Complaints about a one armed kids TV presenter

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http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Disabled-CBeebies-TV-Presenter-Cerrie-Burnell-Accused-Of-Scaring-Children-After-Complaints/Article/200902415227818

There's a woman who presents CBBC (a kids TV channel in the UK) who was born with her arm missing below the elbow.

At least 9 parents have complained because they think that she will scare their kids and shouldn't be allowed to present a childrens channel

Morons

 

I couldn't get the link to work, so I'm just being the devil's advocate. Who is this one armed women? Is she someone famous that the kids would know? Or is this another form of "education" for the kids that people with one arm are people too?

Actually, now I'm not sure what you mean by "presenter"? At first I was thinking this was an award show and that it would be odd to have someone not famous present awards. Now I'm guessing that it is a television show. If it is a show and the "one armed women" scares the kids, then turn the damn channel to something else. Why is this so difficult? If it scares enough kids that nobody watches the show then it will get cancelled and the parents get their wish.

 

Thats gotta be the dumbest thing!
they don't like her because she is born different, jeez talk about stupid.

 

Some people have irrational fears and pass them on to their children. I can understand how seeing a disability could cause nightmares in children (after all, they have very active imaginations and the 'causes' of the disability could be very frightening -- especially when a part of the body is gone). Unfortunately, many parents are simply lazy. They would have the issue go away instead of taking the opportunity to teach their children about disabilities and tolerance.

 

That's arguably the stupidest thing I've ever heard -- is she pleasant and fun? Does she talk about appropriate things? If so, then she should keep her job. It's not like she has any choice at all in the matter of having only one arm. The parents in question must be idiots if her disability is the only reason they want her gone.

This goes to crappy parenting. I know a family that they can't have any books about sharks in the house because their littlest girl is afraid of them. Instead of sitting down and telling the child that there's no sharks in Alberta (it's LANDLOCKED, FFS) and that she needs to settle the ----- down and not make such a fuss over silly things (and it's the little girl's way of getting attention) they pander to this crap. The kid's gona grow up thinking the best way to get attention is to pitch a fit and totally deny all reason and logic until she gets her way. THAT'S gonna be a joy for the teachers at the school to deal with when the kid gets there.

 

I remember years ago when a childrens presenter was in a wheelchair parents complained he was a bad influence on children Something about encouraging laziness because they thought it was a push chair

I've heard all sorts of stuff like this over the years, never surprises me, you always get the shock of everyone trying to hide away from the disabled in fairly irrational manners.

Hell, there is still shock that crips are still allowed to breed!

 

I'm sure she's a very hard worker...we should all give her a hand.

 

WHAT?!!? Outrageous! Next they'll be trying to give women the right to vote...

 

... *sigh*

That was good DR. It was bad, terrible in fact, and you should be ashamed of youself for it , but it was good, too.


Seriously, though, any kid that's going to be scared because of a one-armed 'presenter' (or teacher, or councelor, or anyone else) needs to get out more and have a little bit more of the world explained to them. Personally, I woulda thought it was cool at that age.

 

Couldn't they just stick a hand puppet (no pun intended) on that arm? I've seen some kids shows these days, and having something that looks like Elmo growing out of her arm wouldn't faze anyone.

Or better yet, give her a hook, an eye patch, and give the show a pirate theme...that way, everyone's happy!

 

I have a high school friend like that - down from the elbow he has only vestigial fingers. All in all, he's one of the nicer guys I know. Anyway, I don't see why she should lose her job only because a handful of parents complain that she may scare their kids. First, as already said, it's their job as parents to actually sit down with the kids and explain some issues to them. Second, parents (mothers in particular) sometimes fuss unnecessarily over their kids. I think the little boys and girls may be made of sterner stuff than their moms give them credit for - most kids I know tend to be interested by such stuff, not scared.

And, of course, there's the matter of changing the channel. Just because the BBC is public doesn't mean everyone is watching it 24/7 .

 

None of the kids that watch the show have had a problem according to reports I've seen. It's just parents saying that it MAY scare their darling little brats. Ashley watches CBBC and I think it's great. Although he isn't really old enough to understand, as he grows up he's going to see that it's normal for people to be different