Heaven Forfend! 'Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends' is conservative

American Thinker ^ | 12/9/2009 | Randall Hoven

[SeekAndFind]

Remember when Jerry Falwell took so much heat for suggesting that the Teletubbies were kind of light in the loafers? If you recall, it was actually a media studies lecturer at Sussex University named Andy Medhurst who had said years earlier that, "Tinky Winky is the first queer role model for toddlers."

Well now there's a new scandal in children's TV. This time the culprit is Thomas and Friends. Only this time, the hidden message is much more nefarious than homosexuality. And this time we are not talking baseless accusations, but real scientific research:

Research by the University of Alberta's Augustana Campus contends that children's programming can carry underlying political themes that may surprise parents. After analyzing 23 episodes of Thomas and Friends, a show about a train, his friends and their adventures on a fictional island, political scientist Shauna Wilton was able to identify themes that didn't seem constructive for youngsters.

"While the show conveys a number of positive political values such as tolerance, listening, communicating with others and contributing to the community, it also represents a conservative political ideology that punishes individual initiative, opposes critique and change, and relegates females to supportive roles," said Wilton, an assistant professor in the Department of Social Sciences at Augustana Campus.

Thomas the Train is conservative! Oh, my. That's not "constructive."

I'm not sure where the UN stands on this research, but the science sounds unequivocal to me. Who would dare deny it. We're talking science here.

[Kieri]

Britt Alcott (sp?), the creator of “Thomas,” is/was a minister.

[icwhatudo]

When can we expect a review of the not so hidden politics of Sesame Street?

[MrB]

What bizarro world does this lib author live in that she thinks that conservative political ideology punishes individual initiative?

Now maybe if that “initiative” involved one boy train humping another boy train, she might have a point - that would be frowned on.

[henkster]

“a conservative political ideology that punishes individual initiative,”

Wrong-O Ms. Wilton! You obviously don’t understand what it means to be a conservative! It’s actually the liberals who punish individual initiative by stealing the fruits of one’s labors, gained through individual initiative, as a means of suppressing freedom under the guise of “equality.”

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"it also represents a conservative political ideology that punishes individual initiative"

This doesn't even make sense to me. Conservative political ideology rewards individual intiative. Not even the lefties make the above accusation.

[jps098]

Actually it was Rev W. Awdry that wrote the original stories. Britt Allcroft Company bought the rights to the popular stories.

[raybbr]

---

Dr. Shauna Wilton
(Ph.D., Alberta, M.A., Carleton, B.A., Manitoba)

Dr. Wilton teaches primarily in Canadian politics and comparative politics, including Identity Politics; Aboriginal Politics; European Politics; nationalism and ethnic Politics, and gender and politics. Her current research looks at nationalism, citizenship, and the creation of state culture and identity through immigration policies and literature in Canada and Sweden. Dr. Wilton came to Augustana in 2003, and has also taught at the University of Alberta (Political Science) and the University of Lethbridge.

Selected Publications:

“Projecting Gender Roles: Literature for Immigrants in Canada and Sweden,” Gendering the Nation-State: Canadian and Comparative Perspectives, ed. Yasmeen Abu-Laban.  Vancouver: UBC Press, forthcoming.

“State Literature for New Canadians: Images and Perceptions of Canada,” Canada from the Outside In: Images Perceptions, Comparisons.  Forthcoming.

[Ozone34]

The Thomas version shown to kids in the United States is signficantly watered down and politically correct vis-a-vis its original British version. Case in point: “Sir Topham Hat” (USA) was originally “The Fat Controller” (UK).

[madison10]

At least we know she’s not a Lifetime Member at Weight Watchers.

[BelegStrongbow]

Just to be slightly amusing: we actually only know she is not a successful Lifetime Member at Weight Watchers. ;D

[madison10]

:)

[hennie pennie]

Thomas the Tank Engine, and The Little Engine That Could are both USEFUL engines who believe in the Protestant work ethic.

[Da Coyote]

I remember early in my life when I actually thought the lib arts profs were actually smart.

Thankfully, this loon (contained within an extremely large set of loons) has successfully removed my incorrect thoughts.

[Oztrich Boy]

Britt Alcott (sp?), the creator of “Thomas,” is/was a minister

Although it was pronounced "Britt Alcott", he spelled it Wilbert Awdry

[MrB]

Obviously a lesbian.

[Made In The USA]

“...and relegates females to supportive roles...”

Now wait a minute! ‘Gordon’ thunders down the line pulling the express. If ‘Emily’ (in her sharp green paint) could do likewise I’m certain Sir Topham Hatt would eventually give her a chance.

What bothers me is the narrow guage types down by the docks. Kind of like carny-freaks if you ask me.

[highlander_UW]

What bizarro world does this lib author live in that she thinks that conservative political ideology punishes individual initiative?

You must remember that liberals live in an upside down world. Good is bad, bad good. The fact that individual initiative and liberty is the CORE of conservative is lost on liberals...and they fail to see that it is liberals who are fascists at heart. They can't grasp that the big brother nanny state they so crave is the opposite of individual initiative and freedom.

[hennie pennie]

Maybe the woman is a Harvard MBA, and that explaines her utter ignorance of the political spectrum?

[7thson]

GUILTY!