Okay, Now I May Stop Reading
I’ve mentioned before that I don’t read many novels. The one that is the subject of this post happened to catch my eye at Costco when I was in the mood to buy books. That line of florid dreck didn’t stop me from reading, but this might: Another of the protagonists says to her niece, on the subject of “What if Indians steal our food?” (the book is set during a wagon-train prairie crossing): “If you were hungry and someone had a picnic in your yard, wouldn’t you want to join them?”
Are you kidding me with that garbage, Ms. Kirkpatrick? And here I thought only Sesame Street was that addled. I can’t find a clip, but the sketch that caused my son and me to cease watching Sesame Street involved Baby Bear becoming irritated that Goldilocks always took his porridge, setting out to rewrite the tale so that she would take somebody else’s porridge, and eventually having a friend tell him he should re-write it so that there was a designated Goldilocks bowl waiting for her when she got there.
Teaching children that stealing’s okay because it’s always motivated by need and that in fact the victims should feel guilty about this need? Oh, and that stealing is “joining?” No thanks.
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Baby Bear is always wanting Goldilocks to have porridge so long as he doesn’t have to pay for it. Just who supplied the porridge for the designated Goldilocks bowl? They don’t answer that, do they? This is more than stealing. It’s taxation without representation.
Sharing is when you offer some of what is yours, not some of what is someone else’s.
I got really irritated with Sesame Street when we got their magazine and their Holiday Issue had four things you could cut out to help you celebrate the politically correct holidays: 1. Santa; 2. Some Hanukkah symbols; 3. Some Kwanzaa symbols; and, not anything to do with a baby in a manger but 4. A snowman. Phooey.
Comment by Anne — October 17, 2007 @ 3:48 pm
Sesame Street suffers from the same malady that most Noggin and Disney kid shows share. Instead of teaching ABC’s and numbers, they focus on “inter and intra-personal relationships” and other crap.
We don’t need cartoons to teach our kids intra and inter-personal relationships. That’s what real life is for. The learn about them from inter and intra relating to actual people, not by watching Pinky Dinky Do simulate it with a giant purple octopus. That, and the raging multiculturalism is just annoying.
Time to take the tinker out for a bike ride or to the park when that happens.
Comment by docweasel — October 17, 2007 @ 5:54 pm
I stopped watching Sesame Street when I was in my late twenties. The thing that got me was their shameless support of and their sponsorship by the number 9. I just cannot abide a so-called “educational” show that is so obviously in the pocket of Big Numbers.
Comment by Allen — October 17, 2007 @ 6:42 pm
You would think Baby Bear would be more observant of and enforce more the commandment “Thou shalt not steal.” Because, according to “Elmo’s World: Happy Holidays,” the Bear family is Jewish.
Comment by Chuck Bell — October 18, 2007 @ 8:46 am
Now, Chuck, are you suggesting that Baby Bear try to regulate others’ behavior according to his *religion*?? Because you know that violates the most sacred commandment of all …
Comment by Anwyn — October 18, 2007 @ 9:11 am
How about this re-write:
Papa Bear: Somebody has been sleeping in my bed.
Mama Bear: Somebody has been sleeping in my bed.
Little Bear: Good night, Mom. Good night, Dad.
Comment by nk — October 18, 2007 @ 9:53 am