tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433144336299288135.post1027214110038415130..comments2024-03-26T13:27:26.499+00:00Comments on Zelo Street: Thomas The Tank Engine – Lighten UpTim Fentonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00726447899972084146noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433144336299288135.post-91011490450906164642014-07-24T12:45:30.107+01:002014-07-24T12:45:30.107+01:00I agree with most of her article. The lack of cent...I agree with most of her article. The lack of central female characters on 'Thomas and Friends' is really annoying - even in the usually male-centric world of kids' TV - and the James-laughed-at-for-wearing-pink episode is pretty shameful all round. organic cheeseboardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433144336299288135.post-52900124196626464512014-07-23T20:29:28.460+01:002014-07-23T20:29:28.460+01:00"the lesson children take away is generally t..."the lesson children take away is generally that behaving decently and being generous to others is less disaster prone than getting above yourself and acting like a dickhead" - very true, what a pity the board of Railtrack didn't pick that up when they were created.SteveBnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433144336299288135.post-70046959026970742472014-07-23T16:20:16.793+01:002014-07-23T16:20:16.793+01:00"The most interesting thing about Thomas and ..."The most interesting thing about Thomas and Friends is the absolutely horrific safety record"<br /><br />That's because they're essentially morality tales, with the disaster usually being punishment for a character flaw in one of the engines - Henry's vanity, Thomas's arrogance and disrespect, Gordon's conceit, Daisy's selfishness and so on. There are a few exceptions, such as the Flying Kipper, which was always my favourite and is based on the Abbots Ripton crash, I think, caused by frozen signals.<br /><br />Given that they're written by a priest, the obvious source for tales involving sudden externally applied punishment for sin is your basic old time religion, but the lesson children take away is generally that behaving decently and being generous to others is less disaster prone than getting above yourself and acting like a dickhead, which is hardly going to shake the foundations of the civilised world. Note that the Fat Controller doesn't play God, but is more a kind of priest figure...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13528153700227522801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433144336299288135.post-45592043993950151932014-07-23T15:44:51.165+01:002014-07-23T15:44:51.165+01:00The most interesting thing about Thomas and Friend...The most interesting thing about Thomas and Friends is the absolutely horrific safety record. Pretty much every episode there's a derailment, if not an outright crash. Clearly the Fat Controller is in control of nothing. Is the Island of Sodor running a state-owned or privatised railway, and how much of taxpayers hard earned money is being thrown away on this dangerous and outdated network? I think we should be told.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433144336299288135.post-82510739022834107472014-07-23T13:24:09.734+01:002014-07-23T13:24:09.734+01:00She has since tweeted to indicate that it was a &#...She has since tweeted to indicate that it was a 'humourous' piece. And it was written (I assume) primarily for the Guardian's US readership (orr the subset thereof who have degrees in comparative literature).<br /><br />To be honest, she is taking exception to the children's TV series as packaged for the States, which diverges increasingly from the Awdry canon. Christopher Awdry has written sadly about the malign influence of marketeers on the Thomas output, and I have to say I agree.<br /><br />It's not clear whether TVS has actually read any of the original books. I ssuspect that if she were to do so she would have a conniption.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433144336299288135.post-25704179396133564502014-07-23T11:15:07.947+01:002014-07-23T11:15:07.947+01:00I presumed it was a spoof, either at the Guardian&...I presumed it was a spoof, either at the Guardian's expense "hoho! let's see if they'll publish *this*!" or with their knowledge.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433144336299288135.post-37105019542242778392014-07-23T11:12:34.190+01:002014-07-23T11:12:34.190+01:00Desperate isn't even the word!
I would say th...Desperate isn't even the word!<br /><br />I would say though, as a matter of pedantry, the Fat Controller wore a morning suit; the frock coat (of which I own a wonderful 1920's example from Luxembourg) was full fronted and double-breasted as a winter version of the morning coat. And to mix it up all up with a "tuxedo" Ms Van Slyke...sartorial sacrilege.<br /><br />As far as steam goes...well, white "smoke" is steam mostly, from an efficient fire and usage of it, black "smoke" contains a much larger number of particulates from inefficient fire use - as often noticed when pulling away from stations, or when working with a dodgy fireman!<br /><br />Still, only a true desperado would read an allegory of being laughed at because you're off to work in your underwear (undercoat/underwear, geddit?) as a slight against homosexuals. I mean, blast that homophobic lead oxide primer!Surrey Guardhttp://www.twitter.com/surrey_guardnoreply@blogger.com