Aug 15, 2011 10 Comments by Ernessa T. Carter Last week, T.E. posted a trailer for upcoming THE AQUABATS SUPER SHOW, which might as well be called the show that only got greenlit, b/c the co-creator of YO GABBA GABBA (a very popular Nick Jr. show) is the lead singer of The Aquabats. Having watched a lot of YO GABBA GABBA vicariously through my two-year-old, I vowed to watch this new show. One FaN reader, not so much:
?i can?t stand yo gabba gabba. i think it?s inane in a way that other kids shows only strive to be, and i don?t want my daughter watching a show with a giant singing dildo. i?ll pass.?
This was the point where I?d usually start defending YO GABBA GABBA, but two things got in the way 1) Muno does bear an uncomfortable resemblance to a dildo, and 2) Every parent has a kids show that for whatever reason, they just effing hate.
CH hates the WONDER PETSWe say it?s about the quality of that show. We say that there?s something about this particular show that sets it apart from other shows, but I think that?s bull hockey. We?re adults who now have to spend a ton of time doing things we perhaps wish we weren?t like changing diapers and aspirating runny noses and watching children?s TV programming before dinner, as opposed to say, a DVR?ed GREY?S ANATOMY. The truth is, it feels good to draw a line somewhere, to say no to our children in a way that is both non-traumatizing and recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (an org that really, really wants us to limit our children?s screen time).
My BFF doesn't truck with the onscreen porkI posit this theory, because every single parent I know has a popular show that they just won?t allow their child to watch. For example, I love OLIVIA, a show about a drama-queen pig with a huge imagination, but my BFF can?t stand it ? says OLIVIA is creepy and self-involved, doesn?t want her broadcasting her creepy arrogance into her house. My husband can?t abide the WONDER PETS. And though our daughter has shown an interest in MAX AND RUBY, if I have to watch more than two minutes of it, I start frothing at the mouth and asking questions like, ?Where are their parents? Why does she have to watch this horrible little boy all the time? Why are all Canadian children?s shows so horrible and boring? Seriously, where are their parents??
Where are your freaking parents???We all feel strongly about the children?s shows that we hate, and we?re all totally okay with denying our children the privilege of watching these shows. What?s even more interesting is that we all have rather well thought-out reasons for hating these shows, but really, I think, it?s just about setting our foot down, about for once, not putting our children first, and not doing something we don?t want to do just because our children want us to.
So, to all the parents reading this, what children?s shows do you absolutely hate to the point that you don?t allow your children to watch them? Sound off in the comments!
In addition to running Fierce and Nerdy, Ernessa T. Carter is the author of 32 CANDLES, a romantic comedy that is totally worth buying. Twitter Facebook StumbleUpon Digg Technorati Delicious http://babysmiling.wordpress.
Baby, they are all horrible at a base-crazy-making-level. If you don?t need the extra babysitting, decompression help, totally avoid it for as long as you can, I say. But Ni Hao Kailin, Sid the Science Kid, Sesame Street, and Yo Gabba Gabba are my best friends on a plane/in a restaurant/at a doctor?s appointment/at the end of the day. Also the LEAP FROG series features boy-girl twins, so yours might get a kick out of that after they turn 2.
oh yeah, sorry Ernessa, no Ni Hao at our house cause Toile is always catching ?tude and throwing stuff. Started manifesting itself in our house!! We pretty much stick to PBS, except for the Backyardigans!
Oh I could write a whole book on this but in short, I find most children?s programming annoying. But I really dislike Max and Ruby (where are the parents, why is Max so damn annoying and isn?t Ruby rather young to be this uptight) and Olivia (Ernessa already covered the rationale). But most of the shows on Nick Jr. drive me a little batty?especially because my son likes things in stages so we don?t alternate between say Fresh Beat Band and Pocoyo?it is Fresh Beat Band nonstop for weeks and then Pocoyo, etc. And it has gotten so bad I DVR more kids shows than anything else.
But my son is three (or what I like to call the truly terrible age that people don?t warn you about and where I struggle not to scream daily), so thank God for Fresh Beat Band, Pocoyo, Umizoomi, Yo Gabba Gabba, Franklin, etc. And thank God that you can download them to your iPhone or iPad via iTunes because it makes a long car ride to see the grandparents bearable!
Oh me too! My kids crack up when the ?Tiki Beach? or ?Blazin Paddles? episodes come on. I sing and dance right along with the show. They yell ?Mom, this is your favorite Backyardigan right?? I think they enjoy watching me more than the show. Or maybe they just enjoy watching me enjoying something they love!
What?s funny is that if I don?t sing along to my favorite YO GABBA GABBA songs, my daughter looks at me like, ?Mom, why aren?t you acting a fool? You dancing and singing is the only reason I watch this mess.?
