this topic of race.
How many races are there?
The amount that most individuals segregate themselves into. That self-segregation sort of trumps the science that there is no such things as race (if that's what you were gettin' at, dunno if you were).
Being a stay at home dad, I watch a few PBS shows often. Thomas the train & Curious George are pretty good actually. Most of the others go out of their way to include representatives of the "major" races..
This stuff has been swimming around in my head for awhile now & I guess this is a good as place as any to post it..
Sid the Science Kid:
Sid seems to be Latino but I think his Mom is black. He rates a 0 on the "typical" Latino scale though, so they're pretty much representing white culture but in a Latino wrapper.
The pink kid represents the whites, as does the redhead. The Asian character is kind of stereotypical, being quiet and shy.
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Calliou:
Calliou, who seems to be Canadian and rates a perfect 10 on the whiteness scale (mostly because he seems to be very timid and helpless) has a best pal in the neighborhood, a black girl. Makes perfect sense and all right? The black girl rates a 2 on the blackness scale, and that's just thanks to her hairstyle. Otherwise she seems like another representative for whitey, but she comes in a black wrapper.
Don't recall seeing the Asian girl on there.. or maybe that's a representation of a Thai Lady-Boy, another category of culture that is sorely lacking in children's television programming. Hat tip to the Bowie reference in the cat though.
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The Cat in the Hat:
Did Suess ever feature black people in his books? PBS says that it's about time the black race was fairly represented! So they introduced a black kid who scores a 1 on the blackness scale, for his puffy hair. He seems to be a "high-yella" black, so maybe that's why he seems to be yet another representative of white culture wrapped in a black wrapper.
Interesting to note that the vehicle in which the children ride along with the Cat is called the "Thingamajigger". That's a close call and I'm sure it causes more folks than just me a little discomfort whenever I hear that word. I'm not sure if it's a new code-word for mulatto or not, but I find it a bit risque.
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SuperWhy:
Obviously it's the pig that represents the white male in this show. From left to right, the color palette deepens until we reach that fine ebony princess on the end, cause we all know the stories about ebony princesses. Not sure why there are no African fairly tales to draw reference from. It would seem that if a representative from each race was required, the least they could do would be to give that representative some significant historical or cultural reference for that character to draw from, for the sake of "diversity" - which is what this representation is all about isn't it?
Unless the goal is to actually eliminate diversity altogether, eh?
As the hue deepens, the whiteness score increases for these characters.. they too seem to encompass white culture wrapped up in a diverse spectrum of fleshtones.
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Between the Lions:
Even though these are puppets, it's clear that the mother figure in this one is an educated hardcore liberal.. and black. Check out those African bracelets and stuff. In fact I think the whole family scores an 8 on the blackness scale! Unfortunately this representation of a somewhat authentic black culture is diluted by the fact that these are puppets of animals. Why, PBS, is it so hard to represent black culture with black humanoid animated characters?
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Clifford:
Everybody knows what's on everyone's minds when they watch Clifford the Big Red Dog.. they're wondering how big Clifford's Big Red Rocket is!
If the size of this Afro-centric character's dreadlocks is any indication of his African-sized genitals, then our little white character is safe from harm for a few more years yet.
The black kid and T-Bone the dog score about a 5 on the blackness scale. T-Bone seems to be more black, and he's awesome.
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Martha Speaks:
One of the things in that photo is not like the others.. and it ain't Martha the Talking Dog!
Some people claim that these children were adopted. I don't think so. Ethnic kids are what you get when you want to feel good about saving a child, and these kids are totally white.
Is this the housekeeper taking a break from her chores & hanging out with her masters on the couch? I don't think so. I think it's a ploy by PBS to dilute what remains of the black culture by inserting this poor woman into a household that definitely must seem foreign to her. Word of the day: REPARATIONS!
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Wordgirl:
Can it really be any more obvious?
Having an obvious Latina as the main character is certainly progressive. Having a monkey as a sidekick sets us back 20 years, at least, in the fight for fairness in the representation of black people.
Neither character scores very high on the scale of blackness, no matter how funky that monkey dances.
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Aurthur:
Chasing the White Rabbit? Why is the white rabbit in the middle of this picture? Especially considering this is AURTHUR's show, why is the white character prominently featured as the central character? Could it be that this is finally PBS' way of throwing white people a scrap here?
No characters come close to scoring at all on the blackness scale here. Maybe Winky because he is sometimes a crass bully, but we won't "go there". Just more white culture wrapped up in the guise of diversity.
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Cyberchase:
What's that... red-haired white male?! ARE YOU SURE WE AREN'T WATCHING FOX?!!
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My favorite...
The Electric Company:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaDTKEHrZZA[/youtube]
This white boy, in flannel no less, seems only able to communicate in little "clicks", "clacks", and "bleeps". Therefore he scores at the top of the blackness scale because of his ability to continue the traditional speaking patterns of many of our African ancestry. Finally, something truly African, so true to it in fact that I'm able to overlook the fact that he is melanin deficient and give him full credit for keeping it real. This piece is truly a bomb that is not on any hooks, and similarly, devoid of any chains.
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In closing, if there is no such thing as "race", we are doing a poor job of getting this message to our children.
And, if there is in fact such a thing as "race" currently.. then with this programming, there certainly won't be for long!