We watch a lot of television in Chez Theology Girl. While I would like to be a Pinterest
mother—one who makes homemade Play-Doh, organic meals that also double as
fantasy landscapes, or functional yet stunning craft projects using recycled
materials—I am not. Pinterest
mothers, I salute you, but I do not understand your ways.
The shows we watch range from painful (Winx) to mildly
annoying (Paw Patrol) to entertaining (Peep and the Big Wide World) to
something I’ve considered watching even when the kids are asleep (My Little
Pony: Friendship is Magic). All of
the other shows fall somewhere on this spectrum. However, even the best of them often leave me baffled.
Take, for example, Curious George. In the first book by Margaret and H.A. Rey, the Man in the
Yellow Hat captures George and brings him home. George struggles at first, but after a good pipe, feels much
better. Now, this I respect. Should small children be encouraged to
rip creatures out of their natural habitat or calm their nerves with a new
carcinogenic vice? I guess not. But it has a certain devil-may-care
attitude that I admire.
Curious George the show, however, washes away all of
that. In this version, George
himself accidentally climbs into the Man in the Yellow Hat’s bag and
accidentally ends up half way across the world. Sure, franchise, blame the victim. And am I the only one who sometimes called the Man “The King
in Yellow” from time to time?
Anyway, George is constantly getting into trouble because
they leave him alone. To tend the
library. To man the concession
stand at a baseball game. To do
the grocery shopping. People. He is a monkey. What do you expect? Someone needs to call animal protective
services because clearly the King in Yellow has problems. I guess that’s fair; he is associated
with certain forms of madness.
My husband has a theory that George is actually a helper
monkey for the King in Yellow.
That explanation makes the most sense. I figure the guy must come from money, being able to
maintain both a Manhattan apartment and a country home while working about five
hours a week. He could afford such a highly trained animal. Thinking that George
is there to keep the King in Yellow alive also makes it fathomable that George would
be tasked with such care and upkeep.
I realize I am over-thinking a children’s show. I pointed out these obvious flaws to the
kids and they seemed unperturbed. It is this fact more than any other that makes me fear I have somehow failed them as a mother.
I think I might search Pinterest for some real King in Yellow
craft ideas.
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