In their latest attempt to banish all traces of gay from the planet, conservative group One Million Moms, one of the tumors sprouting from the larger cancer known as American Family Association, is urging Toys ‘R’ Us to stop selling an issue of Life With Archie depicting the wedding of the comic’s first openly gay character, Kevin Keller, to Clay, an African American doctor who treated Keller’s war injuries. Yes, you read that right: Kevin’s a war hero! And he’s marrying a doctor, no less! A million real moms would swoon in delight. So what’s the problem?
The problem, apparently, is that One Million Moms — whose numbers are about 955,488 shy of an actual million, according to their Facebook page — feels it’s unfair for them to have to answer questions their kids may ask about the world around them while standing in a toy store. Also, it doesn’t like gay people.
Archie Comics CEO Jon Goldwater issued this statement:
“We stand by Life with Archie #16. As I’ve said before, Riverdale is a safe, welcoming place that does not judge anyone. It’s an idealized version of America that will hopefully become reality someday.”
“We’re sorry the American Family Association/OneMillionMoms.com feels so negatively about our product, but they have every right to their opinion, just like we have the right to stand by ours. Kevin Keller will forever be a part of Riverdale, and he will live a happy, long life free of prejudice, hate and narrow-minded people.”
One Million Moms’ most recent campaign to prevent JC Penney from naming Ellen DeGeneres as their spokeswoman was, thankfully, unsuccessful.
[Source Galleycat via Robot6, Huffington Post]
What a bunch of liberal trash. And Archie? Jeez, that comic is desperate to pull this stunt. It was never popular outside of it’s early days. Most kids don’t even know who Archie is.
Comment by Johnnyd — March 3, 2012 @ 10:44 am
One Million Moms makes their case, agree with it or not. Â They can have their say; it’s a free country, after all, it’s just talk, and it’s no more hateful than a lone geek calling them a tumor. Â Like you’d know, right?
That said, the statement “It’s an idealized version of America that will hopefully become reality someday” gives Jon Goldwater’s true position away pretty quickly.  Archie’s not there to tell stories – he’s there to improve us.  This is for our own good, right?  Of course, he and his writers might be wrong.  It might not improve us.  But hey, that’s just a matter of opinion, right?  And Goldwater has the upper hand with control of his Riverdale Empire.
Propaganda is propaganda, whether you approve of the message or not. Â In a culture that freely uses the word ‘gay’ as a description of utter contempt and extreme disapproval, Goldwater and his cohorts have a long slog.
It’s kinda sad that this is all Archie seems to be good for in the 21st Century. Â Sort of a Chick Tract for the progressive voice. Â Sadder still is that the company CEO feels compelled to voice the curious idea that Archie represents our culture’s leading edge – Â when all Archie has ever stood for was several years behind the local cultural cues and (usually) colored with the politics of his latest publisher. Â
What’s saddest of all is that progressive thinkers like Goldwater still believe kids read it. Â And think that when they tell us ‘how sorry they are we feel this way’, we don’t recognize it as code. Â
You never say that to people for whom you are about to do something pleasant and in accordance with their wishes. Â You say it to excuse yourself from accountability when you are about to do something to someone that is shabby and self-gratifying. Â Whether they like it or not.
Comment by Centurion13 — March 3, 2012 @ 12:56 pm
Let’s get One Million people to buy this issue!
Comment by Wesley Cole — March 6, 2012 @ 3:12 pm
…it makes me sick to know that such hate groups exist in the world. I don’t ever recall Archie doing anything that was harmful to anyone or ever approved to attacking other people’s life choices.
Comment by Chris Behellmorph Beckett — October 18, 2012 @ 3:02 pm