Wednesday, March 08, 2006

THE DOVE FOUNDATION

If your phone rings and caller ID says it's the Dove Foundation, you're in for a slippery treat that has nothing to do with soap.

The Dove Foundation is a non-profit group that wants to ban all forms of provocative entertainment. No, the people at Dove don't use the word "ban." They prefer to cloak their agenda with another word:

Family.

The organization is currently calling people across the United States to solicit input for its "entertainment survey." Dove says it's exempt from Do Not Call legislation because it's a charitable organization.

As Dove notes on its site:
Currently we are contacting American families to talk about family-friendly entertainment and how people can influence film makers to produce more wholesome movies. Also, we are asking people their thoughts on the MPAA movie rating system, and if they feel helpless to change what is being produced. We plan on sharing the information we collect with studio executives and also have posted some of the results of our phone survey on our web site.
The results of Dove's poll? Not surprisingly, 93 percent of people said they believed "offensive material in TV, Movies & the Internet is on the rise." A like percentage said they felt "helpless to change what is being produced."

Well, that's where the Dove Foundation comes in. Hell-bent on removing profanity, nudity and violence from American cinema, Dove is using its survey (a million strong, it claims) to pressure Hollywood into blandness. As a Dove writer notes:
There are still a few diehard filmmakers who insist on making movies to impress their peers, without regard for the audience-at-large.
And this:
According to some filmmakers, movies are made to send a message. But, as Louis B. Meyer once said, “If you want to send a message, call Western Union.” According to Merriam-Webster, “to entertain is to amuse.” Portraying society in its most despicable state at the lowest depths of depravity is not, in the minds of most people, entertainment.
No depravity, no "explicit portrayals of sex, violence, nudity and profanity." Dove wants you to believe that none of that stuff existed before the heathens and homosexuals took command of the culture.

This would conceivably damn "On The Waterfront," the best picture of 1954. Or "Midnight Cowboy," best picture in 1969. Or "Patton," the greatest film of 1970. Too much violence, too much sex, too much profanity, in that order.

But there's a mighty queer disconnect between Dove's claims and harsh reality. One example: Dove gives a "family approved" OK to "The Pink Panther" remake with Steve Martin, despite "sexual innuendos scattered here and there ... crude reference to male genitalia ... murders and fights and poison darts but nothing graphic." Oh, and two references to "hell" and one uttered "bastard."

But Dove gives a "not approved" frown to "Good Night, and Good Luck," citing "the inclusion of 2 GDs that could have easily been removed before the film's release." Note: The movie contains no sex, no violence and no nudity. But it was directed by that leftist George Clooney. Coincidence?

Dove seeks three things from you:

3) Encourage video stores to carry Dove-approved flicks, as "an alternative to protests and boycotts."

2) Tell your friends and neighbors of their efforts to force Hollywood to its knees.

1) Send money. Send lots of money.

In lieu of that last one -- but in honor of the Dove Foundation -- we're going to watch "Glengarry Glen Ross" and quote the hell out of it.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I wonder how the old Dovemeisters would rate The Passion of The Christ.

I wish some people would start an organization to encourage the production of mainstream films that weren’t formulaic and insipid.

Those guys might get a buck or two from me.

Peace,
Bob Boldt

Anonymous said...

I think i got a call from these guys a few weeks ago. I railed on about how much I support freedom of speech for artists and freedom of choice for consumers. they decided not to survey me. that may explain the 93% agreement rate.

Dont'cha just loooove fake science?

Anonymous said...

Just got off the phone with a Dove rep, who immediately stated it was not a solicitation call and asked for the lady of the house (me). Why is he asking for my support, if it is not a solicitation call? He rattled on a minute or 2 and I asked him if he wanted money from me. He said, "No." and proceeded to grill me about how many children or grandchildren I had - none. He then began to tell me about all the corporate sponsors they had and how I could help. I told him I read a lot of Karl Marx in high school and was way too far left for his organization. I thought this would elicit a non-scripted response, but noooo. He was still talking when I hung up! How can it be ok for these cranks to call a unlisted number? If they truly believe in capitalism, they can do what I do, vote with my wallet. If everyone wanted what they wanted, their "feature films" would be playing somehwere and they wouldn't have to call people and annoy them.

Anonymous said...

I received a call from Dove Foundation's computer. Yes, the reason you get silly answers to your questions is because it is a machine. The Missouri Attorney General has filed suit against Dove because they are affiliated with a for-profit corporation. Their latest financials filed with state AG's do not explaint why they have the money to call so many people so many times (not enough money coming in for this).

Anonymous said...

I am writing this for the benefit of anyone in Law Enforcment looking to take down Dove Foundation of Grand Rapids, MI and Feature Films For Families, Inc. of Murray, Utah, and for those consumers who are trying to figure out why these phone calls from the Dove Foundation just don't "smell right." Specifically, those robotic phone calls that seem to have started in November, 2005.

I turned in the Dove Foundation to the Michigan Attorney General's office for calling me after I told them to stop. The reply from Dove's lawyer was from one of at least four lawyers that are located at 5282 South Commerce Drive, Suite D-292, Murray, Utah 84107. I found four lawyers listed with this address on the Utah Bar Association's web site. They are Melvin S. Martin, Matthew G. Cooper, Russell C. Harris, and Edward T. Wells. Utah? For a Michigan non profit organization? Well, if you go into an online phone directory, Feature Films for Families is listed at 5286 Commerce Drive, Murray, Utah 84107. This is the same Feature Films for Families that is mentioned in the Missouri Attorney General's press release of March 27th, 2006. ago.mo.gov.

Why Missouri? Well, there is another Dove Foundation in Missouri, DOVEMIDWEST dot ORG. I would not be surprised if the fine people in St. Charles, MO complained to their AG. Even the people in Missouri must have found those robotic calls from Michigan-based Dove Foundation obnoxious.

The Missouri AG asserts there is a connection between Dove Foundation of Grand Rapids, MI and Feature Films For Families of Murray, Utah. Feature Films For Families is a for-profit operation. Claiming FFF can telemarket in violation of the Do Not Call law because of their "agreement" with the Dove Foundation does not pass the "ha-ha" test. Now law enforcement just has to establish who owns the call center employed, who owns the "Rob" robot, etc. to see if they can get a conviction.

Anonymous said...

I found this article on a satire web site that pretty much tells everything you need to know about the Dove Foundation. The link is here:

http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s2i15930