The Outing of Tinky Winky (2014)

When Teletubbies debuted on the BBC in 1997, it became a massive commercial success, generating $800 million in merchandise sales and airing in 120 countries within two years, though the show sparked immediate controversy over its educational value and age-appropriateness. Among various criticisms and accusations, a strange media sensation emerged when conservative commentators claimed that Tinky Winky, the purple character, was gay—a claim that had no basis given the character's intentional asexuality and fictional nature.