Christmas Eve Party Game: Spot the Logical Fallacy!

http://wmbriggs.com/blog/?p=1539 ^ | William M. Briggs

[mattstat]

What better way to celebrate Christmas Eve than with a game the whole family can play? So gather round the tree, load up the eggnog with some Barbancourt 5 star, and stand by for fun!

Rules: Each question begins with an illustrative scenario, after which follows one or more puzzlers. Points are awarded based on difficulty.

1. Shauna Wilton, a female professor of political sciences at the University of Alberta has it in for Thomas the Tank Engine, which is England’s version of Barney, but on wheels. Wilton has academically analyzed 23—count ‘em!—Thomas episodes and doesn’t like the way they portray women! She wants it changed! Now! Here’s what she says:

The female characters weren’t necessarily portrayed any more negatively than the male characters or the male trains, but they did tend to play more secondary roles and they’re often portrayed as being bossy or know-it-alls.

Bossy. Hmmm. More from the story:

[Wilton] also objected to the way the show portrays Thomas, Percy and James slaving away for wealthy bosses like the Fat Controller.

Turns out that that darn Thomas is a…a…a conservative! And the children that watch him “will [someday] attain full political citizenship, and the opinions and world outlook they develop now, partially influenced by shows like Thomas, are part of that process.”

10 points Now for the question, in the form of a statement: The University of Alberta charges its students tuition. Criticize.

Hat tip to reader and contributer Ari Schwartz. ...

[redheadtoo]

My nephew was a big Thomas the Tank Train fan. Each Christmas I would hunt down Thomas toys for him. This was often difficult since they are fairly rare and a bit expensive. But, with a little time and effort, I would eventually find a great gift.

Unfortunately my nephew is now in High School. Getting him a Thomas backpack or a book of original Thomas stories no longer cuts it.