Batman and Robin for NAMBLA

[Man with the Golden Arm]

so narrowminded

[RDK]

[Alexander]

I'm not too sure you should be around childern.

That reminds me of something that happened to me years ago when I worked at B&N. I was the children's department manager, and my boss (the store manager) got on my case because of some vaguely dirty joke I had told in the privacy of the break room (among staff only). Everybody laughed, but he called me into his office and told me that he was going to change my assignment to the regular book floor (which amounted to a demotion) because he didn't think I could be trusted around children! I was shocked. Do people really have this idea that people who work around children don't (or shouldn't) have an adult sense of humor? It would be ok for me to joke about Batman getting it on with Robin if I worked with adults, but if I work with kids that must mean I'm pervert? Weird!

[Joe G]

so narrowminded

NOW you're talkin'!

[Quincy]

It would be ok for me to joke about Batman getting it on with Robin if I worked with adults, but if I work with kids that must mean I'm pervert? Weird!

For me I don't find NAMBLA funny, and it has nothing really to do with the nature of the organization.

Way back when web based forums like this weren't around because a page with avatars and pics in the sig lines would take 2 minutes to load as we were using the new fast 28.8 modems, NAMBLA trolls used to disrupt newsgroups for 2 to 3 weeks almost every year it seemed.

It'd go something like this.

1) A troll (who wasn't even a member of NAMBLA) would makes some posts about NAMBLA on a newsgroup.

2) A bunch of people would complain about bandwidth being wasted by these unrelated and offensive posts.

3) Followed by a bunch of people complaining that the people complaining about bandwidth being wasted were wasting more bandwidth than the troll.

4) Advice about how to handle trolls, along with deep discussions about homosexuality, age of consent, etc. would follow.

5) Around the time things started to settle down, the NAMBLA troll would assume the identity of a prominent poster. Chaos ensues for at least a week. The newsgroup would be absolutely useless.

So that's all that bummed me out about your post, as it reminded me of online communities getting derailed. I got so sick of that sort of thing that I got rid of my internet connection for a few years in the '90s, which looking back was a good thing after all.

As for the comics, I did happen to see them long ago, probably in an emailed link when Smithers sexuality became more prominent in The Simpsons. One of the few times I was ahead of the curve as I'm so slow...well hell, I just discovered Jack Teagarden last year. I giggled at many and scratched my head over others - hard to believe some are even real, but apparently they are.

I have no problem with a teacher who has a dark or twisted sense of humor. Beats having to sit in a class with a drab one, that's for sure!

Edited August 23, 2006 by Quincy

[catesta]

Batman grew up with my father. He's a nice guy, layoff.

You're right. Your father is a nice guy. I'll try to be more circumspect in the future.

And who is this "Layoff" person you are addressing?

I thought you knew. Layoff grew up with my dad. That Layoff he's a real nice guy, so please lay off.

Is that better?

Edited August 23, 2006 by catesta

[Jim Alfredson]

Don't post active links to NAMBLA here, ok?

[7/4]

Don't post active links to NAMBLA here, ok?

I was wondering about that.

[Aggie87]

It's a joke. But I guess if I have to explain the joke, it's really not funny.

I guess I missed the part where I saw you making a joke, or making fun of anyone. Actually, I never did see you make any comment that appeared to be making fun of either the Batman/Robin dynamic (which I think most of us figured out was "odd" when we were like 13 yrs old), or NAMBLA itself.

Not knowing you, I have no way of knowing what your motive was for posting these cartoons without any comment - you left out the context.

Edited August 23, 2006 by Aggie87

[Aggie87]

I'm not too sure you should be around childern.

That reminds me of something that happened to me years ago when I worked at B&N. I was the children's department manager, and my boss (the store manager) got on my case because of some vaguely dirty joke I had told in the privacy of the break room (among staff only). Everybody laughed, but he called me into his office and told me that he was going to change my assignment to the regular book floor (which amounted to a demotion) because he didn't think I could be trusted around children! I was shocked. Do people really have this idea that people who work around children don't (or shouldn't) have an adult sense of humor? It would be ok for me to joke about Batman getting it on with Robin if I worked with adults, but if I work with kids that must mean I'm pervert? Weird!

And the more I think about it, I wouldn't want to hear you making off-color jokes about adult subjects if you were the teacher of my child. It would bother me. What you do in the privacy of your own life is your choice, but I would be uncomfortable with you around my child too, if I know you acted and joked like that around your colleagues and potentially your students. Regardless of your intent.

A teacher sexually assaulted an 8 year old girl in one of the schools here, a couple of years ago. Stuff happens. People want to trust their teachers, but there are perverts out there in all professions. Don't give parents a reason to distrust you, or even be suspicious.

[7/4]

See...

[Free For All]

Don't post active links to NAMBLA here, ok?

This to me is the bottom line. Let's respect our host, it's his house.

I always appreciate the humor around here and I think the spirit with which this thread was started was not malicious or anything, but sometimes it's easy to be misunderstood on an internet board, especially about a topic like this. And considering your teaching job, Alexander, I'd think you wouldn't want to place yourself anywhere near that link, regardless of your intent. I don't think that's paranoia, just discretion.

You just never know what's going to happen (and believe me, that's my mantra lately!).

I think if you chose to delete the thread no one would mind. Peace!

[Alexander]

I'm not too sure you should be around childern.

That reminds me of something that happened to me years ago when I worked at B&N. I was the children's department manager, and my boss (the store manager) got on my case because of some vaguely dirty joke I had told in the privacy of the break room (among staff only). Everybody laughed, but he called me into his office and told me that he was going to change my assignment to the regular book floor (which amounted to a demotion) because he didn't think I could be trusted around children! I was shocked. Do people really have this idea that people who work around children don't (or shouldn't) have an adult sense of humor? It would be ok for me to joke about Batman getting it on with Robin if I worked with adults, but if I work with kids that must mean I'm pervert? Weird!

And the more I think about it, I wouldn't want to hear you making off-color jokes about adult subjects if you were the teacher of my child. It would bother me. What you do in the privacy of your own life is your choice, but I would be uncomfortable with you around my child too, if I know you acted and joked like that around your colleagues and potentially your students. Regardless of your intent.

A teacher sexually assaulted an 8 year old girl in one of the schools here, a couple of years ago. Stuff happens. People want to trust their teachers, but there are perverts out there in all professions. Don't give parents a reason to distrust you, or even be suspicious.

Well, you'd probably very frightened to hear the kinds of jokes/comments that are made all the time in school staff rooms. For myself, I don't see a problem when teachers make obscene or off-color comments in general, as long as they don't do it around students. What I object to is when teachers talk that way about specific students. I've heard male teachers make comments about female students and their bodies in a way that I think is over the line. Talking about how a girl has "the biggest boobs I've ever seen on a Freshman." Things like that. I've also heard female teachers make sexual jokes about some of the male jocks ("He can score with me anytime"). I have never and would never talk about a student in such a manner, even if that student WAS more than usually attractive. It's a slippery slope and it would be SO easy to get into trouble that way. Especially when you consider how students dress for school!

[Alexander]

Don't post active links to NAMBLA here, ok?

Sorry about that, Jim. As I said, it was just a joke. I was about to edit the post myself when I saw that you did it for me. Thanks.

[JSngry]

What I object to is when teachers talk that way about specific students. I've heard male teachers make comments about female students and their bodies in a way that I think is over the line. Talking about how a girl has "the biggest boobs I've ever seen on a Freshman." Things like that. I've also heard female teachers make sexual jokes about some of the male jocks ("He can score with me anytime").

I heard a lot of that in the teacher's lounge back when I did my student teaching. I thought it was fucked up, an explicit abuse of the trust implicit in the student-teacher relationship.