Comments on: Brokeback Middle School? https://wthrockmorton.com/2007/05/14/brokeback-middle-school/ A [retired] college psychology professor's observations about public policy, mental health, sexual identity, and religious issues Fri, 18 May 2007 20:45:30 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.3 By: Mary https://wthrockmorton.com/2007/05/14/brokeback-middle-school/#comment-4856 Fri, 18 May 2007 20:45:30 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com//2007/05/14/brokeback-middle-school/#comment-4856 Content aside, R-rated is not for children. The lawsuit – hmm I don’t know – sometimes those are filed to raise awareness to the public and not so much for the punitive outcome.

IMO – the school needs to pay some retribution as well as the school district so that in the future they are putting protective measures in place for themselves and thus they can’t just shrug their shoulders and say “We had no idea!”

]]> By: Jim Burroway https://wthrockmorton.com/2007/05/14/brokeback-middle-school/#comment-4855 Wed, 16 May 2007 22:48:08 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com//2007/05/14/brokeback-middle-school/#comment-4855 I agree it’s outrageous — on the basis of content but not subject matter. No R-rated film should be shown for anyone under the age of 17. That should be a no-brianer, but unfortunately it’s not.

]]> By: Lynn David https://wthrockmorton.com/2007/05/14/brokeback-middle-school/#comment-4854 Wed, 16 May 2007 18:47:42 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com//2007/05/14/brokeback-middle-school/#comment-4854 I’d sack the teacher. Showing the film was certainly not in the curriculum.

]]> By: pam ferguson https://wthrockmorton.com/2007/05/14/brokeback-middle-school/#comment-4853 Tue, 15 May 2007 22:02:58 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com//2007/05/14/brokeback-middle-school/#comment-4853 Maybe it’s just a Texas thang….but no R-rated movie would ever be deemed appropriate under any circumstance. The theme is irrelevant.

I don’t agree with the lawsuit, but there’s just no context in which those kids seeing an R-rated movie makes any sense whatsoever to me.

Good grief. This is public school. We’ve got curriculum….. but R-rated movies incorporated into that curriculum……no way. Ever.

]]> By: Michael Bussee https://wthrockmorton.com/2007/05/14/brokeback-middle-school/#comment-4852 Tue, 15 May 2007 19:04:49 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com//2007/05/14/brokeback-middle-school/#comment-4852 I agree with Timothy and David. Some people will be upset that the movie was gay-themed. I am more concerned with the graphic, anti-gay violence (catration, murder, etc) than with the sexual themes or images. In any case, I will take a “wait-and-see” approach to see what really happened here.

]]> By: David Roberts https://wthrockmorton.com/2007/05/14/brokeback-middle-school/#comment-4851 Tue, 15 May 2007 18:13:26 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com//2007/05/14/brokeback-middle-school/#comment-4851 I echo Timothy’s comments entirely. From experience, however, I think we should wait a bit to see if that is truly what happened.

]]> By: Drowssap https://wthrockmorton.com/2007/05/14/brokeback-middle-school/#comment-4850 Tue, 15 May 2007 13:40:21 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com//2007/05/14/brokeback-middle-school/#comment-4850 Irresponsible? Yes

Crazy? Yes

Agreed.

]]> By: ken https://wthrockmorton.com/2007/05/14/brokeback-middle-school/#comment-4849 Tue, 15 May 2007 13:19:20 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com//2007/05/14/brokeback-middle-school/#comment-4849 I’d say the lawsuit is outrageous. However, given that there is a judge suing a dry cleaners for $65 MILLION over a lost pair of pants, it’s not surprising.

While I do agree it was wrong to show the movie without parental consent (or even notice apparently), I haven’t read enough about the situation to say the blame is entirely on the substitute teacher. Was this part of the regular teacher’s lesson plan? Did the substitute just bring the movie to show on her own? Did she talk to the principal or anyone else about it first?

]]> By: pam ferguson https://wthrockmorton.com/2007/05/14/brokeback-middle-school/#comment-4848 Tue, 15 May 2007 12:34:19 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com//2007/05/14/brokeback-middle-school/#comment-4848 Since I’m a public school teacher (and a middle school teacher at that) my first response is “What an idiot!”

I guess there are many potential scenarious as to how the school district could have allowed someone with such total lack of BRAINS to manage their students for any length of time, but ultimately, it’s the substitute who’s responsible and should face an appropriate consequence for the action. I think an appropriate one would be some sort of order that would ban that person from managing kids of any age, as well as an unappealable revocation of any certifications she may hold.

We don’t show R-rated movies at school. End of story. How difficult is it, really, to just follow the rules? And what message is THAT sending to ALL the students if she is not punished in some significant way?

]]> By: Samantha https://wthrockmorton.com/2007/05/14/brokeback-middle-school/#comment-4847 Tue, 15 May 2007 05:51:29 +0000 https://www.wthrockmorton.com//2007/05/14/brokeback-middle-school/#comment-4847 Which part? The lawsuit (sort of over the top), or the substitute who felt she had the right to show a movie which is not recommended for anyone under the age of 18 years? As a parent, I would be extremely upset if any movie with that rating were shown to my 13-year-old during school, without my consent. We seem to have forgotten the difference between minors and consenting adults, and given schools the right to parent our children in any circumstance. As such, I understand the feeling that a statement, however extreme, needs to be made. It has nothing to do with the movie or its content/themes, but instead with the assumption that if it happens in school, it must be okay and condoned by all parents.

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