Boy banned from wearing Obama mask in skit

[Chris_]

Boy banned from wearing Obama mask in skit

A mask similar to one President Barack Obama himself wore in a "Saturday Night Live" skit prompted a Portland school principal to ban a boy from performing while wearing it at his elementary school talent show after deciding the rubber likeness of the 44th president was "inappropriate and potentially offensive."

Dru Lechert-Kelly, 11, a fifth-grader at Llewellyn Elementary School in Southeast Portland, decided to dress up like his role model and dance to a popular YouTube song that features an Obama look-alike dancing to a parody called "I Can Do Whatever I Like."

Dru performed the skit in front of teachers and students during a rehearsal for Llewellyn's annual talent show Thursday. He wore a navy blue suit, white shirt, red tie, black shoes and an Obama mask purchased at a costume shop. The choreographed routine ended with Dru on the floor in the splits.

"He practiced for weeks," said Scott Lechert, 50, an instructional designer, who along with his partner, Paul Kelly, 55, a physical therapist, adopted Dru from a Romanian orphanage in 1999 at age 1 1/2. Both dads helped Dru design his stage props -- a desk with a large presidential seal stuck to the front with duct tape. And both coached their son to "have lots of bop" and "use your shoulders" during his routine.

*snip*

When asked what he liked most about the new president, Dru said, "He said he would try to change the world and make the economy better."

Lechert pushed his son to tell the whole truth.

"Well, also because somebody told me he has a Wii all hooked up to a huge flatscreen in the White House. That's cool."

 

Poor kid.  He's gonna be soooo screwed up as an adult.  Raised by two "daddies" on the left coast and Uncle Zer0 as an idol.

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[Eupher]

In reading some of the comments on this story, I'm struck by how much I'm in the minority when I consider how offensive it is to portray two men, a gay couple, as being normal "Dads" when they're clearly not.

There is nothing "normal" about homosexuality. Insisting that it is normal is delusional.

Since I'm in the minority on this one, and in keeping with The Exalted One's own philosophies on life, how much special care and attention am I going to get?

[mamacags]

Ignoring the gay aspect of this....  What the hell is wrong with a little kid wearing a mask of ANYONE for a skit?  What kind of fascist bull crap administration is that incredibly intolerant that they would prevent someone from showing a little creativity?  Wonder if they would have let him wear a GWB mask?  This whole thing is crap.

[Chris_]

Poor kid.  He's gonna be soooo screwed up as an adult.  Raised by two "daddies" on the left coast and Uncle Zer0 as an idol.

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Isn't that fairly close to what got Jihad Johnny into the predicament he's in?

[The Village Idiot]

its definitely not normal.

but did they ban kids from wearing a mask of Bush or anyone else? or is this only about O?

[Chris_]

Isn't there a Muslim law about not making images of Allah?  Wonder if that applies here.