My younger 2 like and watch Arthur(even though it is supposedly geared for younger children), my daughter is almost 14 and my younger son just turned 11. They are certainly familiar with such things but were very upset when they heard about the episode and did not feel like it was appropriate for a children’s show. We were happy to see that APTV chose not to air it, and judging by my facebook newsfeed it was a wise decision on their part. I don’t think they can afford to alienate a large portion of their viewing audience, hopefully word will get out because right now I’m only seeing an article shared about the PBS episode, not about Alabama choosing not to air it. I did comment on one post stating that fact and the person who shared it liked my comment about Alabama.
@HeartofDixie In all due respect, I am curious why your kids were upset about the Arthur episode and feel it was inappropriate for a kid’s show. Same-sex relationships exist. Do they see harm that children are exposed to this reality? What about children who themselves identify as gay? What about if a child has two mommies or two daddies? What about if they have friends at school with two mommies or two daddies? Or run into same sex couples holding hands on the street? What is the harm in exposure? Exposure to other races, religions, or sexual orientation doesn’t indoctrinate people to adopt anything for themselves. It simply exposes people, including children, to the many different types of people in society. Isn’t that a good thing? It helps to build tolerance of differences.
That is strange to me. Do they think that the fact that men marry other men should be a secret from preschoolers? If so, why? Does it bother you that your children think that soozievt’s charming daughter and her daughter’s lovely wife ought to be hidden away from children, as if they have something to be ashamed of? Are only same-sex spouses to be hidden, or are different-race spouses also shameful secrets?
I think it would have been reasonable for the station to give advance warning in some way that would reach most parents if they wanted to air the episode. Many parents trust that Arthur is benign and do not monitor the content so they should be given a heads up so that they can choose whether to let their child watch or to watch with them so that they can discuss and reinforce their beliefs.
Oh, so now same-sex weddings are malign?
Well I think you answered your own question right there.
I struggle to understand why your kids were upset though. {Because this is the internet I want to make sure you know I am NOT being snarky and AM asking in earnest.}
The explanation I could come up with, but which might be way off, is that they don’t know anyone who is gay and/or in a relationship, have never come across gay parents, or perhaps they think they don’t know anyone who is gay because the person never mentioned it.
So for them the cartoon is not depicting everyday life for children but something unknown or unreal.
(Are there gay kids at their school? Does it make them upset that gay kids exist? Are they friends with any gay person?)
Or is it rather the concept of a gay wedding (even if it was a civil celebration), the idea of a committed gay couple organizing a celebration of their union? Are they upset at the idea of the celebration?
Most likely, they are upset because someone taught them to be upset.
@HeartofDixie re: post 104:
But what does exposure have to do with one’s own beliefs? I’m glad my Jewish kids were exposed to other religions. It didn’t challenge their own beliefs.
Should the station warn parents before airing a show about Muslim holidays? Where do you draw the line?
And when you say Arthur is benign, how does the inclusion of a same sex wedding make it not benign? Are same sex couples now abnormal people?
Shouldn’t kids’ TV programs and books reflect the actual world and the population in it? Shouldn’t gay children see themselves represented by characters on TV and in books? By including all types of people in a TV show, it demonstrates to all children that they belong even if they are not all the same as one another.
Is inclusion and tolerance of differences a bad thing to expose children to? I think it’s important for all children to grow up and be aware of differences. It’s what will make this world a better place.
People and children can be “upset” all they want about same sex marriage, but this is not going away. Forget about cartoon rats, children are going to see it in IN PERSON in real life and somehow I bet they will all survive none the worse off. The tide is turning against demonization of gay people and I believe that one day no one, not even impressionable children, will even bat an eye at it. Sorry if this upsets those who have some sort of problem with homosexuality, but nothing is going to stop the fact that more and more people are coming to believe that homosexuality is a biological trait that cannot be chosen or “fixed”; this realization will logically be followed by a societal live and let live philosophy. No characterizations of the depictions of same sex marriage as “trash” or “sinful” will stop the tide. JMO.
I have to say I honestly find this whole “controversy” strange. The principal of my kids’ elementary school had a picture of her wife on her desk over a dozen years ago. When their female middle school teacher’s wife died the school held a memorial service. Two of their school librarians were a gay couple. There were so many openly gay people in their lives that I find the idea that they (or anyone else for that matter) might find the idea of gay educators shocking amusing.
We have some gay kids at school, one of my cousin’s ex-husband is now involved with a man. They are nice people and we have nothing against them, but yes, according the Bible we believe it is sin. My kids are nice to all people(unless they have done something to them to cause dislike), they would feel the same way about showing an unmarried couple living together in a children’s show. The result is normalizing something that we feel is wrong, doesn’t mean we dislike the people.
Well there you go.
The thing is, same sex relationships ARE normal for those in them. People do not choose to be gay.
What would you do if your son or daughter told you they were in love with someone of the same gender? I think you’ll say they would never do that because they believe it is a sin, but the fact is that they might be born or feel gay and attracted to someone of the same sex. Would you support your loved one? I worry about children who are gay and whose parents will not accept them for who they are.
What harm is it to expose children to others, different than themselves? It doesn’t mean they value same-sex marriage, but simply are aware of the reality of other types of people than themselves? Isn’t it a good thing to understand others who differ from you? What about other religions who believe very differently than your kids? What harm is it to be exposed to other’s belief systems even if you don’t “agree” with them? Such exposure can build tolerance and yes, “normalize” that there is more than one way or more than just your own way.
My children have been exposed to various types of people and beliefs and I am very straightforward with them about anything that comes up, better to explain it myself than let them get their information from peers or tv. We also understand though that much younger kids watch these shows and some don’t have parents that engage in active conversation with them, I just don’t think it is the job of media to decide what kids need to know. It is something that should be left up to parents or other involved adults in a child’s life, government and media are definitely overstepping their bounds these days.
“We have some gay kids at school, one of my cousin’s ex-husband is now involved with a man. They are nice people and we have nothing against them, but yes, according the Bible we believe it is sin. My kids are nice to all people(unless they have done something to them to cause dislike), they would feel the same way about showing an unmarried couple living together in a children’s show. The result is normalizing something that we feel is wrong, doesn’t mean we dislike the people.”
The problem with this, and it’s a huge problem is that unlike choosing to live with someone before marriage there is according to every reputable scientific study no ‘choosing’ to be gay. This is a fact and there are not two sides to facts. Comparing peoples immutable qualities to a life choice cannot be rationally defended. Calling an immutable and fundamentall characteristic about another person which brings no harm to others “ wrong” is so disturbing to me.
@HeartofDixie You do realize the Bible is a religious text and Christianity is not the default religion of the entire United States and just because you and your family and church members interpret the Bible that way does not mean that the other 325,000 million citizens of this country need follow those prescriptions. And same sex marriage is legal in all 50 states despite what the Bible “says” (I personally think there are many different ways to interpret the Bible that allow, in fact, demand that we love, accept and treat all people equally.)
But that’s exactly what the network did. It decided for ALL viewers.
This isn’t the first time PBS has had to deal with this kind of kerfuffle. Remember when Buster (Arthur’s bunny friend) visited a lesbian couple on Postcards from Buster? In that case the couple and their kids were real people, not cartoons.
Was AL the only state where PTV didn’t air the episode?