![]() Granted, even Dobson draws the line on his character attacks. As usual, information is a threat to blind prejudice. It might be tricky, then, to convince a child who’s “exposed to the lifestyles portrayed in this episode” that these women should be demonized for being who they are. They’re awfully hard to distinguish from acceptable folks. The episode’s two couples - Karen and Gillian, and their friends Tracy and Gina - come across as perilously likable people and loving parents. Making gay moms palatable to the publicThe danger, such as it is, lies elsewhere. “At its heart, the issue before us is the ‘sexual reorientation’ and brainwashing of children by homosexual advocacy groups,” Dobson wrote on his Web site. (The Department of Education anteed up $5 million, two-thirds of the budget for the series’ 40 episodes.) “Many parents would not want their young children exposed to the lifestyles portrayed in this episode.”įocus on the Family founder James Dobson agrees. “Congress’ and the department’s purpose in funding this programming certainly was not to introduce this kind of subject matter to children,” Spellings wrote PBS head Pat Mitchell. And no one breathes the L Word.īut by daring to include two of the nation’s 168,000 gay-parented households (joining Pentecostal Christians, Muslims, Mormons and Hmong among those represented on the series) “Buster” was busted. Nothing more on the subject is said or done, however. When one little girl refers to her mother and stepmother, Buster remarks, “That’s a lot of moms!” This detail scarcely escapes Buster’s notice. But glimpsed as well are the parents, two couples who seem altogether unremarkable. There he visited a group of cute kids who ride bikes, jump in the hay, make chocolate chip cookies, cozy up to a bonfire, and show him how syrup begins as sap from maple trees.Īs usual, this episode, filmed last March, centers on youngsters. (Check local listings for airtime.)įor “Sugartime!” (which refers not to sex, gay or straight, but to maple sugaring), Buster went to Vermont. Go figure! This episode is pretty typical of “Postcards from Buster,” a gentle, informative series about a camcorder-toting cartoon bunny who explores different cultures and communities, then reports back to his friends at home (as well as to his 4-to-8-year-old audience) through live-action video “postcards” showing the people he meets. I popped it in my VCR, pulled down the shades and took a peek. Fortunately, we found funders who supported our efforts.But thanks to series producer WGBH (which is providing the episode to any PBS stations that want to air it) I had scored a copy. But we all felt very strongly about this series because there's really nothing else like it on television. "And we had to shake a lot more trees than we normally do. "There was a moment there when funding looked bleak," admits the show's executive producer, Pierre Valette. The result is a mix of animation and live action footage. As usual, in the upcoming season Buster crisscrosses the country with his video camera, visiting friends and taking pictures. To make matters worse for the show's producers, funding dried up and production went on hiatus.īut now WGBH has managed to raise money for 10 new episodes, which started airing just after Thanksgiving. Donald Wildmon, started an e-mail campaign in support of Spellings' position - and some PBS stations declined to air it. "Our intention is to engage, educate and entertain children," says Mary Beth LeFaivre, a publicist at WGBH, the Boston public television station that produces the animated series.Īfter the "Sugartime!" episode, in which Buster visited that Vermont family during maple sugar season, the American Family Association, a conservative Christian group organized by the Rev. So the return of Buster - a sensitive, kindhearted rabbit, familiar to fans of Marc Brown's "Arthur" TV series and books - comes at a good time. And earlier in the year, "Sesame Street" caused some consternation by introducing a "girly-girl" Muppet to the show. Kids are still getting over the retirement of the most famous member of the hugely popular musical group - and television act - the Wiggles. Since then, there have been other tough breaks for the preschool and the just-started-school set. After that, he was almost headed for a pot of hasenpfeffer. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings took issue, and that set off some Christian coalitions. ![]() Against the odds, that traveling bunny Buster, star of "Postcards From Buster," is back on PBS, and television-watching tots everywhere are breathing a huge sigh of relief, even if conservative groups are gritting their teeth.īuster caused a ruckus in 2005 when he paid a visit to a family in Vermont that had two mommies.
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