The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #119441   Message #2591534
Posted By: Kent Davis
18-Mar-09 - 01:44 AM
Thread Name: Homophobia in Playground Rhymes
Subject: RE: Homophobia in Playground Rhymes
Azizi,

To understand the significance of negative references to homosexuality in playground rhymes is a worthy goal. May I respectfully suggest that the term "homophobia" is a barrier to achieving that goal.
In the parody section of your site http://www.cocojams.com/children%27s%20parodies.htm , I see songs with negative references to Barney, Sani-flush, Comet, policemen, schools, tuberculosis patients, teachers, principals, Jackie Chan, ugly people, fat people, skinny people, the Howdy Doody show, the F.B.I., long johns, bosco, mothers, etc. Those songs are not examples of dinophobia, school phobia, pedagogophobia, maternaphobia, etc. A phobia is a irrational fear that is strong enough to interfere with one's daily functioning. None of the examples cited in this thread show homophobia. They show disapproval, but disapproval is not phobia.

Kent