Thoughts on a few things

Im always on the lookout for the "next thing" - that really neat thing that the kids will love, that's educational, that won't drive me up a friggin wall. Dora the Explorer is NOT one of these. That little non-english speaking bimbo drives me right up the wall. Why is she always yelling? Is it some cultural thing? (If there are soo many programs out there that can teach our kids to speak spanish - why cant they make a decent program that will teach non-english speakign kids how to do so??). I hated Barney when he came out (still do to this day) - I saw it as a way for non-participating parents to get rid of their kids for an hour, and feel good about it (cause they are learning something). I still refuse to let Logan watch anything involving that purple menace.

NEW THINGS IVE SEEN: Watching Disney channel today, and I thought to myself "Holy Shit! It's the Bugaboos! Straight out of the 70's Kroft Suyperstar Show". But, it's not - it's 3 weirdos that think they are a cross between the bugaboos and the partarigde family. (a fast trip to Playhouse disney says they are the Doodblebops. ). Now, I can joke the yellow guy forever for looking too much like Nev Campbell, but actually, their music is kinda cool. We may actually start watching them.

THE SHANA SHOW: Tune in to see what Shana will be today. The kid is thinking "dentist? astronaut?"...Im thinking " Puertorican? Mexican ? I dunno!" I even had the wife watch it, and she agrees that there is just something too "urban" about the whole thing - the concept is nice, but the word choices and presentation is like a Updated spin off of Sesame Street for poor ass New York kids. Maybe it was that whole bad experiance with the multicultural teacher in college (Dr. Julie Ancis, or bitch as we refer to her in my household).

WHERE ARE ALL THE WHITE PEOPLE?: Ok - I love the wiggles - but would it kill them to some out with somethign new?? Watching them on the Disney channel was fun, until we started to accumulate the movies. Now, when they say "Hey - remember that song we did at Wiggle Bay?", what Im really hearing is "Hey - we're too goddamned lazy to do somethign new, so here's some ond stuff from a previous movie - we'll be out getting lunch. See you in 10". In a time where the whole world is turning spanish (or something other than white), it's nice to see some positive role models that my kids can associate with that are of a similar ethnic background as themselves. (If your realding this and thinking BULLSHIT, this is the same line of crap that most multicultural leaders are selling, but it only refers to ethnic minorities.). Shana is mexican or 'something", the Wiggles are actually Australian, the Backyardigans might as well be called the Blackyardigans, The Koala Brother are Aussie. Loa and Charlie or brits - is it just not marketable for cartoon, tageting the 2-6 age range to use good old american people, speaking english in it?

AS FOR THE NEW THINGS IVE SEEN: A recent post on another blog mentioned a few new artists that make music for kids. Dan Zanes, They Might Be Giants, and a few others. I listened to them, and wanted very much to find some cool music for the kids and I, but I just don't care for it. I'll still le the boys listen - if their taste differs (and they like it) then we listen to it. It's their developmnent - I am dad enough to stand back and let them like what they will like. But I've yet to find any one artist (or group of songs) that can hold a candle to any 80's various artist compilation I can throw together in minutes. Logan goes NUTS when I play I love rock and roll (Joan Jetts & the blackhearts) - We sing and dance to Superfreak (Rick James), Brickhouse, Karmachameleon (Culture Club), I ran (Flock of Seagulls), and lots of other rockin songs of the 80's. Sure, there have been a number of songs that I love, and thought he'd like, but he snubs them. They get the boot (for now), but for the most part - he likes MY music - when I try to introduce newer stuff, (that is child oriented) he throws a fit. His latest facination is Miami (Will Smith). The song starts "Uh - yeah - Miami" - I sang it "Uh -yeah - Scoody Doo ", and he demands the song when were in the car - everytime now. I've always joke rap music for sounding stupid - I gues it came back to bite me in the ass. I've created my own lines to the song though, and have turned it into the "scooby Doo rap". A dads gotta do what a dad's gotta Doo.

DUMB ASS COMERCIAL: There's this commercial for memory enhancing vitamins (I forget the name) - they are willing to give you a free bottle to try. How can they afford to do this? (Cause they screw you on the shipping and handling charges!!) The guy pitching it is the supposive owner of the company. He says "I started using this product 5 years ago - and I wouldn't work a day without it". Of course he wouldn't work a day without it - he'd have no product to sell!! Im sure in court, they will twist that around to mean "If I didn't sell this product, I'd have no job".

LISTERINE COMMERCIAL RANT: Thy had 2 commercials - one with a male and the other with a female - split screen, at a sink, using the mouth wash while the annoucner urges them on. The guy looks like Dr Carter from ER - they still air this ad. The girl was a fox - really adorable - but they yanked her ad. This sucks.

Ok enough vented - tim,e to go burn another cd for tomrrow - I'll give some of these new guys a try. Also going to add some cools songs, just in case the new ones go over like a lead brick.

Night all
I hope this publishes - im gonna me very pissed if it jams -