Huckabee's Children

Someone wrote that Mike Huckabee has a son who hanged a stray dog from a tree for the fun of it. That is serial killer stuff. I have no idea if the story is true. I thought of it, though, when Huckabee made news yesterday, selling his new book in which he is scornfully critical of the Obamas' parenting because they allow their daughters to listen to Beyonce.

In case you don't know, Beyonce is a gigantic pop star, respectable as far as I know, maybe a billionaire, and a major force in youth and young adult culture these days. Huckabee's suggestion that good parents should ban her music reminds me of earlier singers old white dudes attempted to ban. When I was about ten, they were banning Frank Sinatra from their homes. I'm trying to recall why. Sinatra was kind of skinny and ugly but the girls liked him. That was one reason. He did not serve in World War II--I think he failed the physical. Rebellious teenagers who cut their hair too short out of disrespect and called adults "Daddio" were Sinatra fans. Sinatra was known as a womanizing rebel. Christian parents banned his records. Later they banned the Beatles and Stones and Madonna and heavy metal and whatever. There's always someone to point to.

Huckabee is running for President. He's nailing down the fundamentalists who vote in the Iowa caucuses. In the end I doubt if the Republicans are suicidal enough to make a Beyonce-banner their candidate.