Tinky Winky Teletubby
Our story so far:
The story of the gun totin' Teletubby was reported on April 12, 2000 at APBNews.com, a site which has since shut down, but is perhaps archived on the Wayback Machine Internet Archive). The article turns up here and there on the web. TV news may give it an alternate reality twist.

In summary, a 22 year-old southern Californian mother (Renee Michelle Taylor) purchased a talking Tinky Winky and Po doll set for her 2 year-old daughter. When she heard the Tinky Winky doll say, "I got a gun, I got a gun, run away, run away," Taylor hired a lawyer (Mathew Palmer) to haul the Itsy Bitsy Entertainment Co. off to court, or worse.

Isn't it one of your lawyer's responsibilities to try to talk you out of doing something unfortunate?

The APBNews web site also had RealAudio clips of the doll saying "A Gun, A Gun" ... or perhaps, "Again, Again" ... A co-worker and I thought Tinky Winky mentioned Kafka somewhere in the clip. Sorry, the audio clips seem to have gone 404.

Quotes from the article:
"I want them all gone", "I don't think it's OK to run around with a little purse on the grassy lands with a rainbow color that signifies gay pride" Taylor / mom
"It's horrifying. It's a really cute toy, too" Palmer / lawyer
"I feel very sorry for her" Viselman / manufacturer

Appearances on national talk shows are not mentioned anywhere in the APBNews article.



Tinky Winky Teletubby

May be performed to: "Super Comet Fragment Impact, Extra Large Explosions."
Capitol Steps fans may use any of the following tunes: "Superjealousfragilemisswithsexualneurosis", "Superfranticunproductivenothinglegislation", or "Supercallousmeanandnastyrightwinglegislation."
I understand the Disney organization has used a similar song somewhere along the line.

With apologies to the Californians I know



It started, like so many things, out California way,
A mommy bought a 'Tubby tot with which her babe could play.
"You'd better run, I've got a gun," she thought she heard it say,
And now that mom's determined that somebody's going to pay.
Tinky Winky Teletubby, tiny tot attacker.
Seems that puny purple punk's a puppet pistol packer.
Soon, they say, the N.R.A. will be his only backer.
Tinky Winky Teletubby, tiny tot attacker.

Run, diddle, diddle, diddle, run, diddle, aye.
Gun, diddle, diddle, diddle, gun, diddle, aye.

She'll get a slot on Oprah's show to sadly tell her host,
About the day she heard him say that awful weapons boast,
Then turn to face the camera and announce from coast to coast,
"I've got myself a lawyer now -- and Tinky's Tubby Toast."
Tinky Winky Teletubby, tiny tot attacker.
Seems that puny purple punk's a puppet pistol packer.
Soon, they say, the N.R.A. will be his only backer.
Tinky Winky Teletubby, tiny tot attacker.

Run, diddle, diddle, diddle, run, diddle, aye.
Gun, diddle, diddle, diddle, gun, diddle, aye.

That mom will have her day in court; she'll face the judge and then,
She'll raise her hand and take the stand and say what happened when,
She heard that Tinky Winky doll sayin', "A gun, a gun",   (??)   eh - oh
I give her case a zero on a scale of one to ten.

Lyrics: Copyright 2000, Rich Brown (?subject=re:%20www.FreeMars.org/filk/tinky.html"> ) Hit number: counter
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