You looking for evidence that the world is completely crazy, upside down, looney tunes? Sadly, you’ve come to the right place.
Everyone’s freaking out that during the Super Bowl Tim Tebow’s mother will tell us that she chose life and you should too. Gasp!
And yet nobody’s talking about the fact that rocker Pete Townsend of The Who, who is the halftime entertainment, was involved in a child pornography scandal in 2003. Apparently bored with the thousands of women throwing themselves at him, the guitarist was busted for using his credit card to view images on a child porn website. Townsend insisted he was researching a book or something ridiculous like that and he was never convicted.
In an odd note, let’s remember Michael Jackson was also halftime entertainment at the Super Bowl. Seriously, who is booking these acts, Paul Reubens?
Firstly, I blame the rock community because if rockers weren’t forced to be celibate, this never would’ve happened.
But seriously, there have been about a dozen article about Townsend’s past while thousands of critical articles and columns have been launched against Tebow.
Seriously? The world has picked Townsend over Tebow? But the fact that this country is outraged about Tebow and not Townsend is evidence to me that not much has changed since the fine folks asked to free Barabbas. And Barabbas wasn’t into child porn either. So take comfort if you can that yeah the world’s messed up but it’s been really messed up for a really long time.
Think about it though. People are angry that Pam Tebow didn’t kill her son and they’re silent that the guy providing their halftime entertainment contributes money to child pornographers. You know I’m starting to think our society may not care all that much about children.
Final note: Maybe we should we leaflet the area around the Super Bowl that a sex offender will be in their area on Super Bowl Sunday?
January 29, 2010 at 3:09 pm
Oh my. Oh my. God forgive us.
January 29, 2010 at 3:25 pm
Insightful parallel to Barabbas. Thanks for bringing this up. It's comforting to know the world was like this in Jesus' time; and sad that we haven't improved any.
January 29, 2010 at 3:32 pm
Matthew,
I'm not sure if your last line was tongue-in-cheek or a reference to this story:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1246676/Pete-Townshend-labelled-sex-offender-large-Miami-residents-protest-performing-Super-Bowl-The-Who.html
You must be a mind reader.
January 29, 2010 at 3:49 pm
I think the difference that makes the difference is entertainment and fame. Tebow's mom wasn't a famous rocker bad boy whose transgressions are somehow made reasonable, even to the law, given the occupational hazards of his line of business.
Researching a book, my broken guitar neck.
January 29, 2010 at 3:50 pm
http://www.google.ca/search?q=pete+townsend+~child
January 29, 2010 at 3:58 pm
It gets even 'better' : Townsend was placed on the UK's Sexual Offender Register for five years, yet he comes and goes as he pleases from the US and the INS disregards its' own regulations to allow it.
http://butlerreport.blogspot.com/2008/07/child-porn-who_31.html
January 29, 2010 at 5:20 pm
People are "outraged" that CBS magically lowered their standards for broadcasting commercials, which weren't all that high to begin with. They are questioning Pam Tebow's recollection of the facts, however.
Regarding Pete Townsend, he wrote a series of posts in 2002 about how shockingly easy it was to find child porn on the internet.
Links:
http://web.archive.org/web/20021010152701/www.petetownshend.co.uk/diary/display.cfm?id=21&zone=diary
http://web.archive.org/web/20021208031419/www.petetownshend.co.uk/diary/display.cfm?id=23&zone=diary
http://web.archive.org/web/20021208020318/www.petetownshend.co.uk/diary/display.cfm?id=21&zone=diary
In January, 2003, Townsend was questioned by police because of his suspicious internet activity.
A four-month police investigation, including forensic examination of all of his computers, established that Townshend was not in possession of any illegal downloaded images. Instead of pressing charges, the police elected to caution him, stating, "It is not a defence to access these images for research or out of curiosity."
I watch the Superbowl for the game, not the commercials or the halftime show. Judging by this brouhaha, I am the only one that does that, apparently.
January 29, 2010 at 5:23 pm
Right on, Matt! It is crazy and disgusting.
January 29, 2010 at 6:23 pm
While your point is taken, musicians and artists always get a pass for their behavior. If we only listened to music played by people of high morals, we'd all only be listening to Gregorian chant. So, to me that's a non-issue.
As far as the Tebow commercial is concerned (and remember I'm the first one to have mentioned it on your blog : ) for me the more publicity, controversy, vitriol, etc that it generates, the better the discussion on the subject. No logical person could possibly see the attacks on Mama Tebow's character as anything but irrational and in extremely poor taste. It only makes pro-abortionists look bad. And it may cause thinking people to say, "wow, what is it that scares them so much?"
January 29, 2010 at 6:30 pm
The raucous disapproval over Pam's ad is contrived – knowing how the MSM is a propaganda arms of the pro-abort government.
The fact that the wardrobe malfunction ad did not catch on and the current stats and events e.g. 350,000 pro-life marchers in DC alone, ~500,000 signers of the Manhattan Declaration and the elections in MA & VA give a truer picture of America's sentiments nowadays.
The Superbowl promoters are either oblivious to this, a little slow on the uptake or are in bed with abortion supporters. And the media made it look like the people wanted it – imho.
Why not have Tebow's ad run elsewhere and have all the pro-lifers blow the Nielsen ratings off the charts.
January 29, 2010 at 9:21 pm
Wow… what happened to journalism? Isn't this the kind of juicy story a young journalist would LOVE to sink their teeth into? I mean P.T. is "old" enough that one could really bite into this? No?
This is why I love the CMR… just finding the Double Standards that exist and exposing the evil. I think it even goes back to the JANET thing, not to bring it up again – but just another example of the double standard.
January 29, 2010 at 9:23 pm
That reminds me… We haven't seen "Signs of the Apocalypse" recently.
January 29, 2010 at 9:24 pm
I mean, it's not like you guys are busy or anything.
January 29, 2010 at 10:38 pm
As much as I dislike the negative attention people have been giving to Tebow for this, I don't think Townshend was found to have had anything illegal on his computer (at any rate he's no Polanski).
January 29, 2010 at 10:43 pm
Perhaps the article is being unfair to Townsend,
http://hiptowaistratio.blogspot.com/2009/12/evin-dalys-failed-witch-hunt-against.html
or search for 'failed witchhunt against Peter Townsend.'
It appears the man was acquitted of the charges so I don't understand why everyone is assuming that his reason for doing research for a book is ridiculous. Apparently he was abused as a child (listen to Tommy) and is trying to do some good with an issue that is very personal to him. All I am saying is to give the man a chance and not rush to judgement.
January 30, 2010 at 3:28 am
I've stopped watching football over 10 years ago. Not so much because of the game itself, but because I cannot stand all the hype and commercials. Hockey and baseball for me.
January 30, 2010 at 12:48 pm
Pete Townsend watches child porn? If this is true, he belongs behind bars. Just like those priests and nuns in Ireland, who abused children for decades. And their bishops who covered it all up. Behind bars, the lot of them! And do throw away the keys. Thank you.
I bet, you will not have the guts to publish my comment!
January 30, 2010 at 3:17 pm
Regarding Pete Townshend–he was evidently sexually molested as a child, and according to his story at the time, was investigating kiddie porn while working through the issue. It was clear from his public statements that he considers kiddie porn a bad thing. Now, you may choose not to believe him. But in this post you led others (judging from the previous comments) to think him a habitual user of kiddie porn, when there is reason to believe that this is not the case. See detraction in the Catholic Encyclopedia. A little context, please?
January 30, 2010 at 4:58 pm
Point of order here: Pete Townshend is not a rocker. He's a Mod. Important distinction.
January 30, 2010 at 8:39 pm
In response to one statement above, there are highly moral people who perform many other types of music, not just Gregorian chant, although I have absolutely nothing against it.