Hold the Hoopla on That Mad-Carl’s Burger, Teachers Say

In a week in which a 7-year-old girl dies because her parents want her to set a flight record, need we worry about purple-haired basketball player Dennis Rodman? In other words, who poses the greater threat to our children--who they see on TV or who they see across the dinner table?

Maybe the correct answer is that both are potentially dangerous to their well-being, but, for now, Rodman almost seems like comic relief when considering Jessica Dubroff’s death.

In a quirk of timing not their fault, 17 teachers and administrators at Truman Benedict Elementary School in San Clemente are protesting Carl’s Jr. Restaurants for hiring the (literally) colorful Rodman as its pitchman in upcoming commercials. They’re boycotting the fast-food chain and urging others to protest to corporate headquarters in Anaheim.

Rodman is the reigning bad boy of the National Basketball Assn., mostly because of his quirky behavior on and off the court, culminating in his recent head-butting of a referee. It doesn’t help Rodman’s cause in some quarters that he dyes his hair with alarming regularity, is covered with tattoos and dated Madonna.

In airing their complaints, the Benedict 17 wrote, “Mr. Rodman’s public image and often unsportsmanlike play does not, in our opinion, make for a positive role model for the children who have been placed in our charge. It is amazing to us that a restaurant chain which led the way in promoting a healthy environment by banning smoking in its establishments, offering healthy alternative menu items, encouraging students with certificates and food awards, and supporting schools with special events, would pick such a person as Mr. Rodman and his image to promote their product.”

One of the signees, fifth-grade teacher Marvin Waltman, told me last week that the protest grew from the group’s frustration in trying to instill good traits in students.

“It’s so hard to raise them with values and standards as it is, with all the single-parent families and the daily variety of entertainment on TV and the stuff that is anti-parent or anti-authoritarian,” Waltman said. “This just seemed to be one step too far.”

Rodman’s tattoos and rotating hair colors aren’t the issue, Waltman said. “It’s going beyond that to violence and disrespect.”

Carl’s Jr. spokeswoman Suzi Brown suggested it’s the teachers who have stepped out of bounds. “I know a lot of people see him as an unconventional person,” she said, “but lots of others see him as a superstar athlete with a passion for basketball and an intense, competitive nature.”

She said the commercial in which Rodman will appear was filmed before his head-butting incident and will air sometime during the NBA playoffs. It will feature Rodman eating a “Super Star” burger.

Rodman’s hiring marks the first time the Orange County-based chain has used a recognizable name, Brown said. “He wasn’t selected as a role model,” she said. “We thought it would be fun to show a superstar enjoying one of our Super Star burgers.”

The target audience is 18 to 34 years old and mostly male, Brown said.

“I think young people choose wisely and care who their role models will be,” she said. “Certainly there are a lot of athletes and celebrities and even politicians that parents might not consider role model material for their kids. But I really think that kids can choose carefully, and most young people still identify with their parents as their role model. This is just a TV commercial.”

To decide things, I hastily convened a panel of experts last week outside a Carl’s Jr. in Huntington Beach. Four teenage boys on bicycles thought the flap was much ado about nothing. “He’s cool. I like the way he dyes his hair,” said John, 15.

Is Rodman a good role model? I asked.

“He’s not a role model to me, because I don’t like basketball,” John said.

Sixteen-year-old Brent says Rodman’s look has a purpose. “I think he does that to look aggressive on the court.” He said Rodman’s commercial wouldn’t have any impact on him, one way or the other.

“Let kids be kids,” 16-year-old Brad suggested.

I know the teachers’ hearts are in the right place, but they’re bucking two forces of nature. The first is youth’s inclination to be rebellious; the second is corporate America’s inclination to make money.

Waltman, who at 53 is the perfect age to remember a rebel named Elvis Presley, knows all that.

“We didn’t have any dreams of bringing Carl’s Jr. to their knees. We just felt they were getting publicity out of this, and we needed to speak up here that, no, this doesn’t seem right to us.”

Objection duly noted. Now, back to the larger tasks at hand.

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Dana Parsons’ columns appears Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Readers may reach Parsons by writing to him at the Times Orange County Edition, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626, or calling (714) 966-7821.