[MrB]

Is Tracy this neurotic, or did she just not have something better to write about this week - say, some REAL problem?

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Ms. Van Slyke has given Thomas the Tank millions of dollars of free publicity.

Unintended consequences are a biotch.

[Texas Eagle]

Thomas the Tank Engine was created by Wilbert Awdry, a.k.a. The Rev. W. Awdry, an Anglican minister...

I'm glad I read the whole story (for a change) instead of just the headline.

I was going to say, "So, what's her beef? Is Thomas a Christian?"

Darned if that isn't the case.

[MrB]

The word “microaggression” needs to be treated like the punchline to a joke.

In fact, let’s make up some absurd jokes where the punchline IS “microaggression”.

(Then again, maybe we shouldn’t. We know that when we make up jokes about absurd liberal ideas, they tend to come true eventually.)

[Opinionated Blowhard]

Maybe its time to update Thomas for modern times and make him more PC. He certainly would need a government subsidy to keep running. But that subsidy would be used to pay to have an extra 5 or 10 employees on the train and not to repair him so we should have some rusted out old train manned by about 10 employees, who outnumber the passengers.

This Topem Hatt needs to be replaced by some useless son of a politician as a member of the board of the company that owns Thomas.

[Alex Murphy]

Ms. Tracy Van Slyke has uncovered such a dastardly attack upon our vulnerable youth, it’s shocking that nobody else before her noticed this malign cancer hiding in plain sight. She has exposed Thomas the Tank Engine as a pernicious evil, causing so much “classism, sexism, anti-environmentalism bordering on racism” in its “hidden lessons.”

A "hidden lesson" that manifests itself if you play the videos backwards.

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

:: Take away sentence,
“But we would never want to confuse religion and God with authority and responsibility.” ::

[dangerdoc]

I knew it! That Thomas was always a little too eager if you know what I mean.

[spokeshave]

My grandson is big on Thomas Train...including steam engines, mechanical gadgets, tools and car parts.....

[GOP_Party_Animal]

You’ve convinced me even more to keep my children away from people like yourself, whose judgmental, sanctimonious, hyper-critical elitist opinions would make even the most loving child neurotic.

That lesson, and one more: boys like trains. Girls, not so much.

That's just an awesome kick-in-the-face. Well done!

[tnlibertarian]

They’re two, they’re four, they’re six, they’re eight.
Sexist pigs all spewing hate.

[Eric Pode of Croydon]

The one saving moment here is when you go to the original article in the Guardian and read the hundreds of comments, which are +98% from normal folks with a sense of humor.

My favorite: "Suppose the producers were to bring on board a new female engine, who mopes around the depot hardly ever pulling a train. but who harangues the other engines about their opinions whenever she encounters them? Would that satisfy?? "

[Oztrich Boy]

What a maroon.

Sir Topham Hatt (also known as The Fat Controller), whose attire of a top hat, tuxedo

Tuxedo! Tuxedo!! No gentleman wears a tuxedo during the daytime (unless he's coming home from an evening out).

Wiki (In his iconic top hat and morning suit,) gets it closer, but not quite right.

What the Fat Contoller correctly wears (cutaway coat and non-matching trousers) is morning dress, the wear for daytime business activities. A morning suit would have matching trousers and be worn for daytime social functions.

That said, Sir Topham's yellow waistcoat marks him out as a bit of a bohemian, and implies some depth to the character.