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Linda Landorf of Englewood writes:

I am the mother of 3 children ages 13,10,and 9. I wanted to tell you what happened last night (9-21-07) at the Cinderella Drive in, as I am Outraged! We went to the drive in and they had advertised the “Demented Divas” a hilarious family friendly comedy group would perform on the snack bar roof. This is a group of men outrageously dressed as women and it said we would “laugh ourselves breathless.” The idea was that Cinderella would be agitated about being evicted from the Drive in so that apartments can be built there. It also said we consider this OK for kids and there is only 1 part which might be considered PG-13 and they would announce that segment in advance. It began with the Divas holding signs and chanting their views. “Save Cinderella” “Down with land developers!” They were really like the “Pied Piper” as they marched around the grounds with the kids holding the signs and chanting along. It was fun and nice to express our views of sadness at losing the old time values and memories of past good times we had at the drive in. They announced the show would begin at 7:30- then said over the speaker they said “just 5 minutes till show time!” My kids as well as many others were seated around the roof top of the snack bar. As it began poor Cinderella read a eviction notice that the Drive In would be torn down to make room for apartments. She was looking for her Fairy Godmother for help but instead Mary Poppins emerged. She began signing and I thought I was hearing wrong. The song was “Just a spoonful of cannibus helps the medicine go down, in a most delightful way.” He made mock actions of smoking a joint and words in the song included weed, reefer, marijuana and joint. The next act was a fake Madonna singing “I like to be spanked” and sexually explicit actions ensued. Thirdly, Whitney Houston started a song and I saw a empty hard liquor bottle come out of her dress. I came to my senses after the immediate shock and disbelief and took my kids and left. I never heard a parental warning suggesting caution be used when exposing children to this. It could have been announced over the speakers easily. It was (to say the least) in poor taste and offensive! The Sheridan Police, watching as well, said they couldn’t do anything . When I sat down with the police the next day they agreed it was raunchy and in poor taste.
Does freedom of speech allow this? They endorsed and embraced the use of drugs, alcohol and sex to minors. Did the management team really think this was “OK” for kids? If people were not outraged ,they were not paying attention. Without a warning, they took away my rights as a citizen and parent to make my own decisions for my children. Now I am left to do damage control. Finally, the children in the car next to mine were yelling, “Don’t you know you shouldn’t cuss in front of children?” It is interesting that in these times it is the kids who speak up— it is the kids who have the good sense that the Drive In Management did not!

This letter has not been edited.

READER COMMENTS

Linda acknowledged she knew in advance of what to expect during the show, and took her kids anyway.

If she was really concerned she should have been more prepared , or not even gone at all.

"Did the management team really think this was “OK” for kids?"

Exactly!
But you didn't ask them apparently.

You went to the cops but didn't simply go to the management and express your disatisfaction.

Why is it that your first reaction is to turn to the government and the criminal justice system rather than talk to the supplier as a disatisfied customer?

The Cinderella management doesn't give a damn because they won't have to pay the consequences of their bad choice because they will be GONE!

Sad to say, anything goes these days.

Something doesn't seem right about this. I'm not talking about what Linda says happened.. that would be completely NOT RIGHT... but the situation itself seems a bit unreal. Almost like it didn't happen. I don't mean to accuse Ms. Landorf of lying,,, but it just seems like this is too wierd to be true. Really.

It does sound a bit unrealistic. In fact, it sounds more like it happened at Charlie's than at the drive-in. I don't know too many drag queens who would risk doing that in the suburbs. Kids are only going to mirror their parents' reaction so Ms. Landorf has only herself to thank if they were really that traumatized by it. She's so upset over sex and drug references, but how many violent scenes have the kids seen on T.V in the last month? And did she really call the cops?! She could have calmly rounded up the kids and told them it was a different show than was scheduled and they could go do something else for the evening. Now we've got 3 more kids who just learned how to cause a scene and complain because the world isn't complying with their picture of Utopia. I mean I'm all for letting your voice be heard, but it just seems like there are so many more important on-going issues to pour your time and money into. The kids are going to pull through and the drive-in is going away. We'll all live to see another day. Except those of us who don't. In those cases, I'm willing to bet that the cause of death isn't going to be a bunch of drag queens singing about sex and drugs.

Are you all crazy? Sounds like the letter writer, as a responsible parent, contacted the management to find out if the content was appropriate for her children. She was told that it was considered "OK for kids", only one segment might not be, but that there would be a warning, so she could excuse herself and her children for that portion, and still enjoy the rest of the show. Instead, she was given no warning, and by no stretch of the imagination could the described content be considered "OK for kids". She has a right to be outraged.

You did what you were supposed to do, take your kids out of there! you could have spoken to management and spoke to your children about that episode too. DID YOU ???

I am not sure this happened at the drive in but at a boulder valley school board meeting.

Shame on you Ms. Landorf you acted like a responsible parent! It's easy to belittle(some of the above posters) when you have no children, or you just don't give a darn about what's happening concerning your own childrens entertainment!

"A", I think you're wrong. I agree with Real, Fresj, and Bangalore.
If she was indeed a concerned parent, why didn't she enquire as to the nature of the PG-13 act, when she was told there was one? Were the Demented Divas advertised as part of the program? If so, a quick Google search (without leaving the results page) would have told her they were bearded drag queens who are "half-baked and toasted".
Of course, the police didn't do anything: They can't arrest people for jokes about pot and alcohol. Even Scalia, Thomas, and Roberts would say yes, indeed, that's covered by the First Amendment.
She says she didn't have any options. She did, and she used it: She left.

"I am not sure this happened at the drive in but at a boulder valley school board meeting."

Posted by on October 1, 2007 11:34 AM

I don't care who you are, that there is FUNNY!

> Does freedom of speech allow this?

Absolutely not, freedom of speech only permits what you want to hear.

Moron.

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