PBS Chief Under Fire For Cartoon Show...Will Step Down

[coffeenap]

Pat Mitchell...

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBY9RES95E.html

[Ediacara]

1. For anyone who wants a snippet.....

PBS Chief Under Fire for Cartoon Show With Lesbian Couple Will Step Down in 2006

By Siobhan McDonough Associated Press Writer
Published: Feb 16, 2005

WASHINGTON (AP) - Pat Mitchell, the Public Broadcasting Service chief under fire for spending public money on a cartoon show that also featured a real-life lesbian couple, will step down when her contract expires in June 2006.

Mitchell, the nonprofit network's fifth president and chief executive officer, also faced significant fund-raising challenges.

She drew recent criticism from both liberals and conservatives for "Postcards From Buster," in which the title character, an animated bunny named Buster, traveled to Vermont - a state known for recognizing same-sex civil unions. Though the focus was on farm life and maple sugaring, the episode, entitled "Sugartime," featured an actual lesbian couple.

By the way.... your title is wrong, you should fix it to what is printed in the article

[jonnyblitz]

39. "she drew criticism from BOTH liberals and conservatives..."

from liberals too eh? hmmmmm. :eyes:

[sybylla]

46. Probably because she caved to the reichwing call to remove the program

The author clearly doesn't discuss the difference and implies everyone hated the show. Media whores, anyway.

[Solly Mack]

69. I'd like to meet those so-called liberals who supposedly objected

[mzmolly]

74. So, why don't we liberals contact PBS in support of the program!

:shrug:

http://pbskids.org/buster/parentsteachers/contact.html

[Bertha Venation]

2. I LOATHE THIS GODFORSAKEN ADMINISTRATION. Article quote:

"Newly appointed Education Secretary Margaret Spellings contended that the episode did not fulfill the intent Congress had in mind for programming and said many parents would not want children exposed to such lifestyles."

What do they think they mean when they say "such lifestyles?" That is the question we must ask every bigot every time he or she "objects to the gay lifestyle."

[InternalDialogue]

11. It's those damn syrup makers! n/t

[Sabriel]

14. Everyone knows "Syrup Lite" is best

Or so claims the pseudo-syrup lobby.

[biftonnorton]

73. Hmmm.. Maple... Mapplethorpe???

There's the connection! :evilgrin:

[Sabriel]

13. Well, I'm a parent, and I DO want my child "exposed."

Lest she grow up to be an ignorant bigoted homophobe like so many around her....

[MissB]

21. Exactly. Well said.

Well put.

[jgardner]

30. One reason we're thinking of HAVING kids

is so that we can raise them in a LIBERAL household and teach them compassion, acceptance, Buddhism, and what it means to be one tiny part of the entire world around us. I don't understand bigotry in any form.

[MissB]

42. please consider having lots of them

Because we're going to need all the compassionate people we can get in this country. :)

[jgardner]

48. Affording them is the problem

Not sure how we'll pay for ONE, but we'll do what we can! ;-)

[merh]

18. I don't get it, the admin and the fundies have a problem

with a cartoon character that visited "an actual lesbian couple", but not with a male prostitute posing as a journalist and visiting the WH on a very frequent basis?

Who will resign for letting Gannon in to visit?

Hypocrites!

[sniffa]

25. you're too kind bertha

i'm surprised i don't hear more about vioLent reaction to such peopLe.
i know i have to restrain myseLf greatLy.

[Bertha Venation]

36. I don't know if I could restrain myself if someone got violent w/ me, one

on one. But I believe in non-violence and in peaceful protest. :shrug:

It's very hard for me to keep my desire to strike out in check.

[Stinky The Clown]

34. You're SO right

That whole "lifestyle" crap just frosts my ass.

How about the "Bob Jones University LIfestyle" of sexual repression to the point of creating sexual sociopaths?

How about the "Corporate Lifestyle" where one sells one soul to the Profit God at the cost of all other aspects of human decency?

How about the "John Wayne Lifestyle" where one wears cammo, drives a big Hummer (in lieu of getting a nice hummer), and keeps an arsenal in one's basement, all in lieu of having normally sized genitalia?

How about the "NeoCon Lifestyle" where one fucks everything in sight, with no kisses to follow?

I got their lifestyle ... right here .......

[llmart]

62. Very well put!

n/t

[GoddessOfGuinness]

40. I'm sorry, Bertha...

I'm sorry that some heterosexuals are such assholes.

And I'd be proud to have you and Mrs. V meet my kids anytime.

[Bertha Venation]

44. Goddess, aren't you sweet.

Thank you. :hug: We'd be honored.

[Book Lover]

43. Excuse me, I WANT my child exposed to this lifestyle

OK, we live in San Francisco, so "Postcards from Buster" won't be the only way my child is exposed to actual live lesbians and gay men, but I am sure my point is well-taken. What about those of us who aren't bigots? What do we get other than a poke in the eye?

[redqueen]

49. They're SANCTIONING discrimination.

:puke:

:nuke:

[Richard Steele]

52. 'Sanctioning'? Hell, they're ENFORCING it!

Love thy neigbor = lose thy job.

This administration is the antichrist your mother warned you about.

[redqueen]

53. Were these folks fired or did they resign?

I thought it was his choice... if he's been coerced... then, yes... it's even worse.

:cry:

:argh:

[gWbush is Mabus]

3. it's funny how liberals step down at PBS, CBS, and CNN (Jordan)

but not conservatives at CNN, FOX, and MSNBC, CNBC, and NBC

[librechik]

22. not funny at all

but it is maddening

[Mr_Spock]

26. 'Cause conservatives don't have to take responsibility for anything

They're the cowards who don't have the BALLS to do the right thing. All they care about is themselves. Read my sig if you need more info :D

[DrWeird]

4. What "liberals" had a problem with the show?

wtf?

[SaveElmer]

15. Not a problem with the show...but with her

For caving into the morals police at the Indoctrination...uh..sorry "Education" Dept.

[dddem]

47. If I'm not mistaken,

Originally WGBH Boston WAS going to air the show, but from what I gathered, caved when threatened with loss of funding. If I didn't appreciate so much of what they do, I would be tempted to boycott the fundraising. I'd be tempted to send a letter explaining that since they took the safe road and accepted federal money for co-operating with the small minded, bigoted administration, then they musn't need the money of a liberal democrat who believes in civil rights for ALL Americans. Of course, this might be a case of cutting off one's nose to spite one's face. I don't know, I just think it stinks.

[keopeli]

5. This thread needs to be corrected.

Please use the actual headline and include a quote from the beginning of the article.

[maxsolomon]

6. in protest or forced out?

sounds like forced out.

puritans & freedom don't mix.

"liberals" had a problem with PBS backing down.

[Kikosexy2]

7. The right-wing..

hijacking of PBS!! Well I guess I'll just lock away my TV for good.

[applegrove]

8. Huh?

[Maat]

9. I am SO mad about this!

I have a right to enjoy THIS "Sugartime" episode, with my daughter; I paid for it.

I wrote the local PBS stations, and one said that the episode had been pulled (more likely they didn't see to it that they were one of the ones that could air it), and one stated that there schedule was too busy. The most famous of them, KCET, aired it really quickly, and I missed it, without putting it officially in the lineup so we could know that it would be on.

I wrote the Boston affiliate, who made it, and asked that it be provided on CD, so that it could be purchased.


It is unfair that some rightwinger can prevent me from seeing an episode that I paid for.

[flobee1kenobi]

16. said many parents would not want children exposed to such lifestyles

Then these parents need to be parents and TURN OFF THE FUCKING TV!
You say you are against big gov.?
WHY DO YOU MAKE IT BIGGER?!

[librechik]

23. isn't that why the producers were tasked w showing diversity?

because Americans are reluctant to open themselves to it (despite the necessity)

[Maat]

29. They just want to force their beliefs down my throat.

They are NOT going to be successful.

[UdoKier]

32. What lifestyle?

The episode showed two ladies with a kid. The word "lesbian" is never uttered in the show, and the couple are not shown DOING anything to each other.

SO the big crime is that two women who HAPPEN to be gay were shown .

Since when is it a crime for kids to see gays? They see gays preaching on their church pulpit, or ringing up their groceries on a daily basis, or wherever. They aren't picking up on gender preference cues yet, and it's never made an issue on the show. What's the big deal?

[GoddessOfGuinness]

41. Not only should they turn off the TV,

they should put paper bags over their kids' heads.

[cmf]

10. You have got to be kidding me

Pat Mitchell, the Public Broadcasting Service chief under fire for spending public money on a cartoon show that also featured a real-life lesbian couple

Um, have they forgotten that the GLBT community pays taxes? It's their public money, too. It's not just conservative assholes' money.

She drew recent criticism from both liberals and conservatives for "Postcards From Buster,"

I wonder what the criticism from liberals was? That sounds like a lie to me - something to make it look like it wasn't just bigots protesting it.

:grr:

[jmowreader]

24. The liberal criticism of the show...

"Would you kindly pull your head out of your ass, grow a spine and stand up to these fundamentalist dickheads? Y'know, it's liberals who send money to your stations during your annual 51-week-long pledge drives, so would you kindly show some programming liberals might like?"

[meganmonkey]

12. This is so incredibly f*cked up.

I can't believe this stuff surprises me anymore, but I can't believe this shit.

I also just found out that I know the dad of one of the lesbian moms who were featured on the show. He is appalled by the reaction, as one might imagine.

http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/aanews/index.ssf?/base/news-0/110829305595710.xml


:wtf:

[fleabert]

17. this is complete bullshit.

wtf is wrong with people? 'don't want their children exposed to this lifestyle'??? Walk outside and you are exposed to every single type of lifestyle there is. I won't want my kids exposed to the Republican lifestyle, but I won't have a choice! Fuck them.

edited for typos...

[Beaverhausen]

61. These same people buy war games for their kids

for their gameboy or whatever it is. Apparantly that is OK.

[oecher3]

64. well stated

Now these army-boosted killer games are okay, but this harmless show is a danger to society?
I actually watched this show with me 5yr-old together and it was really harmless. But I guess the people critizing this are also the ones that have kids getting busted for drinking under-age, arrange for disappearing DUI from the records, and snorting coke (not crack!) - but not in public! Family values -- I love that!

[fleabert]

70. It's insane really.

Yesterday I was listening to the radio, and the word 'fuck' was bleeped out, yet the word 'faggot' wasn't. I told my husband that when we have kids I will not give a shit if they say fuck, but will wash their mouths out with soap if they ever utter the word faggot. I don't get this false propriety among conservatives.

[MissB]

19. She won't step down until June, 2006 (when her contract expires)

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/tv/aptv_story.asp?category=1401&slug=PBS%20Chief

WASHINGTON -- Pat Mitchell, the Public Broadcasting Service chief under fire for spending public money on a cartoon show that also featured a real-life lesbian couple, will step down when her contract expires in June 2006.

Mitchell, the nonprofit network's fifth president and chief executive officer, also faced significant fund-raising challenges.

snip

Mitchell, 62, who joined PBS in 2000, told PBS managers at its annual meeting Monday that she would not seek a third three-year term when her contract expired in June 2006. In a statement to the media, Mitchell made no reference to the "Buster" controversy.

[BiggJawn]

20. Guess Spellings never saw "Tongues Untied" on POV...

Work hard enough to kill PBS or turn it into a RW lapdog like NPR...

So maybe they'll have "Uncle Donald" reading fairy stories about "Big Dubya and the tricksy, hiding WMD's" for the kiddies, instead....

[mutus_frutex]

27. This is a total disgrace..

PBS took probably the worst possible road because it lost with its audience (which is, to me at least, very liberal) and it also lost because I had to take it from the government.

Why why why is it that liberal roll over that easily?? We have to fight every little battle we can. Every time we lose or choose not to fight the middle ground moves to the right. And then the next fight will be even harder.

[JerseygirlCT]

28. I was hoping that someone was in trouble for

not airing it, not for creating it in the first place.

Oh brother!

[candy331]

31. Could it be that this 62 year old woman is just tired of the bs and

doesn't need the headache? NPR has just followed msn but still get public money that's all. I imagine they could get the funding(from the rw) they needed w/o the public if the public quit donating as long as they shill for the rw.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[gottaB]

35. Oy Weh

Is it f-word yet? Oy effing Weh. These fascists are getting on my nerves. Is that what Congress had in mind? Fear of a Gay-Friendly Bunny Rabbit? Look out Bugs, they've got your number.

[GarySeven]

37. Why the HELL won't we FIGHT BACK???

How many times do we have to roll over like this? Jesus Christ, Conservatives MURDERED Martin Luther King; they MURDER abortion providers; they MURDER government employees when they consider government an enemy. Conservatives are nothing more or less than thugs or gangsters. They don't play by rules - they don't believe in rules. They believe in rule by force, by guns, by bullets - by DEATH.

No FUCKING ROLLING OVER. Take to the streets. Take it to their houses. Take it to their FUCKING FACES. They show us the blood and we rollover; it's time to put an end to conservativism and all its poison and there's only one way to do it - we mustgrow GUTS and a SPINE.

[KissMeKate]

38. shes probably tired of fighting repukes /congress who want Tucker Carlson

and whatever else they have on the agenda for PBS.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

45. Parents who "don't want their children exposed to such lifestyles"

are frightened about the age at which their kids are exposed to them.
If they're too young, they might accept that same-sex relationships are perfectly natural, and as beautiful as love between members of the opposite sex.

These parents just want to ensure that they have a few years to teach their children to hate properly. This way, the children who discover that they're attracted to members of the same sex can feel horribly ashamed of themselves.

It's perfectly reasonable, and anyone should be able to understand this.

{/sarcasm}

[Bridget Burke]

55. You've got to be taught, before it's too late,

Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate.
You've got to be carefully taught.

(From South Pacific, of course.)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

58. Maybe someone should redo the story line...

to make the role of Liat into a handsome young island man, and the controversy surrounding the French planter to be about his affair with another man.

[HootieMcBoob]

50. Check out Buster's Blog

I looked at one of the shows for the first time recently. It was about a family in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was really well done and a great idea. It's a damn shame that those hate filled people have nothing better to do than to try to make the lives of everyone who isn't like them as miserable as can be.

This is a link to Buster's blog :) http://pbskids.org/buster/blog/az_phoenix_bl.html

There's a pull down menu in the upper right corner called "places I've been". Look at that. They traveled all over the country to try to give children a chance to see how people live in different parts of the country. It's a noble effort to confront the ignorance of so many by letting kids have a look at how others live. We know that ignorance of other ways of life is what leads to so much hate and bigotry. It appears that there are many in this country who want to hold onto their ignorance and clutch their hate tight to their chests.

When I pulled down the menu to have a look at Buster's travels there is one place he went that is conspicuously absent - you guessed it - his visit to Vermont. Shame on those hate filled people. I hope someday their god sees fit to shine some light into their oh so shriveled souls.

[LibertyLover]

51. Postcards from Buster

Every time I think that "the Rethuglican lifestyle" can't get anymore stupid, darn if they don't go and prove to me that it can. Good grief - a cartoon character meets real live Lesbians - ooooh how scary.

I am so thankful that my daughter will grow up visiting her mom's lesbian friends, two of whom are raising a child together, her mom's straight friends and her mom's friends from lots of other countries.

[neuvocat]

54. Its a witch hunt.

This is the sort of thing that leads to rationalization and subsequent hatred and the subsequent murder of people.

Exodus 20: Thou shalt not kill.

[Old and In the Way]

56. I don't want my kids exposed to the Bush-Republican Lifestyle.

I don't want my kids to value lying, cheating, stealing, bigotry, hypoctrisy, and war-profiteering.

[Bridget Burke]

57. Houston's PBS affiliate will show the evil Bunny this Friday evening...

Not its usual time. It will be followed by a panel discussion, recorded Friday afternoon.

(Mitchell) "Katine is a Houston lawyer who took a case to the U.S. Supreme Court, leading to the 2003 decision overturning sodomy laws in Texas and 12 other states. But he also watches a lot of children's TV, now that he's a father.

Katine will participate in the panel discussion, which will be taped Friday afternoon. That evening, he and his partner intend to watch Postcards From Buster with Sebastian and Sebrina, allowing the toddlers to see a family that looks more like their own."

www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/ae/tv/3041715

So I may actually re-up when my PBS subscription runs out. Channel 8 has been treading on thin ice, but this is a good sign.

[DemocracyInaction]

59. If one is so offended, then put down the bon-bons, get off your fat ass

take the remote and flip it off instead of making the whole fucking nation flip it off 'cause it offends these sexually supressed, close minded, fat assed bon-bon eaters!!!! Try actually parenting instead of running to the GOVERNMENT (thought the gov was suppose to be Satan)and asking them to parent for you...........Jesus (where the hell are you when we need you to zap these suckers.) I wonder when the whole tv industry is going to say "we got to flush these freaks before we don't have any shows to sell any more"?? Well, they created the freaks with their right-wing news propaganda; and they have the power to turn the nation against them with just the re-writing of the news copy read on air.

[Bertha Venation]

60. At the risk of jacking the thread

here is a friendly note that "put down the bon bons and get off your fat ass" is perjorative. There are a lot of fat Democrats.

[Bugaboo]

63. "Sugartime" is fabulous!

Seattle's station, KCTS, aired it. I LOVED it. I still have the song stuck in my head. I've never seen Postcards from Buster before, but now I'm thinking I'd love to get some DVDs for my twin 7 year old niece and nephew.

Then they aired one where Buster visted Seattle. It was so cute, even though they went to Pike Place Market by way of Fremont and the I-90 bridge (???).

I'd like to think that the idiots of this world don't have enough power to actually force Mitchell out. Regardless, KCTS will probably get some of my money now.

[tom_paine]

65. Gleichschaltung

http://www.history-ontheweb.co.uk/concepts/concept72_gleichschaltung.htm

[smoogatz]

66. Mitchell has a history of caving in to the wingnuts.

Buster's the least of it, IMO. Thanks to Mitchell, Bill Moyers has been "retired," "Now" has been cut back from 60 to 30 minutes, the far-right editorial board of the WSJ has a government-funded show, as does that smug little douchebag Tucker what's-his-face. What's next? Big Bird shilling for Social Security piratization?

[paineinthearse]

67. DU covered Bustergate from the beginning.

On 2/4/05, PlaidAddler was the first to break the news to DU ("Buster" producer axed from TV conference - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3055718, now in archives).

Because Buster is produced by WGBH in Boston, I opened a parallel thread in the MassaBLUEsetts forum
(Message from WGBH re "Postcards from Buster", "Sugartime" - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=158x2958)

I said it on 2/4 and will say it again, the head of PBS caved. But WGBH aired the episode on February 2 & 7 and plans to re-air it on March 23. Further, WGBH has offered the episode to any and all PBS outlets.

The following is a reply to my message of support to WGBH:

From: "feedback" <[e-mail] >
Subject: Re: childs_programs
To: (me)

Dear Viewer:

Thank you for your email. We always appreciate hearing from our
viewers. The feedback we receive, whether it is positive or negative,
invariably provides us with a better sense of our audience's expectations.

WGBH will air locally, as scheduled "Postcards from Buster's episode
“Sugartime” on March 23, 2005. We also will make this episode available to any local PBS station choosing to broadcast it. We believe, as do our advisors, that the program is appropriate for our audience and fits the series’ mission to introduce children to the rich and varied cultures that make up the United States, including kids living in a wide range of family structures.

The major goal of POSTCARDS FROM BUSTER is to help kids understand the richness and complexity of American culture, and to support the
language learning of children who are in the process of acquiring English. Over the course of the series we feature more than 45 different families, introducing young people from many ethnic backgrounds; exploring the role of religion in their lives; and visiting kids living in a variety of settings in cities, suburbs and the country.

Additional information about POSTCARDS FROM BUSTER is available online at: www.pbskids.org/buster

Your comments have been forwarded to our program director and the
producers of the program. It is an important part of the process of
programming for public television to benefit from the response of viewers.

Thank you for taking the time to write and for expressing an interest in WGBH programming.
--
Sincerely,
WGBH Audience and Member Services

WGBH enriches people's lives through programs and services that
educate, inspire, and entertain, fostering citizenship and culture, the joy of learning, and the power of diverse perspectives.

It sure does!

p.s. Consider a donation to WGBH - www.wgbh.org

[applegrove]

68. The more liberal press 'steps down' - the closer we are to Oreilly's head!

I hope :shrug:

[ninkasi]

71. Some day very soon, now...

Our family is expecting a new family member. We don't know yet whether it will be a girl or a boy, or the age...what we DO know is that there are dozen and dozens of us standing by, ready to be aunts or uncles or grandparents, or whatever role seems to suit us best.

Only a tiny fraction of these family members are actually going to be related by blood; the rest of us are related by our love of the parents to be. Some of us are hetero, some are not. We all care about each other, and love each other.

I will be one of the several grandmothers, and look forward to having another grandchild in my life. To all those bitter, twisted, soulless, shriveled up pieces of rotting hatred who abhor the idea of tolerance, I offer you my contempt, and the hope that some day the scales will fall from your reptilian eyes, and you can see how different and beautiful this world could be without your venom destroying it.

[Jamastiene]

72. That's very poetic

Do you write poetry or what? I like this

"the hope that some day the scales will fall from your reptilian eyes, and you can see how different and beautiful this world could be without your venom destroying it."

Beautiful.