Is this an inappropriate skit?

[dScouter15]

I'm going to start this thread in a way that a lot of threads here seem to start: "I may be overreacting, but...."

 

Over the weekend my district ran as Webelos to Scouts recruitment event - basically an expo for all of the troops and Webelos dens in the district to share some activities with the ultimate goal of increasing the numbers of Webelos transitioning into Scouts. The event lasted for a couple hours on a Saturday, and included a pseudo-campfire program ("pseudo" because there wasn't actually a campfire, as the event was in a local school gym). Each troop and den was invited to perform a couple skits. One troop did a skit which I believe is called "Cool N' Creamy", which I had never seen before.

 

The skit involved four scouts armed with cans of the RediWhip whipped cream stuff, and an adult MC. The scouts would sing the refrain of a song and did a little marching dance that was something like "Cool and creamy, cool and creamy, we like it cool and creamy." The adult MC would then ask the audience to shout out a body part, he would pick one and then chant (for example), "Do you like it on your arms." The scouts would chant "Yes we like it on our arms." They would spray some of the whipped cream on their arms, and then sing the refrain. They repeated it several times for several body parts ("On your legs", "On your head", "In your ears", "Down your shirt", "On your feet", and finally "in your face").

 

Now, is it just me, or is this skit a little inappropriate?

 

To be fair, it looked like everyone was having a good time, and it was all done in good fun, but it still left me feeling a little uneasy in the back of my mind. Now, my troop has used the "pie in the face" gag from time to time, in skits and in fundraisers, and some of our Scouts have let themselves get pretty "clobbered" for the sake of entertainment, and always thought it was great fun. I also don't really have a problem with some other similar skits (like the flower/bee skit where the one guy keeps getting sprayed with water), as long as everyone in the skit knows its coming and agrees to be part of it.

 

So, I guess I'm wondering: does this skit cross the line of what's appropriate in a Scouting environment? Is it something I should gear our scouts away from performing in the future (they seem to like to try out their own versions of new skits they see)?

[Scoutfish]

Well, stupid, goofy, immature, not too funny.

 

That's either the opinion of thee skit or a testament to me just being older and getting more out of touch with a youthful mentality.

 

Remember back in the day when just the mere mention of poop or farting would cause you to laugh until you got into trouble?

 

So as far as the skit goes, It's not funny in my old codgerish opinion, but I see nothing inapropriate.

 

Now if it starts becomming in my pants, on my butt, on my privates...then it needs to be stopped pronto and just not allowed again.

 

Right now, I think it's just a matter of personal humor or taste.

[dg98adams]

I've seen it where the target is the SM, and the Scouts ask the audience which body part next?

 

Probably not a skit I'd advocate, but if done without malice and involves the senior Scout (and no surprises), ok... for a Webelos event... no.

 

Basic rule I use, "if you can do the skit on the church steps in front of your grandma, then it's probably ok."

[moosetracker]

I can see with your seeing.. The whipped cream on the body parts (even if arms & legs) can bring something to mind of a sexual nature, whereas the pie in the face may also be whip cream to a body part, but is just slap stick, not sexual..

 

Probably that type of visual would be lost to cubscout kids, but not high schoolers or their parents..

 

I would probably error on the side of prudish, and ask the unit to not use it. Just so that we did not have a parental complaint.. (I'm sure the HS boyscouts wouldn't lodge a complaint.) Though I would probably be over-reacting on taking a proactive stance, before the complaint was lodged, and get alot of men in the unit rolling their eyes at the prude..

[Gary_Miller]

I first saw this skit done at a scout camp between the camp director and his son. I saw nothing that was inappropriate and if done properly it gets a lot of laughs from the audience. Like was already stated its important to keep it to appropriate body parts and not get gross. Great skit for a SM and SPL the goal is to get the other person the most creamed.

[nugent725]

dScouter,

 

I say its borderline, in a sense. If you're looking at it from the adult perspective, you have a message heard as "We like it cool and creamy...in our face", which at the very least raises an eyebrow, if not a flag. However, from a youth perspective its more or less "hey we're getting whipped cream in the face!"...which is much less suggestive, and much more innocent and fun. So sometimes you may have to look at things from their point of view. If the "suggestive reference" wasn't how you were taking it, I do apologize...but keep in mind that others may view it that way as well. Scoutfish and adams hit it on the head - if it gets to anything that isn't suggestive, just outright obvious and wrong, then you absolutely have to put an immediate end to it. As adams said, if you're not comfortable with it, then avoid it...

 

Personally, if it were me, I'd say why decide if a grey area is more black or more white if you can avoid it entirely? There are still a plethora of other skits to choose from...most of which are actually just flat out funnier.

 

YIS,

 

Ryan

[BDPT00]

If you have to ask if it's inapropriate, the answer will always be yes.

Skits with water, victims (knowing or not), "done in good fun," stuff in the face, etc are all off my list for appropriate.

BDPT00

[ScoutNut]

My only problem would be that this was inside a school gym, and I am sure, got REALLY messy. I hope that these boys mopped up the gym really well when they were done. A sloppy, sticky, mess that attracts bugs, and can ruin a floor is not a surprise the Scouts need to leave for the school.

 

This seems to me to be better done outside, with a shower/hose handy.

 

I don't find this particularly funny, but it is not offensive either. On the whole, if done outside, I would pick this over a skit like the motorcycle gang one.

[Scoutfish]

Nugent brings up a great point:

Perception and age.

 

You ever see any of the Shrek movies?

 

Market5ed to kids, tons of age innapropriate inuendos too. But they were over the kids heads.

 

 

The king ( I forget his name) had a big castle to over come size issues. I jnew exactly what they were talking about. My son just heard talking at the time.

 

Pinnocio wearing a pink thong? Kids thought it was funny because it was girls underwear...and that's allthey thought!

 

Of course, you and I see something entirely different.

 

So, it really does depend on where your mind is, and what conclusions YOU jump to, that I jump to, and that the scouts are probably not even aware of.

[dScouter15]

Thanks all for the perspective. I think part of my concern may come from the fact that I spend a lot of my time in an environment heavy on off-color jokes and innuendo. Sometimes I realize that I have to make an effort to not let that carry over into Scouting environments that I'm involved with, and I think that this skit just triggered my internal censor, so to speak. But enough psycho-babble. I guess I can see where this skit could be funny if delivered well, but I don't think it was really well done in this case. In any event, I think I'd try to guide my own scouts away from doing this skit, especially in a "public" setting, as there seems to be no shortage of other quality skits that are less "borderline."

 

ScoutNut - I did notice that they did do a good job cleaning up. They put a big plastic tarp down on the floor and stood on that during the skit. At the end, they wiped off most of the whipped cream. They were also wearing socks during the skit, which they took off before walking across the gym floor, so they wouldn't leave a whipped cream trail behind them.(This message has been edited by dScouter15)

[frankpalazzi]

Inappropriate? Depends on your audience really. I've seen the times change enough where "prudishness" is certainly on the rise. My guideline, and I use this for food too:

 

"When in doubt, toss it out!"

 

You'll never go wrong with food OR skits!

 

-Frank

[DeanRx]

"When in doubt, throw it out"?!?!? REALLY ?

 

Unless this skit had ANY overt sexual tone to it at all (spraying on the butt, privates, etc...) I do NOT see how it could be considered inappropriate. The participants all knew what was coming, so its a sight gag for the audience, the same as a pie-in-the-face or a prat-fall type comedy. Maybe it wasn't delivered very well, but a poorly performed skit does not make it inappropriate.

 

I see skits and songs all the time at camps, council events, Webelos Woods that are worse than this: Eddie Bauer, the Lemonade stand skit, God Bless My Underwear song, etc...

 

Now, I agree there needs to be an MC of the campfire program and all skits, songs, jokes should be vetted ahead of time to make sure there is no overt sexual overtones, no prejudice portrayed,no racism (albeit BSA overall loose portrayal of native american heritages is another post all together) etc... BUT, you need to allow for some acceptance of brash humor because without it, the scouts will equate your campfire program to watching a watered down version of a Barney the Dinosour video. Not the thing you use as a RECRUITING tool to attract and hold Webelos attention.

 

Sorry, but anyone finding offense to the skit as portrayed by the OP would likey find something to **** about with ANY skit or song done. The guideline should be what MOST of the audience would find acceptable or offensive. The guideline should NEVER be, "Well, we shouldn't probably do this or that because it might offend one or two people...". That's PC run amok.

 

Heck, some days - I manage to offend folks just by getting out of bed and speaking my mind. Doesn't mean I'm going to stop doing it.

 

You ban this type of skit, you might as well cancel the future of scouting because it is soooooo far away from the founders' intent what you are doing is no longer scouting. If you find offense in a skit like this, you are part of the problem that is watering down the BSA to a nonsensical, no-substance level. Then you stand around scratching your heads trying to figure out why scouting is 'nerdy', 'uncool' and why the attrition rate is up.

 

You ever been on the sideline of a Pop-Warner football game? You ever been on the bench of a 10+ y/o youth league basketball or baseball team? You ever been to a high school band competition? A skit like this is childsplay compared to what these kids hear and see from their own parents, their teachers and their coaches on a daily basis at the Jr High level on up.

 

The fact that the OP even has to ASK the question makes me sad for how far we have slid into the abyss of PC taking over and diluting anything funny, gross, brash in our world. Unless it is sexual in nature, racist, prejudiced, or blatantly unpatriotic - I say leave it alone and let the kids have their juvinile gross out humor. Yes folks, this really is a matter of "boys will be boys".

[Platypus96]

This is very similar to a favorite dining hall skit we do at my summer camp on roast beef and potato day. We have two staff members stand up front in the dining hall with a bowl of potatos(usually cooled), and everyone sings

 

Onteora, I love Onteora!

Onteora, its the place for me!

 

Then one staff member says "Would You Like Some, on (insert body part)?" "Yes I'd Love some on my (insert body part)."

 

Then they get potatoes. It goes back and forth a couple of times.

 

Its a favorite skit, and I was very excited the first time I got to do it. Some of the long-time staff members get upset that they never get to do it anymore, becasue the first time staff members always want to .

[Crew21_Adv]

Fellow Scouters,

 

Greetings!

 

I have a similar view as dg98adams, if you can do it in front of your parents or church, it should pass the test. I feel like I've seen a wide range of skits, from non offensive with adults over reacting, to extremely offensive and adults acting appropriately.

 

I have known a few Scout leaders that were too prudish, and publicly admonish and ridiculed Scouts for "Singing in the rain" with the chorus about sticking your tongues out, because it humiliated people with Down Syndrome. I also, seen the skit Gut Buster Motorcycle Club (or giant mosquitoes), were the SPL after being wakened by Tommy Tenderfoot character, came out of the imaginary tent, and let some actual profanities fly. The patrol was onstage (or in front of the fire) for about 5 more seconds, before staffers pulled them off quickly.

 

With this "Cool and Creamy". Some of the skits and songs have different variations. My Troop/Crew has used the similar song with the Camp Director (already knowingly) as the target of this song/skit. Instead of Cool and Creamy, it was All You Eatta (Sounds like Et'a). or a camp version of the original French Children's Song "Alouette".

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alouette_(song)

 

Telling everyone how our Camp Director is a messy eater in the chow hall, and every time he eats, he gets food all over himself. As the song leader points to the Camp Director. Although there is no food or mess applied to the "victim".

 

For example... The finale would be like... Did he get some on his Chin? Yes he got some on his chin! ON his chin? On his chin! On his shirt? ON his shirt! On his pants? ON his pants! On his shoes? On his Shoes! Look at that? Look at that! All he et? All he et! Ohhhhhhh

All he eta, look at all he eta, All he eta, look at all of that!

 

Scouting Forever and Venture On!

Crew21_Adv

[moosetracker]

I don't think I would have an issue with the similar skit with potatoes or any of the other ones mentioned.. Except for, as others mentioned a gym floor, even with plastic down, would not be the place for it. I know gyms where it is either socks or gym sneakers (no street shoes), a new gym has even had us wear only gym sneakers that have never been worn outdoors for it's first year. I would not throw food around on a schools gym floor.

 

To truth I have never seen this "cool & creamy" skit..

 

The thing with this is simply the match of the phrase and the chosen food item. It takes what is good clean fun in all other cases into border line, and I would call this border line, because drawing the parallel image may or may not happen.

 

To truth, I am one who most stuff goes over my head. Then my husband will clue me in on what he (and half the boys in the troop) were snickering about. Or their sneakering would make me look the situation over again looking for sexual overtones.. If we watched this skit, that would probably be what would happen here.

 

It is just reading the skit, with the heads up to look for what is inappropriate, I picked up on it immediately.