Jerry Falwell Versus the Teletubbies: A Portrait in Tubby Custard
SATIRICUS
Alert" article from the February 1999 National Liberty Journal advertised on
Jerry Falwell's own personal website (www.falwell.com) as "Dr. Falwell's
Monthly Newsaper":
"PARENTS ALERT . . . PARENTS ALERT
Tinky Winky Comes Out of the Closet
The sexual preference of Tinky Winky, the largest of the four Teletubbies
characters on the series that airs in America on PBS stations, has been the
subject of debate since the series premiered in
England in 1997.
The character, whose voice is obviously that of a boy, has been found
carrying a red purse in many episodes and has become a favorite character
among gay groups worldwide.
Now, further evidence that the creators of the series intend for Tinky
Winky to be a gay role model have surfaced. He is purple -- the gay-pride
color; and his antenna is shaped like a triangle -- the gay-pride symbol.
Furthering Tinky’s "outing" was a recent Washington Post editorial that
cast the character’s photo opposite that of Ellen DeGeneres in an "In/Out"
column. This implies that Ellen is "out" as the chief national gay
representative, while Tinky Winky is the trendy "in" celebrity.
These subtle depictions are no doubt intentional and parents are warned to
be alert to these elements of the series. However, many families are allowing
the series to entertain their children. In the January 10 Blockbuster "Hit
List" of the top-ten selling videos, two Teletubbies titles appeared on the
list. The itsy bitsy Entertainment Company will release interactive
Teletubbies dolls in March.
_________________________________________
> Preface to Jerry Falwell's Press Statement in the Wake of His Newspaper's
Stirring Up the Tinky Winky-Is-Gay Controversy with His Apparent Blessing
[Note: The preface was apparently written by Falwell himself]:
Associated Press reporter David Reed in Roanoke, Virginia recently wrote a
devious article in which he implied that Dr. Jerry Falwell had determined that
Tinky Winky of the Teletubbies is gay. Reed left the impression that Dr.
Falwell had launched an attack on the teletubbies. Dr. Falwell has never seen
the teletubbies' TV program. Dr. Falwell has never commented in any way on the
teletubbies. He did not "out" Tinky Winky. Dr. Falwell is publisher of the
National Liberty Journal (NLJ). NLJ Senior Editor J.M. Smith wrote a "parents'
alert" in the NLJ February issue. That article [in its entirety] is posted [at
www.falwell.com]. Editor Smith wrote an excellent warning to parents about
monitoring what their children watch on TV. He did not attack the teletubbies
or call for a boycott of the teletubbies. He simply documented information that
had already been reported in Time, People, the Washington Post, CNN, E-Online
and other national media over the past year.
This entire controversy is the worst form of yellow journalism.... clearly
designed to stereotype and damage Dr. Falwell. . . .
------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Jerry Falwell's Own Press Statement on Children's Television Programming
Lynchburg, VA., Feb. 10, 1999 --- Children’s television is fun. It should
be. However, the content of children’s programming its messages, role models,
lessons, and heroes — is no laughing matter. Research shows that on average
American children watch 21 to 35 hours of television each week, culminating in
some 29,000 hours by the time they are 18 years old. That’s more time than a
child spends in the classroom (Pediatrics, October 1994). We know that
children’s minds absorb
multiple media messages at a phenomenal rate (if they didn’t, toy advertisers
wouldn’t spend so much on Saturday morning programming).
So, while I’d like to laugh along with those who are encouraging concerned
parents and critics to "lighten up" about children’s programming in general,
and the Teletubbies in particular, I find this
issue far too important to the future and well-being of our children. What
could be more important than what we feed the minds of our nation’s children?
The article in the February edition of the National Liberty Journal, which
encourages parents to screen the content of what their children watch on
television, is not the first to mention the implicit sexual preference of one
of the Teletubbies characters.
--- The Washington Post published an editorial last month categorizing gay
actress Ellen DeGeneres as "out" and "Tinky Winky, the gay teletubby" as "in"
(Jan. 1, 1999).
--- Time magazine, in an article on transsexuals, states that "in the past
five years, several movies, plays, tabloid shows and famous cross-dressers like
RuPaul have moved drag from the fringes of gay culture to prime time. Even
Teletubbies, a show for toddlers, features Tinky Winky, a boy who carries a red
patent-leather purse" (July 20, 1998).
--- A Dec. 28, 1998 People magazine article states that "gay men have made
the purse-toting Tinky Winky a camp icon."
As a Christian, I believe that role-modeling the gay lifestyle is damaging
to the moral lives of children. I find the flat denials of such a portrayal by
Teletubbies producers to be disingenuous and insufficient in answering the
questions that have been raised about the Tinky Winky character since the
series premiered in England in 1997.Children’s minds are our most precious
resource and should be treated with care. I encourage parents to stand as
informed guardians of the messages communicated to their children through
children’s programming and not to leave that most important of responsibilities
in the hands of others whose motives may be questionable.
--- Rev. Jerry Falwell
____________________________________________
SATIRICUS REX's Rebuttal:
The National Liberty Journal is advertised on Jerry Falwell's own personal
website (www.falwell.com) as "Dr. Falwell's Monthly Newsaper." Indeed, the
banner at the top of Falwell's current web page reads: "Click here and receive
a FREE One-Year Subscription to Dr. Falwell's Monthly Newsaper, The National
Liberty Journal." NLJ newspaper Editor Smith in the context of his so-called
"parent alert" DID most certainly attack Tinky Winky with unqualified and
groundless assertions about Tinky Winky's supposed sexual orientation that
aspired to smear the Teletubbies' own creators with a conspiracy of an agenda
that allegedly was supposed to subliminally make young children more tolerant
of homosexuals. Likewise, through his mentions of the Teletubbies toys, the
editor's own implied wild-eyed message was: "Parents, don't buy your children
and Teletubbies toys and don't let them watch that show, either!"
Apparently, in the wake of Antichrist-will-be-a-Jew controversy, Falwell &
Company are trying to create a diversion by pouncing on anything that's even
remotely exploitable, no matter how disingenuous it might be, in order to try
to conjure up a contraversy and supposedly renew Falwell's moral imperative in
the eyes of his followers who may have been taken aback by his
Antichrist-will-be-a-Jew bunk.
The Washington Post "In/Out" column from January 1, 1999 to which Falwell
referred is the annual "Who and What's In and Out Trendwise in 1999" column,
NOT "Who's In and Out of the Closet in 1999." Moreover, the fact that any gay
person might satirically adopt Tinky Winky as an icon is just that: satirical
camp. And by virtue of its being camp on the part of some gay people, that
doesn't make it so. It most certainly is NOT the fault of the creators of the
Teletubbies.
Moreover, the Teletubbies are spaceling children on another planet, not
humans. (But, of course, since Jerry Falwell readily admits that he's never
even seen the show before, he wouldn't know that, now would he?)
As far as I know, purple is NOT the gay pride color. If I'm not mistaken,
both the color pink and the triangle shape were adopted by some gay activists
because the color and shape are evocative of the pink triangles that Nazi
Germans made homosexuals wear in public and in the concentration/death camps.
So NO Tubby Custard or Tubby Toast for Jerry Falwell because of his
wild-eyed nonsense and outrageously paranoid sexual McCarthyism!
-- SATIRICUS REX ?:^)
____________________________________________
Excerpt from the Wednesday, Feb. 10, 1999 Associated Press News story by David
Reed:
REV. JERRY FALWELL SAYS TELETUBBY CHARACTER IS 'GAY'
ROANOKE, Va. (AP) -- Is the purple Teletubby character named Tinky Winky
gay?
The Rev. Jerry Falwell suspects so, telling parents that the purple
"Teletubbies" character from the popular children's television show is a
homosexual role model.
Under a headline that reads "Parents Alert: Tinky Winky Comes Out of the
Closet," an article in the February edition of the National Liberty Journal
notes that Tinky Winky has the voice of a boy yet carries a purse.
"He [Tinky Winky] is purple -- the gay-pride color; and his antenna is
shaped like a triangle -- the gay-pride symbol," the story said. The paper is
edited and published by Jerry Falwell.
Falwell contends the "subtle depictions" are intentional and in a statement
issued Tuesday said, "As a Christian, I feel that role modeling the gay
lifestyle is damaging to the moral lives of children."
A spokesman for Itsy Bitsy Entertainment Co., which licenses the
Teletubbies in the United States, said that what Falwell's newspaper described
as a 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 British show aimed at toddlers began airing on U.S. public television
stations last spring and is now as popular as Barney, a singing dinosaur who
*also* happens to be purple.
The Teletubbies are portrayed by actors in oversized, brightly colored
costumes. They all have television screens on their tummies and, according to
the story line, live in a superdome hidden in the hills.
Other than Tinky Winky, the troupe features Dipsy in green, Laa-Laa in
orange and Po in red. The Teletubbies dance, sing and share " bi-i-ig hugs"
beneath a radiant sun emblazoned with the face of a laughing infant.
Rice said Falwell was attacking "something sweet and innocent" to further
his conservative political agenda. " To out a Teletubby in a preschool show is
kind of sad on his part. I really find it absurd and kind of offensive," he
said.
Falwell's spokeswoman, Laura Swickard, said the founder of the now-defunct
Moral Majority agreed with everything that was in the National Liberty Journal
article and would not comment beyond his one-paragraph statement.
In 1997, Falwell urged General Motors, Chrysler and Johnson & Johnson to
withdraw their sponsorship of an episode of the sitcom "Ellen" when the lead
character announced her homosexuality.
Catherine Law
named as author of the Winky-is-a-gay-ploy article, he ends up
reiterating the points of the article, and making plain that he believes
every word of it. The mainstream press may have reported that some gays
liked Tinky, but that is not TinkyWinky's fault.
I have watched the show. The Teletubby in question is purple. He
speaks with a guy's voice. But not a gay voice. A fun, playful voice.
There is no lisp, nothing gay or unlike the behavior of the other
characters on the show. There is nothing sexual about the show at all.
They have little televisions on there tummies. They have little antenae
of various geometric shapes. Falwell's gay fixation is all in his mind,
and his kind's mind.
Is he trying for single-digit popularity?