Teletubbies Take a Falwell
WASHINGTON -- First President Clinton and now Tinky Winky.
America's sex cops are on the job, and not even the Teletubbies
are safe.
The largest of the four amorphous characters on the
British-made children's television show has been ''outed'' by the
Rev. Jerry Falwell.
Against the backdrop of cries of ''sexual McCarthyism'' over the
exposure and pursuit of Clinton, members of Congress and
others for inappropriate amorous exploits, Falwell decided to
expose Tinky Winky in the current issue of his monthly
magazine National Liberty Journal.
''The character, whose voice is obviously that of a boy, has been
found carrying a red purse in many episodes and has become a
favorite character among gay groups worldwide,'' it said.
Further evidence cited included the fact that the androgynous
Tinky Winky is purple -- the gay pride color, and the antenna on
his head is shaped like a triangle -- the gay pride symbol.
''These subtle depictions are no doubt intentional, and parents
are warned to be alert to these elements of the series,'' the
magazine said.
Falwell did not address the sexual proclivities of La La, Po and
Dipsy who are equally shapeless yellow, red and green
characters with squiggly antennae and television screens in their
tummies.
They live in a kind of high-tech igloo with a bug-eyed vacuum
cleaner, surrounded by grass, rabbits and flowers. At the end of
each show, a periscope rises from the ground and summons
them to ''Teletubby bye-bye.''
The show premiered in England in 1997 and came to the United
States last year where it has been a hit for PBS. Teletubbies
interactive dolls are set to go on the market next month.
Falwell's magazine said Tinky Winky's sexuality had been the
subject of debate for some time, pointing to the annual ''What's
In and What's Out'' list in the Washington Post.
The magazine said that this year, Tinky Winky's photograph
appeared opposite that of actress Ellen DeGeneres, implying
that DeGeneres, star of the television sitcom Ellen, was ''out'' as
the chief national gay symbol, while Tinky Winky was the trendy
''in'' celebrity.
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