Nickelodeon Brings Hobo Jokes to Ukraine

by Taylor Leake · 2011-03-06 01:01:00 UTC
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Nickelodeon, the largest children's television network, reaches 214 million homes in the United States, and they're about to reach a whole bunch more in Ukraine.

Viacom, Nickelodeon's parent company just struck a deal to bring 200 episodes of their live action shows to the eastern European country for the first time. The line up will include shows like True Jackson, The Troop, and Drake & Josh.

It will also include episodes of iCarly, the popular program about a girl who creates her own online show. Unfortunately iCarly also features frequent insensitive jokes about 'hobos', teaching young people that it is okay to make fun of the homeless and those who are less fortunate.

If you think making fun of hobos is as tasteless and unfunny as we do, please sign our petition asking Nickelodeon to apologize.

While nearly 700 Change.org members have written to Nickelodeon asking them to apologize for their inappropriate hobo jokes, there has been no response from the company. Instead they're spreading the jokes across the globe.

So how will Ukrainian kids and teens react to iCarly's hobo jokes?

Not being from Ukraine, I couldn't say for sure, but as a former Soviet block country, Ukraine has had its share of economic difficulties. When the USSR collapsed so did the Ukrainian economy, and many were extremely poor through the late 80s and early 90s. While the situation has improved significantly, in recent years almost 20 percent of the population still lived below the poverty line.

"Nickelodeon’s live-action drama series offer a winning combination of compelling storylines, appealing characterization and brilliant acting, and have won the hearts and minds of tween audiences around the world," said Maria Rakhmatullina-Ufland, who works for Viacom and brokered the deal. She said they were looking forward to bringing the "immersive worlds of iCarly and our other characters to Ukrainian viewers for the very first time.”

She's right. iCarly is popular, and we'd be excited for Ukrainian kids and teens to see it too, if they would just dropped the hobo jokes.

Help Nickelodeon understand that these jokes are inappropriate: write to Philippe P. Dauman the CEO of Viacom, and ask him to apologize for iCarly's offensive jokes.

Kids shouldn't be learning that the poor and homeless deserve ridicule on top of the unthinkable hardships they already bear.

Photo Credit: GingerLove

Taylor Leake has advocated for workers' rights for years, from running his college chapter of United Students Against Sweatshops to working for the Wake Up Walmart campaign.

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