Tinky Winky In & Out

The Article From Jerry Falwell 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. South Park Invasion     The creators of South Park, the juvenile animated series that airs on Comedy Central, have released a set of trading cards depicting episodes from the series that are now being sold in toy, hobby and sports card stores across the nation.    Parents should be aware that the cards feature the same impudent and vile language as the series. God’s name is frequently taken in vain, other four-letter words are continually uttered, female characters are routinely referred to in vile terms and human waste named Mr. Hankey becomes a live, speaking character.    In addition, the character of Kenny is brutally massacred in every broadcast while the remaining characters respond, “Oh my God, they’ve killed Kenny.” Many of those killings are also depicted in the card series. The trading cards are the exact size of traditional sports cards, making it easy for kids to sneak them into the home.     Acclaim Entertainment recently began selling the South Park video game -- which also features extreme violence and obscene language -- for Nintendo 64 with the support of a multi-million dollar marketing campaign. Disney’s Hollow ‘Promise’ to Parents     On January 8, the Walt Disney Company announced a recall of 3.4 million video copies of its animated film, The Rescuers, after two frames of the film were discovered to exhibit the figure of a nude woman. Disney had earlier refused to recall videos of the films The Little Mermaid and The Lion King after parents complained that other subliminal messages were hidden in scenes from those movies.    Disney said it is recalling the videos to “keep its promise to families that they can trust and rely on the Disney name to provide the finest in family entertainment.” If that promise is true, families across the nation wonder why obviously planned offensives persistently show up in the company’s videos.    “Certainly the image in The Little Mermaid of the clergyman who obtains [sexual stimulation] while performing the wedding ceremony qualifies as an image that does not belong in a children’s video,” said Cathy Brown, director of Why Life? (the youth division of American Life League). “And having the letters S-E-X float across the screen in The Lion King is objectionable as well. Why hasn’t Disney recalled these videos?” she asked.

``Over the hills and far away, Teletubbies come to play.'' Opening line of PBS children's show, ``Teletubbies.'' Perhaps those words confused the Rev. Jerry Falwell about my granddaughter's favorite show. He must have thought it said, ``come out'' to play. But these words and this show have nothing to do with the sexual orientation of the character Tinky Winky or his other three live-in mates. Teletubbies are just well-rounded, cartoonish forms with big bottoms and a penchant to say silly things ... which is a lot like Jerry Falwell. For some reason, Mr. Moral Majority has designated 1999 as the year he'll step into a pile of poo of his own making every time he opens his mouth. His latest mess appeared in the National Liberty Journal, which he publishes and edits. Under a headline that read ``Parents Alert: Tinky Winky Comes Out of the Closet'' the article reasoned: Because Tinky Winky has a triangle on his head, is purple and carries a handbag, the show promotes a gay lifestyle. A triangle is the symbol of gay pride, and purple is a color of choice, Falwell's paper said. USA Today reported last month that some in the gay community have claimed Tinky Winky. The Washington Post recently included ``T.W'' in its In/Out column, referring to gays out of the closet and those still in. Leave it to adults to ruin something innocent and enjoyable. Perhaps they'll even demand the opening line of the show be changed to: ``Over the hills and far away, omigosh the Teletubbies are gay!'' Yes, Tinky Winky has a male voice and carries a bag. Big deal. But Falwell believes it's characteristic of gay men to carry purses and prance over hills. Holy Homophobic Hysteria, Batman! Has this guy been smoking some Jerusalem Joy Weed? The furor hasn't died down from Falwell's anti-Christ crisis, and now he's taking on a show loved by toddlers and mothers. Anything that gets 1- and 2-year-olds to stop their Energizer Bunny romp around the house and sit still is a Godsend to Moms and Dads. But Falwell's given ``Teletubbies'' his curse. Here's a quick primer on the show: It's geared to the youngest of children. It's repetitious, kind of like the Senate impeachment hearings. Dialogue is very simple. Four actors dressed in costumes utter up to three words at a time. And they eat Tubbytoast and Tubbycustard. Why Teletubbies? Each character has a TV screen in their bellies, which weirds out a few adults but makes manufacturers like Sony and Magnavox very happy. All have different-shaped antenna on their heads to receive a signal to show a video of children playing. Each receiver is shaped like the antenna household TVs used in the '50s, '60s and '70s. For those of you who had a triangle antenna on your TVs, please see your doctor to re-confirm your sexuality. You know about Tinky Winky. And he has a magic bag, in which he can hide anything. Except, according to Falwell, his flaming sexuality. Laa-Laa is yellow and loves to put on a ballerina skirt to dance. Her antenna is curled, which, come to think of it, looks like something sexual, but I'm not perverted enough to figure it out. Does anyone have Falwell's phone number? Dipsy is light green with a straight antenna on his head, which come to think of it looks phallic. Po is red and the baby of the group. She has a scooter as a toy and a circle for an antenna, which, come to think of it, is the shape of a birth control dispenser. Boosting promiscuous sex? You betcha. A phone receiver rises out of the ground to repeat phrases like ``Where have the Teletubbies gone?'' ``Time for Tubbie Bye-Bye'' and ``Boy, we sure hope Falwell isn't watching.'' For the past six months, my granddaughter has had a Tinky Winky doll. Yesterday, her Mom reported: ``She was playing and flirting with a little boy. They were chasing each other around the library.'' But she also plays with girls, Mom said. So, maybe our granddaughter is bisexual by Falwellian standards. Sorry, Jerry. Beginning today, she and I are going to be watching videotapes of ``Teletubbies.'' And having a gay old time.

The Reverend Jerry Falwell, a former spokesman for America's Moral Majority, has denounced the BBC TV children's show. He says it does not provide a good role model for children because Tinky Winky is gay. Cheerful Tinky Winky, the purple character with the triangular aerial on his head, carries a handbag - but apart from that seems much the same as his friends Laa-Laa, Dipsy and Po. The characters are famous for their use of baby language, including the catchphrases "eh-oh" meaning "hello", and "uh-oh" for "oh dear". But the Teletubbies have made the Rev Falwell, chancellor of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, hot under the collar. He decided to "out" Tinky Winky in the February edition of his National Liberty Journal. 'Subtle depictions' In an article called Parents Alert: Tinky Winky Comes Out of the Closet, he says: "He is purple - the gay-pride colour; and his antenna is shaped like a triangle - the gay-pride symbol." He said the "subtle depictions" of gay sexuality are intentional and later issued a statement that read: "As a Christian I feel that role modelling the gay lifestyle is damaging to the moral lives of children." In the same article he also condemned the US animated show South Park as "vile and impudent". The Teletubbies, aimed at pre-school children, is immensely popular in the UK and around the world. The show was first broadcast on US public TV last spring where it is now as popular as another children's show, Barney, a singing dinosaur. But perhaps parents should beware of Barney as well - he also happens to be purple. 'Absurd and offensive' The Teletubbies are portrayed by actors in oversized, brightly coloured costumes. They all have television screens on their tummies and, according to the story line, live in a "chromedome" hidden in the hills. Steve Rice, a spokesman for Itsy Bitsy Entertainment, which licenses the Teletubbies in the US, said : "The fact that he carries a magic bag doesn't make him gay. "It's a children's show, folks. To think we would be putting sexual innuendo in a children's show is kind of outlandish. "To out a Teletubby in a pre-school show is kind of sad on his part. I really find it absurd and kind of offensive." A BBC spokeswoman said: "This is not the first time that people have read symbolism into a children's TV programme and it probably won't be the last. "As far as we are concerned Tinky Winky is simply a sweet, technological baby with a magic bag."

Thanks to the Rev. Jerry Falwell, I now realize the extent of the vast homosexual conspiracy aimed at our nation's youth. This is not just about Tinky Winky, a purse-carrying, tutu-wearing, purple Teletubby who was "outed" by the reverend. Oh, no. This conspiracy has been around for centuries and is everywhere. I'm not even going to delve into the ancient Olympics in Greece, in which athletes competed NUDE! Instead, let me take you to the last sports event you attended. What's the tune inevitably played to "excite" the audience? "YMCA! It's fun to stay at the YMCA! They have everything for young men to enjoy, you can hang out with all the boys . . . YMCA!" Mere coincidence? I think not. If the vast homosexual conspiracy wins, your son will start prancing like the cowboy in the Village People. Or, worse, like the hard-hat. Thanks to the Rev. Jerry Falwell, I also began to closely look at our popular culture, and how it was permeated by homosexual signs - the purple color and the triangle gay-pride symbols, or Tinky-Winky talking in a boy's voice but toting a purse. A spokesman for Teletubbies said that was no purse that Tinky-Winky carried, but a "magic bag." Yeah, sure. Look in that "magic bag" and you'll probably find the latest issue of Architectural Digest and the IKEA catalog. You start thinking about the conspiracy, and you begin to understand how this gay stuff is everywhere. On the cable channels, they're still re-running old "CHiPs" shows, the ones in which Larry Wilcox and Erik Estrada portrayed California Highway Patrol officers. You ever wonder about those outfits consisting of really tight stretch pants and motorcycle boots, as the two main "buddy" characters, Jon Baker and Ponch Poncherella, ride off into the sunset? Coincidence? I think not. Did you ever wonder why the world-champion Chicago Bulls decided to name its offense the "Triangle?" It used to be called a "triple-post," but then the team that welcomed makeup-wearing, hair-color-tinting Dennis Rodman decided to rename it the "Triangle." Coincidence? I think not. I can go to the library, and find a children's classic such as "The Story of Ferd `Ferdinand.' " If not the book, versions of the story can be seen in cartoons that fill the hundreds of cartoon hours on TV. I used to think it was an innocent kids' tale. But the Rev. Falwell warned that parents have to be aware of "subtle depictions" that promote a gay lifestyle. So what does this Ferdinand character do? He refuses to fight in the bull ring like a real macho bull would, but instead decides he prefers smelling flowers. Coincidence? I think not. I now realize that on television, it started way, way before the Teletubbies. Kids, go ahead, ask Grandpa about Milton Berle, who had a top-rated TV show in the 1950s. Ask Grandpa about the skits in which "Uncle Miltie" appeared in drag. Or, ask your parents about watching Flip Wilson on his hit TV show in the early '70s, also cross-dressing in the name of "comedy." Coincidence? I think not. The more you ponder the vast conspiracy, the vaster and vaster it becomes. Like the color purple. It is everywhere. I mean, we have an entire university right here in Seattle that has a real thing about the color purple. I certainly would like to know a bit about the original University of Washington alumni who were so enthralled with that hue. It wouldn't surprise me if it included a lot of "arts" majors. The Rev. Jerry Falwell said parents have to be especially concerned with the homosexual lifestyle promoted on television, as the average kid watches up to 35 hours of TV a week. In my household, there is a young male who has been the recipient of years of these conspiratorial images. I would like to report to the Rev. Jerry Falwell that recently I witnessed how it is all turning out. It was half-time during the Super Bowl and I was in the kitchen. Suddenly I heard a young voice yell, "Hooters!" It was the Victoria's Secret commercial. We were watching a commercial supposedly aimed at straight guys, but with models wearing purple. I don't know, Reverend, I'm starting to think this conspiracy is a little too subtle for me.

EKU FREAKS