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Tinky Winky is the first Teletubby in the children's television programme of the same name. He is the largest of the Teletubbies, is covered in purple terrycloth, and has a triangular antenna on his head. He is notable for the red luggage (described by the show as a "magic bag", but often described by other media as a handbag) he always carries. His character has caused much controversy due to allegations that his character's behaviour and body color carried homosexual undertones. He is also found dancing in a ballet-style tutu from time to time, which is also often worn by Laa-Laa.

Controversy

Tinky Winky started a still hinted-at controversy in 1999 due to his carrying a bag that looks much like a woman's handbag (although he was first "outed" by the academic and cultural critic Andy Medhurst in a letter of July 1997 to The Face).He aroused the interest of Jerry Falwell in 1997 when Fallwell alleged that the character was a "gay role model". Falwell issued an attack in his National Liberty Journal, citing a Washington Post "In/Out" column which stated that homosexual comedian Ellen DeGeneres was "out" as the chief national gay representative -- while trendy Tinky Winky was "in."This has caused many Christians to boycott Teletubbies because it makes them think that Teletubbies support homosexuality. He is also found performing his Tinky Winky Round and Round Dance in a ballet-style tutu from time to time,which is also often worn by Laa-Laa.(Supporters of the interpretation that Tinky Winky is gay may take this as evidence)

A February 1999 article in the National Liberty Journal, published by evangelical pastor Jerry Falwell, warned parents that Tinky Winky could be a hidden homosexual symbol, because "he is purple, the gay pride colour, and his antenna is shaped like a triangle, the gay pride symbol". A spokesman for Itsy Bitsy Entertainment Co., who licenses the characters in the United States, said that the bag was just a magic bag. "The fact that he carries a magic bag doesn't make him a homosexual. It's a children's show, folks. To think we would be putting sexual innuendo in a children's show is kind of outlandish", he added.

In May 2007, Polish Ombudsman for Children Ewa Sowińska revisited the matter, and planned to order an investigation. She said in the May 28 2007 edition of Polish magazine Wprost that the woman's handbag-carrying Tinky Winky could promote homosexuality.Journalists from Wprost mentioned claims the Teletubbies promote homosexuality, to which Sowińska replied that she had heard of the issue. The journalists then asked about Tinky Winky. "I noticed that he has a woman's handbag, but I didn't realize he's a boy", Sowińska told the magazine in an interview her office approved before publication, adding: "Later I learned that there could be some hidden homosexual undertones." Sowińska said she would ask her office's psychologists to look into the allegations "and judge whether it can be shown on public television and whether the suggested problem really exists."

But on May 30 2007, Sowińska said in a public statement that she no longer suspected the Teletubbies of promoting homosexuality. She said: "The opinion of a leading sexologist, who maintains that this series has no negative effects on a child's psychology, is perfectly credible. As a result I have decided that it is no longer necessary to seek the opinion of other psychologists." In an unrelated incident reported in 2000, a girl's Tinky Winky toy reportedly said "I got a gun". Kenn Viselman, then chairman of the Itsy Bitsy Entertainment Co., claimed the toy actually said "Again, again!", a catchphrase from the show. This thing about Tinky Winky saying "I got a gun" has also started controversies.

References

1. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F05E4DD1F3BF932A25751C0A96F958260
2. BBC News article on the Polish gay Tellytubby controversy
3. "Polish watchdog backs away from Teletubbies probe", cbc.ca, May 30 2007, , retrieved May 31 2007
4. Dotinga, Randy (April 12, 2000). "Lawsuit to Target Teletubbies for Gun Talk". APBNews. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJt1U_8UYBs Video "Tinky Winky Says 'I've Got A Gun'" at YouTube.

See also

• Dipsy
• Laa-Laa
• Po (Teletubby)

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