AL.com: Alabama Public Television refuses to air Arthur episode with gay wedding

[Cooked Crack]

Quote

Alabama Public Television chose not to air PBS’s Arthur episode that included a same-sex marriage.

In the episode, which aired nationwide May 13, Arthur and his friends attend their beloved teacher Mr. Ratburn’s nuptials to his partner.

APT preempted the episode by showing a re-run of Arthur.

Mike Mckenzie, director of programming at APT, said APT was notified by WGBH and PBS in mid-April about the episode entitled “Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone” and decided to show a re-run. Mckenzie said APT has no plans to air the episode at a later date.

Quote

APT previously pulled an episode of Arthur in 2005, when Buster, a bunny character in Arthur visited a girl who had two mothers.

“'Our feeling is that we basically have a trust with parents about our programming. This program doesn't fit into that,'' Alabama Public Television's executive then-director Allan Pizzato told AL.com in 2005.

https://www.al.com/news/2019/05/alabama-public-television-refuses-to-air-arthur-episode-with-gay-wedding.html

 

Stay backwards, Alabama

[Chew]

Jesus must be so proud.  

[bearrock]

Is there a secret stupid state tournament we don't know about?  Alabama's gotta be the clear 1 seed right?

[Cooked Crack]

Just now, bearrock said:

Is there a secret stupid state tournament we don't know about?  Alabama's gotta be the clear 1 seed right?

Mississippi keeping real quiet right now and just letting Alabama cook.

[tshile]

I’m conflicted on this

 

on the one hand I recognize the value in “normalizing” things like gay marriage

 

on the other, as a parent, I would like to be the one to decide when and how to introduce this to my children (even if best plans/intentions might still be ruined some other way)

 

id prefer public broadcasts dedicated to young children shy away from all of that, whether it is gay marriage or not

[Dan T.]

13 minutes ago, tshile said:

I’m conflicted on this

 

on the one hand I recognize the value in “normalizing” things like gay marriage

 

on the other, as a parent, I would like to be the one to decide when and how to introduce this to my children (even if best plans/intentions might still be ruined some other way)

 

id prefer public broadcasts dedicated to young children shy away from all of that, whether it is gay marriage or not

 

On the other hand, you're retarding their knowledge of the real world in which they live.  Imagine the surprise of those children when they learn that the mayor of Chicago and her spouse are both mommies, or that the smart former mayor of Indianapolis and his spouse are both boys like daddy.

 

But I'm sure there are no gay people in Alabama.

 

How about Alabama Public Television leave it up to the parents whether or not their children watch the episode?

[ixcuincle]

smh they should air that episode

 

it's available online anyway 🤣

[Renegade7]

Sometimes kids find stuff out before parents get a chance to tell them, like all the time. Elementary school is early, but the signs of being gay already show up.  I get some being uncomfortable with trying to normalize something that right now is normal and constitutionally protected, but this right here is an attempt to demonize it, which I think is worse.

[Dont Taze Me Bro]

45 minutes ago, Chew said:

Jesus must be so proud.  

 

Not that I agree with the station refusing to air that episode, because I don't, but I can look at it from a parental point of view and understand why it might not be the worst decision.  That show's target audience is kids ages 4-8 (pre-school to 3rd grade). 

 

While I support same sex couples, marriage, etc.  that is a very young age to introduce those concepts to a child of that age, imo.  At age 8, most parents haven't had the sex talk with their child yet, our daughter was 9 when my wife had the talk with her.  Just that talk is overwhelming for some children and they don't want to talk about it, think it's gross, etc.

 

Same sex couples and marriage is also a tough talk to have with a young child.  We had it with our daughter not long after the talk watching an episode of Supergirl (her sister had a partner and they would kiss in the show).  My personal opinion is that a cartoon made for kids 4-8, it might be better to hold off introducing that lifestyle before the child has been educated on sex.  

 

As a parent though, it's our job to know what our children are watching, doing at all times, granted that's easier said than done.  But I don't agree with the station refusing to air the episode, the parent should make the decision to allow their child to watch it and address the topic if asked or not let them watch it and educate them on it at a later time.

 

 

[tshile]

3 minutes ago, Dan T. said:

 

On the other hand, you're retarding their knowledge of the real world in which they live.  Imagine the surprise of those children when they learn that the mayor of Chicago and her spouse are both mommies, or that the smart former mayor of Indianapolis and his spouse are both boys like daddy.

 

But I'm sure there are no gay people in Alabama.

 

How about Alabama Public Television leave it up to the parents whether or not their children watch the episode?

 

There are tons of things we keep from them until we feel they are appropriately matured. 

 

They can leave it up to the parents, but how are the parents to know? We keep track of what our children watch but not the nitty gritty of each episode. 

 

 

Just now, Renegade7 said:

Sometimes kids find stuff out before parents get a chance to tell them, like all the time. Elementary school is early, but the signs of being gay already show up.  I get some being uncomfortable with trying to normalize something that right now is normal and constitutionally protected, but this right here is an attempt to demonize it, which I think is worse.

 

Yup (to kids learning stuff) and my understanding is that generally kids don’t really have problems with this stuff; it’s parents projecting. Not really my field of expertise, but I do recall reading that more than once from credible sources. 

 

As for demonize it, I don’t agree. I think a parent can have serious questions about this sort of thing without describing them as demonizing it. I find that notion absurd and grossly unfair. Being a parent is hard. Questioning what is and isn’t good for your children is legitimate. 

[Renegade7]

1 minute ago, tshile said:

 

As for demonize it, I don’t agree. I think a parent can have serious questions about this sort of thing without describing them as demonizing it. I find that notion absurd and grossly unfair. Being a parent is hard. Questioning what is and isn’t good for your children is legitimate. 

 

Not the parents demonizing, this TV station.  They know what they are doing by censoring something they dont want in their state in the first place.  I didnt know the PBS stations had that kinda independence from one another like that.

[tshile]

17 minutes ago, Dan T. said:

Imagine the surprise of those children when they learn that the mayor of Chicago and her spouse are both mommies, or that the smart former mayor of Indianapolis and his spouse are both boys like daddy.

 

Also, my kids have a long way to go before they know what Chicago is, or a mayor is, or what Indianapolis is much less what their sexual preferences are. 

 

 

 

5 minutes ago, Renegade7 said:

 

Not the parents demonizing, this TV station.  They know what they are doing by censoring something they dont want in their state in the first place.  I didnt know the PBS stations had that kinda independence from one another like that.

 

I don’t know that the tv station is either. As a parent I appreciate them at least recognizing that they have an obligation over the content that shows up on their service that they advertise for such a young group. 

 

I dont know what the right  answer is. Like I said earlier, my understanding is that for the most part the fears of the parents are unfounded and are a form of projection. 

 

I find it unsurprising the group of people who think it’s bad for parents to question this. 

 

 

[bearrock]

By early elementary school, kids are almost sure to run into someone with two moms or two dads or some other way of touching upon the subject.  Even sex education at an age appropriate level has to occur early because of all the good touch/bad touch, who's allowed to touch, etc.  As long as topics are presented in an age appropriate way, very few topics would be completely off limits to children.  I mean kids are even exposed to the concept of addiction within the context of screen time and sugar.

[Dont Taze Me Bro]

5 minutes ago, tshile said:

 

There are tons of things we keep from them until we feel they are appropriately matured. 

 

They can leave it up to the parents, but how are the parents to know? We keep track of what our children watch but not the nitty gritty of each episode. 

 

 

 

Yup (to kids learning stuff) and my understanding is that generally kids don’t really have problems with this stuff; it’s parents projecting. Not really my field of expertise, but I do recall reading that more than once from credible sources. 

 

As for demonize it, I don’t agree. I think a parent can have serious questions about this sort of thing without describing them as demonizing it. I find that notion absurd and grossly unfair. Being a parent is hard. Questioning what is and isn’t good for your children is legitimate. 

 

Exactly, when my daughter was that young, I'd have never thought that same sex marriage would have been introduced into any of her cartoons.  And not because there is anything wrong with same sex couples/marriage, but because of the age of the audience.   I definitely would have not been a fan of my 4-8 year old asking me about that.  

[No Excuses]

The state with worst civil rights record in the country gonna do its thing. 

 

Cant hide your kids forever from gay people. Just like you couldn’t keep them from coming in contact with non-whites or people from other cultures. 

 

Shows like this are meant to normalize fellow humans, but I suppose we can keep treating gay people as “others”. A big bubble of ignorance.

[NoCalMike]

When it comes to the "gay issue" what a lot of people don't realize is that for the most part kids don't care. They don't find anything wrong with it and aren't affected by other people being gay.  It is the parent's hang ups about it and tip toeing around it and being timid about the subject in the first place that teaches children there is something "odd" about it.  That is the kind of thing that plants the seeds about gay folks being a form of "other" 

 

I remember as a kid I assumed my uncle was gay. I was about 10ish....and it just seemed the logical conclusion because he was a "normal" dude in his 30's, always showed up to holidays with a "friend."  My sister a couple years younger than me,  asked "why isn't uncle marty married?"" Me being a kid, where you are sometimes honest to a fault (in the most innocent way) said out loud at an event that he wasn't at, "maybe it's because he is gay?" Everyone got that really quiet, really quick, but in the "we all know what you said is true, but let's not talk about it"  To me, THAT reaction to what I said felt more damning of my Uncle then anything.  Now ultimately everyone pretty much knew my uncle was gay and were just waiting to let him come out to us in the way he saw fit.  Everyone was supportive and everything has a happy ending on that front, but the point is that little things like how adult reacts as if kids need to be hand-held on something as simple as a same-sex relationship sometimes has a bad side effect. 

[Renegade7]

9 minutes ago, tshile said:

 

I don’t know that the tv station is either. As a parent I appreciate them at least recognizing that they have an obligation over the content that shows up on their service that they advertise for such a young group. 

 

I dont know what the right  answer is. Like I said earlier, my understanding is that for the most part the fears of the parents are unfounded and are a form of projection. 

 

I find it unsurprising the group of people who think it’s bad for parents to question this. 

 

 

They arent the only PBS station, so why didnt this one not air it?  I get it, my opinion might not have the same water as I dont have kids, but I also respect this cartoon for trying to tackle something like that early considering the high suicide rate of gay children.  I live in NOVA so everyone is different, Id want my kids used to that.

[tshile]

Just now, Renegade7 said:

 

They arent the only PBS station, so why didnt this one not air it?  I get it, my opinion might not have the same water as I dont have kids, but I also respect this cartoon for trying to tackle something like that early considering the high suicide rate of gay children.  I live in NOVA so everyone is different, Id want my kids used to that.

 

I honestly don’t know. It could be as simple as Alabama being Alabama. 

 

If I found my 3 year old in the middle of that show, and caught off guard, I’d probably just ride it out and see what comes of it (probably absolutely nothing)

 

I also appreciate that about living in this area. 

 

We’re told to be mindful of what our children consume. Video games are included in that discussion.

 

in fact if the subject matter was violence no one would have an issue. But because it’s sexuality now anyone that questions it is homophobic and backwards. The SJW agenda knows no bounds. 

[Dont Taze Me Bro]

1 minute ago, bearrock said:

By early elementary school, kids are almost sure to run into someone with two moms or two dads or some other way of touching upon the subject.  Even sex education at an age appropriate level has to occur early because of all the good touch/bad touch, who's allowed to touch, etc.  As long as topics are presented in an age appropriate way, very few topics would be completely off limits to children.  I mean kids are even exposed to the concept of addiction within the context of screen time and sugar.

 

That depends on where they live and the size of the school (how many classes per grade).  My daughter is in 5th grade and I am pretty sure she hasn't ran into anyone with gay parents, we haven't either (at least to our knowledge). 

 

When I think of sex education, it's not the "this is your private areas, do not touch others there and do not let others touch you there, etc.", it's the talk about how babies are made and discussing the male/female body parts, menstruation, fornication, etc.  The other is for their protection from predators.  

 

As a parent I prefer that I have the say as to when any topics about sex, marriage, babies, same sex couples/marriage, racism, abortion, etc. get brought up and my child educated on them.  Sure, sometimes they are going to hear about this or that at school, or come across it accidentally, etc.  And when that happens we deal with it.  

[Warhead36]

Seriously, if we just exiled Alabama from the U.S., what would we lose? Do they contribute anything positively to this country? Replace them with Puerto Rico, we'd at least get some more latin culture and style.

[ixcuincle]

imagine being so triggered over gay marriage in 2019 🤣

 

 

[bearrock]

24 minutes ago, Dont Taze Me Bro said:

As a parent I prefer that I have the say as to when any topics about sex, marriage, babies, same sex couples/marriage, racism, abortion, etc. get brought up and my child educated on them.  Sure, sometimes they are going to hear about this or that at school, or come across it accidentally, etc.  And when that happens we deal with it.  

 

As I'm sure is the position of most parents.  In my view, the answer is for parents to stay alert to discuss a subject as the need arises, not expect to scrub the public airwaves of someone's opinion of non-normative subjects.  

 

Regardless of whether your daughter personally met someone with experience in same sex marriage or relationship, I assume she has been exposed to the subject of same sex relationship long before she turned 5th grade.

[Renegade7]

33 minutes ago, tshile said:

 

in fact if the subject matter was violence no one would have an issue. But because it’s sexuality now anyone that questions it is homophobic and backwards. The SJW agenda knows no bounds. 

 

The hypocrisy on violence and sexuality in this country knows no bounds, but let's not get it twisted, Alabama is in many ways homophobic and backwards, they are getting called out for it.  There laws, policies, and hate crime rates show that.

[tshile]

3 minutes ago, bearrock said:

As I'm sure is the position of most parents.  In my view, the answer is for parents to stay alert to discuss a subject as the need arises, not expect to scrub the public airwaves of someone's opinion of non-normative subjects.  

 

So then what is the limit there for a TV show advertised for that age group?

 

If my child watches PBS Kids, what is the range of subject material I should be expecting?

 

Keep in mind that PBS Kids advertises itself as being geared for children ages 2-8.

 

5 minutes ago, Renegade7 said:

 

The hypocrisy on violence and sexuality in this country knows no bounds, but let's not get it twisted, Alabama is in many ways homophobic and backwards, they are getting called out for it.  There laws, policies, and hate crime rates show that.

 

That's great but the subject extends beyond Alabama. At least the commentary from many does, including here.

[Larry]

1 hour ago, tshile said:

I’m conflicted on this

 

on the one hand I recognize the value in “normalizing” things like gay marriage

 

on the other, as a parent, I would like to be the one to decide when and how to introduce this to my children (even if best plans/intentions might still be ruined some other way)

 

id prefer public broadcasts dedicated to young children shy away from all of that, whether it is gay marriage or not

 

I'm in kinda the same position, but I get there from the opposite direction.  

 

To start with, I figure they're a (mostly) private entity, and they absolutely have the authority to make this decision.  

 

(I'm not sure it's the right decision.  My mental image of typical PBS viewers and donors says they might have very different opinions of social issues than the AL legislature does.)

 

And I kinda have a problem with the notion of "you're usurping parental rights".  To me, when I see that argument, I tend to assume (admittedly, without any evidence whatsoever) that what I'm seeing is somebody who wants to lie to his kid, and thinks he has the right to demand that society not endanger the lie by telling his kid the truth.  

 

But, I also believe that there's topics that you don't bring up in children's cartoons.  And I think this is one of them.  

 

Teach them their colors and the alphabet.  Leave gay marriage for later.