Dad hears a "racial slur" on Fraggle Rock

[Sgt Floyd]

This is all a matter of an audio inkblot. Somebody can't really make out something, so their mind tries to fill in the blank with the closest sounding words it can.

Also, IT'S NOT A CARTOON!

Exaclty. This is the same reason why we hear odd things in songs. Depending on how well or not so well someone enunceates something, we can hear something totally different from what is being said because, as Zeppo said, the mind fills the word in with syllables to make it sound like something.

Also, if you tell someone that is what is being said, that is what your gonna hear until someone corrects you. My friend thought in one of the last lines of "Your Gonna Go Far Kid" Dexter was saying Lullabies. After I pointed out he was saying Lord of the Flies she heard it correctly and couldnt understand how she got Lullabies out of it.

I'm surprised no one hs mentioned it yet, but why on earth would they record the show using a video camera? That just guarantees bad sound quality. Why did they not ask Hub for the clip itself to play?

 

[Oscarfan]

You'd think that since it's his daughter's favorite show, he'd know the names of the characters and then assume he said "Gobo."

 

[ZeppoAndFriends]

I'm surprised no one hs mentioned it yet, but why on earth would they record the show using a video camera? That just guarantees bad sound quality. Why did they not ask Hub for the clip itself to play?

Even with the poor sound quality, I can make out the line just fine. I don't get how the guy could possibly be hearing a long 'o'.

 

[charlietheowl]

You'd think that since it's his daughter's favorite show, he'd know the names of the characters and then assume he said "Gobo."

That makes too much sense for it to have actually happened.

 

[Sgt Floyd]

Even with the poor sound quality, I can make out the line just fine. I don't get how the guy could possibly be hearing a long 'o'.

Me neither, but its still kinda illogical to record the show with a camera.

But remember, not everyone is familiar with Fraggle Rock. It goes back to what I was saying in my last post where the brain will hear what someone tells it to hear. Clearer audio may make a difference to those not familiar with the show

 

[CensoredAlso]

It's interesting how the father said if there's nothing wrong with the clip, why are they editing it? By editing it, they're making themselves look guilty. It's like when people are payed huge sums of money in court cases. It doesn't always mean a crime was actually committed. Sometimes it just means the accused party just doesn't want to deal with a court battle.

 

[beaker]

This would make a hilarious episode for Simpsons or South Park. all the PTA, parents, etc are outraged over a new show that allegedly has a dirty word, all because of someone who hears something wrong and starts up a meme and petition.

But yeah, this makes me kind of upset...the first time FR gets publicity in the news and its something like this. Why would any kid show made after the 1930's have a racial slur?

At least with Looney Tunes they didnt try and hide the racism

 

[CensoredAlso]

But yeah, this makes me kind of upset...the first time FR gets publicity in the news and its something like this.

Well so far I don't get the impression this became a huge news story. Mainly because Fraggle Rock isn't a popular current show like Teletubbies or Sesame Street (which also got in trouble for alleged bad words).

 

[Drtooth]

This would make a hilarious episode for Simpsons or South Park. all the PTA, parents, etc are outraged over a new show that allegedly has a dirty word, all because of someone who hears something wrong and starts up a meme and petition.
But yeah, this makes me kind of upset...the first time FR gets publicity in the news and its something like this. Why would any kid show made after the 1930's have a racial slur?

It wouldn't even bother me half as much if the PTA really behind it. It was some overly sensitive slob and a religious figure he whined to. I hear a LOT of things in cartoons and TV programs that sound like something else, only to find out that the line was mumbled, delivered poorly, or I'm in a completely different room at the time. I was watching this old Mr. Men cartoon online and the line was "Every morning, Mr. Skinny rushes into the bathroom to weigh himself." "Weigh" sounded like something else I can't mention. Did I throw a fuss and complain to someone about how it's glorifying... well... to kids and telling them to do what they aren't doing? No. I laughed at the silliness of what it sounded like they were saying, then I laughed about how silly I thought it was if it really WAS the line. Then I laughed about being silly myself.

Taking lines out of context is fine for Youtube Poop... thing was FOUNDED on that ideal, making Robotnik say the name of a certain body part he really didn't say on purpose. But taking lines out of context in a TV show is something people would do for a stretch. Gee Gobo doesn't even sound like that other word I've never heard before in my life. Everytime I hear a new slur, that's all I can think about BECAUSE of how highly inappropriate it is. I'm sure a LOT of people learned a racial slur from that story, and it sure the heck wasn't from Fraggles.

 

[Great Gommzo]

The most absurd thing about this story is that Jim Henson created Fraggle Rock because he said he wanted to, in his own words "do a show that brings peace to the world." Fraggle Rock is about different species living together and having to get on with each other. The story is ridiculous.