Woman with one arm too scary for TV...

[Drakon]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...senter-scaring-children-parents-tell-BBC.html

A disabled CBeebies presenter has been the victim of a disturbing campaign after parents complained that she was scaring toddlers.

They claimed that host Cerrie Burnell - who was born with one arm - is not suitable to appear on the digital children's channel.

Miss Burnell and co-presenter Alex Winters took over the popular Do and Discover slot and The Bedtime Hour programme last month.
cerrie burnell

But the decision to hire her has prompted a flurry of complaints to the BBC and on parenting message boards, with some of the posts on the CBeebies website becoming so vicious that they had to be removed.

Incredibly, one father said he wanted to ban his daughter from watching the channel because he feared it would give her nightmares.

Others claimed that they were forced to discuss difficult issues with their young children before they were ready.

One blogger wrote: 'Is it just me, or does anyone else think the new woman presenter on CBeebies 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.'

Some even accused the BBC of hiring Miss Burnell, 29, because of 'political correctness' and solely to meet employment quotas.

One notice board comment read: 'What is scary is the BBC's determination to show " minorities" on CBeebies at every available opportunity!
message boards

'This new presenter is c*** - face facts - but because she has a disability then she was given a job. [It is] positive discrimination in my books.'

A BBC spokesman said the broadcaster had received nine formal complaints about Miss Burnell.

But she insisted the new presenter had also received messages of support and that many parents were keen to have a range of people on screen.

Yesterday, Miss Burnell - who has a four-month-old daughter - hit back at her critics, branding them 'small minded' and their remarks 'terrible'.

Admitting she was upset by the comments, she added: 'It can only be a good thing that parents are using me as a chance to talk about disability with their children.

'It just goes to show how important it is to have positive disabled role models on CBeebies and television in general.'

A friend said: 'It's shocking to think that people still have these views and, even worse, that they are passing on this discrimination to their children.' Michael Carrington, controller of CBeebies, said: 'It's a big ask to entertain millions of children every day.

'Cerrie is warm and natural and we think that in time all mums and dads and children will love her as much as we do.'

Originally from Eastbourne, Miss Burnell studied drama in Manchester and won plaudits for her theatre work before landing small roles in EastEnders, The Bill and Grange Hill.

She also works as a teaching assistant at a special needs school in London.

Disability groups have fiercely defended her and the BBC.

John Knight, of charity Leonard Cheshire Disability, said: 'Disabled people experience disadvantage and discrimination like this every day, largely through ignorance. This needs to change.

'Understanding disability all comes down to familiarity. The bottom line is that seeing disabled people on television should be the norm, not the exception.'

Another reason I wanna quit the human race.

 

[Wylie Times]

Scaring toddlers? What the hell DOESN'T scare toddlers!!??

 

[Lunar_Wolf]

I see no problem with a woman with one arm on tv. Don't see how kids can be scared of that, unless she is wearing sleeveless top.

 

[Majic Walrus]

I can see how it could scare kids, until you explain it.

 

[SuperFerret]

In pictures I've seen, the stump is visible. It's really a case of parents overreacting (nevermind being ignorant) than children being scared. I mean, seriously, why would they be afraid, she's got one arm, that makes her 50% less likely to successfully "get them".

 

[November Rain]

I actually watched some of the programmes, my gf's sister has 1 yr old twins so i do some babysitting and watch it

it's alright.

there's no way they'll take her off air, she's sue the living piss out of them and win.

her appearance is supposed to be arousing awareness, not ignorant parents...

i think she does intros for tiggle wiggle or some programmes like, that, not sure if its pepper pig.

man, kids shows today are pretty messed up regardless

 

[November Rain]

there goes your shot at presenting next year's hype awards drakon, since children have access to this site and all...

company policy...

 

[Drakon]

At work, I hear, at least three times a day, "Mom/Dad! That guy's leg!!", refering to my prosthetic. The only differences between me and this woman are that she's doing something more important, and that more people are seeing her.

 

[Wylie Times]

I actually watched some of the programmes, my gf's sister has 1 yr old twins so i do some babysitting and watch it

it's alright.

there's no way they'll take her off air, she's sue the living piss out of them and win.

her appearance is supposed to be arousing awareness, not ignorant parents...

i think she does intros for tiggle wiggle or some programmes like, that, not sure if its pepper pig.

man, kids shows today are pretty messed up regardless

*completly agrees*

Though to be fair it meets the same quality of shows adults watch.

 

[Majic Walrus]

She's a helluva a lot less scary than a guy who lives in a garbage can, giant talking anthropomorphized animals, and a goddamn teletubbie.

 

[SuperFerret]

You leave Oscar out of this!

 

[Wylie Times]

It's amazing the lengths some parents will go through to NOT talk to their kids.

 

[OctaviusINC]

She's a helluva a lot less scary than a guy who lives in a garbage can, giant talking anthropomorphized animals, and a goddamn teletubbie.

Did ya ever look into a Snuffleupagus's eyes?

He's got lifeless eyes. Black eyes. Like a doll's eyes. When he comes at ya, doesn't seem to be living... until he bites ya, and those black eyes roll over white and then... ah then you hear that terrible high-pitched screamin'. Then the street of Sesame is covered in blood. And you're alone holdin' yourself. Prayin' that you're not next. But let me tell you something.

You are.

 

[Drakon]

It's amazing the lengths some parents will go through to NOT talk to their kids.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

there goes your shot at presenting next year's hype awards drakon, since children have access to this site and all...

company policy...

Damn you!

 

[Majic Walrus]

Mean hobos are scary dudes for kids to grow up with. And vampires and wooly ****ing mammoths and politically correct people with smiles plastered on their face.

Hell I've had bad acid trips that weren't as scary.

 

[Nathan]

Thanks for reminding me again why I hate humanity.

 

[LexCorp]

This was, for me, today's most ******ed news post.

 

[Drakon]

I hope that it stays that. I'd hate to see what's worse.

 

[The Lizard]

Back in 1967, the Spider-Man cartoon had to depict Curt Connors (the alter-ego of the Lizard) as having both arms because showing an amputee on a kids show was not allowed.

But if Curt Connors can be shown with one arm in today's Spidey cartoons, then I'd think we were beyond trying to shield kids from the concept of amputees, or anyone lacking a limb.

 

[Schlosser85]

What a wonderful parenting message.....people with disabilities are too scary for anyone to let little kids see them.

Some people are just too brain-dead- not to mention petty and shallow- to be entrusted with raising children.

 

[LexCorp]

That said who is activly lurking on these forums to catch and report these bad parents.

Maybe they could be mods on the hype lol

 

[Nivek]

Classy... much like other posters, I think this has less to do with the missing limb than wussy parents having to explain something to their children.

 

[Schlosser85]

God forbid they teach their children about people who are different from themselves.

 

[zanos]

WOW, what kind of scumbags would complain about the handicapped?

 

[chamber-music]

Some even accused the BBC of hiring Miss Burnell, 29, because of 'political correctness' and solely to meet employment quotas.

One notice board comment read: 'What is scary is the BBC's determination to show " minorities" on CBeebies at every available opportunity!
message boards

'This new presenter is c*** - face facts - but because she has a disability then she was given a job. [It is] positive discrimination in my books.'

Sounds like some old fashion prejudice to me
How hard is it really to say to a kid that someone is disabled.

Most childrens tv is people in weird costumes talking nonsense and they are complaining about a woman with one arm which makes about 50 million more sense than something on say Lazy Town