So there’s this porno movie called “The Hole” which is a parody of “The Ring.” Story goes there’s this videotape you watch, and upon finishing it the phone rings and this creepy voice declares “you’re gay” and sure enough all the attractive men with no body-hair turn gay. Enter Stephen Bennett, whom I’m guessing has not seen The Hole. Stephen’s tale too involves a mysterious film, a creepy phone call and men turning gay:
“I just spoke with a married man on the telephone who is contemplating leaving his wife and children,” says host Stephen Bennett. “He says he’s gay, and Brokeback Mountain has influenced his decision. We can sadly expect to see a lot more men like former governor Jim McGreevey of New Jersey not only resigning from their jobs but from their wives, children and families.”[*]
Of course one is gay long before entering a movie theater but this post is satire. Many peoples’ coming out processes have been influenced by literary and dramatic works.
Well, I can’t say I have a degree in Ex-Gayology, as I’m sure Mr. Bennett has, but the man who’s going to leave his wife and children probably had some serious issues prior to seeing the movie.
Come to think of it, I think Mr. Bennett might have some serious issues too.
Well actually, Dan, the creepy voice says “..
oh wait. never mind (blush)
What is the big deal?! Bennett is this het up (no pun intended) about this movie?!
If this movie helps gay men STAY AWAY from straight women they really don’t want to be with…hooray.
The moral of the story isn’t for gay men not to be together, but to FIGHT to stay with each other because the chance might never come again, let alone keep coming back.
It is about love, and courage…and how short life is and how lucky we are when the right love is there all along.
And yes, there are plenty of us non gay folks that understand love is love and would never question it between two men or two women.
And we’re not scared of a movie like BBM, or what it’s saying.
It doesn’t even take anything special to feel this way.
It’s simply a matter of respect and those of us who love best, recognize when it’s good in others.
I am starting a mission to shut down the Straight Talk Radio web discussion board. It only provides a breeding ground for violence against gays by giving those who don’t support gays a place to bash us. NO where on Steohen Bennett’s site does he do what he says he does and that is help gays. He only spends all his energy and time bashing us, dehumanizing us, making us look like child molesters, diseased, propaganda machines. Lies, lies and more lies. Please help me shut down his web discussion board. details are at http://www.joebrummer.com/WordPress
Joe said:
I am starting a mission to shut down the Straight Talk Radio web discussion board.
While I’m glad you suggest using facts and “kindness” in this endeavor, the goal of “shutting down” the discussion board leads me to believe you might be heading in the wrong direction. Getting banned from a discussion can cause some strong emotions. I would suggest you consider how much those emotions might be at work here and reconsider your goal.
David
Joe,
Let me add that, while I still think you should reconsider your goal stated above, I have read a number of your posts on Stephen’s board just now and they are excellent and well documented. I’m afraid that board is so locked down with fear of any dissenting view that it’s probably useless to bother. The “science” they embrace is not a significant factor in their cause, it is just a way to bolster what they already believe. Good job though.
David
my emotion is about being banned, it is about the hate speech and lies. I see that board as a venue for hate and since they have free speech to say it, we also have free speech to refute it. I am sure if enough people went to that board and reminded them of the real facts and the real truth the would cower away by shutting it down.
Joe said:
I see that board as a venue for hate and since they have free speech to say it, we also have free speech to refute it.
You do have freedom of speech to refute it on your own blog, but they don’t have to give you a stage over there if they don’t want to – and I doubt they will want to. To be honest, most of what I read over there is pretty generic stuff. Mostly it seems to be a cheering section so someone named Susan Smith can fall all over herself to praise SB (she sounds spooky).
I understand your emotion at having the door slammed in your face – it can be maddening. But calling in air strikes from the troops is not a good way to respond. Your own blog probably gets more traffic than that forum. Post your concerns there where you have a perfect right to.
At least take a deep breath, go outside and enjoy the season, then see if you have a different perspective. You have some good things to say; say them where they won’t just get deleted.
David
David, you seem to think I am bothered by the fact I was banned and I am not. I never expect to get past my first post on that board. I knew from the get go, I would be kicked off. I went on that board for the sole reason I hate the lies that SBM uses against gays. His potrait of gays as child abusers, diseased, dangerous is an outrage. If you look at the view counters more people visit that board than post on it. I have have refuted most of it on my blog, but I would like to see lots of pro-gay people go and flood the board so it no longer exists to psread hate. It is bad enough he has a radio show that is completely devoted to making gays look like the anti-christ let alone a web board to cheer about doing it. Makes me sick to my stomach to know that people are cheering such horrid hate.
Sorry, I thought you were affirming that you were upset over being banned when you said:
my emotion is about being banned…
You probably meant to add a “not” in there.
In response to your last post, would you want the same to happen here? For example, what if FOTF flooded this board because they disliked us and what we have to say? They could probably even make a good case that a number of posts here are hateful to Christians. It’s not your motives I’m questioning it’s the goal. I see nothing wrong with posting counter points on SBM’s board if they allow it, but doing so with the idea of shutting it down seems questionable.
Look at it another way. At least one of those posters on SBM’s board seemed to listen to what you had to say. Now if they go over to your blog to read more and see your call to “Shut down” the [SBM] boards, you’ve just lost them.
That last “show” he had about the adopted guy who was abused was indeed extremely misleading.
David
Youe have raised a good point about reversing the role play and dynamics. I agree, maybe it isn’t about shutting his board down as much as it is making sure the truth is there and right now it is not. The show about the adopted boy is all about lies and misrepresenting the truth. For every on story like that about gays there are hundres of stories like that about heterosexual adoptive parents. Maybe I will just re-word my post to say that I want lot so people to go there and post the truth and remind SBM how nazi party like his tactics are.
Joe said:
Maybe I will just re-word my post to say that I want lot so people to go there and post the truth and remind SBM how nazi party like his tactics are.
Sounds like a plan. I’ll try to post there myself if I have time to wade through the muck.
David
Hey Joe, I think it is a great idea to flood the Bennetts with some truth. Could it not be said that the main reason for success of efforts such as STR happens because it is permitted to? Look at the success of the false prophet for profit James Dobson. He got his start much the same way as the Bennetts. I agree that we should stop the Bennetts from reaching anything resembling the mainstream with their totally false information. David, your usual eloquence would certainly take the wind out of a few of the STR poster’s inflated egos.
Posted by: Tim W at December 18, 2005 08:53 PM
Thanks for your confidence Tim but that is a pretty stiff bunch. I didn’t notice a lot of good faith discussion, mostly just absolute and unwavering praise from a very small core group. My first personal recollection of Dobson is from the late 1970’s when he was distributing films to churches covering the use of corporal punishment for children.
James Dobson’s War on America has some interesting history from an insider’s perspective, but I haven’t read it in a long time. There is no doubt that SB is trying very hard to sound like a FOTF broadcast, right down to the announcer’s voice and what sounded like either a fill-in or a co-host.
David
Tim W at December 18, 2005 08:53 PM
It really doesn’t matter. Comment threads on sites like that are heavily edited. They are intended to merely preach to the already converted. And to fleece the flock.
Consider it just another example of the balkanization of American media, this time the media over the Internet.
I agree that trying to SB or anyone else on the STR discussion board is pointless. I’ve tried to engage in reasonable discussion with SB re: distortions of fact (statistics mostly) with no positive result. I think only a handful of people are reading the disussion board anyone. What concerns me is the number of folks who may be tuning in to STR broadcasts.
By the way, does Irene Bennett remind anyone else of that creepy Roxella Van Impe (Jack Van Impe’s blonde side-kick wife) from Christian TV??
I agree that trying to SB or anyone else on the STR discussion board is pointless. I’ve tried to engage in reasonable discussion with SB re: distortions of fact (statistics mostly) with no positive result. I think only a handful of people are reading the disussion board anyone. What concerns me is the number of folks who may be tuning in to STR broadcasts.
By the way, does Irene Bennett remind anyone else of that creepy Roxella Van Impe (Jack Van Impe’s blonde side-kick wife) from Christian TV??
This Stephen Bennett quote secondhand from Marc Creech’s agapepress column:
“… Bennett says it is no coincidence the movie was released during the Christmas season and around the same time as The Chronicles of Narnia film. “This is the time people are happy and full of cheer and everyone is in good spirit,” he notes. “I find it kindly odd that The Chronicles of Narnia, [based on a book by Christian writer C.S. Lewis] comes out — and what happens? Brokeback Mountain is released at the same time.”
And your point is, Stephen? Are you suggesting that Focus released Brokeback to ruin all the happiness and cheer generated by Narnia? Or to somehow in some wierd way diminish Narnia? Is it all some conspiracy by the hollywood gay mafia?
Crazy, Stephen. Downright bat-poop crazy.
It is clear that Stephen is a prime example of mental illness, which one is anybodys guess, but these delusions of grandeur and paranoia are evidence that something is going own. Come on he thinks the gays are out to plot the world’s destruction and that he alone must save the world from those evil homosexuals……He is like an ex-gay superman.
I tried to register for the STR discussion board this morning – not to ‘shut it down’ but to express my sincere feelings after listening to today’s broadcast titled “The Cry of a Broken Parent’s Heart: the Story of Maureen.” The show centered on the testimony of a woman whose daughter is an unrepentant lesbian. I don’t know when I’ve ever heard such a sad story. The closing, ‘prophetic’ words of the mother were “My daughter is a Steven Bennett in the making today.” Somewhere there is a partnered, musically gifted lesbian teacher whose mother would rather she be Stephen Bennett than the wonderful person she is. I don’t know how long it takes to be approved to particpate in the STR discussion board, but I’m still waiting.
I tried to register for the STR discussion board this morning – not to ‘shut it down’ but to express my sincere feelings after listening to today’s broadcast titled “The Cry of a Broken Parent’s Heart: the Story of Maureen.” The show centered on the testimony of a woman whose daughter is an unrepentant lesbian. I don’t know when I’ve ever heard such a sad story. The closing, ‘prophetic’ words of the mother were “My daughter is a Steven Bennett in the making today.” Somewhere there is a partnered, musically gifted lesbian teacher whose mother would rather she be Stephen Bennett than the wonderful person she is. I don’t know how long it takes to be approved to particpate in the STR discussion board, but I’m still waiting.