Yeah, its about 6:30 AM right now. Not early, per se, but not late. Probably early to some of you readers out there. Only early to me b/c I've not been getting to sleep as early as I used to...so I'm a bit tired. On top of that, Sully tends to fuss from 3AM to 5AM straight (and I'm not the one that's awake with him that entire time, Abbie is...which explains why she sleeps in once I get up to get Cooper).
So, I get Cooper each morning and take him downstairs to get him breakfast and to keep him from just simply screaming in his crib.
Unfortunately, the only thing that really keeps him from continuing his screaming and fussing is TV.
First off, save the "TV is bad for your toddler" emails. I don't wanna hear it. Second off, we'll deal with his addiction to the boob tube when he gets a bit older and can understand WHY we turn it off or don't let him watch it at all. But, I digress...this isn't a post about the merits or demerits of TV with your toddler.
Well, while he watches these shows, I sit here with him and end up watching them too (Abbie will regale you with stories of me stopping what I'm doing and just watching one of Coop's kid shows, drool coming down my chin, me oblivious to anything around me). Never did I think I would be able to tell you who Thomas the Tank Engine is, what a Boobah is, what color shoes Baby Bok wears, how Barney actually thinks he's purple b/c he's just one of several shades of purple, what the names of the Teletubbies are or what a Doodlebop is. But I can.
Sometimes as I watch these shows, I start to wonder why the creators of the show did it the way they did. Let's take this Disney Channel staple, Little Einsteins. It's a closet politically incorrect show that tries to be politically correct. It's a show created by the Baby Einstein folks (after they sold out to Disney, of course) with a cast of four kids that are trying to find a solution to a problem and along the way, they have clues that are mixed with classical music and classic art pieces. I like classical music, so I like the show (they have a really catchy opening tune).
Well, let's look at the cast. There's four kids. Two boys, two girls. One boy is white, one is black. One girl is white, one is Asian-American (her English has no hint of an accent). Politically correct? Check! Who's in charge? The black boy? No. One of the girls? No. It's the little white boy. See the subliminal message? I can only imagine the creators sitting around the negotiating table and saying, "But, we included the Asian chick." Heaven forbid if this group of kids gets into a real trouble spot...I feel bad for the black boy. It harkens back to the cinematic classic method of sacrificing the black guy first. Even cartoons can't get a break. Thank God he's not wearing a red shirt (Trekkies rejoice at my reference), then his ass would be toast without a doubt.
That's my rant for the day. Just interesting observations of one the children's shows out there.
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Hey, in case you didn't know: "TV is bad for your toddler"
when he gets a bit older and can understand WHY we turn it off or don't let him watch it at all Are you sure that he's not schooling you right now? By the time kids really understand "why" we do things, it's right when they think we (the parents) are stupid and know nothing. This will continue right up unto teenagers... this is when the space aliens suck out their brains until they are about 21-22, when they realize that Mom and Dad actually knew something and we really something more than a walking ATM.
Oh, let me continue on the Little Einstiens rant. Okay... let's look at Leo, not only is he the white boy in charge, but all he does is conduct and fly the kick ass rocketship. A conductor, is nothing more than a head coach with a toothpick on steroids. He doesn't really do anything... it's all up to the musicians not to screw up. And at the end, the conductor takes his little bow for the credit of his work.
Does Quincy have any specific overtones? Hmmm... he can play any instrument. But he has probably the most useful talent.
June, who is the eye candy of group... doesn't say a whole lot and just smiles a bunch. Maybe when the kids are on an episode that plays 70s music with the Dogs Playin Poker as the artwork will her true talents blossom.
And Leo's little sister, I forgot her name, already. You would think that if her character's talent was singing that you would find a character voice that could sing. I guess it's not that she can't sing, it's that she sings out of her nose. She's definitely better than some of the rejects auditioning for American Idol, she can carry a tune... but when my dog took a second look at the TV... that nose whistle hit a high decibel.
I'd also like to see a different variety of Artists on there... they have the same musicians and the same painters... are there too few to chose from? Hell, even They Might Be Giants have a whole song about James Ensor... "meet James Ensor, belgium's famous painter...", don't worry I said who's that too. And Jim, we had art appreciation together? right?
Well, I need to go get my fix of Johnny and The Sprites and find out what the goofy little Daniel Cook is doing today...
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