In a stunning
move that underscores Bush's use of federal tax dollars to manipulate the media, PBS has pulled the plug on an episode of a spin off of one of its most popular kids' cartoons because the lead character (Buster, from the cartoon Arthur) visits a lesbian family - after visiting a mormon family, fundamentalist christians, muslims, american indian, and hmong.
How did Wayne Godwin, PBS' chief operating officer, justify the retraction? By worrying that they would lose federal funding. More remarkably, PBS apparently has made this their official policy:
The presence of a couple headed by two mothers would not be appropriate curricular purpose that PBS should provide.
The show's creators response, and more, below --
The show is produced by WGBH in Boston and derives from the Arthur cartoon by Marc Brown. My kids love Arthur and it's TV I don't mind them watching. "Postcards from Buster" is a spinoff where one of the characters (Arthur's best friend Buster) uses his video camera to film real, live families.
Marc Brown issued a statement in response to PBS's move:
I am disappointed by PBS's decision not to distribute the 'Postcards From Buster' 'Sugartime!' episode to public television stations. What we are trying to do in the series is connect kids with other kids by reflecting their lives. In some episodes, as in the Vermont one, we are validating children who are seldom validated. We believe that 'Postcards From Buster' does this in a very natural way - and, as always, from the point of view of children.
Perhaps Brigid Sullivan, VP for Children's Programming at WGBH, summed it up best:
This [federal grant] asked for a project on diversity to all of America's children. We took it seriously and thought that with 'Arthur,' the No. 1 show on television for kids for years, we had something to draw kids in. Buster is Arthur's best friend, the child of divorce, he has asthma. Children sympathize with him. We had a breakthrough format, this animated bunny with his camera getting live-action sequence. Not to present a make-believe world of diversity but a real world.
We want to reflect all of America's children. This is not about their parents.
PBS should be ashamed of itself.