"Thomas The Tank Engine" Drives "Conservative Political Ideology"

[Play The Man]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/12...s_and_friends/

Research by the University of Alberta has chillingly revealed that kids' TV show Thomas and Friends may be engendering a "conservative political ideology" in future generations - a repressive mindset which "punishes individual initiative, opposes critique and change, and relegates females to supportive roles".

Shauna Wilton and friends from the uni's Department of Social Sciences analysed 23 episodes of the programme, and noted that while it "conveys a number of positive political values such as tolerance, listening, communicating with others and contributing to the community", there is a dark side to Thomas the Tank Engine.

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

Furthermore, "of 49 main characters listed in the show, only eight were female, reflecting a general trend among children's programming".

Wilton concluded: "We tend to think of children's TV shows as neutral and safe, but they still carry messages. Eventually these children will attain full political citizenship, and the opinions and world outlook they develop now, partially influenced by shows like Thomas and Friends, are part of that process."

Wilton's findings, presented earlier this year to the Canadian Political Science Association, will doubtless add to a growing sense of unease among parents following the news that Disney, among others, punts "strictly heterosexual values" to wide-eyed kiddies.

Those among you with sprogs who wish to raise gay radicals are accordingly advised to avoid animated steam engines and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

[Play The Man]

Here is the story referenced above about Disney films:http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/06/24/film_research/

Parents who'd rather hoped that sticking their brats in front of a Disney film would result in nothing more serious than whining demands for associated merchandising will be horrified to learn that such movies are punting strictly heterosexual values to impressionable minds.

That's according to Emily Kazyak and Karin Martin, who probed top-grossing G-rated films and discovered that, contrary to "the notion that such movies are without sexual content", they actually "send a memorable message to impressionable young viewers that heterosexual love is not only the norm, but that it is also exceptional, powerful, transformative and magical".

To arrive at this shock conclusion, Kazyak and Martin "analyzed all G-rated movies released, or rereleased, between 1990 and 2005 that grossed more than $100m in the United States".

Three trained operatives "extracted story lines, images, scenes, songs and dialogue that addressed anything about sexuality, including depictions of bodies, kissing, jokes, romance, weddings, dating, love, where babies come from, and pregnancy."

Then, mercifully offering a much-needed IT angle, "the text describing this material was inductively coded using a qualitative software program".

The researchers explain in the journal Gender & Society: "Characters in love are surrounded by music, flowers, candles, magic, fire, balloons, fancy dresses, dim lights, dancing and elaborate dinners. Fireflies, butterflies, sunsets, wind and the beauty and power of nature often provide the setting for - and a link to the naturalness of - hetero-romantic love."

And if that's not enough, heterosexuality is "construed through depictions of overtly feminized women and masculine males, with the male characters spending much of their time longingly gazing at the former".

The message is further rammed home when "toys and other products tied to the films later reinforce the images".

The upshot of all this is that kids' entertainment is doing little to promote gay awareness and "continues to perpetuate a less inclusive message". The researchers conclude: "Both ordinary and exceptional constructions of heterosexuality work to normalize its status because it becomes difficult to imagine anything other than this form of social relationship or anyone outside of these bonds."

[flo]

Thomas the Tank Engine made me think of Theodore Tug.

God forgib we teach our kids that love between a man and a woman is a beautiful thing.

Perhaps the next time snow white finds her prince the prince's gay brother should bone one of the dwarves.


STRAIGHT PRIDE

My son loves watching Thomas And Friends! And I for one hope he develops the "conservative political ideology" that the show is pushing!

And that's exactly why they are kids shows, because we need to raise up our kids the RIGHT way. I think its funny(in a sad way) that all these new shows have homosexuality in them, yet heaven forbid a children's show is focused on heterosexual relationships. Why should society be forced to be accepting of homosexuality? If they want to lie a gay lifestyle then they can do that, but when they try to push their ideals onto us and the children, that's where I start to get a little po'd.

Originally Posted by Play The Man

Here is the story referenced above about Disney films:http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/06/24/film_research/

And doesn't Disney have Gay Pride Day at their theme parks?

Originally Posted by CAVEMAN

And doesn't Disney have Gay Pride Day at their theme parks?

I think at tis point we know it's never enough for the gay pride movement.

After they get everything they want they'll demand we pay them for making them wait so long