Wednesday, November 23, 2005
"Postcards from Buster" Feels the Love
(Link) Last year, an animated cartoon bunny was slammed for exposing children to a hardworking lesbian couple who operated a maple syrup farm. The LGBT-friendly Small Change Foundation was deeply touched -- enough to grant Buster enough cash for 10 more episodes.
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By Joanna Weiss
Boston.com
''Postcards From Buster," a WGBH-produced children's show that became embroiled in controversy earlier this year for featuring a lesbian couple, has secured funding for 10 new episodes -- in part through a grant from a foundation that supports gay and lesbian causes. Among the show's new underwriters, WGBH announced yesterday, is the Small Change Foundation, whose representative, Timothy Wu, is described as a leader of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community. In a statement, Wu, a foundation trustee, said the show ''celebrates our core national values of respect and appreciation for the rich diversity of all American families." ''Buster," a spinoff of the popular ''Arthur" cartoon, features an animated bunny who visits real-life families. An episode slated to air last January featured a trip to Vermont, where Buster (inset) learned about maple syrup at the home of a lesbian couple. In one of her first official acts, US Education Secretary Margaret Spellings in January sent a letter to PBS president Pat Mitchell, saying many parents wouldn't want their children ''exposed to the lifestyles portrayed." PBS pulled the episode from its lineup, though some stations aired it anyway. In the upcoming season, which will premiere in late fall 2006, some episodes promise to be similarly topical. Buster will visit hurricane-ravaged sites in Louisiana, which he had visited last season. He'll also visit Tijuana and San Diego, meeting two families that travel across the Mexican border for work and school. Several other groups, including the Annenberg Foundation and PBS, will also provide funding.
Hey, I ranted about that once! I hope they also sent a letter of appreciation to Matt Groening for the episode where Homer takes Bart to a gay steel mill.
Good times.
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