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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 1999 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". He 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". This has caused many Christians to boycott Teletubbies.
The BBC, who co-produced the program, made an official response, "Tinky Winky is simply a sweet, technological baby with a magic bag." Ken Viselman of Itsy-Bitsy Entertainment, who distributed the show in the USA, commented, "He's not gay. He's not straight. He's just a character in a children's series."
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 Wprost that the handbag-carrying Tinky Winky could promote homosexuality. Journalists from Wprost mentioned claims that 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 that 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 claimed the toy actually said "Again, again!", a catchphrase from the show.
References
- Falwell Sees 'Gay' In a Teletubby, New York Times, February 11, 1999
- Marwan Kraidy (2005), Hybridity, Or the Cultural Logic of Globalization, pp. 106–107, ISBN 9781592131440
- Adam Easton (28 May 2007), Poland targets 'gay' Teletubbies, BBC News
- Polish watchdog backs away from Teletubbies probe, CBC, May 30 2007
{{citation}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - Dotinga, Randy (April 12, 2000). "Lawsuit to Target Teletubbies for Gun Talk". APBNews.
See also
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