"Poland's watchdog for children's rights was quoted as saying she would ask psychologists to investigate whether the TV Teletubbies character Tinky Winky is gay.On Tuesday, she backed away from the comments.
Ewa Sowinska, ombudsman for children's rights, said in the latest edition of a magazine that the purse-carrying character on the British Broadcastinhg Corp.'s Teletubbies children's show could promote homosexuality.
Journalists from the weekly "Wprost" mentioned claims the Teletubbies promote homosexuality, to which Sowinska replied that she had heard of the issue.
The journalists then asked about Tinky Winky.
"I noticed that he has a purse, but I didn't realize he's a boy. At first I thought that must be a bother for him," Sowinska told the magazine in an interview her office approved before publication. "Later I learned that there could be some hidden homosexual undertones."
Sowinska said she would ask her office's psychologists to look into the allegations "and judge whether it can be shown on public television and whether the suggested problem really exists."
On Tuesday, Sowinska's spokeswoman Wieslawa Lipinska told The Associated Press that Sowinska "hasn't asked and won't ask" psychologists to investigate whether Teletubbies promote homosexuality.
"They are fictional characters, they have nothing to do with reality, and the bag and scissors and other props the fictional characters use are there to create a fictional world that speaks to children," Lipinska said. "We are not going to deal with this issue any more."
Sowinska is a member of the League of Polish Families party, which is militantly anti-gay rights and anti-abortion. The party is a junior member in the coalition government led by Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski.
A similar controversy erupted in the United States in 1999 when a publication belonging to the evangelical leader, the late Rev. Jerry Falwell, suggested that Tinky Winky was gay."
What do you think of this? Does it really matter anyway even if there are gay undertones in the show? Would you be concerned should you have a little boy who suddenly started carrying a purse?
By The Associated Press Published Wednesday May 30th, 2007 Appeared on page C3 of the Daily Gleaner
10 comments:
Can't be any worse then the wiggles... Grown men who act like gays, who are called the WIGGLES!!! Come on people.
This is all so hilarious. I don't think it matters at all even if the damn purple teletubbie was gay. People need to relax. Little boys and girls play with all sorts of different toys all the time, it doesn't mean that it is promoting homosexuality if the tubie is carrying a purse. That's so silly! My son who is three plays with a variety of different toys, from dolls and babies, trucks and cars, the Fisher Price dollhouse, and when he finds an empty purse of mine around the house, he'll put it on his shoulder and carries it around and say, "Look Mommy, I have a purse". It doesn't bother me in the least. When I was a little girl I like playing with action figures and G.I. Joes. But that never made me any different from being a girl who was boy crazy throughout the years. Haha
Oh for Heaven's sakes! When are people going to realize that being gay is not a choice and that it doesn't matter how many gay characters children see on tv or how any anti-gay church organizations or whatever their parents belong to! The reality of today's world is that homosexuals are here and aren't going anywhere and our society should be more accepting of them. That's just how it is today and we can't shelter our children from it. Watching a "gay" Teletubby with a purse with an upside down triangle (a pro-gay symbol) on its head is NOT going to stir something in a preschooler that says "hmm, I think I'll only like boys (or girls) because that Teletubby has a purse and it's pretty". Parents need to ligthen up and stop digging so much into trivial things like that. If a child is going to grow up to be gay, they are going to grow up to be gay no matter what they see on TV or what we let them play with. I would have no qualms whatsoever about my son carrying a toy purse or playing with dolls just the same way I have no qualms about the fact that he's seen his little friend getting her diaper changed. He's seen a vagina, big whoop. That doesn't mean he won't grow up to be gay anymore than it means he'll grow up to be a womanizer. We need to let kids be kids and love them for who they are and what they'll become no matter what and really focus on sheltering them from the real issues like violence and not worry about some stupid purple thing with a purse. And for the record, I don't let him watch Teletubbies because I think it's mind-numbing, annoying and pointless.
I agree, who cares. I don't see any tubbies kissing and making out. My baby girl plays with dinky cars, is this a sign. Doubt it.
I do not beleive that sexual undertones, or "double meanings" should be in children's movies or T.v. programs at all! (hetro or homo sexual!) Just look at a lot of the movies released in the last few years. Chalk full of that crap. I feel children should be educated about such things, age appropriate and at the parents discetion. And just like "straight" people don't run around shoving their sexuality at people, I would hope at some point "gay" people would chill too! Life is life. Relax.
I really dont care if there is gay undertones or anything else for that matter.. What people should really worried about with teletubies is that they dont speak flippin english and the promote bad communication for children. Just my thoughts
I don't think carrying a purse sends off any sexual undertones.So I'd say who cares, but I also don't allow telletubbies due to their whiny behavior. My neice watched them religiously when she was little and in return whined all the time. I have a 2 year old and if there's one thing I can not stand it is whining...so any show that will promote that is banned in my house.
uggh i agree with that.. lol just like caillou.. haha i can't stand either shows. it has nothing to do with "gay" though...after all we love sesame street in our house haha
really what little child is gonna see oh that's a boy and he's carrying a purse.. he must be gay/.. and even if thy did who cares .. this world has too many anti gay people out there already why should you make more with this.. 'controversy' .
really.. i think people should be more worried about the show having no educational benefits in it. by the time a kid is able to 'enjoy' it they are 10x smarter than the teletubbies.
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