I distinctly remember the very first time I was confronted with a Teletubby.
It was the summer of 1997, I was 10 years-old, slightly above the demographic for Tinky-Winky, Laa laa, Dipsy and Po, but at a friend’s birthday party they popped on the TV ad my fellow peers from primary school were totally entranced.
Admittedly, I was much less so. They actually began to haunt my dreams and years later at Glastonbury Festival I would find myself irrationally panicked while surrounded by men dressed up as the trippy kid’s tv favourites.
However, in my mid 30s I’ve actually become quite fond of the Teletubbies. Make of that what you will.
It’s been 25 years since Teletubbies immediately blew up as a fascinating phenomenon and while they’re probably best known for their childlike voices, non-sensical catchphrases and chatting to a baby in the sun, actually the four brightly coloured creatures with ariels on their heads have low-key been disruptive rebels.
Here’s just some of the times Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po weren’t afraid to rock the boat, and rightly so.
Tinky-Winky immediately and unapologetically said gay rights
Even to this day the Teletubbies are still called ‘gay little demons’ by the far right because Tinky Winky just is purple and carries a handbag.
But when the Teletubbies first burst into the scene, Reverend Jerry Falwell, a former spokesman for America’s Moral Majority, accused loud and proud Tinky Winky of pushing a gay agenda with ‘subtle depictions’.
Tinky Winky’s response?
He paid no notice whatsoever and 25 years on is still attached to his handbag and the other Teletubbies have been loud defenders of LGBTQ rights ever since, with absolutely zero fear of their homophobic critics.
Just last year they called on gay rapper Lil Nas X, who topped the charts with a song about bottoming and has also been accused by the far right of corrupting minds of young children, for a collaboration which he was understandably pretty game for.
One day, the Teletubbies could land their second number one rapping about anal sex with Lil Nas X and I will be first in line to congratulate them.
They also launched their first ever pride collection, featuring face masks, bucket hats, bum bags, socks, shorts, tees and tanks.
Proud allies, always.
Teletubbies managed to anger the anti-vaxxers and forged their Covid Tubby cards
Doing their bit to help stop the spread of Covid, last summer the Teletubbies confirmed they had been jabbed, to the relief of all of us.
Alongside a photo of four cards confirming they were all double dosed with the Noo-nson jab at the Home Dome Clinic, the four piece released a joint statement via the Teletubbies social media account, which read: ‘We’re all vaxxed!
‘Just in time for a Tubby hot summer. Who’s ready to come out & play?’
While the fab four were congratulated by most of their fans, of course they managed to upset the anti-vaxxers.
But that wasn’t actually what caused alarm. Eagle-eyed fans spotted all four tubs forged their cards, which were dated two weeks after their social media post.
They also lied about their ages, writing that they were born in 2003 when they were actually first seen on screen in 1997.
Why? Because the Teletubbies don’t play by the rules, but they do take time out to encourage others to get vaxxed so for that they can stay.
Teletubbies went so WTF an episode got banned
One of the earliest episodes of Teletubbies was so freaky it was banned after scaring the Noo Noo out of kids.
Pushing their absurdity too far, the episode, titled See saw, featured an unintentionally creepy looking cut out lion and a bear, and their eerie voices booming from the sky.
‘I am the big scary lion with big scary teeth,’ said the lion.
Eh-oh indeed.
Enough parents complained that See-Saw was ay to scary for their kids, it was and still is banned from CBeebies.
But you can watch it below:
Teletubbies kept one of the best-loved songs ever off the top of the charts
Back in 1997, Teletubbies threw the official singles charts into complete disarray and every adult who managed to escape their impact thus far could escape no more as Teletubbies say Eh-oh shot straight to number one and was heard blasting out of radios across the country.
They also fought off huge contenders for the top spot, including Janet Jackson’s Together Again, and the debut single by 5ive, Slam Dunk da Funk.
But to stick the knife in further for fans of middle of the road karaoke pop, Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po trounced Robbie Williams’ Angels, which was also released that week, and actually only entered the chart at number seven.
Angels never did reach the top of the summit, but Robbie did alright for himself in the end.
Teletubbies is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
