The Outing of Tinky Winky (2014)

When Teletubbies premiered on the BBC in March 1997 it became a cultural and commercial phenomenon: a surreal children’s show about four asexual, baby-faced creatures that drew two million viewers per episode, $800 million in merchandise sales, a theme song that sold over a million copies and topped the UK chart for months, and distribution in 120 countries and 45 languages. Behind the scenes, the purple Teletubby role went through turmoil: stand-up comic Dave Thompson won the original casting, endured stifling, $57,000 suits and physical performance demands, but was dismissed before the series aired after producers replaced his vocals and cited flaws in his interpretation. Colleagues later hinted his off-camera antics and a reputation for “romping around naked” contributed to his firing; subsequent performers took over the role while Thompson returned to comedy and writing.

The character’s ambiguous presentation ignited a widespread moral panic over sexual symbolism. Scholars and tabloids branded Tinky Winky a “gay icon,” and press speculation framed the firing as punishment for “acting too gay.” When PBS picked up the show for U.S. broadcast the controversy intensified: LGBT magazines, mainstream papers and conservative leaders such as Jerry Falwell accused the character of promoting homosexuality, pointing to his purple color, triangle-shaped antenna and a red handbag as evidence. Producers insisted the characters were asexual and intended for toddlers, but the story ballooned into an international, decade-long homophobic frenzy.