it's a simple message and it comes from the heart.
Over a year ago I decided to do a rewatch of the PBS hit series Arthur. I — like many, many children — grew up with this show. I remember that I spent weeks thinking about the fact that the Arthur theme song is a call to community building. Arthur is known for iconic moments that have become memes such as D.W. telling Francine to go home and stop bothering them or her saying that she doesn’t know how to read so the sign can’t stop her. It’s funny in a way that even adults can enjoy, honestly, which is something that can be said for very few cartoons that are made now. During my rewatch I found myself repeating the blizzard episode over and over, completely invested in the way these children started showing up for their neighbors and for each other. Often the characters don’t hesitate to help and even when they do they eventually come around in some lesson that’s meant to be learned.
Arthur is a show that’s literally telling children you have to listen to the rhythm in the street, open up your eyes, get together and make things better by working together. It really is a simple message and absolutely comes from the heart. Donald Trump and his administration (not him singlehandedly but many people in government, which I feel the need to clarify because we should be angry at everyone involved) have decided to fully cut funding for PBS, the network that gave birth to Arthur. If you live under a rock I will explain a little bit. PBS stands for Public Broadcasting Service and exists to provide non-commercial, free-to-air television. It is the channel that many of us whose families couldn’t afford cable grew up watching.
PBS is much like a library nowadays, a rare gem. In a world filled with people who want to put everything behind a paywall — to offer something at no cost is a true rebellion. It’s a badass move. Of course a show that talks about respecting others, has an episode where two men get married, and above all portrays building community as something that should be our main priority…is a show that Donald Trump would hate. PBS and its shows (which vary from learning about animals to learning the alphabet to other meaningful stories) are everything that this administration doesn’t stand for. If you would like to support PBS you can DONATE and donating will give you access to the PBS PASSPORT so you can watch their shows. You can choose either a monthly donation or a one-time donation. If you are able to I urge you to do this! It is not only a way to support them directly but to support the community around you as well.
I love Arthur. I love that he loves reading and comic books and that aliens are canonically real in his universe. The show started airing the year that I was born and it feels like divine timing. I know no one at PBS will ever read my little post but I owe them and Marc Brown so much of my life. I didn’t even know I was watching shows geared toward lower-income families because all I knew was that they were so fun. We are living through such terrifying times and things are happening all around us that can never be forgotten but I know that Arthur wouldn’t sit around and worry. He would grab his friends and figure out how to be there for his community. So, I am asking that whatever you may have to give you use to support something important. Whether that is PBS, the people of Palestine, the people of Sudan, immigrants, or any other cause close to your heart. It matters more than ever that we stand with each other and with our neighbors.
