Two United States children’s animated characters, Buster the rabbit and SpongeBob SquarePants, have whipped up a storm, with conservative Christians and the new US education secretary scrutinising pro-gay associations in viewing for young children.
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings denounced an episode of children’s television series Postcards from Buster in which its rabbit star, Buster Baxter, is shown visiting a lesbian couple and their children.
”Many parents would not want their young children exposed to the lifestyles portrayed in this episode,” Spellings wrote to the president of PBS, shortly after her appointment. The secretary was previously an adviser to the White House.
The episode, filmed in Vermont, the north-east US state that authorises gay civil unions, was due for release on February 2.
However, television channel PBS, which received public funding to make the episode, opted not to broadcast it. Instead of returning monies used as suggested, it will film a new episode.
A channel in Boston, Massachusetts, meanwhile, which was involved in making the programme, chose to broadcast the episode, saying it teaches tolerance towards family differences.
A number of Christian conservatives expressed appreciation for the government’s position.
One such was Focus on the Family director James Dobson, who also caused a stir recently when he raised concerns about a video — due for release March 11 to children in 61 000 elementary schools — to celebrate the proposed National We Are Family Day.
Dobson claims the video’s sponsors, The We Are Family Foundation, has a pro-homosexual agenda, using a host of cartoon characters, such as SpongeBob SquarePants, Big Bird and Winnie the Pooh, to infiltrate schools with their message.
Dobson said on his internet site that comments he made about the video at a 2005 presidential Inaugural dinner were ”about the way in which those childhood symbols are apparently being hijacked to promote an agenda that involves teaching homosexual propaganda to children”.
The We Are Family Foundation said on its website that more than 100 ”beloved children’s characters have united to re-record the smash hit We Are Family (1979) in an unprecedented music video to promote tolerance and diversity to America’s children”. — Sapa-AFP