Children's show may have political themes

[The Straight Story]

Children's show may have political themes


EDMONTON, Alberta, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Children's programming can carry underlying political themes that may surprise parents, a Canadian researcher suggests.

After analyzing 23 episodes of "Thomas and Friends," a show about a train, his friends and their adventures on a fictional island, political scientist Shauna Wilton, an assistant professor at University of Alberta, was able to identify themes that didn't seem constructive for youngsters.

"While the show conveys a number of positive political values such as tolerance, listening, communicating with others and contributing to the community, it also punishes individual initiative, opposes critique and change and relegates females to supportive roles," Wilton said in a statement.

The "Thomas and Friends" TV series is shown in 130 countries around the world.

"Storylines in several episodes that divided the characters into different social classes and punished those who tried to gain individual power," Wilton said. "Any change is seen as disrupting the natural order of things."

http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/TV/2009/12/11/Childrens-show-may-have-political-themes/UPI-86671260548609/

[walldude]

1. My kids used to love Thomas...

It was created by a minister so you gotta expect a bit of the old religious weirdness. But it was pretty harmless... kinda like Davey and Goliath was when I was a kid. I had no idea that was a religious show till I grew up.

[The Straight Story]

3. Ole Davey and Goliath:

[TheMightyFavog]

11. IIRc, thre really wan't that much religion in the stories...

IIRC, The stories were originally written to entertain the minister's son, who was bedridden for a while.

[brendan120678]

2. Sir Topham Hatt is a fascist dictator!!!! (nt)

[TheMightyFavog]

12. You mean the Fat Controller is a fascist dictator.

Made the mistake of referring to him as Sir Toppham Hat when I was in the UK. I got an angry earful.

[brendan120678]

14. Yes yes...but this is America. I'll use his American name. (nt)

[sharp_stick]

4. See below thread

for some fantastic Thomas commentary by A Heretic I Am

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7195533

[A HERETIC I AM]

10. Awww...thanks man! I'm glad what I wrote made you smile.

At least I hope it made you smile.

BTW, my point is further proven by the video that appears on the Thomas and Friends website;

http://www.thomasandfriends.com/usa/index.asp?origref=

When the page opens, a video will shortly begin in the lower right. Thomas is pulling a train up a hill. He wants to pull it up faster than another, much larger and more powerful engine is pulling his load up the hill. Again, out of stupidity, he damages his brakes and then becomes a runaway.

See? Total fucking asshole.

[Bill McBlueState]

5. I suspected as much from watching it with my kid

I'm pretty sure that if Sir Topham Hatt asked the engines to help take Sodor's unwelcome minorities to special camps on the other end of the island, Thomas would be first in line to help. "What a useful engine," the narrator would say.

[BoneDaddy]

6. Some people have way too much effing time on their hands

and bugs is promoting the evils of cross dressing.

[guitar man]

7. Stop it

You're going to ruin my daughter's Christmas :(

She's getting a Thomas train set (shhh). I guess we'll just have to make our own stories....we can put Sit Topham Hatt on the tracks and run over the capitalist bastard!

:rofl:

[blondeatlast]

8. Everything is political if you think about it. No big deal here. nt

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

9. I myself am rather suspicious of Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends.

And Wonder Pets is downright fascist.

[brendan120678]

15. Wonder Pets!!

I love that show...I mean, er...my 19 month old son loves that show!!

Sometimes, it even seems to magically find its way onto our TV even after he's in bed.


"This is sewious!"

[AspenRose]

13. This is why right wingers hate Sesame Street

and PBS in general. They don't like that multiculturalism/tolerance stuff.