This is why we can't have nice things.
A recent episode of children's TV series Arthur has been banned in Alabama, with Alabama Public Television (APT) deeming the depiction of an animated same-sex marriage as unsuitable for viewers.
“It would be a violation of trust to broadcast the episode,” the director of programming at APT, Mike McKenzie, .
In a statement, McKenzie doubled down on APT's decision, writing: “Parents have trusted Alabama Public Television for more than 50 years to provide children’s programs that entertain, educate and inspire.
“More importantly – although we strongly encourage parents to watch television with their children and talk about what they have learned afterwards – parents trust that their children can watch APT without their supervision. We also know that children who are younger than the ‘target’ audience for ‘Arthur’ also watch the program.”
However, PBS, the network behind the program, has defended the episode, telling : “PBS KIDS programs are designed to reflect the diversity of communities across the nation. We believe it is important to represent the wide array of adults in the lives of children who look to PBS KIDS every day."
The show's creator, Marc Brown, also stood up for the episode.
“I’m really proud of that episode. And I will defend it to anybody who wants to talk about it,” Brown said in relation to controversy.
“Why shouldn’t their teacher marry another man? We all know people who are gay, who are trans, and it’s something that is socially acceptable. Why is there this discomfort that it takes a leap into our national media?”
He continued: “I don’t want children or people who are different to feel excluded. That’s not the kind of world we want to live in. And we want children to be educated so they can see there’s not just one type of family.
"Everyone should feel represented. I think we did that with Arthur.”
