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Brief Report From the Parental Front: Shows I Hate and Love

Jun 29, 2009
By .
Technology

I've mentioned before that I have an unstable relationship with the shows my kids enjoy watching. As they have gotten older, I am forced to admit that some amuse me and are not entirely intolerable. Phineas and Ferb is clever and has big chunks of dialogue and visual gags aimed over the kids' heads. Plus I laugh at the imbecilic expression on Percy the Platypus' face whenever he is posing as a normal non-secret-agent pet. And whoever voices the evil Prof. Doofenshmirtz is brilliant. In a similar vein, the Jimmy Neutron cartoon has a lot of quite funny gags aimed at adults.

The rest remains execrable. I do not hit children. However, should I ever be digitized or otherwise consigned to the world of cartoons, I shall promptly seek out Caillou and slap him so hard that my handprint will show up on his driver's license photo. And the mewling treacle-peddlers that surround Miss Spider make me reach for a big magnifying glass. Plus, any time there's a commercial for any live-action tween shows on the Disney Channel, I long for the days of reform schools.

Last 5 posts by Ken White

7 Comments
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7 Comments

  1. Jag  •  Jun 29, 2009 @12:47 pm

    My 8 year old has recently discovered iCarly which is bizarre considering he will leave the room anytime Miley Cyrus comes on (it's too 'girly').

    It's amusing to see him try to decide whether to watch yet another steroid scandal on Sports Center while being drawn back to a rapidly maturing Miranda Cosgrove.

  2. Chris  •  Jun 29, 2009 @1:25 pm

    Caillou doesn't bother me too much, although I think my tolerance for it would evaporate rapidly if my daughter started watching it regularly. Yo Gabba Gabba remains my favorite kid's show. And, conveniently, it's my daughter's favorite as well. What's odd is that she'll sometimes demand to watch America's Test Kitchen over all children's options. I may have the two-year-old most familiar with freezer thermometer reviews.

  3. St  •  Jun 29, 2009 @1:39 pm

    That was hilarious! Caillou is a whiny little bitch and he will get what's coming to him.

  4. Linus  •  Jun 29, 2009 @4:52 pm

    I'll come clean. I have watched a Backyardigans episode from start to finish when none of my children were in the room (it was "Into the Deep"). That is some catchy-ass music.

  5. Exodor  •  Jun 29, 2009 @9:07 pm

    I enjoy the Backyardigans and I'm not afraid to admit it.

    My four year old has somehow become a Hannah Montana fan. I'm not sure how she jumped directly from Barney and Elmo to the Disney Tween Merchandising Machine but now I find my TV spends a disturbing amount of time displaying Billy Ray Cyrus.

    I must have been a very, very bad person in a former life.

  6. Dan Povenmire  •  Jun 29, 2009 @9:22 pm

    Thanks for the kind words about Phineas and Ferb, and yes, I would have to agree that the guy who does Doofenshmirtz is truly brilliant.

  7. gbasden  •  Jul 1, 2009 @4:16 pm

    The people responsible for the Backyardigans have my utmost respect. That show has singlehandedly saved me from unending replays of Dora and Caillou, both of which grate on me as nails on a chalkboard. The music in that show is also just brilliant.

    Phineas and Ferb shares an equally deep well of gratitude. These days, however, my son is starting to want to watch Mythbusters just to see things blow up. I wholeheartedly support this trend.