What Happened To The Teletubbies?

May 2024 · 1 minute read

The Teletubbies had political controversies, too, including one spearheaded by Jerry Falwell, an American televangelist (via Britannica). Falwell raised concerns that one of the Teletubbies, Tinky Winky, was gay-coded. As evidence, he pointed to the color of the Teletubby ⁠— it was purple ⁠— and the fact that its antennae were shaped into a triangle, a shape that has historically been linked to the LGBTQ+ community. The character also sometimes carried a purse. For Falwell, all this evidence added up, and he wrote an article in 1999 about the issue titled "Parents Alert: Tinky Winky Comes Out of Closet," saying that the character was harmful to children (via Slate).

The accusation was met with alarm by some and derision by others. Many commentators mocked Falwell for the accusation and for caring about the potential coding of a Teletubby. For their part, a spokesperson on behalf of 'Teletubbies' pointed out that the Teletubbies don't have genitals, according to Slate.

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