View Full Version : One-armed presenter is scaring children, parents tell BBC
A disabled CBeebies presenter has been the victim of a disturbing campaign after parents complained that she was scaring toddlers.What a world we live in when rather than try to teach our kids to see past the disabilities of others, we are encouraging our kids, by our disgust, to fear them? Do we imagine our kids are are so frightened of seeing disabled people that they will have nightmares about them?
This girl is strong-willed and focussed, what about those that cannot handle the discrimination.
Thats terrible. The BBC needs to take a stand against that. Is there a link?
omg that is just ignorance.
children do not see the dif. in people like adults do.
a child will ask bluntly .. why does she only have one arm?
but not be repulsed by it.
that is a learned condition.
i think we need to look more to the parents for the cause of fear than at anything else
this is total ignorance couldnt believe it when i read this in the paper, kids should be brought up to accept folk for who or what they are, at the end of the day they learn by example, si ignorant parents is going to lead to ignorant kids.
Thats terrible. The BBC needs to take a stand against that. Is there a link?Here you go, Gleeber:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1152466/One-armed-presenter-scaring-children-parents-tell-BBC.html
You're absolutely right brandy, the problem with how disabilities are dealt with does lie with the parents. On a similar vein, I was looking after a group of kids at my son's birthday party, one of which is autistic. I tried to make allowances for his autism and the way I felt he should be handled, although I've never had any experince in dealing with handicapped or disabled people.
The autistic child was playing on a machine that the other boys wanted a shot off, and I suggested that 'X' has one more shot, but the other kids said he'd been on it long enough, they wanted their turn. To my surprise, 'X' stepped away from the machine quite happily, and it hit me that the problem lay with me-not them. They all school together and are used to each other so 'X' is treated the same way, no big allowances made for his condition.
As brandy says, a kid sees things differently, and may be blunt in asking questions, but they are sometimes more readily acceptable of people outside of the 'norm'.
Surely the BBc will issue a statemnet in support of Cerrie Burnell. They could also take advantage of the situation and allow cerrie to talk to the kids about her disability.
It is truly shockin that things like this happen in this day and age! The pc brigade are surely not winning if this kind of prejudice is rife! Pathetic for any parent to do anything other than explain to their child!
My son and I have watched her many times on CBeebies and never once has he shown any interest in her 'missing' arm let alone shown any fear.
I think she's a great presenter, who cares how many limbs she has but I did wonder last week if she had been chosen purposefully because of her disability to help youngsters of an early age understand that we all may look a little bit different but it does not matter.
Balamory is another example, Penny is disabled and uses a wheelchair but you don't see parents writing in complaining about her.
All people are not the same, some are capable of more than others and usually it is the 'disabled' person who is more capable!
Surely the BBc will issue a statemnet in support of Cerrie Burnell. They could also take advantage of the situation and allow cerrie to talk to the kids about her disability.She has talked about her disability in the tabloids regarding the current vitriol levelled at her but as far as I know it has never been broached on her program on tv.
It is truly shockin that things like this happen in this day and age! The pc brigade are surely not winning if this kind of prejudice is rife! Pathetic for any parent to do anything other than explain to their child!The PC brigade cannot be blamed this time.
My son and I have watched her many times on CBeebies and never once has he shown any interest in her 'missing' arm let alone shown any fear.
I think she's a great presenter, who cares how many limbs she has but I did wonder last week if she had been chosen purposefully because of her disability to help youngsters of an early age understand that we all may look a little bit different but it does not matter.
Balamory is another example, Penny is disabled and uses a wheelchair but you don't see parents writing in complaining about her.
All people are not the same, some are capable of more than others and usually it is the 'disabled' person who is more capable!I can understand why you think she may have been employed because of her disability but maybe, just maybe, she was the best candidate for the job?
Melancholy Man
28-Feb-09, 01:06
I quite agree. Beautiful women scare me as well.
I quite agree. Beautiful women scare me as well.You have just put it into context , Mel. She is a beautiful woman, her disability is secondary.
I can understand why you think she may have been employed because of her disability but maybe, just maybe, she was the best candidate for the job?
She certainly is good at it, there is no mistaking that. As far as I can see it's the parents who have the problem not the children, kids accept things at face value and I just wish these adults would take the lead from their kids.
She certainly is good at it, there is no mistaking that. As far as I can see it's the parents who have the problem not the children, kids accept things at face value and I just wish these adults would take the lead from their kids.Oh if it were so that adults could just listen to their children watch how they interact with those of a different colour, those that are fatter, thinner, etc. The world would be a much better place.
She has talked about her disability in the tabloids regarding the current vitriol levelled at her but as far as I know it has never been broached on her program on tv.
The PC brigade cannot be blamed this time.
I am not blaming the pc brigade for this but sayin that all the pc crap that abounds is not helpin one whit in anyone's fight for equality of any kind!
I think what this story shows is that there's a need for the pc brigade. Without them all sorts of minorites would be prejudiced against as if there's not enough as it is. There's got to be some kind of balance though and I suspect we will learn that as we go along. Hopefully there's plenty time.
Melancholy Man
28-Feb-09, 01:30
Even the Daily Mail realizes they're being small-minded and nasty.
Even the Daily Mail realizes they're being small-minded and nasty.
I would agree with that Mel, Those that are sending in the complaints are small minded and nasty.
The only photo I have seen of her was one taken on the TV set and shows her wearing a cardigan with one sleeve completely down and the other pulled very high making her arm intentionally noticeable.
The BBC has had Nine formal complaints which can hardly be described a s a huge outcry. From the reaction about the story I thought, until I checked, that there must have been thousands of complaints.
It must have been a slow news day.
Thanks for pointing that out Jaws! I should take my own advice and not believe the media hype! I suppose what is really shocking here is how a mountain has been made out of a molehill! No offence to you TBH as you were just pointing out the injustice but seem to have been taken in like the rest of us who saw the story or indeed heard it on the news for heaven's sake. How even more awful for the girl involved for such a song and dance to be made about so few complaints compared wi the thousands of kids who no doubt watch the programme!
We must stop believing these idiots who only wish us to buy their papers - facts do not seem to come into it! Oops sorry maybe they do but in tiny print at the bottom!
I saw this on BBC Breakfast the other morning, what small minded idiots would think this bonnie lassie would scare a child
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7906507.stm
we saw her on Cbeebies one day, and hubby pointed out her arm. He said to my 2 year old "whats wrong with the ladies arm" and he just shrugged his shoulders and said
"its gone"
kids are so accepting and put some adults to shame.
mrs and mr brown
28-Feb-09, 12:32
my daughter and the rest of us lol, we all watch cbeebies and my daughter has said to me where has her arm gone, its a difficult subject as she is four next saturday, all that we have said is that she must have hurt it and sometimes the doc cant make it better so thats what happened, on the note of what is going on its shocking children arent scared of things like that there are only scared if they dont understand,
i think there was 9 complaints about her arm,but many more about both the new presenters just not being very good.there is actualy petitions to bring back the old presenters.
im afraid to say this but i think the bbc have decided to turn it into a disability row.
we watch cbeebies all day,well its on,and my girl is to little,shes 1.she just shook her head and said no a lot when the new presenters started,but she did it with the lassie with the high sqeaky voice that was presenting it for a while too,so its definately not because her arm is missing
percy toboggan
28-Feb-09, 15:24
I'm not a regular viewer but would this woman have got the job if she'd had two arms?
Is the BBC up to positive discrimination once more - filling quotas and ticking boxes?
I've heard her speak and she came across as nothing special in the conversational stakes.
Those parents who complained are misguided. Whereas my first point is worthy of a grumble the allegation that her one armedness might give kids nightmares is highly unlikely once a proper explanation is given to 'em.
the allegation that her one armedness might give kids nightmares is highly unlikely once a proper explanation is given to 'em.
unless their parents reaction to it is one of shock/horror.....
cuddlepop
28-Feb-09, 15:44
I wonder just how many complaints are required to make the tabloids.:confused
If it was as in this case only 9 then,well you can guess the rest.
This is just the media highlighing an issue of discrimination in so far as that some adults are uncomfortable with "imperfect" humans.
Kids accept you for who and what you are,missing arm included.:roll:
percy toboggan
28-Feb-09, 15:48
unless their parents reaction to it is one of shock/horror.....
..which doesn't quite equate to the words of mine which you quoted - as the kids then would probably not be given a rational explanation.
I watched Long John Silver as a kid - he had a wooden leg - it didn't give me bad dreams. As for being 'shocked and horrified' by the sight of an amputee then such a reaction , in an ideal world would be looked upon as a totally irrational phobia and an inablity to reconcile anything which was not whole, or near perfect in form. The same person might demand perfectly formed fruit and vegetables and should be pitied even more than those with missing limbs.
..which doesn't quite equate to the words of mine which you quoted - as the kids then would probably not be given a rational explanation.
maybe not what we see as rational.. but i did quote what you said more to express my thoughts on it, rather than reply to you directly... sorry.
percy toboggan
28-Feb-09, 17:52
Even the Daily Mail realizes they're being small-minded and nasty.
You mean like those people who use the name of the paper to lump it's readership all together in one big generalisation. The liberal, allegedly tolerant self-appointed guardians of liberty who seem to have little tolerance of people who read the Daily Mail?
If so, I agree.
percy toboggan
28-Feb-09, 17:54
maybe not what we see as rational.. but i did quote what you said more to express my thoughts on it, rather than reply to you directly... sorry.
Please don't apologise Honey - all part of the cut and thrust.
I'm always happy to be quoted....just thought I'd mention what I saw as a mis-match. Thanks for the feedback.
how on earth are kids going to learn this sort of thing is normal some people loose arms legs fingers all the time. i can not believe this is happening. my boy has never sown fear or anything towards anyone with a disability. it may well be because he lost the top off his finger when he was 3 he is 6 now but if he made a coment like he was scared i would explain to him that sometimes people are born without or loose a limb and that there is nothing wrong with that they are normal people
unless their parents reaction to it is one of shock/horror.....You are probably right there, honey. It's a bit like thunder and lightening, if the parents give out signals that they are frightened by it a small child will pick that up and be terrified. If the parents give no indication of there being anything amiss and give the child an explanation it can understand, I was told it was God playing skittles, they might still be a bit nervous without them being turned into quivering terrified wrecks.
And no, I don't still believe it's God playing skittles, I now know it's really the devil dumping piles of rocks for naughty boys to break up.;)
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