The sexual orientation of yet another cartoon character has been called
in to question. The debate over Ernie and Bert has been raging for
years and many have often wondered if good old Bugs is a transvestite
(he *does* love to dress in women's clothing quite frequently). Now one
of the innocent little teletubbies -- Tinky Winky-- has come under
attack and is being forced out of the closet. Tinky Winky is the
favourite teletubby of my young nephew, does this mean that I should be
concerned about his sexual orientation as an adult? Is he being unduly
influenced... give me a break! This is one of THE most ridiculous
stories to come over the newswires in quite some time.
Falwell's Latest Target: Teletubby
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Roanoke, Va. - The Rev. Jerry Falwell is trying to out Tinky
Winky,
suggesting that the purple, purse-toting character on television's
popular "Teletubbies" children's show is gay.
A spokesman for Itsy Bitsy Entertainment Co., which licenses
the
Teletubbies in the United States, said the purse is actually Tinky
Winky's magic bag.
"The fact that he carries a magic bag doesn't make him gay,"
Steve
Rice said. "It's a children's show, folks. To think we would be
putting
sexual innuendo in a children's show is kind of outlandish."
The February edition of the National Liberty Journal, edited
and
published by Falwell, says Tinky Winky has the voice of a boy but
carries a purse. "He is purple - the gay-pride color; and his
antenna is
shaped like a triangle - the gay-pride symbol."
Falwell contends the "subtle depictions" are intentional and
issued
a statement yesterday that said, "As a Christian I feel that role
modeling the gay lifestyle is damaging to the moral lives of
children."
Rice said Falwell was attacking "something sweet and innocent"
to
further his conservative political agenda.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Falwell's Latest Target: Teletubby., Newsday,
02-10-1999, pp A08.
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The sexual orientation of yet another cartoon character has been called
in to question. The debate over Ernie and Bert has been raging for
years and many have often wondered if good old Bugs is a transvestite (he
*does* love to dress in women's clothing quite frequently). Now one of
the innocent little teletubbies -- Tinky Winky-- has come under attack
and is being forced out of the closet. Tinky Winky is the favourite
teletubby of my young nephew, does this mean that I should be concerned
about his sexual orientation as an adult? Is he being unduly influenced...
give me a break! This is one of THE most ridiculous stories to come
over the newswires in quite some time.
Falwell's Latest Target: Teletubby
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Roanoke, Va. - The
Rev. Jerry Falwell is trying to out Tinky Winky,
suggesting that the purple, purse-toting
character on television's
popular "Teletubbies" children's show is
gay.
A spokesman for
Itsy Bitsy Entertainment Co., which licenses the
Teletubbies in the United States, said
the purse is actually Tinky
Winky's magic bag.
"The fact that
he carries a magic bag doesn't make him gay," Steve
Rice said. "It's a children's show, folks.
To think we would be putting
sexual innuendo in a children's show is
kind of outlandish."
The February edition
of the National Liberty Journal, edited and
published by Falwell, says Tinky
Winky has the voice of a boy but
carries a purse. "He is purple - the gay-pride
color; and his antenna is
shaped like a triangle - the gay-pride
symbol."
Falwell contends
the "subtle depictions" are intentional and issued
a statement yesterday that said, "As a
Christian I feel that role
modeling the gay lifestyle is damaging
to the moral lives of children."
Rice said Falwell
was attacking "something sweet and innocent" to
further his conservative political agenda.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Falwell's Latest Target: Teletubby., Newsday, 02-10-1999, pp A08. --------------783536F6D01FF70CB8F2913A--