Thomas the Tank Engine is TEH EVIL!!!

[fireheart17]

OK, I was exaggerating on that last part.

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/s...006301,00.html

Basically, according to this lady, Thomas the Tank Engine is promoting a conservative political structure and punishing individuality.

OK....lady, it's a friggin kids show. The kids are more focused on the adventures of the brightly coloured engines, not the political meanings behind the messages. Most kids grow out of it by the time they're about 5 or 6 (roughly).

For the record, I do NOT agree with the comments in the article published. (many of them are focusing on the part where women are often shown as nagging, bossy and treated like second-class citizens so to speak)

[Mr Slugger]

Not Found

Honestly though I don't like that show at all. I'd rather not have the youngest watch that one, but honestly there's something about the show that's just off to me. Everytime I saw it someone was being an ass to someone else. Or had a snobby attitude.

[Kheldarson]

I didn't like the "real" part of the show when I watched it. I loved Mr. Conductor, but that was about it. Everybody else seemed to be a jerk. But I liked the trains. I preferred episodes where it was mostly the trains getting in trouble.

And where's this lady getting the political stuff from? Didn't we learn not to overanalyze kids' shows with Teletubbies?

[AdminAssistant]

I never watched it.

But I loved that George Carlin was Mr. Conductor.

[BlaqueKatt]

But I loved that George Carlin was Mr. Conductor.

so was Ringo Starr for a while

[Greenday]

This was my favorite show when I was a little kid. I don't remember anything horrible about the show, though I was really young when I watched it.

[Lace Neil Singer]

New Linky

This woman needs to get a life. -.- Honestly, haven't any of the people whinging about kids programmes being evil have anything better to do?

Also, there are loads of kids TV programmes where there are more women than men. Example from my childhood; She-ra. Mostly women, with a few guys including the bad guy.

[fireheart17]

Thanks for the link Lace. Whoops, I didn't realise mine had gone by the wayside.

[AdminAssistant]

Eh, I see both sides in this. The comments are hilarious, "Who has time for studies on this??? RAWR RAWR RAWR" Dude, she's an academic, likely in Women's/Gender studies. This is what academics do, mkay? Take a piece of popular culture and rip it apart. It's very popular right now. Gender studies really isn't the hottest topic right now (race/nationalism/post-colonialism takes that spot), but it's still really hot. You want to get published? Write about the representation of women in some aspect of pop culture. Double points for including "the children."

[powerboy]

Oh man, I loved that show. Some things should be left alone

[RootedPhoenix]

I don't see the point of getting all riled up about a kid's show.

It's just a story. People aren't always trying to communicate something insulting and terrible. Sometimes it's just a story.

[jackfaire]

If you want something political look at the movie, "Little Monsters" That movie was always trying to convince us there were monsters under the bed so they could legislate against bed frames.

[Slytovhand]

I, naturally, have to go completely against consensus here (and in the comments section on the article).

The first decade or so, and in particular the first 6 years or so, of a person's life are the most important for teaching how society works and what's 'normal'. A sexually abused child from age (say) 6 will be a very different one from when aged 16. They will grow up to have very different outlooks on life. The older one may think "Why did this happen to me? What have I done?" etc. The younger one will just take what happens as a 'normal' part of life - until later when it's shown to not be so 'normal'.

Similarly, what they see on television is 'normal' - they provide lessons and guidelines. That's why shows like Sesame Street and Playschool and the like abound our TV's - to teach kids things, and they get praised for 'getting it right'.

By showing things on TV, and reproducing those things in society (and either praised, or not punished), they are being taught the 'right' way to behave. If TV shows depict the same things over and over, they will see that as normal, as a part of society - especially when society keeps reinforcing those ideas (decades and centuries on...).

Now, if you're thinking "What a load of complete crap!!!!", then consider this... do we still live in a patriarchal society? If so, why? Apparently, we don't think we should be... and yet, we are.. Why hasn't this changed? "Oh, because people haven't...". Isn't it because we haven't allowed our children to see things differently? Because, they keep getting taught the same things the same way, generation after generation?

Who are the ones who inspire us to be different? Are they different, or do they strut out the same stuff as everyone else?

Children are our future... and it's only fucked if we teach them so....

[blas87]

I'm pretty damn scared of today's children being the future.

Like, so much that I hope I'm dead before 40.