HIV-positive muppet frightens Republicans

[Saint Marcus]

But it's the only thing I got!

:sobbing:

[Gibsie]

Ah, I never realised that teaching kids that people sometimes have awful diseases, yet they're still the same person and should be treated the same was such a negative thing. I can just see it now... "Mommy mommy, the puppet has HIV and the others are acting like we should be nice to it! But it's different and I wanna make fun of it!! Wah! Wah!"

[Saint Marcus]

LOL @ Gibsie! Well said mate!

[MrFun]

So what does Tinky Winky, ALF, Kermit the Frog, and others have to say on this??

[Saint Marcus]

Of course they're pissed. The Republicans want to ban one of their co-workers from appearing on the show because she has HIV. That's discrimination!

[Jules]

Originally posted by MrFun
So what does Tinky Winky, ALF, Kermit the Frog, and others have to say on this??

It just so happens that Kermit was a special guest on Hannity&Colmes last week. He basically said he supported the idea, and that the muppet in question wasn't coming to America. After that, Sean Hannity went into his usual conservative rant about teaching young kids about anal and oral sex. You should've seen the expression on Kermit's face after he said that! He sort of had this cringing in terror expression on his face. It was great.

[NY Hoya]

Originally posted by Saint Marcus It's sad though, that you think the State should decide on matters like this and not the parents.

PBS is government funded in the US. If a PBS show had aired in South Africa in 1985 with racist/pro aparthied overtones, wouldn't it have been ok for a U.S. congressman to say that such a version of that show would not be welcome in the U.S.?

This would not be an issue if SS were not a government funded program in the U.S.

[Ned]

Gibsie, I don't think you understand the other point of view. Republicans are not saying that we should not be "nice" to HIV infected mothers, they are saying that the subject matter is wholly inappropriate for kids. Perhaps this is just a US thing.

I also have a real problem with making HIV seem harmless.

[Alexander's Horse]

If they are going to have a Hiv positive muppet they should also change the set to include a Turkish bath house and a gymnasium.

[Sikander]

Originally posted by Asher

I'm a dual citizen and am moving back to the US in about 3 years...

I semi-apologize then. I was actually not particularly serious about this point, but it seemed to make as much sense as the knee-jerk anti-american trolls.

Originally posted by Asher
Trauma? They know it's a kids show, they're not going to go into detail about it. It's going to be "blahblahblah is sick with HIV, and I can still play with him. yay!".

If it was written so as to be under the radar (ie not likely to create questions which are best addressed when a child is older in the vast majority who don't have an HIV positive playmate) then I wouldn't object, though I wonder then whether it would have it's intended effect. I'd rather that a general treatment of serious illness be done, as it is much more universal and a lot of it would also be applicable to HIV.

[Sikander]

Originally posted by Alexander's Horse

I just hope he uses one

I hope he uses two, just to be sure.

[Saint Marcus]

This would not be an issue if SS were not a government funded program in the U.S.

Then stop the funding. The show is popular enough worldwide to do without the subsidies.

Also, does PBS own the show? As I recall, it's a Jim Henson Studio production (which by now is part of a supermajor).

[Gibsie]

Originally posted by Ned
Gibsie, I don't think you understand the other point of view. Republicans are not saying that we should not be "nice" to HIV infected mothers, they are saying that the subject matter is wholly inappropriate for kids. Perhaps this is just a US thing.

I know that, but that was honestly the only negative thing I could think of towards how children would be adversely affected. Kids like teasing other kids, this would teach them not to make fun of others. How else do you feel that kids would be harmed?

Also, I've seen loads of kids' TV programs that have a background to the characters as abusive childrens' homes/ foster parents/ adoptive parents. Should this sort of harmful subject matter be removed too? I also certainly hope that no American children saw the news mid-September last year- imagine the trauma!

I also have a real problem with making HIV seem harmless.

If you feel that making people who have HIV appear harmless is making HIV appear harmless, we do indeed have a real problem.

[NY Hoya]

Originally posted by Saint Marcus Then stop the funding. The show is popular enough worldwide to do without the subsidies.

That's probably what would happen. SS would be booted off of PBS if people had that big of a problem with it. That's what you seem to be arguing against though.

Originally posted by Saint Marcus Also, does PBS own the show? As I recall, it's a Jim Henson Studio production (which by now is part of a supermajor).

I don't know who owns the show, but it airs on PBS, which receives government funding. The fact that the show may be privately owned is irrelevant. A show owned by the KKK wouldn't be allowed to broadcast on PBS because it would be offensive to the vast majority of people. The fact that it would be privately owned wouldn't make a difference.

[Ned]

Gibsie, It was my understanding that the muppet would appear "normal" except for being infected. I think the "Philidelphia" approach is better, but not something that kids should see. My concern is that kids may think that Aids is really harmless and when they grow up be less inclined to avoid risky activity.