The popular children's television series, Thomas & Friends, is being derailed by a University of Alberta political scientist.
Political scientist Shauna Wilton's paper suggests that hidden between the messages of sharing and friendship are some gender specific ideas that may want to have some parents questioning the little blue engine.
From the TV screen to a closet full of clothes, three-year-old Corbyn is a big fan of Thomas & Friends - and he's not alone. Over 200 million Thomas books have been sold worldwide. Thomas & Friends, the series is now broadcast to over 145 countries worldwide and in 38 different languages.
Created in the 1940s by Rev. W. V. Awdry for his son Christopher, Thomas the Tank Engine was brought to life in his first book in 1945. Dozens of books later, British television producer Britt Alcroft brought Thomas to life on the small screen In 1979. The television tales of Thomas and his train friends came to North America in 1989 and have been a huge hit ever since.
Jenna Verhulst says her son Corbyn loves Thomas & Friends and credits the show with helping to teach him how to stay positive, stay motivated and never give up.
Shauna Wilton, political scientist at the University of Alberta, has a daughter who loves Thomas, but after the two of them watched episodes together, she wondered what else Thomas and his friends were teaching their littlest viewers.
"We looked for who was in the show, what happened, what type of emotions did the characters feel, what kind of outcomes," says Wilton.
After studying 23 episodes, Wilton concluded that amongst the positive messages, the show depicts a fear of authority. She also says the show doesn't portray women in a true way, with the female characters cast in a supporting role.
Wilton says children need to watch shows that have both men and women in strong positive roles. Early childhood development specialist at MacEwan University Jane Hwes agrees. "I think it's important to give children a balanced and accurate picture of the world we live in," says Hwes.
She warns parents not to disregard this research, saying that the show Thomas & Friends is sending the wrong message to children whether it means to or not.
Hwes wants parents to start watching all TV shows with a critical eye.
"Young children are much more capable than we think, they are of understanding the depth and complexity of human relationships...even three-year-olds," says Hwes.
CTV News contacted representatives of HIT Entertainment Limited, owners of the Thomas brand, to comment on the report. While they declined an on-camera interview, they did send the following response:
"We are very surprised by Professor Wilton's analysis of Thomas & Friends, a brand who has been loved and trusted by millions around the world for 65 years for its stories of friendship, teamwork and perseverance."
Despite her misgivings about some of the messages in the show, Wilton says that it's the positive values shown Thomas' fictional island of Sodor that keeps the show in her house.
For little Corbyn and perhaps millions of other children who watch Thomas, it's not so much the message that keeps him coming back - it's his love of trains.
With files from Dez Melenka
