NRA and Dana Loesch put children's characters from 'Thomas and Friends'in KKK hoods
NRA TV went straight for ratings during a recent segment blasting the kids show Thomas & Friends for diversifying its characters.
The divisive gun organization’s spokeswoman Dana Loesch, who was hosting her show Relentless, wasn’t happy two female characters, Rebecca and Nia, and are joining Thomas, Percy, and the gang, declaring the decision “horrible” and leading to what can only be described as a bizarre rant as an image splashed on the screen of the famous trains wearing Ku Klux Klan hoodies. Loesch was especially angry that one of the female characters is from Kenya.
“Thomas the Tank is now bringing gender balance to the show by adding girl trains. Seriously,” she snipped about the pre-school show, which she dubbed “creepy.” Loesch ranted that the show doesn’t need “ethnic diversity,” when the show “literally has no ethnicities because they’re trains.”
“I’m really, really struggling to understand how in the world there isn’t any diversity in any of this,” she said as the controversial image appeared of the trains, in KKK hoods, in front of burning tracks. “Oh, I see it — It was the white hoods. And the burning train tracks. OK, fine, fair point. Fair. I get it. Thomas the Tank Engine has been a blight on race relations for far too long. Clearly this is overdue. Right? Seriously? With trains?”
Mattel, owner the Thomas the Tank Engine brand, issued a statement to the New York Times saying it had “always been a priority” for the company to promote inclusivity and kindness. “We are not associated with images that promote hate and denounce any images of our brands that are being used to convey a message not in line with the values of the company.”
Many of the people who saw the segment were confused by the National Rifle Association’s need to weigh in on children’s programming when it has absolutely nothing — zero — to do with guns. It seemed unnecessarily hateful to many and was called “disturbing as hell” and “sick” on social media. Director Judd Apatow called the group “a hateful nightmare” with “dumb, vicious people” and urged people to “vote in November.”
