‘Sweet Caroline’ No Longer Welcome at Penn State Football Games: Appropriate or Overreaction?

Commercials are becoming more suggestive and practically every movie these days, at some point, exposes someone's boobs or ass. And they're throwing a fit over "touching me, touching you"?! Ridiculous.

That admitted, doesn't everybody reading here admit that it'd be a goodam good idea if NONE of Neil Diamond's songs were ever played in public again?

After all, the guy wrote it as a tribute to Caroline Kennedy, and haven't we had enough of the Kennedy clan to sicken us until sometime in the 22nd Century?

Now what else dumb ass stuff can they expect us Penn Stater's to do? If this is what they think will be "appropriate" then they are sadly mistaken. I can't believe that 1 idiot can cause such a tragic disaster in Happy Valley. I don't even want to hear what they will think of next.

"touching me, touch you" does not predicate unwarranted contact.

Next they will ban "The Nittany Lion (song)" because the lyrics starts "Every college has a legend ..." I am sure that is a direct reference to Jerry "the molester" Sandusky.

Most rediculous thing I've ever heard! If it wasn't sexual last year, it isn't this year either!

One hell of an overreaction...

I abhor the actions of Sandusky and others involved in their individual ways, but banning a song.. come on... the song doesn't promote such actions... the song doesn't make people into pedophiles...

I'm glad they made up for their half-assed underreaction to Sandusky's pederasty and Graham Spanier's advocacy for sexual degeneracy for overreacting to Sweet Caroline! Oh! Oh! Oh!
http://www.americanthinker.co...

well we have finally gone backward and got to 1984.

They can always bring it back after Sandusky passes away. Until then, they can blame him.

sweet caroline is an amazing pep tune. i personally love it, they should have their campus vote on the issue instead of just a board of 10 people

This is ridiculous - reminds me of watching an old cassette of a young Betty White in her first tv series - arguing over appropriate childrens nursery rhymes - and ending up laughing -

Not only Sweet Caroline, but all other songs that contain even the slightest hint of any
suggestive lyrics. This should significantly curtail the list of available pep songs for several
years to Penn State, and hopefully teach them a lesson that will be very diffficult to forget.
And also hopefully, this should serve as a stark reminder to all other universities, colleges,
and other institutions of higher education, to mind strictly mind their P's and Q's regarding
their policies governing the conduct of all grown-ups around minor people both while upon
their campuses or otherwise under their jurisdiction. As they say in baseball, DON'T forget
to touch ALL BASES in order to score a run. This is especially true regarding policies
governing the conduct of adults concerning minor people. The safety and well being of
those kids is incumbant upon all of these institutions because many of these kids are their
future students and quite a few of them may, in fact, already be full fledged students of
these institutions. Remember, their future is in the hands of all of these institutions of
higher education. The importance of their safety and welfare can't be made any plainer
than that. Their future IS the future of ALL colleges and universities.

You're a fool.

All right, maybe I am a damn fool. But how would YOU feel about it if one of YOUR
minor sons or daughters was sexually molested by a member of the school faculty, and
the top brass simply looked the other way? If it were one of my sons or daughters, then
I'd be not only hyper pissed, but also very deeply hurt as well. Although I do feel quite
sympathetic towards the student body of Penn State for having to "face the music" (no
pun intended), especially for something that they're not accountable nor responsible for
in any way, I strongly feel that tough sanctions are in order for Penn State University.
They need to be upheld as an example as to what the concequenses are for failing to
put their priorities where they're needed most. The REAL fools are those individuals
who are suppose to be in charge of the safety and welfare of minor persons on their campuses or otherwise under their jurisdiction, but intentionally and overtly disregard
it all in the name of school prestege and glory, as is illustrated here with Penn State's
top brass. Hopefully, down the road, Penn State will alter their course, get back on
track, and will start giving a tinker's damn regarding the safety and welfare of minor
people both, while upon their campus, and while otherwise under their jurisdiction.

The overtones may be sexual, but it's not really a song about a non-consensual relationship...

... WOW!!! Welcome to 1984.

overreaction but funny

Wait isn't this song about an underage girl?

As usual an evildoers crimes trickle down to the innocent.

It would be okay and totally acceptable to ban it if Sandusky had been playing the song while molesting the children or something along those lines, but you can't ban all sexually suggestive songs just because some assclown decided to sexually abuse someone. That's like banning water because someone drowned.

Are you serious? This is a gross overreaction! Since when has Neil Diamond been considered "dirty"?

It's a little pathetic but I wouldn't fight this one. Too many feelings involved.

Absolutely unbelievable!!! Someone with an IQ of 70 must have thought of this!

The case itself is serious but not the song. The song didn't make him do the things he did. He did it because he is a douche bag. Shouldn't punish the people because of one song. That's ridiculous

The song sucks ass anyway.

and you can go home

Is that the kind of lame comeback you learn at Penitentiary State?

O MY GOD! How pathetic and I'll say it now.. a fan of Penn State no more. I was for years a follower of a program that was all around excellent.. from players graduating with useful degrees to becoming NFL greats. I always had a lot of respect for Paterno and his program. Yeah, I get that Sandusky is a monster and that Paterno should've done more, but Sandusky is in prison.. Paterno is dead (who couldn't, ,by the way, defend himself against accusations). Not much more can be done, soooo.. let's not allow the fans to sing Sweet Caroline anymore during the games because it has words in it about touching. Ewwww.. makes me think of Sandusky! Gimme a break... the song has nothing to do with molestation and everything to do with a natural relationship between a guy and a gal. It's been a part of the Penn State game for years and years! Ohhh.. perhaps the Red Sox should be asked to do the same thing eh? Hey.. it's a part of their game as well. Fricking witch hunts.

Lol, people are funny. As long as this doesn't mean I can't play Sweet Caroline in my high school pep band. Then it's not funny, it's angering.

However, I used to love that song until I learned that Neal Diamond wrote it for Caroline Kennedy when she was (what?) like 12 years old. Now THAT'S creepy.

I find people that ban things offensive, how about that angle?
And you know who usually shouts "Offensive" first, offensive people!!!

I can guarantee you, that is NOT what Neil Diamond meant there.

That's silly.

Really?! Did they take all the showers out of the school too?

No. They did leave the showers, but decided to remove the bars of soap.

Oh for God's sakes.

Dude, its just a song. Okay, somebody did something stupid, and illegal, banning the song has nothing to do with ANYTHING!!!