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Can we talk about things that don't make sense in Children's TV/books?


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What is Mr. Rogers doing at the house where he hosts the show? I mean, he always enters at the beginning and leaves to go home at the end. Does he just come to feed the fish and hang around for a bit? He does have his mail delivered there, so he must not be just squatting, right? So then why the separate house? Is it just so he can get residency in that awesome neighborhood?

 

:lol::lol::lol:

 

Why is it that Periwinkle and other animals and even things like soap and salt talk, but Blue and Magenta are stuck with the weird bark thing?

 

My kids and I were just talking about this! What kind of world is it where a side-table drawer can talk, and so can kittens like Periwinkle, but dogs can't?

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Do Dora and Diego speak English in Spanish-speaking countries?

 

Ooh, I know that answer to that! We saw Dora when we were in Costa Rica and they spoke Spanish but taught English. The inverse.

 

My children have found this thread very amusing, by the way. They asked why they allow the Hacker to be on the game show every time on Cyberchase, which is a show I've totally never even seen.

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Why does little bears mother wear clothes and he finds he is perfect going around naked?

 

little-bear-03.jpg

 

little_bear_toddler_2.jpg

 

LOL! For that matter, why do *some* of the characters from the Hundred Acre Wood wear clothing, while others don't? Tigger, I understand -- he's kind of wild. But Owl? Isn't he a bit more refined? What about Rabbit?

 

(And I suspect the answer about Little Bear is -- he's a kid. Kids often prefer to be naked. LOL.)

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Also, why are grown animals friends with Little Bear and Emily? I mean, Hen has her own house and everything. What are grown animals doing playing with them every day?

 

And Cat has alluded several times to enjoying eating chicken, and yet Hen is not turned off by this. If someone claimed to enjoy eating my family members, I don't think I'd go swimming with them.

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Do Dora and Diego speak English in Spanish-speaking countries?

 

Ooh, I know that answer to that! We saw Dora when we were in Costa Rica and they spoke Spanish but taught English. The inverse.

 

Same in Mexico according to ds1's Spanish teacher who grew up there.

 

 

Love this thread! Many of the questions have been asked here over the years. Oscar the Grouch as a Time Lord? Awesome! :thumbup1:

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Speaking of speaking animals, it doesn't really matter what show, but why can all the other animals talk but the dog?

 

I mean in the Super Sleuths we have a talking Tigger, Rabbit, Pooh Bear, but Buster the dog barks! In Word World, all the animals talk, but Dog. It seems to be a theme, we can make any animal we want talk, but no making the dog talk, that that is crazy talk!

Edited by tabrizia
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What species is Arthur supposed to be, anyway? (I know, in the original series he's an anteater, but at this point, he looks like a fuzzy human with bear ears!)

 

Arthur's an aardvark but his original design wasn't cute enough for tv so he was redrawn. He was still an aardvark, though.

 

ETA: Speaking of Arthur, my dc have wondered why all the characters are the same size. I mean, why isn't George much taller and Buster smaller? A young moose (or was he an elk?) is significantly larger than a young rabbit, after all.

Edited by Cinder
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Speaking of speaking animals, it doesn't really matter what show, but why can all the other animals talk by the dog?

 

I mean in the Super Sleuths we have a talking Tigger, Rabbit, Pooh Bear, but Buster the dog barks! In Word World, all the animals talk, but Dog. It seems to be a theme, we can make any animal we want talk, but no making the dog talk, that that is crazy talk!

 

Except for Goofy.

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What the HECK is Uniqua?!

 

Do Dora and Diego speak English in Spanish-speaking countries?

 

Why is it that Periwinkle and other animals and even things like soap and salt talk, but Blue and Magenta are stuck with the weird bark thing?

 

First off. I don't know whether to feel lucky or unlucky that I don't know about half of what everyone is talking about.

 

In the French Dora, the second language is English.

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Speaking of speaking animals, it doesn't really matter what show, but why can all the other animals talk by the dog?

 

I mean in the Super Sleuths we have a talking Tigger, Rabbit, Pooh Bear, but Buster the dog barks! In Word World, all the animals talk, but Dog. It seems to be a theme, we can make any animal we want talk, but no making the dog talk, that that is crazy talk!

 

Which is related to the question of how Arthur's family has a PET dog at all. Slavery!

 

Wendi

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Why is Franklin the one with the real name and everyone else is called by what they are, Bear, Badger, Fox.........

 

And why is he so huge, for a turtle? Especially compared to Bear? (This is what DS's monologue in the car was about two days ago.)

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What does the Man in the Yellow Hat do for a living that he can afford a fancy apartment, a country estate, and a troublesome monkey? Is he ever going to hook up with the museum curator lady or what?

 

I know I have lots of these types of questions, I just need to think on it some more.

 

Illegal animal poaching. :001_smile:

 

Wendi

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Why is Caillou bald?

 

The creators of the show say it's to be culturally neutral. I'm not kidding.

 

http://www.chouette-publishing.com/why-caillou-bald

 

Caillou stands for all children. He doesn’t have curly blond hair, a carrot-top, brown hair, glasses, or ethnic features, because he represents all children. We wanted to make Caillou universal so every child could identify with him. And they do! Caillou’s baldness may make him different, but we hope it’s helping children understand that being different isn’t just okay, it’s normal.

 

In a lot of cultures, Caillou's pale skin and general looks constitute "ethnic features" and not neutrality. Personally I think ethnically ambiguous people generally have slightly darker skin.... ;)

 

All the Caillou FAQs are equally hilarious.

Edited by stripe
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Oooh, I hate to bring up the entire Ernie and Bert thing. I never wondered about them when I was a kid. They are brothers or cousins or something, right?

 

And, to sort of flip this thing around, why aren't real kids bothered by the fact that at Disneyland and Disneyworld the people dressed up as characters can't speak? They sort of accept it a little too easily.

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Best. Thread. Ever.

 

Forget about the man with the yellow hat's career." I want to know why he wasn't arrested for stealing a monkey from the jungle, and I want to know why nobody makes him pay for damages that his monkey causes. And why has he not learned that YOU CAN NOT LEAVE SAID MONKEY UNATTENDED because he ALWAYS gets in trouble??

 

You would think the authorities would have stepped in and removed George from him by now, after all the trouble George has caused. You can't hold a monkey responsible, when clueless Mr. Yellow Hat always leaves him unattended.

 

Wendi

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The creators of the show say it's to be culturally neutral. I'm not kidding.

 

http://www.chouette-publishing.com/why-caillou-bald

Caillou stands for all children. He doesn’t have curly blond hair, a carrot-top, brown hair, glasses, or ethnic features, because he represents all children. We wanted to make Caillou universal so every child could identify with him. And they do! Caillou’s baldness may make him different, but we hope it’s helping children understand that being different isn’t just okay, it’s normal.

In a lot of cultures, Caillou's pale skin and general looks constitute "ethnic features" and not neutrality. Personally I think ethnically ambiguous people generally have slightly darker skin.... ;)

 

All the Caillou FAQs are equally hilarious.

 

I've laughed over the FAQs before. I think they're really reaching on some of those.

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What does the Man in the Yellow Hat do for a living that he can afford a fancy apartment, a country estate, and a troublesome monkey?

 

Clearly, the man in the yellow hat is a poacher.

 

At least that is what I told my ds one day when we were reading the book and he asked why the man in the yellow hat was trapping George in his hat. We then had a discussion on poaching. What it is and why people do it. It is obvious that people poach because it pays well. My dh was quite horrified.

 

I have spent hours wondering if Phineas and Ferb are remotely successful in the school environment. I imagine they attend a hippie dippie private school.

 

Why don't Spongebob and Patrick have some kind of social worker visit them periodically? Ok, spongebob can hold down a job but there is something not quite right with that sponge. And why is he shaped like a household sponge instead of a sea sponge?

 

I wonder why anyone is friends with Arthur. That is one whiny aardvark.

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And why does Rocket need so much help getting around? He's a ROCKET! A mountain really shouldn't phase him.

 

Shoot, why don't some of these baby animals' parents keep better track of their kids? They lose a baby goose and just keep flying? How about turning around and not hoping a quartet of preschoolers will come along and rescue your child?

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Clearly, the man in the yellow hat is a poacher.

 

At least that is what I told my ds one day when we were reading the book and he asked why the man in the yellow hat was trapping George in his hat. We then had a discussion on poaching. What it is and why people do it. It is obvious that people poach because it pays well. My dh was quite horrified.

 

I have spent hours wondering if Phineas and Ferb are remotely successful in the school environment. I imagine they attend a hippie dippie private school.

 

Why don't Spongebob and Patrick have some kind of social worker visit them periodically? Ok, spongebob can hold down a job but there is something not quite right with that sponge. And why is he shaped like a household sponge instead of a sea sponge?

 

I wonder why anyone is friends with Arthur. That is one whiny aardvark.

 

I do think Patrick needs some kind of "community support", for lack of a better term. It's a wonder he survives; I think Gary is smarter and more self-sufficient than Patrick.

 

As to Arthur being whiny, I'll take him over Caillou any day.

 

Wendi

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Shoot, why don't some of these baby animals' parents keep better track of their kids? They lose a baby goose and just keep flying? How about turning around and not hoping a quartet of preschoolers will come along and rescue your child?

 

I think that's a different show. :tongue_smilie:

But your concerns still apply.

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The creators of the show say it's to be culturally neutral. I'm not kidding.

 

http://www.chouette-publishing.com/why-caillou-bald

 

Caillou stands for all children. He doesn’t have curly blond hair, a carrot-top, brown hair, glasses, or ethnic features, because he represents all children. We wanted to make Caillou universal so every child could identify with him. And they do! Caillou’s baldness may make him different, but we hope it’s helping children understand that being different isn’t just okay, it’s normal.

 

In a lot of cultures, Caillou's pale skin and general looks constitute "ethnic features" and not neutrality. Personally I think ethnically ambiguous people generally have slightly darker skin.... ;)

 

All the Caillou FAQs are equally hilarious.

 

Okay, but then why does Caillou have a clearly French Canadian name while the rest of his family doesn't? We've wondered about that for ages.

 

And, more importantly, why has Stripe read the Caillou FAQ?

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Okay, but then why does Caillou have a clearly French Canadian name while the rest of his family doesn't? We've wondered about that for ages.

 

And, more importantly, why has Stripe read the Caillou FAQ?

 

What, you don't think "Caillou" is a "universal" name?!

 

:lol: My kids asked me a couple years ago why he was bald and I found the FAQ. I don't let them watch Caillou very often; it's just too annoying!

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What, you don't think "Caillou" is a "universal" name?!

 

:lol: My kids asked me a couple years ago why he was bald and I found the FAQ. I don't let them watch Caillou very often; it's just too annoying!

 

Ha!

 

I love it. And "Caillou" means "pebble" in French.

I can only think of one other Pebbles. . . maybe they're trying to appeal to modern and prehistoric people as well :) Very inclusive.

 

With that bald head, I always thought of him as a French Charlie Brown :)

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I posted this on Facebook and a friend mentioned that in the books he visits an older lady often. She suggests that he's a gold digger.

 

Oh, so he's a boy-toy with a monkey?!! ;):tongue_smilie::lol:

 

Curious George & Oscar the TimeLord will never be the same to me again!

 

My question has to do w/ one specific Richard Scarry book (can't remember which one right now)... why is "Tom" the telephone pole repair cat wearing girl clothes & a hat w/ a bow?

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My question has to do w/ one specific Richard Scarry book (can't remember which one right now)... why is "Tom" the telephone pole repair cat wearing girl clothes & a hat w/ a bow?

 

Is he in disguise? There's also the fast driving character dressed up in Indian gear. Groan.

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What does the Man in the Yellow Hat do for a living that he can afford a fancy apartment, a country estate, and a troublesome monkey? Is he ever going to hook up with the museum curator lady or what?

 

I know I have lots of these types of questions, I just need to think on it some more.

 

I think I always assumed he was a member of the European aristocracy, but I read a lot of Bertie and Jeeves books. I might assume nearly all people who don't seem to have jobs are members of the aristocracy due to Bertie Eooster's influence.

 

Why isn't the Island of Sodor covered in smog?

 

Why hasn't Sir Toppam Hat been fired for incompetence?

 

Again, I assumed it was part of his duties as a member of the nobility, not an actual *job*.

 

Why wasn't Boo's room a crime scene when Sully returned her to it? She'd been gone at least 24 hours. Didn't her parents notice?

 

Time moves differently in the monster world and she wasn't gone as long in the human world?

 

The ecosystem of the island seems impossible to me. Where is that island, anyway?

 

This bugs my middle dd (and budding biologist) to no end.

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Speaking of Charlie Brown, those kids didn't have adults around much either. I mean, what parent would let their little kid travel across town alone for a spelling bee? Or throw a Thanksgiving dinner for their friends without any supervision in the kitchen? Or let said little kid go to a New Year's Eve party when he was supposed to be home reading War and Peace? And what kind of teacher would assign the kid War and Peace in the first place? :D

 

OTOH, when ds1 was 6yo he was inspired to read War and Peace because Charlie Brown did. I let him borrow it from the library--it was huge. He didn't get past page one, though. :lol:

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Is he in disguise?

 

No, it's just a normal 'here is life in the town' type scene that shows/mentions various people in the community.

 

I don't know if it was just a typo or if Scarry was being inclusive of the cross-dressing community, but either way, it's one of my favorite pages in a Richard Scarry book! :001_smile: It's always given me a chuckle when I see it. (Richard Scarry is one of my absolute all-time favorite authors.)

 

How does Waldo keep his red & white shirts from fading in the wash? (I can never manage to wash red & white together w/out problems. :tongue_smilie:)

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Why is Caillou bald?

 

A mom friend posits that Caillou has terminal cancer, and that also accounts for why he gets away with so much whining. His parents don't want to tell him "no" because he may never get a chance to go to the zoo again. Wrong, so wrong, but makes the show bearable.

 

I wonder why the parents always let the kids go off with the cat in Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That. "Can we go to an active volcano?" "Sure, just be back by dinner!" "WE CAN GO, WE CAN GO!"

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A mom friend posits that Caillou has terminal cancer, and that also accounts for why he gets away with so much whining. His parents don't want to tell him "no" because he may never get a chance to go to the zoo again. Wrong, so wrong, but makes the show bearable.

"

Caillou's whining even drives my KIDS nuts!

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I have always thought that Caillou had leukemia. I had a friend growing up who had leukemia and she was bald from chemo. So I just assumed Caillou had leukemia, too. I figured that was why he was allowed to be so whiney all of the time, too.

 

I always figured the Man with the Yellow Hat was a photographer. And gay.

 

On DragonTales, was their cousin Enrique undocumented?

 

I want to teach in Danville where they have 104 days of summer vacation.

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:lol: But...wait...my kids started watching the tv show when we lived in Germany on British cable. We were getting the American version? That is so weird!

 

According to Wikipedia, his name was always 'Sir Topham Hatt', but the nickname was almost always used in the UK version. In the US version, the nickname was avoided.

 

Laura

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Seriously the Mom in Phineas and Ferb is the most clueless person ever!

 

Also why isn't Candace in intense therapy for her delusions since her Mom never ever believes her! Seriously if I didn't believe my daughter after she said things like Candace she would be in therapy so fast.

 

Why are only the animals secret agents?

 

How much alimony is Doofenshmirtz getting to keep up his schemes with no real job? Seriously his ex must be raking in the money.

 

Speaking of money how do Phineas and Ferb afford all the materials they buy for their inventions? (DH and I decided that Ferb is a trust fund baby on his Mom's side)

 

Oh speaking of parents where is Ferb's Mom and Phineas' and Candace's Dad? You would think they would have at least some visitation during the summer.

 

Seriously! I think Candace looks like she could go into therapy any minute! :lol:

 

I think Doofenshmirtz must have at one time invented something that worked, patented it, and is now living off the royalties. That is all I can come up with!

 

I think all animals are secret agents. Sometimes I wonder about my dog. :lol:

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