Multiple individuals, I assume, have heard of the Teletubbies reference
made by Jerry Falwell from Liberty University. Well it so happens that just
as many others know that the RUšs Menšs and Womenšs Basketball Teams played
Liberty University's Basketball team.
This event led the Pep Band, of which I am a member, into an
interesting discussion about the Teletubbies. Our director decided
to get the Teletubbies theme and allow us to play it as the Liberty
Team came out for the first time in the period.
This would have been a hilarious theme to begin the game with. It would have been an
incredible crowd spirit lifter. However, the RU Athletic Department decided
to shut it down for reasons that it was inappropriate.
Was it appropriate to have our mascot carried into the stands of other
universities? Is it appropriate to have certain limitations put on us?
Just because we are pep band members, does not constitute that our rights
of speech or our status as fans of the game is lessened by any one bit.
The lovely addition of the section 17 area has already limited the pep
band and other individuals in the crowd to restrictions. Telling us that
we cannot have a little friendly rivalry is completely unacceptable.
The administration has no right. We are all adults by law. We should
have those rights universally.
Is it nice to yell at the other team? No. Is it nice to play the Teletubbies
theme to that reference by Jerry Falwell? No. The point is not about being nice,
it is about just having plain old fun. Whatever happened to that?
What do you think? Leave your feedback below.
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Name: Laa-Laa Comments:
little kids have no idea what "gay" or "homosexual" even means until people like jerry falwell bring it up like it's some BIG deal. and then the kids ask, "what's gay mean?" and it's up to parents to explain it to them. three year olds should be more interested in the show itself instead of being concerned whether or not he/she is acting "gay" like tinky-winky and running the risk of being an outcast. that should come way later in life. i mean, yeah, tinky-winky carries a red magic bag (which falwell claimed to be his "purse")and he enjoys dancing in a pink tu-tu, but does a three year old know that that isn't normal or that it's considered a little funny for a male to be doing that? no! jerry falwell should know better than to judge people, like the creators of teletubbies, and say that they're corrupting the minds of innocent children. just leave 'em alone and let them watch their program! i mean how bad can it really be...it's on PBS for cryin' out loud! and besides, anybody who's been around homosexual men know that they would find it extremely tacky to carry a red purse! the band director shouldn't have been so hard on the band, but i guess in order to keep the peach it's what he had to do. woulda been funny though! "over the hills and far away... teletubbies come to play!"
Name:Stacey Watson Major: English Comments:
I agree with Matt Wilson's comment on the administration's hindering of an event which could have been funny and enjoyable for the crowd at the Radford/Liberty game. I am wondering though if the purpose of playing the theme song to the Teletubbies show was simply a joke or an actual stand on the issue of is Tinky Winky gay? Gay and lesbian students all over the country were outraged at Falwell's accusations, and the situation only shows that America is not progressing into "equality" as fast as we think. I would like to thank the pep band for trying, and I hope that as a whole you were supporting the gay and lesbian students here at Radford. As for the administration, I am wondering - if the theme song the pep band wanted to perform didn't have anything to do with homosexual accusations, would you have allowed it to be played? I have often heard songs like "We will beat you," etc. poking fun at other teams, so why was this one banished? For a university that supposedly supports equality, diversity and equal rights, it seems as if homophobia within the administration is still very prevalent. This saddens me greatly, for I came to Radford University thinking it was a special school, dedicated to promoting diversity. Maybe I was wrong.
Comments:
The teletubbie thing would have been RUDE. Personally I would have been embarrassed if my school carried through with an action like that.
Comments:
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO HAVING FUN?
Comments:
WHat ever happenend to kindness? Why does every team (RU included) find a need to "trample the opponent's mental edge? What's the fun in trash-talking? I get no pleasure in giving or receiving insults. I see no diplomacy in this outcry of hatred.
Comments:
having fun is ok with liberty as long as its good old fashioned white protestant fun. maybe you should have played some pat boone.
