The kids and I settled in this afternoon to watch us some TV. Now, if it had just been my children here this would've been a relatively simple thing, watching TV. But my sister and my brother in law have some seriously WHACKED OUT opinions on children's TV, mainly cartoons.
Their kids can't watch SpongeBob. No SpongeBob. None.
I don't agree with their thinking, but they don't agree with mine. It's a "they raise their kids, I'll raise mine" kinda thing. We agree to disagree. But who doesn't let their kid watch SpongeBob? That's just wrong. A freakin' travesty if you ask me.
So when we were programming the dish box to automatically switch between cartoons we found that Nick was playing a buttload of the new cartoon, Catscratch, today. I personally love Catscratch. Not as much as SpongeBob, but really, is there anything better than SpongeBob? Maybe Garfield, but that might be pushing it. Well, my niece and nephew have been living at Mom's these last 6 months and Mom has 3 channels. They'd never seen Catscratch. They weren't sure if they could watch it. They also weren't sure of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
So I called Sis. I asked her about Avatar first. She asked what kind of cartoon was it. I explained that he's some kind of ancient mystic bender of air and he can well, bend air I guess. I dunno. She said, "It sounds okay to me. We just don't let them watch cartoons where like, eyeballs fly out of people's heads and people get squished and it's utter nonsense. Like SpongeBob." Right about the time she said "eyeballs fly out of people's heads" one of the cats on Catscratch pulled his tail and his feet, arms and eyeballs went inside him. I quickly averted my eyes from the television. I didn't even ask about Catscratch. Because I saw nothing. Nothing.
And besides, technically his eyeballs did not fly out of his head.
Her comment about eyeballs flying out and squishing and nonsense really struck me funny. How many times did Wyle E. Coyote fall off a cliff and get smashed onto the pavement? How many times was Bugs put in a pot and stewed up by ol' Taz? And Tweety, that was one sick motherfuckin' bird, doing mean things to poor ol' Sylvester. Marvin the Martian disintegrated Daffy with a ray gun I do believe. And Elmer and his wanton use of guns just promoted violence and a complete lack of disrespect for nature.
WHATEVER.
I let those kids watch Catscratch today. Then after that I let them watch The Little Rascals and when the bully said "Finders keepers, losers SUCK" all five kids said it with him. *shrugs* I also gave them chocolate cake at 9:00 tonight.
They're kids. It'll be soon enough that they have to make decisions regarding their own children's TV viewing so for now let 'em watch a few eyeballs pop out. Let 'em laugh hysterically when a stupid hungry coyote falls off yet another cliff. Let 'em watch Yosemite Sam shoot at Bugs and then when Bugs drinks water it pours out of him like a sieve.
Nonsense indeed.
10 comments:
Yeah, that's one hell of a double standard. Like Bugs Bunny was any better.
Bugs Bunny and his crew were FABULOUS racial profilers. My man and I had a talk about it. He asked on day why all the villians (not the regular characters - the various onese here and there) in those old cartoons ALWAYS seemed like a Nazi German ...
Uh, hello - WWII kinda did the trick. Back then, no one thought it was a bad thing to lump what group together... thank God we have changed... at least I hope we have.
Growing up in the 70's and 80's I had no idea about it, but I watched those cartoons and STILL laughed my ass off, even if I didn't get WHY Germans were supposed to be evil int he cartoon context.
For the record, I do not think Germans are evil... unless you are a German sharp shooter who shoots little bunnies and steps on Smurfs. Then yes, you are evil.
uh oh Diva!
Hope you don't get into trouble!
I like Spongebob! I love the one where he is trying to give Gary a bath-that's my favorite!
I think the only thing that Brady didn't get to watch was Barney. Teletubbies didn't come til later but he wouldn't have watched them either.
Anna-Bugs Bunny wasn't any better, but funny - they have no problem letting them watch Looney Tunes. I just don't get it.
So in the future do you think cartoons will make the bad guys into Middle Easterners? I mean when those old cartoons were made the Nazis were the "monster in the closet". Now, our monster is Al Qaeda. Something to ponder, isn't it?
Well hell yes, anyone who steps on a Smurf is evil beyond words. How vile.
April-Not if you don't tell her!
Shannon-I won't get in trouble because those kids were so stinkin happy to get to watch a contraband cartoon there is NO WAY they're gonna give me up. Besides, I gave them the chocolate cake at 9pm to set the deal.
You didn't let B watch Barney!??! What kind of mother ARE you?? LOL
I remember when Teletubbies first came on, I found myself hypnotically drawn to the TV. I couldn't stop watching them! They mesmerized the children and I equally. For 30 minutes every morning our house was completely still and silent except for the sound of those strange fluffy aliens.
Ummmmm, don't you think your sister reads your blog!? I'm sure your mother does. With all those meds she gets from the nursing home I doubt she'll be able to keep that info to herself. LOL
April-Sis doesn't have the internet. And by the time she gets it in a few months this post'll be so buried she won't find it. Heehee
And no, Mom does not read my blog. She refuses. Occasionally I'll email her a copy of a particularly touching post about the kids, but as far as her actually going to my blog and reading it voluntarily, no way, Jose.
I too, was a NO Spongebob mom until Mr. Coach pointed out it was a cartoon designed by a Science teacher to teach marine biology to a bunch of getto kids. Well, if the getto kids can learn about marine biology from a giant sponge, then by golly my kids are gonna be just a smart! We are now avid Spongebob fans at our house! Who Lives In A Pineapple Under The Sea????? SPONGEBOB SQUARE PANTS!
Good luck getting that out of your head now!
I just don't get Spongebob... I think it's a good idea, but I just don't get it. My boss, however, absolutely loves it. She tells me all about the latest and greatest episodes and how they relate to her life as well as mine. She is a Spongebob expert. Me, I see them roasting weiners over a fire under water and I think.... how in the hell do they do that? And I get frustrated and turn it to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, now that, my friends, is R E A L I T Y.
Mrs.Coach-I didn't know it was educTAINment!! All this time I thought it was mindless and just flat out funny. Who knew I was learning something all along.
I LOVE SPONGEBOB!!
...absorbent and porous and yellow is he...
April-You don't have to GET SpongeBob - you have to empty your mind and watch it with your mouth half-open.
Roasting weiners over a fire underwater is freakin' HILARIOUS!! Simply because it makes no sense. None.
Uhhh....yeah....Buffy is reality....youuuuuuubetcha. You just keep on keepin' on there, friend.
Hi Diva,
Sponge Bob is one of the greatest cartoons of all time. Sure it takes a lot of it's style ideas from Ren and Stimpy, but still, it is a wonderful show.
I sat down and watched the Sponge Bob movie the other day, and I still laugh at every joke.
HooRoo
Bec
Rebecca-I heartily agree - the mastermind behind SpongeBob is a genius. I loved Ren and Stimpy too. Ohhhhhh Steeeeemmmpyyyyyyy!
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