One-Armed CBeebies Host 'Scaring' Children

One-Armed CBeebies Host 'Scaring' Children

news.sky.com

Disability charities have expressed anger after a number of parents complained that a one-armed children's TV presenter was frightening their kids.
Cerrie Burnell, who was born with one arm, began co-presenting Cbeebies 'Do And Discover' slot with Alex Winters last month.

She has a broad range of success as an actor, both in the theatre and on television.

But parents on online forums have claimed she 'frightens' their children.

Poster Barry wrote: "Is it just me, or does anyone else think the new woman presenter on Cbeebies (Cerrie Burnell) may scare the kids because of her disability?

"I didn't want to let my children watch the filler bits on the bedtime hour last night because I know it would have played on my eldest daughter's mind and possibly caused sleep problems... and yes, this is a serious post."

(visit the link for the full news article)

This is a disgrace. The parents should be seeing this as an opportunity to educate their children about disabilities, not getting all freaked out because a presenter does not fit their 'norm.'

I really hope that the presenter takes it as indicative of the stupidity and ignorance of many parents and not as a slur on her professionalism.

I note that I can't find anywhere that the BBC has condemned the comments of the parents. I would!

Children need to learn that not everyone is the same and to accept people for what they are.

This reinforces my belief that a lot of the problems we are facing with the 'youth of today' are a direct result of the inability of the parents to do a decent job in bringing up their kids. It truly disgusts me.

We really do live in a society filled with idiots.

Peace,

MGGG

news.sky.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

How could anyone truly think that this woman is going to scare their kids?

She's gorgeous...

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/2d673e6b1921.jpg[/atsimg]

[edit on 23-2-2009 by machinegun_go_go]

You know, from reading that article it seems that it wasn't the children who ran to mummy because they were scared, but the parents who assumed that their child would be scared and didn't let them watch the show.

Would they avert their child's eyes if they saw a one armed person walking down the street?

Madness.

Exactly my point.

It's the parents...

It's just insane.

Disabled people are scary? I beg to differ. It's the mindset of these parents which is scary.

The woman appears completely non-threatening and this is just a lame excuse for people who don't actually want to have to speak to their children.

Now the guy on the other hand... He makes me cry...

I agree MGGG this should have been seen as an opportunity by the parents to introduce disabilities to the young,not as an excuse to complain about a one armed lady scaring their kids.

As we like to say here Deny Ignorance.

Colour me outraged too. In fact, put me down as someone else who thinks it's the parents that are the real issue here, not the children.

I can imagine the same kind of people writing similar letters about the first black presenters on British children's TV:

Is it just me, or does anyone else think this Derek Griffiths presenter on Play School may scare the kids because of his er, er, heavy moustache.

Originally posted by machinegun_go_go

We really do live in a society filled with idiots.

Check my location, I agree wholeheartedly. Personally I think all the CBeebies staff should be sacked and the channel closed, however this is solely because I just don't think TV should be used as a surrogate parent.

When something is not the "norm" it is unusual. I'll be the first to admit to being strangely drawn to a missing limb, or port-wine mark. It's unusual for me and I'd like to think I'm the sort of guy that would address it straight off, rather that pussy-foot around the subject. It's momentary; and that's the only difference I can perceive.

Clearly she's qualified for the job, are the parents qualified for theirs?

reply to post by Merriman Weir


Derek Griffiths was awesome, and while we're discussing British TV presenters, I'm guessing the health and safety nuts would have been all over Floella Benjamin's braids.

Originally posted by Nirgal
reply to post by Merriman Weir

 

Derek Griffiths was awesome,

He really was the man. A fantastic presenter.

and while we're discussing British TV presenters, I'm guessing the health and safety nuts would have been all over Floella Benjamin's braids.

I'd imagine that her presenting whilst being heavily pregnant would have been the cause for 'Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells' to put ink to paper.

In these times of pre-fab economic disasters and wars and false flag terror... I predict that there will be more talk of just what physiological body types are "most worthy" of receiving care and compassion (i.e. resources) in the future.

That sounds like a very disturbing reality that we would think may never happen here, but look at Nazi Germany. It wasn't supposed to happen there, either.

I have a couple of physical handicaps and have noticed lately that at work, people have less patience with my required pace. I have worked with these people for a while, and have told them of my physical inhibitions, and yet in a time of struggle and more demand from less labor, it seems like people forget about compassion and understanding in favor of either running over or tossing aside the meek.

It's gradual. First, it will start out as government programs for the disabled.... oh, wait...... and then when the strings are pulled so that economic harsh times ensue, those programs' funding will be cut more and more..... and eventually, the disabled will be forced to fend for themselves when they are not as able to do so as most other people. So the disabled will just be "in the way" and will probably be stuck into public asylums and such, where they will be neglected and in many cases die. With economic times worsening, nationalization of everything, and the greater exclusion of the public from descision-making and exposure to ever steadily increasing propaganda campaigns, who knows what might be done with/to our nation/world's physically/mentally disabled population...

If you've ever noticed.... in all great civilizations, there runs a great propaganda matrix in which the ideal body proportions are celebrated, and the undesirable body proportions are demonized. It is my belief that humans are not naturally that superficial... and this propaganda of labeling certain physical circumstances as "undesireable" only serves one purpose, and that purpose is to cleanse the "civilization" machine of faulty parts... because humans are completely expendable and replaceable cogs in a machine. Civilization is a giant globalized machine, and it's time that this machine is coming into full physical fruition.

Expect increasingly efficient and ignorance-prone methods of eugenics and euthenasia to be presented to the public in the coming years. Expect media to become more and more homogenized and fickle than ever before. Expect the meek to suffer because of this.

We are not wheels in machines, and nobody should be denied the comfort of living with relative ease just because the circumstances in which they are born do not "gel" with the demands of some big faceless behemoth called society. # society and all of its self serving judgments. It is not for society to decide. The only one who has the right to judge the karmic nature of the reason for certain unfortunate birth "defects" or physical mishaps which happen in certain individuals is God Almighty himself.

Compassion. Not fear. We know better, yet society dumbs us down to this infantile manner, where we consider trivial things as important. If we would use common sense, we would know that money can't feed a family, and all the comfort and abundance in the world cannot replace a family member no matter how unable they are to care for themselves. Everyone is a family member in this world. Everyone is loved by someone. To let just one person die because it was deemed more appropriate to encourage life elsewhere is a disservice to life everywhere.

We can have a president with a disabling case of Polio as one of the most venerated and powerful figures in political history way back in the 1930s.... yet NOW, in the 2000s...aproaching the 2010's.... parents don't like their children watching a beautiful woman with the unfortunate luck of having only one arm?

The greatest evil about mass media is that a certain ideology can be slipped into almost everywhere, and the ignorance and blind trust of a public raised with mass media as a key figure in their life will make people believe that that aspect of media is "just a part of the business" or "just for ratings and appeal".

How many women would rather have sexual relations with a pop icon like Tony the Tiger than think of the prospect of being with a man with one arm?

It's ALL about marketing.... and marketing is all about brainwashing, and this certain type of idealistic brainwashing will eventually give rise to generations who think that physical deformation is a blight of society, and you will not be able to pinpoint one leader or one group or one ideology as the culprit.... because it will have been propagated and honed through the years by means of "marketing" and "study groups" and such back in the Golden Age of Capitalism, and unconsciously spread throughout ALL ideologies and groups.

Capitalism and marketing.... I'm beginning to see now that there is a greater scheme to the whole thing. In the end, it isn't about one person or one group of people's quest for money and power. It is about turning humanity into one big biological machine which behaves much like a physical body, but which does not retain the humanity of it's individual parts.
In the end game.... ALL undesirable "cells" will be terminated and replaced at the first sign of inefficiency.

If you think apathy could get no worse... just you keep on viewing the world through that paper towel roll you've been viewing it through for your life up until now, and just you keep on overlooking the overall connections which are starting to form, and just keep telling yourself that humanity is in complete control of the system it finds itself trapped in....

And believe me, you will see the infinitely worse apathy which will arise from this "civilization" as the final death throes of nature rebelling are quelched.

dunwichwitch,

I have to say that that is one of the best things I have had the pleasure of reading on this here site of ours.

I see where you're coming from in terms of bringing eugenics into it and I have to say that I hadn't looked at it from that point of view until now.

If you've ever noticed.... in all great civilizations, there runs a great propaganda matrix in which the ideal body proportions are celebrated, and the undesirable body proportions are demonized. It is my belief that humans are not naturally that superficial... and this propaganda of labeling certain physical circumstances as "undesireable" only serves one purpose, and that purpose is to cleanse the "civilization" machine of faulty parts... because humans are completely expendable and replaceable cogs in a machine. Civilization is a giant globalized machine, and it's time that this machine is coming into full physical fruition.

One needs only to look at how the media idolise the 'perfect' celebrity and merciless mock those who are bigger or less well groomed than this ideal to see where we are going and it particularly worrying that in a society which one would hope is moving towards intergrating people's disabilities into the both the workplace and society in general (I apologise if that doesn't come across right - it's rather late) is, in some quarters, still fearful of those who are different. I know that we still have the whole xenophobia thing going on and theophobic issues rampant around the world but I thought we were past that when it came to disabilities.

I agree with you that people are not naturally superficial and that it is a learned behaviour. Some manage to avoid becoming like that, but those of us who do not concern ourselves with outward appearances are often considered to be the unusual one by the majority who consider physical appearance to be of vital importance.

t's ALL about marketing.... and marketing is all about brainwashing, and this certain type of idealistic brainwashing will eventually give rise to generations who think that physical deformation is a blight of society, and you will not be able to pinpoint one leader or one group or one ideology as the culprit.... because it will have been propagated and honed through the years by means of "marketing" and "study groups" and such back in the Golden Age of Capitalism, and unconsciously spread throughout ALL ideologies and groups.

This is a terrifying thought! I need say no more on it.

As Kuhl said - we like to deny ignorance here - it's a shame that the rest of the world don't follow suit here.

Peace,

MGGG

Hello my neice was born with one arm and she models. The parents which complained about this beautiful young lady should be ashamed of themselves and think of how this woman feels she is not scarey in the least. I give her a pat on the back for beleing in herself. We should have more disable people on tv show children that its ok to be different.

I wouldn't have ever had an issue with having small children watch that person.

If the kids noticed that she only had one arm, it would be a good opportunity to explain to the kids that some people can be missing a limb and that it's just the way they are and to not worry about it.

Personally, I think it must be the parents that have an issue with this.

What are they going to do when they're at the market and they see someone who is missing a limb or do they think that anyone who is less than perfect should be under house arrest.

I heard about this several days ago, and to be honest, thought it disgusting and out of order in a huge way, my Daughter loves this lady, and is always watching before she goes to bed.

IMHO this is 100% the parents, I think it's the mother and father who has the problem, and seems to be using thier kids as an excuse, seems to have backfired though, seeing how most of the internet chatter about this, seems a lot of people feel the same way.

What a shame thier kids has to miss out because of her own shock, if it was up to me I would take the Presenter to the ladies house, and introduce them, maybe it would broaden her mind a little.

I apologise if I offend anyone, but these people do need a little more education about life,

I am really disgusted, I thought all this kind of thing was left behind long ago, sadly every day I see people in wheelchairs being barged out of the way, old and infirm being ignored, nobody opens doors for people any more, where did all the politeness and respect go too?

What harm does a little courtesy do? what are we teaching our kids?



Fixing mistakes

[edit on 24/2/2009 by azzllin]

The kids will be fine!!!!! they all saw LITTLE NEMO, no parents said that gave their children nightmares.

Originally posted by azzllin
IMHO this is 100% the parents, I think it's the mother and father who has the problem, and seems to be using thier kids as an excuse

I agree entirely, my son didn't even notice, or if he did he didn't have anything to say about it. Children are very accepting, unless you teach them to be otherwise that is.

Originally posted by Wertdagf
The kids will be fine!!!!! they all saw LITTLE NEMO, no parents said that gave their children nightmares.

I don't know...there is the bit where the barracuda eats all the other babies and the mother...that can have repercussions (what is it with Disney and killing off mothers, now there is a conspiracy )

[edit on 24-2-2009 by KilgoreTrout]

This is Yet another example of the decline in creative talent in Entertainment.

They completely are dropping the ball...

First of all If I was in charge, this Lady would wear a Puppet on that stump for the entire first year...

And, it would be a Handicapped puppet and no one would know she had a stump and she'd get during the year this really Hot boyfriend and there would be a parallel story where the handicapped puppet on her stump also got a boy friend and he was having second thoughts about being with her because she was crippled...

and it would be the year one cliff hanger where she reveals that she Has a Stump under the puppet and she shows it too her really hot boyfriend and then.... it cliff hangs till next season

BUT

She doesn't reveal the stump to sight, she says she want's to keep the puppet and her and her boyfriend go to therapy where we All learn how important it is to Love Unconditionally form the Gay Psychologist who relates to them because he has Downs Syndrome

The for season 2's cliff hanger she rids herself of the puppet... and it cliffhangs again to season 3

and when Finally on Year 3 when every one loves this woman and loves this couple and loves handicapped people in general by proxy... FINALLY, she pulls off the Puppet...

and for this we call in the special effects Team... LUCAS and her Stump is made extra gloriously hideous and Given an Eye... Yeah! an Eye! Right on her stump and a little Boil that oozes slime too...

They Make it hideous, so everyone who now loves this woman gasps and Hates them selves for wanting to vomit

and then it goes to the commercial

For Ab Flex...

and 300 Million people call in because they Frackin hate themselves now and maybe by doing something about their abs they can feel better and I'd make 300 Million bucks on my % that day



I mean Gads...damn those fools and their hypocrisy... you don;t just reveal the stump from episode one, you build stuff like this up... people, idiots all over America wanting to know what's under the Puppet

or... you fix her during the series, you raise money for parts like the Bionic Woman and Keep 33% as allowed by law and get her a Frackin BIONIC ARM!

YEAH!

They could get her a Bionic arm and show all the kids the surgery Live while they drill into her stump and then the kids would Fear her for real...with her bionic arm... sometimes it could accidentally squish like a Hamster or something because she can't control it and the KIDS... the KIDS could Teach her how to control her new powers

They stink

This could have been a huge Hit