Posted on 12/10/2009 2:13:14 AM PST by markomalley
Children's favourite Thomas the Tank Engine has been attacked by a Canadian academic for its "conservative political ideology" and failure to adequately represent women.
The show's right-wing politics shows the colourful steam engines punished if they show initiative or oppose change, the researcher found.
She also highlighted the class divide which sees the downtrodden workers in the form of Thomas and his friends at the bottom of the social ladder and the wealthy Fat Controller, Sir Topham Hatt, at the top.
The criticism, by Shauna Wilton, a professor of political sciences at the University of Alberta, is likely to anger fans of the original books by Rev W. V. Awdry first published in the 1940s which were turned into an animated TV series now shown in 130 countries.
She launched her study after watching the programme with her three-year-old daughter.
She then analysed the plots, characters and other aspects of 23 different episodes to draw her conclusions, which she then presented at a conference of political science in Canada.
She was critical of the fact the show only has eight female characters out of the 49 who feature.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
HEY LADY!!! GET A LIFE....GET LAID.....SOMETHING AND LEAVE THOMAS ALONE. HE ROCKS.
My 4 year old grandson can recite the life stories of all the characters, and one of his favorites of all time is Emily.
Dittos - my son at 18 months knew the Thomas books by heart. While reading to him, I would change a word or skip a line in the text and he would correct me. I would start a sentence and guess what at 18 months he would finish the sentence verbatem. Mind you, these sentences were randomly selected. Thomas the Tank Engine was a constant companion for Sam until he turned 7. Methinks the gay professor means to cause “confusion and delay”.
Dr. Shauna Wilton ...
How does that line go?
“History doesn’t repeat, but it does rhyme”...?
Anybody remember the Golden Book, “Tootle” from the 40s and the attendent controversy it sparked in the late 60s, early 70s?
Manufacturing grievances is their life and it can be quite lucrative in some circles.
Cinders and ashes!
People like this are defined as one word. Loser. Nothing more...nothing less.
Actually, I believe we paid for the brainwashing - that is if you're Canadian, but in any event Ms. Wilton has plenty of counterparts in the States that are similarly funded. We are also the ones paying for her to produce the type of drivel that is being displayed here.
What is funny is that the writer of the Thomas series is a woman. How does this liberal idiot reconcile that?
Professional victimhood, the #1 pastime of liberals.
Guilty and too stupid to live.
No, the new age one. “I visualize I am able, I visualize I am able...”
Well since Thomas is narrated by Alec Baldwin and George Carlin, noted conservatives... ahem... yeah.
A young Fred Savage with lipstick.
and failure to adequately represent womenPuff the Magic Dragon has the same failings. ;')
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