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Original poster

to think treatment of disabled CBeebies presenter is OUTRAGEOUS!

57 replies

claritita · 23/02/2009 16:51

Did you see the Mail today? There's been a campaign from parents complaining about the presenter Cerrie Burnell, who only has one arm, saying she might give children nightmares. Who are these parents and what's their problem?

OP posts:
madameovary · 23/02/2009 17:56

OMFG - Seriously????
Twunts

StealthPolarBear · 23/02/2009 17:56

many apologies, will resign first thing tomorrow
How are you, W and little D getting on (it is D, isn't it?)

BouncingTurtle · 23/02/2009 18:03

Boo!!!

Indith... haven't you heard I packed in, working out my notice part time at the moment!
I'm waiting for Foxy to get her arse back in the uk (and her gorgeous dds!) to arrange a meetup! Probably be end of March!

BTW I think Cerrie is lovely. The DM on the other hand would give anyone nightmares.

BouncingTurtle · 23/02/2009 18:04

Madameovary - I assumed that wasn't aimed at me an SPB!

LucyEllensmummy · 23/02/2009 18:08

Why am i not surprised???

Do people actually read the mail other than to revel in its stupidity!!

I noticed the woman's arm, or lack of it - been quite fascinated by it im ashamed to say - just at how it moves etc when she is doing stuff, its like it wants to do the things the arm would have done - interesting.

My DD, watches probably too much Cbeebies - she is 3.5 and has NEVER even noticed she only had one arm.

Really sad indictment of human nature this!

babyignoramus · 23/02/2009 18:11

.

How can anyone say it will give children nightmares? Kids are more curious about this sort of thing surely? Plus she provides a fantastic role model to kids with disabilities.

Claire236 · 23/02/2009 18:41

Don't think it's just the Mail. I read about it somewhere else. I can't believe any child would be scared by someone having one arm. ds (almost 4) is fascinated by people who look different for whatever reason & always asks questions but certainly isn't scared. It was a bit embarrassing when he asked very loudly in an airport one day why 'is that mans face all red' It was a birthmark & to be fair the man himself explained that to ds who kept staring as children do but wasn't scared.

PrettyCandles · 23/02/2009 18:50

You know what, LEsMummy? Youre dd probably has noticed it, but hasn't given it another thought, just accepted it. She's too young to have learnt any prejudices.

ohdearwhatamess · 23/02/2009 19:00

My local (BBC) radio station had a phone in about this tonight, and suggesting that she might scare children and give them nightmares.

Made me so cross I had to turn off.

Indith · 23/02/2009 19:00

Wonderful BT Shall look forward to it.

Yes SPB it is D They are all fine and wonderful on the whole. Hope T is doing well.

FourArms · 23/02/2009 19:04

I heard about this on the Jeremy Vine show on R2 today, but missed the bit when the presenter was on. Tonight when I saw the lady on TV, I pointed out to DS1 (nearly 5) that the lady only had one hand, and he just laughed, said I was joking, and that it was just the way she was standing. Can't believe any kids are really frightened by her.

tribpot · 23/02/2009 19:11

Not quite the same but my dh is in a powered wheelchair. All of ds' friends at nursery are madly jealous of the fact he (ds) gets a lift home on a way cool machine unlike boring old cars (or pushchairs, or feet) like them.

Whenever we go out to a shopping centre, say, dh is the subject of loads of attention from kids, all of which is pure curiosity and never ever fear.

Frightened by someone with one arm, WTF. Never heard anything so stoopid.

blametheparents · 23/02/2009 19:16

Certainly has not given DD nightmares, what a ridiculous suggestion.
She said the other day 'Oh look, that lady has only got one arm' and then moved on to talking about Charlie and Lola. Seems that 3 yo have a better attitude about it than some grown-ups!

pigletmania · 23/02/2009 20:56

It is dreadful that some people should think that way, my 2 year old does not notice a thing, its the parents with the problem and the hangups

mumto3boys · 23/02/2009 21:02

My 4 year olds haven't commented on it at all. Why would they be scared? Sadly, I can imagine some of the mums I know saying stuff like this though!

BalloonSlayer · 23/02/2009 21:41

I have enjoyed being able to look at the lady's missing lower arm (harrumph! - she hasn't got only one arm; she is missing the lower part of one arm) without freaking her out by staring at her.

I worked with a woman years ago with a similar difference (oxymoron alert!) but didn't like to look too closely for fear of embarrassing her.

It has been good to mention it to the DCs and talk about it. I assume (hope!) she wouldn't mind us doing this, as her arm is clearly on view and not hidden in a sleeve.

Good for her for applying for the job.

Shame on anyone who objects.

Waswondering · 23/02/2009 21:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MumtoCharlieandLola · 23/02/2009 21:53

I wondered whether there would be a thread about this. My ds pointed this out to me in the paper today (my dh reads the mail ).

I think it is disgusting that people would say that a person with a disability should not be on the TV because it scares their kids. They should accept that this is a fact of life and teach their kids to accept it, otherwise they encourage prejudice. My other ds is 2.5 and I have explained it to him, he wasn't scared.

My DH said that Cerrie was stretching her arms out tonight and pretending to be tired. I think she was just giving the V to people for commenting - good for her

flaminhell · 23/02/2009 22:07

Oh bollocks to them, they are talking rubbish, dc need to see what the world is like, none of us are perfect, its just not always shown in the package, I know plenty, "normal looking" people who are definitly not Norm on the inside,

My dd noticed, "the ladys got no arm", she said, I said "oh no", she said "why", I said "same reason you have two, because thats the way she is."

My dd is 3 and is quite happy to dance along with her when shes waving her arms around, and no nightmares yet, bloody lunes the lot of them, ignore them, they will moan about someone else tomorrow.

cory · 23/02/2009 22:12

Quite possibly some child somewhere will be scared. When I was little I was terrified of people with beards. Does that mean all bearded men should be kept out of the sight of children? I knew someone else who was scared the first time she saw a black man. All black people to be locked up?

And what will these people do when their precious child is put in the same class as a disabled child?

adamadamum · 23/02/2009 22:59

I didn't see any papers or news today at all - we were stuck in the house today (several reasons, another story). We DID have Cbeebies on all day - My daughter has S.N. with no diagnosis, amongst many other things developmental delay (She's six going on three). I also have a four and a half year old son.

None of us had noticed Cerrie's arm until this evening when she and Alex did that "warm-down" as they called it. She moved her arm/s like a bird and then I noticed. Even though my daughter is disabled I will admit to a moment of shock! But it wasn't a big deal. I actually pointed it out to my kids - I am sure Cerrie will have been expecting this when she decided to take the job. Although I wouldn't have done that in a "real-life" situation,(pointing it out) so maybe I acted wrongly.

Anyway, my children were certainly not bothered. My daughter asked why she had a broken arm (I am recovering from a broken arm myself) and my son didn't even ask any questions. Mind you, my daughter has friends with various disabilities though we meet rarely.

Maybe I am doing a little positive discrimination myself, I don't know. When I first saw the two new presenters I thought they were both rubbish, though something made me think of Kerry entertaining "S.N." kids, something about the way she speaks (like "Talking Hands" on Something Special) and now it has all clicked into place. She has been working with "S.N." kids in real life so no wonder!

I DO like her a little now, knowing more about her.

Maybe that is positive discrimination.

But I have to agree that apart from giving parents a bit of a shock, showing disabilities to young children is a good thing. It's the parents that have a problem with it, maybe because we parents didn't see disabled people much on T.V. as children!

missfib · 24/02/2009 01:27

to be honest i never noticed myself until i saw the paper and dd never did either.
i cant see how its scaring children if you explain to them about it.

MoominMymbleandMy · 24/02/2009 03:17

I didn't notice. I don't watch CBeebies - I think of it as an opportunity to wash and dress uninterrupted.

I am, however, stunned that anyone could object to this presenter.

And far from being scared my LOs are, I would hazard, more likely to be ghoulishly fascinated.

BoffinMum · 24/02/2009 08:43

Perhaps if children of Daily Mail reading parents saw more people on TV with this kind of disability such parents would be less scared???

LauriefairycakeeatsCupid · 24/02/2009 09:05

I was just listening to Radio 5 live - only 9 people complained.

That's only 9 nut-jobs, not too bad considering the mail readership