Teletubbies - A Textual Analysis

Introduction

Teletubbies was created and produced by Ragdoll productions 1997 to 2001 and was broadcast on the BBC channel. From 2001 to the present day the BBC has continued to produce and distribute the Teletubbies through its CBBC channel and PBS America, which are channels especially created to target children’s viewing. Teletubbies has been so successful that it is shown in over 111 countries and translated in 41 languages.

Representations and childhood constructions: A sexual, Colours and Antennas

There are four Teletubbies who at first seem like A sexual childhood constructions, as there is no physical genre identity, they do not wear clothes, but their bodies are covered in terry cloth. Each Teletubby is differentiated primarily by colour, size and the shape of their antennas on their heads. They all speak as a very young child would, gurggling and babbling ‘uh oh’ baby speak and repeating words. There are four character’s Tinky Winky is Purple, Dipsy is green, Laa Laa yellow and Po is red. Analyzing all the colours, the most controversial purple is the darkest shade which could be syntagmic for strength and power, other interpretations have been speculated including Reverend Jerry Falwell wrote an article for The National liberty journal in February 1999 warning parents that Tinky winky was a hidden homosexual sign because purple is the gay pride colour and the triangle is a gay pride symbol. (http://www.rightgrrl.com/carolyn/teletubbies.html).
Also the name Dipsy, who consequently has a dipstick coming from his head: Dipstick in British slang is used to describe someone who is intellectually inferior. Dipsy’s character is constructed as male, who enjoys role playing and likes dancing, who has a darker colored face than the rest who is stubborn and often disagrees with the rest of the teletubbies (Babes n the hood, Davies:16). One example is the episode where Laa-Laa played the guitar. Both Tinky Winky and Po ran away, but Dipsy thought her playing was lovely. Some may argue that there are gender and race constructions which may be politically incorrect or have hidden connotations (Mary Jane Kehily 2004:50). Each Teletubby also has a square T.V on their stomachs which signifies technology and communication; this is also a sign of post-modernism which children can relate to. The Teletubbies intertextuality including audio/visual sequences from their abdominal TV’s is designed to allow children to become interactive viewers and not just passive consumers.

Constructions of Tinky winky and Po

There are so many factors I could choose to focus on with the textual analysis from the landscape, to the language, to their activities and roles, which I have touched on. However I was very interested in the relationships between the characters especially Tinky Winky and Po.

Historically representations of childhood in children’s programming, has focused on the sex of the character, in Teletubbies the role of the character is emphasized more than the sex of the character. But although traditionally the visual aesthetic of the characters seem to be genderless, the roles within their world indicates that hegemonic struggles exist and male domination is apparent. Although all the characters look similar and sexless there are indications as to there gender. Let us take the character Tinky winky, it’s gender points to a masculine stereotype, according to Griffiths (Griffiths:161, pink worlds and blue worlds) gender traits of a male physique, assertiveness and independence and also of the tone and pitch of his voice. The feminine stereotype could be La La who is obedient, nice, gentle, placid and sensitive and she has a softer, higher pitched voice (Griffiths:161, pink worlds and blue worlds). Firstly physically Tinky Winky is much bigger than the rest of the teletubbies, which implies that he may be the dominant figure within the group. Secondly the Tinky winky is always the sensible one and is often the first one to teach or lead what the rest of the Teletubbies will do. Also there is evidence that he is the male patriarch of the ‘family’ as he often frowns or corrects the smallest Teletubbie Po who is a child, constructed as playful, childish, getting into innocent trouble and a bit clumsy. The dominant relationship between Tinky winky and the other teletubbies but in particular to Po can be seen in an episode entitled ‘Teletubbies learn to hold hands’ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiaLOzP1lCA). At the beginning Tinky winky appears first and then po, Tinky winky and Po are standing side by side, physically one can see that Tinky winky is much taller and fatter than Po. The narrator begins “one day Tinky winky and po decided to hold hands” Tinky winky is the first to extend his hand This indicates that he knows what to do and has done this before, because Po hesitates and looks up at him for re assurance, seconds pass as Po deliberates as a child would looking up and down, putting his hand at his mouth and saying “Ahh Tinky Tinky” in an excited way yet in a innocent child like manner as if unsure whether the concept of holding hands is a good or bad thing. Po takes Tinky Winky’s hand at that moment then gurgles looking down at their hands joined and says “holding hands”

Conclusion

In this sequence it is apparent that there is a definite childhood construction from an adults view, Po represents an innocent child or the ideal child: pure and full of goodness, vulnerable and in need of care and protection (Mary Jane Kehily 2004:40). Tinky Winky represents the adult in the sequence enforcing his position through the socialization of the child (Mary Jane Kehily 2004:85). This was a child teaching the social and spatial act of holding hands with an adult. This sequence could have been directed and produced from a child's perspective, allowing Po to discover what holding hands is for himself, instead of from a dominant, adult or hegemonic construction.