Who knew Thomas was so sinister

http://www.slate.com/id/2299653

Thomas the Imperialist Tank Engine The not-so-hidden subtexts of the popular children's show.

There is something rotten on the Island of Sodor, home to Thomas the Tank Engine. Viewers won't find guns, violence, or anything even approaching a double-entendre. There's none of the blatant racism of early Disney Song of the South or religion delivered through talking produce, as in Veggie Tales. Yet something about Thomas and Friends gives liberal parents the creeps.

For example: In 2009, academic Shauna Wilton wrote that Thomas carried a "conservative political ideology." Her report was derided as whimsy-hating "political correctness" by conservative media outlets. But wait: Thomas espouses top-down leadership, is male-dominated, punishes dissent, and is uninterested in the mushy sensitivity of its PBS counterparts. (Thomas and his "friends" often "tease" like this: " 'Wake up lazy bones! Do some hard work for a change!") Its innate conservatism is as obvious as the liberalism of cooperative, solar-panel-building Bob the Builder and his band of hippie hammer-lovers. Given charges that Thomas is anti-Semitic and that Sodor is a fascist paradise, Wilton's assessment is mild. Obviously, it's foolish to claim that Thomas is a fascist. He and his friends are clearly imperialists....

What a load of crap. Another political group with its panties in a knot.

I say hooray for Thomas! Maybe he can add some balance to what seems an unrelenting panoply of liberal claptrap.

I wonder what this group of nitwits would say about this site.

aussiesmg wrote: I wonder what this group of nitwits would say about this site.

that it's pretty tame compared to other corners of the internet?

Too much times on someones hands...and the publish or perish axiom taken to a severe extreme.

I am a moderate liberal, and NEVER saw, thought or even went, "hmmm, wait, did I just hear..."

Just plain dismissal publishing

I hear James likes the Caboose.

Thomas is a locomotive,not a caboose. He lines the cars up and drags their lazy a$$es down the track, type A personality. Academic philosopher tin foil hat lady sounds like a caboose, lays around on her fat a$$ looking for Gubmint funding to move her.

I caught the intended humor in this. Of course, I spend a lot of time trolling people, too.

1988RedT2 wrote: What a load of crap. Another political group with its panties in a knot.

I thought the article was a parody myself. With those postmodernist intellectual types you never can tell.

yeah, for a moment, I thought I was reading something out of the Onion

MadScientistMatt wrote:

1988RedT2 wrote: What a load of crap. Another political group with its panties in a knot.

I thought the article was a parody myself. With those postmodernist intellectual types you never can tell.

Yeah, I didn't actually read the article. I just jumped to a conclusion and flew off the handle.

it's fun when the onion riles people up

I love the Onion. I don't love network and cable news outlets. You can't get real, unbiased news anymore. Stuff like this Thomas thing is going on everywhere, with every media outlet cateriing to their demographic instead of being truthful. It's dividing the country, and it needs to stop. MSNBC tells the liberals what they want to hear and Fox tells the conservatives what they want to hear, and none of them tell the complete, unbiased truth. Ooops, sorry, don't mean to be a party pooper.

that's why I tend to read/watch the BBC. The outside point of view is interesting

mad_machine wrote: that's why I tend to read/watch the BBC. The outside point of view is interesting

Same bunch that banished opposition to Global Warming theories?

bravenrace wrote: I love the Onion. I don't love network and cable news outlets. You can't get real, unbiased news anymore. Stuff like this Thomas thing is going on everywhere, with every media outlet cateriing to their demographic instead of being truthful. It's dividing the country, and it needs to stop. MSNBC tells the liberals what they want to hear and Fox tells the conservatives what they want to hear, and none of them tell the complete, unbiased truth. Ooops, sorry, don't mean to be a party pooper.

If MSNBC is liberal, what is CNN, CBS, NBC, and the BBC? Wouldn't want to bash Sesame Street for infecting little kids with global warming lies...

Funny and over-the-top but sort of true at the same time. I could imagine this in the form of one of those Cracked articles that examines the world of a cartoon or kid's show much too seriously.

I watched that show all the time as a little kid and didn't grow up to be a Randroid.

Re the topic: Who knew Thomas was so sinister

What is sinister is all the agenda-driven, faux science applied towards children's programming instead of things that really deserve attention.

Yeah, but at least Mr. Conductor keeps all the trains running on time.

Sir Topham Hatt is, after all, a skin-headed, stove-pipe wearing fascist.

Just look at those power-hungry, capitalistic-pig, evil eyes:

I miss George Carlin as Mr. Conductor:

Also, I found the article's illustration amusing, so I decided to appropriate it for myself. I trust you philistines haven't any problems with that, do you? Not that I'd listen of course.

I've never liked Thomas. His pervy face gives me the creeps.

Lesley wrote: I've never liked Thomas. His pervy face gives me the creeps.

I hear he has been known to "pull the train" at parties too.

I grew up with Carlin as Mr. Conductor. Now that I'm older, I wonder how on earth he got that part.

Derick Freese wrote: I grew up with Carlin as Mr. Conductor. Now that I'm older, I wonder how on earth he got that part.

Checks and balances. Doing this was a balance to 7 Words.