Posted on 08/02/2014 10:25:15 PM PDT by Impala64ssa
It’s all about race.
Everything, that is. Just when you think it’s ok for your child to enjoy an innocent, wholesome cartoon that has been thrilling little tikes for seven decades, you find out that it’s — what else? — RACIST!
That is, according to the ridiculous screed of Tracy van Slyke, of The Guardian, which is so stupid it just must be a joke. Right? Wrong! She’s serious.
Check out what she said about the evil Thomas the Tank Engine:
For the record, all the “villains” on Thomas and Friends are the dirty diesel engines. I’d like to think there was a good environmental message in there, but when the good engines pump out white smoke and the bad engines pump out black smoke – and they are all pumping out smoke – it’s not hard to make the leap into the race territory.
What?
My two boys love Thomas, and I like the lack of self-absorbed, whiny characters, as with PBS’ insipid Caillou. They engines work hard, are loyal friends to each other, make mistakes, and learn from them. But Slyke thinks kids are just learning racism (and sexism too, according to her absurd piece).
My boys absolutely love trains from the show. And my brother, who was obsessed with Thomas as a child, used his love of trains to become an engineer and now works on rockets that go into space. Pretty cool right? Well, unless you are an insufferable liberal.
Groan!
P.S. Hey Tracy – Diesel engines spew black smoke and steam engines white, well, steam. The colors are different because the trains are different. If you want, my 6 year old can explain it to you sometime.
I have one of these in my Matchbox collection, the Saracen Personnel Carrier. A number of these actual vehicles were used by the South African army to suppress the "freedom fighters" in the Namibian War of independence and the Soweto Uprising. Guess I'm a racist, too?
Thomas and friends are pretty much NORMAL.
That is what gets liberals all upset, because NORMAL is UNFAIR.
military vehicle series?
I want.
The first Matchbox military vehicles were made between 1958 and 1967. In good condition they can be a little pricey, especially the rare variations, but I see them on ebay quite often.
made with actual metal too
Yep, also some of the very first Matchbox cars used lead based paints, just before the UK banned it’s use on toys.
Those things are so small I doubt the collector is going to be poisoned by them, unless he eats them or something
Little kids might mouth the toys, which is why the lead concerns arose. There are probably colors that can be best done with lead.
Better to let them mouth the Chinese plastic toys I guess
You just can’t have good, clean, fun anymore.
I love Thomas and Friends, so KMA.
Want an example of how silly this game is to play? How about clouds? Clouds are obviously racist. Everyone extols the virtue of puffy white clouds. But what about those black clouds? It's racist to not like black clouds. Children should be taught to run out in open fields during thunderstorms and enjoy them; not fear them. (See how easy it is to play the faux outrage, followed by the white-guilt penitence game.)
Good one! ;)
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