Nickelodeon, the cable TV channel aimed at children, ran a segment lecturing kids about “environmental racism.” The topic that sounds more appropriate for adults than a network that is home to “SpongeBob SquarePants” seemed out of place for the cartoon-heavy channel for many. Online commentators and parents condemned the segment as “propaganda” designed to “indoctrinate our kids.”
For Earth Day, Nickelodeon aired a one-hour special titled: “Nick News: Kids and the Impact of Climate Change,” hosted by CBS News correspondent Jamie Yuccas and has an appearance by President Joe Biden’s special envoy on climate, John Kerry. Nickelodeon’s official Twitter account, which has nearly 4 million followers, posted a clip from the news special with the caption: “learn the meaning of environmental racism.”
“What do these cities have in common?” Yuccas asked. “They’re all examples of environmental racism, a form of systemic racism where minority and low-income communities are surrounded by health hazards because they live near sewage, mines, landfills, power stations, [and] major roads.”
The clip, which features no shortage of appearances by teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg, was lambasted online.
- “I remember when Nickelodeon didn’t indoctrinate our kids.”
- “Let’s talk about environmental racism affecting the South Bronx, shall we? Did you know Democrats in New York are the ones who’ve closed Indian Point, which has supplied zero-carbon, zero-pollution energy to NYC for 60 years? To be replaced by fossil fuels. Democrats did this.”
- “Nickelodeon is promoting environmental racism to your children.”
- “I’m old enough to remember when Nickelodeon taught children valuable life lessons through nuanced messages in shows like Hey Arnold and Avatar: The Last Airbender instead of preachy propaganda.”
- “Honestly, what’s the market for this? it’s a children’s cartoon show. nothing is sacred.”
- “These people are such a cancer. It has nothing to do with racism. Most unappealing infrastructure is surrounded by cheaper housing which attracts lower income people. And in some cases those people are minorities. But FYI 14M White Americans live in poverty VS 8M Blacks.”
- “Remember the good ole’ days when the network just aired salute your shorts, hey dude, rugrats, the adventures of Pete and Pete, Rockos modern life … AND didn’t peddle this left-wing drivel. Sad – truly sad.”
Nickelodeon turned off the replies on the Twitter post and did not allow anyone to comment on the video posted on its YouTube page that has over 9 million subscribers.
You’re cowards, @Nickelodeon https://t.co/B7sA03nGnQ https://t.co/jxeCpvwQg9
— Ryan Saavedra (@Ryan Saavedra)1619269423.0
The cable network that targets children added a definition of “environmental racism” on their official Instagram account that has over 6 million followers.
In June, Nickelodeon paid homage to George Floyd and paused all programming for eight minutes and 46 seconds to show support for “justice, equality, and human rights.” The tribute received backlash by some for possibly “scaring children.”
we are all part of the change #blacklivesmatter
✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼✊🏻 https://t.co/Y3Fzvob54X— Nickelodeon (@Nickelodeon)1591045210.0
Personally I don’t prescribe to payed tv because its controlled by big media. I get enough propaganda from free tv so I refuse to pay for it and I suggest everyone else do the same. But that’s just me. If you like having 300+ channels of opinionated news, repeating movies, filth, and a few cartoon stations that very subtly indoctrinate you kids go ahead and pay for it. Yes they’ve been slowly radicalizing your kids for years, just this time they weren’t so oozing with it! As for sports, by purchasing cable you still are paying loud mouth athletes who hate police and Americans in general. They don’t mind your money but they hate you.
In my Masters Economics course there was the topic of environmental economics. It has nothing to do with racism but income/economics. They went from 3rd even 4th world countries to the major countries like US. There is a pyramid of survival and economics. These areas are for the most part as mentioned least desirable areas to live (by landfills, sewage treatment plants) so places near these are cheaper and lower income families live there. My best friend growing up lived next to landfill, it seemed normal to me. But ecology isn’t looked at or considered until a society reaches a certain economic level. Up to that point they are focused on survival then simple basics versus ecology with recycling (unless they can get money recycling items like selling aluminum cans). You see this in low income areas of US (whether white, black, brown whatever race has nothing to do with it) you see it in poorer countries and regions like parts of Mexico, India, South America. And once achieving the level where you can afford to focus on environment you can loose it look at Venezuela. From a beautiful South American country to having slums poorly maintained in a very short time.
There are on the drawing boards now, sewage plants and other environmentally unfriendly things planned for low income areas. Lets try putting a few of those sewage plants in the high income areas so that they can be sickened by the stench of their own shit instead of sending it to the low income areas to sicken poor people.
Typically municipalities purchase land for infrastructures like land fills and waste treatment plants years in advance where there is no residential living. It does have an impact on land values of the surrounding areas. Developers then purchase and sometimes build low income. I’m my are there are million dollar homes easily within a mile of our largest waste treatment facility and now closed down sanitary landfill. As well as 2 shopping centers and a very nice hospital. However the landfill and waste treatment were there long before .
Most so-called educational cartoons are racist. They try to have a diverse cast, but the kid who is always wrong is always white.
The indoctrination is now on tv. It continues in schools and universities.
“Online commentators and parents condemned the segment as ‘propaganda’ designed to ‘indoctrinate our kids.’”
Uhh…can’t this criticism be leveled at _most_ of the Corporate Media outlets? (And k-12, and daycare, and ad infinitum) Some are just more blatant about it.
It wasn’t “tribute” it was FEAR. They, like many were simply afraid that if they didn’t follow the mob, that the mob would turn on then. They’re not in it for good reasons, they’re simply afraid of losing money when other parts of the mob boycott them or the rioters attack them. It’s a protection racket, that’s all it is. And nobody dares call the BLM what they are. A protection racket.