joking. You have also pointed to your show's support of the UC Davis Children's Hospital as proof of how you do not condone violence against children. Please tell me, then, how many hours would your show need to donate in support of the NAACP in order for it to be okay for your show to spend a half hour joking about hitting and insulting black children because they were black? How many hours donated to RAINN would make it acceptable for your show to spend a half hour joking about raping little girls?
In case this really does need to be clarified, the broadcast of May 28 cannot be excused via actions elsewhere. Put frankly, don't do the crime if you can't do the time. If all of you want to be edgy and make your mark through controvertial humor go right ahead. As Ms. Rossi points out, the freedom to do so is part of what makes this country great.
But don't act surprised when your tasteless humor comes around to bite you in unpleasant places. You can say what you want, but so can the rest of us. And there are plenty of us out here who think that at the very least you should issue an apology, if not completely lose your jobs.
I'm one of the many people taking my freedom of speech to your advertisers, and that's why you've been losing so many of them. If that bothers you, by all means feel free to take my comments here as a joke. After all, joking is what makes it okay, right?
Sincerely
[TBQ]
Now go forth and kick bigot butt, assuming you haven't already.
