Disabled cbeebies presenter 'scares children'

[Emperor of Graal]

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20090223/tuk-one-armed-cbeebies-host-scaring-chil-45dbed5.html
A Cbeebies presenter who was born with one arm 'scares' children.
Myself, I think its mean to complain.
If parents are that mean and selfish what is going on.
Children will end up thinking disabled people are 'bad' and not acceptable in the society.

[Crazed Rabbit]

What rubbish. A bunch of pathetic parents, themselves children of the government, worrying over something new and different.

CR

[CountArach]

What rubbish. A bunch of pathetic parents, themselves children of the government, worrying over something new and different.

CR
This is a change - CR supporting fewer arms :wink:

[rvg]

They say she has had a long career as an actor. Shouldn't she be called an actress then?

[Xiahou]

This story is pathetic on many levels. First being that SkyNews is making a story out of forum postings:
But parents on online forums have claimed she 'frightens' their children. So, are we going to be their next story? :dizzy2:

Further, the idea that parents would actually think "unsightly" disabled people should be hidden from view, is similarly pathetic. Someone who's disability elicits a negative reaction from their children should be a teachable moment for the parent to explain why they're different and that it's nothing to be afraid of. But no, instead we have parents complaining that these people are allowed on TV. :no:

[Kralizec]

We should ban disabled people from the streets too, otherwise how can we prevent our children from seeing them?

[Rhyfelwyr]

I think this example is silly, she looks like a nice person and if I was a child she wouldn't frighten me.

But I think there is a limit to these sort of things. For example, I remember in school hearing about this woman with no arms or legs, and how she got pregnant and had a baby. So, they had a statue of her put up somewhere, in London IIRC. The statue displayed here sitting down on the floor, stark naked, while well into her pregnancy. Now, if I was a child and saw this naked, limbless, pot-bellied monster staring at me, it would guarantee me nightmares for a long time to come. Sometimes people just take things too far. The idea was it would show what people could accomplish despite difficulties, I say if that's the case why don't they just cart her round in a circus that way even more people can be inspired.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

This is a change - CR supporting fewer arms :wink:
Thread over.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

They say she has had a long career as an actor. Shouldn't she be called an actress then?

That is now probably considered sexist.

[Husar]

We should ban mentally disabled parents who complain about physical disabilities. :idea2:

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

They say she has had a long career as an actor. Shouldn't she be called an actress then?

actress is synonomous with "prostitute", for obvious reasons.

Now, about this story.

I was terrified of losing a limb as a child and, to be honest, it remains a phobia. She will scare some children, and if you think about her dissability as a birth defect and how that might relate to genetics you can see why such a phobia might develope. At the same time we are programmed to recognise a particular human shape, and it has two arms.

For these reasons I would say that it is not appropriate for her to present young childrens' programs. Irrc, the "Bedtime hour" is on at 7pm, so we are talking too young to really understand here.

[LittleGrizzly]

She's pretty fit. Everything else that needed to be said was nailed by Husar

[Rhyfelwyr]

How far would you let these things go though? There's the example I gave already, but if that's not enough... what about those 8-limbed babies, would you let them present a childrens TV show when they grow up?

I'm just wondering whether people think this story is silly because its a matter of degree (as I would say), or whether there should never be discrimination against any person for their disability in these situations.

[LittleGrizzly]

First we have one armed people presenting kids tv where will it stop ? Ginger people ? Black people ? and what about warts... witches are supposed to have warts that could be scary...

Obviously only wholesome good looking young white people are suitable... not too good looking of course... wouldn't want the little buggers attracted to them...

[Rhyfelwyr]

First we have one armed people presenting kids tv where will it stop ? Ginger people ? Black people ? and what about warts... witches are supposed to have warts that could be scary...

Obviously only wholesome good looking young white people are suitable... not too good looking of course... wouldn't want the little buggers attracted to them...

Would you let someone with 8 limbs present a childrens show? Yes or No?

[rvg]

First we have one armed people presenting kids tv where will it stop ? Ginger people ? Black people ? and what about warts... witches are supposed to have warts that could be scary...

Obviously only wholesome good looking young white people are suitable... not too good looking of course... wouldn't want the little buggers attracted to them...

I draw the line at The Elephant Man.

[Reverend Joe]

Would you let someone with 8 limbs present a childrens show? Yes or No?

I would let them do a show about spiders.

[Strike For The South]

Would you let someone with 8 limbs present a childrens show? Yes or No?

We allow a giant yellow bird to teach life lessons. So I consider that an improvement

[LittleGrizzly]

Sure why not, im sure young indian children are exposed to that multi limbed god (forgotten the name) without too many problems...

Children are more curious of differences, sure they can be scared more easily than most people, but im sure some young white kid who somehow never saw a black person could be scared by a very dark black presenter, does that mean we should avoid black tv presenters because little timmy doesn't understand that the slight difference that person has is nothing to be afraid off ?

Children should be exposed to the differences and be told they are nothing to worry about or fear, the fear they experience is off something unknown, once they see this woman is only missing an arm but apart from that is as loveable as any other tv presenter they'll be fine, and importantly now never to fear one armed people again...

[InsaneApache]

Would you let someone with 8 limbs present a childrens show? Yes or No?

Definitely not. Obviously an Qctosquid alliance fifth column. Jeez some people.

[Pannonian]

I think this example is silly, she looks like a nice person and if I was a child she wouldn't frighten me.

But I think there is a limit to these sort of things. For example, I remember in school hearing about this woman with no arms or legs, and how she got pregnant and had a baby. So, they had a statue of her put up somewhere, in London IIRC. The statue displayed here sitting down on the floor, stark naked, while well into her pregnancy. Now, if I was a child and saw this naked, limbless, pot-bellied monster staring at me, it would guarantee me nightmares for a long time to come. Sometimes people just take things too far. The idea was it would show what people could accomplish despite difficulties, I say if that's the case why don't they just cart her round in a circus that way even more people can be inspired.
You mean that statue at Trafalgar Square? Having grown up seeing headless and armless ancient Greek statues, that Trafalgar Square statue would have been nothing out of the ordinary to me.

[Reverend Joe]

Okay, I'm gonna go ahead and say it: the one-armed thing is a little weird, but honestly the lady's actually pretty good-looking. Personally, I think if I tried going out on a date with her, it would take me less than 5 minutes to forget about the arm.

Okay, and a few beers, if things got interesting over the following night.

[Husar]

I'd still go out with her if she was missing her two legs as well provided she has a nice character.

I don't really see why children would be scared of that unless their parents did something weird to them.
What about her own child? does it freak out every time it sees it's mom?
I remember there was a woman who lost all four limbs in hospital due to a bacteria infection before or after giving birth to her child(we had a thread about it here), her child didn't really seem to freak out over that either.
You cannot and should not protect your children from everything negative in this world and the fact that those people see her missing arm as something negative tells me a lot about them anyway.
For me a person is more than four legs and four arms.

[Devastatin Dave]

I'm calling BS on the story because I've seen my 3 and 5 year old interact with several folks with serious "abnormalities" (Then again, they have me as a father!!!) and they've never been frightened because at an early age I've not sheltered my children from some of the realities of life. But seriously...

My son became friends with a guy out at Best Buy. The young man is wheelchair bound and his name is Bobby (like my son, which he thought was the coolest). When my son met him, not once did my boy give the guy any weird looks or ask any uncorfortable questions. When we left, my son did ask me, "Why did Bobby have wheels". I explained to him in life everyone is physically different and everyone has different things happen in their life. I did not know whether or not Bobby had been in an accident or if he was born this way but it didn't make a difference to my child because Bobby was nice and that's what matters. My son is a kind hearted child. When my Nanny (Grandmother) was on her sick bed, dying of brain cancer and in agaonizing pain, my boy, at 3 years old, climbed into bed with her and snuggled with her. Its a moment I'll never forget. My Nanny was in a horrific state and it was very disturbing to see, but through the eyes of a child, it was less scary.
I'm sure these parents just didn't have the tenacity to explain to their children that people are different and there is nothing to fear from people that are different from you... unless they have belief systems bent on your destruction, like liberals!!!:laugh4:

[Fragony]

Did it actually scare kids, I have little love for awareness spammers.

[Whacker]

This is a change - CR supporting fewer arms :wink:

You jerk, I almost spit my chocolate milk all over my monitor and keyboard!!

[LittleGrizzly]

I'm calling BS on the story because I've seen my 3 and 5 year old interact with several folks with serious "abnormalities"

Exactly! Its the adults who are scared or intimdated, most children are just generally curious about differences people have, they would see the one arm as something curious and intresting rather than scary...

[Captain Fishpants]

I have two small children who love CBeebies, and neither one of them so much as noticed that the new lady presenter was disabled. They were more interested in what she had to say about when Big Barn Farm was going to be on next. She is perfectly capable of doing the job; she's pleasant, doesn't talk down to the children and does the links as well as anyone else. The fact that she has a missing forearm is neither here nor there. She can do the job.

This "news" story says a lot about Sky News. You have to remember that Sky rarely says anything positive about the BBC. Then again, could this be to do with the fact that Sky is owned by News International? The BBC are, by far, the biggest stumbling block to Sky and NI dominating the UK's airwaves.

[Idaho]

I'm calling BS on the story because I've seen my 3 and 5 year old interact with several folks with serious "abnormalities" (Then again, they have me as a father!!!) and they've never been frightened because at an early age I've not sheltered my children from some of the realities of life. But seriously...

My son became friends with a guy out at Best Buy. The young man is wheelchair bound and his name is Bobby (like my son, which he thought was the coolest). When my son met him, not once did my boy give the guy any weird looks or ask any uncorfortable questions. When we left, my son did ask me, "Why did Bobby have wheels". I explained to him in life everyone is physically different and everyone has different things happen in their life. I did not know whether or not Bobby had been in an accident or if he was born this way but it didn't make a difference to my child because Bobby was nice and that's what matters. My son is a kind hearted child. When my Nanny (Grandmother) was on her sick bed, dying of brain cancer and in agaonizing pain, my boy, at 3 years old, climbed into bed with her and snuggled with her. Its a moment I'll never forget. My Nanny was in a horrific state and it was very disturbing to see, but through the eyes of a child, it was less scary.
I'm sure these parents just didn't have the tenacity to explain to their children that people are different and there is nothing to fear from people that are different from you... unless they have belief systems bent on your destruction, like liberals!!!:laugh4:

Quite so. I don't shy away from telling my children the truth of death, disease, deformity. It happens. They can get a little freaked out, but they soon accept it.

[LittleGrizzly]

This "news" story says a lot about Sky News. You have to remember that Sky rarely says anything positive about the BBC. Then again, could this be to do with the fact that Sky is owned by News International? The BBC are, by far, the biggest stumbling block to Sky and NI dominating the UK's airwaves.

It wouldn't surprise me if that was a factor, bit of a low blow imo though.

On a happier note it seems the vast majority of people who have called in have been fully supportive of the woman, on the morning show on BBC, they were talking about the issue and i think they said there was only 2 people who thought she would scare the children compared to im guessing at least hundreds of e-mails the other way... or thousands..?

[Fragony]

What a non-story then, if this is all based on two people complaining :dizzy2:

[LittleGrizzly]

Well they aren't the original complaints, that was just the people who e-mailed into a show having a discussion on the matter. Though TBH i can't imagine (or maybe im just hoping) that, that many people complained in the first place...

[Fragony]

Well they aren't the original complaints, that was just the people who e-mailed into a show having a discussion on the matter. Though TBH i can't imagine (or maybe im just hoping) that, that many people complained in the first place...

Initionally had this image of hundreds of traumatised kids that got the crap scared out of them (to me that doesn't sound so odd), so no such thing happened they don't give a crap, I don't have any kids I'll take the word of people that do

[Vladimir]

Dear Lord. Who told CA developers about the Backroom? They'll never listen to us again! :laugh4:

[Devastatin Dave]

Dear Lord. Who told CA developers about the Backroom? They'll never listen to us again! :laugh4:

No kidding, I hope the mods ban me for life so i don't :daisy: future Total War imput from the Orgahs...shoot!!!:laugh4:

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Dear Lord. Who told CA developers about the Backroom? They'll never listen to us again! :laugh4:

One has to opt in to the Backroom voluntarily (either by requesting admission or by having participated prior to the groups creation date), so any CA developer with low tastes is more than welcome at their choice.

As to their listening....I cannot think the Backroom, with all it's quaint "charm," is affecting anything

[Pannonian]

One has to opt in to the Backroom voluntarily (either by requesting admission or by having participated prior to the groups creation date), so any CA developer with low tastes is more than welcome at their choice.

As to their listening....I cannot think the Backroom, with all it's quaint "charm," is affecting anything
I don't know. Perhaps there will be arguments over whether musket units will be recruitable anywhere, or whether guns will be restricted. Maybe, in addition to being able to choose whether or not people can marry or be adopted into one's family, there will also be a choice of whether or not a budding scion will be kept or aborted. The province of Palestine will experience severe unrest every so often, but it will be unclear what is to blame for the latest outbreak. Finally, every so often, a promising family member will acquire the infertile trait, as the result of an unfortunate accident involving firearms and genitalia. The "trait increased" blurb will contain an unconscionable number of puns.

[Major Robert Dump]

So a kid has some nightmares. Big deal. People need to not shelter their kids so much.