Tuesday, April 08, 2008

The Entertainment Red Shift of the Stay At Home Parent

I had no idea just a few months ago what serious competition there was in the pre-school rock arena. The most exposed to this thing I had been previously was getting the Fraggle Rock theme stuck in my head (although to be honest, I watched Jabber Jaws and Josie and the Pussycats as a kid).I'd seen commercials for Kids Bop and stuff, but I really had no idea.

I thought I really disliked the Wiggles until I experienced the horror of The Doodlebops. Now the Wiggles don't seem so bad. I had barely heard of Yo Gabba Gabba (but then I'm more of a Playhouse Disney guy) and then I get start seeing Choo Choo Soul. The vintage gear guy in me likes Dan Zanes House Party, but I don't think emulating Keith Richards is the way to get me to let my kid watch you (and somebody get that man a comb). But I'll tell you what I do like. I like the band in Bunnytown, and I like the Happy Monster Band. And by like, I meant it doesn't make me want to claw my eyes out.

When I was first staying at home, I was watching my kind of TV. Law and Order, Battlestar, CSI... But as Katie gets older, if the thing is going to be on at all, I'd rather her stare at closer to age appropriate material. The thing is, as a parent, you watch this stuff, and it kinda sucks you in (because that's what it's DESIGNED to do) and next thing you know, you know all the words to "Hop Up, Jump In" from Handy Manny and the "Think, Think, Think!" song from Tigger and Pooh. And I say that I'm not going to get hooked on this junk, and then I go watch Happy Monster Band videos on You Tube. Between that and having had Laurie Berkner in the CD player of the Kia for, like, six months now, I wonder if I will ever have grown up entertainment in my life again.

If ever I needed a good Dr. Who marathon, surely it is now.

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And now for a diaper change....

Brian
muse.platypionline.com

5 comments:

GODrums said...

LOL.....hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah.....I need to catch my breath.....HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.....oh...to see someone else in my hell.....HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!love you..w

Brian Norwood said...

gee, I feel better already...

Aiden Sunrider said...

When Chloe was little and Rachel wasn't yet around, I asked Heather one time what we're possibly going to do when Chloe doesn't want to watch Sesame Street, or Dora the Explorer, or any of the others. She said we'll probably still watch it on our own, for nostalgia.

And if you like Dan Zane's "Catch That Train" or "House Party Time", just wait till you hear Furry, Happy Monsters on Sesame Street with R.E.M. singing it. (a little redo of their Shiny, Happy People song)

Gale said...

You know what I would love...a list of grown-up movies safe to watch before kids bedtimes (you know, the kind of thing they may not want to watch with you, but that if they happened to sit down and watch it wouldn't give them nightmares, teach them bad language, or otherwise warp their little minds).

Kimberly said...

Laurie Berkner gets on my LAST nerve. I hate that Johnny Vasto Tobasco song!