Gloucester teens get mocked in parade
Category: News & Politics
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7/7/2008
Melissa "Gram" M. says:
I saw this on the news at 6:40 this morning and it was terrible. Channel 4 said they could only "show" a few seconds of the parade as it is not the stuff they are allowed to show. Even the tabliod paper, The Herald could only print a few blurbs about it. TACKY TACKY TACKY. I thought it was all country club up there, I guess it's pure WT~
7/7/2008
Joey "Semper Fi" M. says:
(sigh)
The whole point of this parade is to BE controvertial and anti-PC. I think people need to take a deep breath and focus their energy on other things... like raising their children to a degree that is a step above forming prenancy pacts with their friends.
Misdirected anger annoys me.
7/7/2008
Ben "dainty dainty gentleman" L. says:
To a certain extent I find some of it amusing. The fact that the towns are so close together removes most of the humor though and I think that most of them went a wee bit far.
7/7/2008
Matt G. says:
wow, what else can you say. i cant believe someone didn't stop that.
7/7/2008
Joey "Semper Fi" M. says:
The teens who formed the pact were probably over-protected teens to begin with, whose parents didn't talk to them about sex in the first place. Left to their own devices, with the frontal lobes not totally developed, they schemed what they thought was an ingenious plan.
For all we know, they could each go on to lead healthy, normal lives, despite starting off in an acknowledged "unprefferable" way. People need to relaaaaaxxxx.
7/7/2008
Lo-an L. says:
yea, I'm with Ben.. I thought it was amusing.. but in a tacky way. Too many kids out and about at this parade to be showing a huge penis and dirty words...
7/7/2008
Caitlyn L. says:
Is it even for sure that they HAD a pact? I thought that ended up being not true...
7/7/2008
Sarah "carbs are my best friends" S. says:
WHOA WHOA WHOA
"she smelled like tuna, i shoulda pulled out soona"
were there no children at this parade??! seriously, i am disgusted with these people. teenage pregnancy is not funny. end of story. i feel sorry for those girls, and hope that they do as best as they can. that's absolutely ridiculous, and completely classless.
7/7/2008
Joey "Semper Fi" M. says:
The parade is MEANT to be un-PC.
If you didn't want your kids to see a giant dick, you shouldn't take your kids to a parade KNOWN for this sort of thing. It's like a homophobe going to Provincetown and getting freaked out.... farking DUH.
7/7/2008
Matt G. says:
i don't know joey. i consider myself fairly liberal. but a "spraying" penis in a parade is way, way over the line. when i was a kid we would go to the 4Th of July parade every year as a family. parades are supposed to be a family event. although parts of it were funny i have to admit.
7/7/2008
Ben "dainty dainty gentleman" L. says:
Chloe wants a giant D shooting water as a lawn ornament (don't we all)
Becki this year's batch has already come out. Have to wait till next year for freshies.
I really don't know how much warning people had for this. It sounds like previous parades weren't quite as vulgar.
7/7/2008
Joey "Semper Fi" M. says:
Matt, I consider myself conservative. I agree that most parades are supposed to be family events, except those designated as this one is.
That's like saying "Plays are supposed to be family events" and then getting offended when you take your kids to see "Hair"
7/7/2008
Cara P. says:
Oooh I agree with Matt.....totally overboard - even for me.
7/7/2008
Joey "Semper Fi" M. says:
"movies are supposed to be family friendly"
"c'mon kids, Showgirls has a Matinee show"
7/7/2008
Caitlyn L. says:
Joey, there are kids IN the parade. How is that not for kids??
Tacky, tacky, tacky.
7/7/2008
Caitlyn L. says:
Joey, don't start. Seriously. I'm not that obsessed with being politically correct, but there is a line and in my opinion, they crossed it.
7/7/2008
Joey "Semper Fi" M. says:
Ok, ok. I'll take it easy cause it's a monday and you're not feeling well :)
7/7/2008
Caitlyn L. says:
Well, no, I'm just tired of hearing "liberals are this, conservatives are that," when most of the time the blanket statements cover only the extremes. To me this has nothing to do with your political viewpoints, it's about having some goddamn class. Half of the girls actually IN the parade look like they're about 15, too. I'm totally fine with that kind of thing if you're talking about a play or a movie or something, but it's a public event and there are KIDS IN THE PARADE. I'm sure their families are there...well....I'll end my rant, but it's just unbelieveably tacky.
7/7/2008
Joey "Semper Fi" M. says:
We just differ on opinion. It may be tacky, sure, but I find that irrelevant to their ability/right to have it in the parade. Especially THAT parade.
7/7/2008
Caitlyn L. says:
No, I know, I was just afraid this was gong to turn into a liberals vs. conservatives slugfest....I'll agree that it's just a difference of opinion.
7/7/2008
Roberto C. says:
The fact this gloucester teen (btw, most of it was MADE UP) story is getting so much
attention is the real problem here. The elephant in the room our beloved media is
missing is that lawrence's teen pregnancy rate is DOUBLE that of gloucester. Yes,
some stupid parade is worth far more of our attention than the inner city teen
pregnancy epidemic.
7/7/2008
Charoline "Decapitate" D. says:
pffft, i find it amusing they used a big black cock on the top of that truck. i thought the poster on the front grill was funny enuf.
i wonder what theyre doing with that cock right now.
7/7/2008
Caitlyn L. says:
That's true Roberto (and I thought it was made up)...I grew up in Brockton and it was a big issue there, too.
What I have to wonder is what parents allowed their kids to be IN the parade.
7/7/2008
Cara P. says:
Yeah I was thinking the same thing Chloe. "Mommy, what is that thing?"
I think the parade in past years has made fun of people like Britney and people that know their job comes along with being scrutinized. It's not the fact that they made fun of something that is big in the media. Yet, it is the story they chose and how they did it. There are children attending and in the parade and on top of it, they don't even have their facts straight on the story about the girls that got pregnant. Sure, freedom of speech - yet there is a time and a place when children are involved. I am sure the people who gave the stamp of approval on these floats are going to be in trouble.
P.S Maybe the girl's pretending to be pregnant should wear dresses that cover their underwear...you know, especially if they are going to make fun of others.
7/7/2008
Charoline "Decapitate" D. says:
also true cara. not to mention this made it come off like a college homecoming float. boring
7/7/2008
Joe "Cash only" p. says:
I have dealt with the principal who started the "pact" story. The words "kicking someone while their on the ground" seem to describe him best.
7/7/2008
Jenny N. says:
I was at the Horribles parade in Salem and they had several Gloucester pregnancy-themed floats as well. In poor taste, yes, but I think that is kind of the point for this type of local tradition. There were also children at that parade and I don't don't recall seeing any parents being offended.
Haven't viewed the Beverly video though, so maybe it really was over the top and more horrible than the others...
7/7/2008
Charoline "Decapitate" D. says:
one of the guys on my team at work was at the one in bev farms, as he lives in town. he said they left early and is actually drafting a complaint letter. he says its been getting more tasteless over the past couple years
7/7/2008
Ben "dainty dainty gentleman" L. says:
I'm guessing that he continued to go because he was hoping to get the water shooting D.
It's interesting to hear that people at the Salem parade were fine with it
7/7/2008
Joey "Semper Fi" M. says:
they DID used to hang witches... this is probably a walk in the park.
I guess that means that taste really is a qualitative, objective ideal that's tough to "enforce" and that people should have the wherewithal to decide what their kids should and shouldn't be exposed to, rather than regulating everything.
7/7/2008
Caitlyn L. says:
"Regulating everything" is different than not being ok with people throwing condoms at kids and having 14 year olds dress up as pregnant girls on a float with spread legs.
I'm really, really not one of these "everything must be PC people." Really. And I'm all for responsible and accountable parenting. But at least don't put kids in the same parade as half of this BS (they even announce, "here come the kids!").
7/7/2008
Joey "Semper Fi" M. says:
I would agree 100%, if not for the nature of this specific parade, which is supposed to be as "un-PC" as possible.
If there was a 4th of July Parade, ok, this sort of float should NOT be involved. In a "non-PC" parade, I think a "non-PC" float should be allowed if not encouraged!
Patrons watching the parade should have known what sort of parade it was. This exact situation is the exception, not the rule, I think.
7/7/2008
Melissa "Gram" M. says:
There's Un-PC then there is UN PC and this kinda was a little over the top a wee bit, don't cha think?
7/7/2008
Caitlyn L. says:
The don't have kids in the parade. That's been my main hang-up since the beginning of this conversation.
7/7/2008
Joey "Semper Fi" M. says:
I'd wager that the kids in the parade are aware of the situation in Gloucester, know how babies are made, understand the architexture of a penis, appriciate humor and, if anything, are pretty handy with the whole float-building process.
Let's say those kids were kept from doing participating in that float after they broached the topic to the parade coordinators. How is preventing them from doing it going to impact their knowledge of any of the stuff I mentioned in the first paragraph?
Think back to what kids talked about at YOUR freshman year lunch table. This float issue just barely knicks the surface of what kids do, talk about and are aware of. Sweeping an issue under the carpet does nothing but makes it more enticing to those that would seek out that knowledge in the first place.
7/7/2008
Charoline "Decapitate" D. says:
uhhh he went cuz he lives there and chances are the humor has been too mature for the kids anyways.
....but a giant cock spewing water off the front of a truck, doesnt really leave much to explain.
7/7/2008
Caitlyn L. says:
Joey, I mean KIDS kids....like the seven year olds playing instruments and riding bikes at the beginning of the parade. Not high schoolers or even middle schoolers. Even those who commented on the Herald article and supported the parade said they thought throwing condoms at the children was a bit much.
7/7/2008
Joey "Semper Fi" M. says:
Ok, Ok. I'll allow that 7 year olds and the throwing of condoms AT kids was a little excessive, but I feel that it still falls into the line of "if you knew the parade was supposed to be un-PC, why have your kids be involved with it?"
7/7/2008
Matt G. says:
people know Howard Stern is supposed to be un-PC but that doesn't make his topics acceptable.
7/7/2008
Joey "Semper Fi" M. says:
OH yes it does.
Pleeeeaaaaase please please don't start treading on free speech. While I think Howard Stern is hit or miss, that's my opinion. The validity of his entertainment value is the opinion of anyone. His right to talk about sex with horses while on air is her prerogative and IS acceptable... you can always change the station.
7/7/2008
Joey "Semper Fi" M. says:
I love that place Chloe. Sweet hats, a Rocky Horror night and friendly staff.
7/7/2008
Cara P. says:
I just saw on the news that those three floats were registered to be in the parade but they changed their "concept drastically" from what they initially proposed. They are launching an investigation to all involved as to how the floats actually were in the entire parade and made it through "inspection"........ah yeah, someone is loosing their job somewhere in Beverly.
7/7/2008
Caitlyn L. says:
But the point may be that the parade wasn't THAT offensive in years past, as some people are saying. I wish I knew exactly what it'd been like before...
7/7/2008
Ben "dainty dainty gentleman" L. says:
From what I have seen in articles etc. it seems that previous parades had more targets that were politically relevant than social. It seems that a large part of it is that it was such a big news story that was so close.
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