How a Gay Character on <em>Arthur </em>Reflects Changing Norms in the U.S.
This week, PBS portrayed a same-sex relationship on a children’s TV series—and got much more positive feedback than the last time it tried.
The Season 22 premiere of the PBS children’s show Arthur features some potentially controversial behavior by an elementary-school teacher. In “Mr. Ratburn and the Special Someone,” Mr. Ratburn, teacher of the titular anthropomorphic school-age aardvark, answers his cellphone during class.
It’s a disruptive act that incites mass distraction. Mr. Ratburn’s students overhear him talking flusteredly on the phone to someone who seems to be quite pushy about the flower arrangements for Mr. Ratburn’s upcoming wedding. Concerned for their teacher’s happiness, the students spend the bulk of the episode
