By JULIE SALAMON
> For adults, the fuss over a PBS children's television show featuring
> an animated bunny - and real lesbian mothers - was nothing new. But
> for Emma Riesner, 11, who was supposed to be a star of the
> now-controversial episode of "Postcards From Buster," what began as a
> participatory social studies lesson has become a harsh lesson in
> exclusionary politics.
That "a harsh lesson ..." description isn't accurate.
What the kid learned was that show business is tough.
TV shows are cancelled all the time; few shows terminate on their own. Some may air for years before cancellation. But others get cancelled before even a single episode airs. This is not unusual.
It is often claimed broadcast TV has no taste and anything goes. That is not true. While boundaries are changing, there are limits; and TV stations and network know pushing beyond those limits will offend and lose viewers.
In the case of this particular show, keep in mind that the family structure it used is very rare in real life.