3. Rainbow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kclq2zGQy4w Weve had the scary end of the disturbing spectrum, now for something else entirely. On the surface Rainbow is lovely; teaching children life lessons in a cuddly, colourful environment. But if you think about it there are some really odd questions raise. The most disturbing thing about Rainbow is its characters. Life is confusing enough for children, and Im not sure that what appears to be a transvestite hippo called George is the way to go about things. Hes pink, his eyelashes are huge and has the most effeminate voice youve ever heard. George was nothing compared to Zippy though, what in the hell was up with that guy? Im not sure I would ever want my children to watch featuring a character in a furry gimp suitjust weird. To top it all off, Zippy along with George and Bungle would share a bed, as if the homo-eroticism emanating from George and Zippy wasnt bad enough. The above video was of course not a real episode from the kids series, it was filmed exclusively for the 1979 Thames TV Christmas tape and is intentionally suggestive. It was just too funny not to include in this segment.
2. Teletubbies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ichQOqbewA&feature=related It doesnt get more downright disturbing than the Teletubbies. Almost everything about the entire show is just plain wrong. First the setting: The Teletubbies seem to live in some sort of enclosure watched over by a sun baby with a maniacal laugh to send a shiver down anyones spine. Adding to the colourful 1984 overtones are the strange mechanical speaker systems (type things) that pop out of the ground and just seem to keep a watchful eye on the characters before declaring time for tubby bye bye. Just because there are flowers and rabbits everywhere, doesnt make this anymore disturbing than the themes in 1984. In addition to this, the only explanation I can give for the Teletubbies is that they are on some sort of hallucinogenic drug. They spend their day performing weird and uncoordinated dance routines, giggling (and rolling around) hysterically to the dullest TV shows in their personal tummy TVs and chowing down on easy to digest food, namely Tubby Custard and Tubby Toast (clearly the diet of stoners). Is it just me, or is the section in the above intro where the custard machine splashes Po (around the 1.07 mark) just one of the most disturbing things ever seen in a childrens show? I wont say what it looks like, but most of you will probably be able to work it out for yourselves. Click "next" below to find out what was number one...