'Edmund Elephant is a cleverclogs'- grrrr!!

[WhereTheFuck]

OK, sorry, this is a thread about Peppa Pig..but does anyone else get really annoyed by this phrase? Edmund Elephant seems to know a lot of facts, but every time he comes out with one, the narrator says smugly 'Edmund elephant is a cleverclogs.' Like it's a bad thing to be clever?! I don't think this is a good message to be giving up young kids, or am I massively over thinking this?

You are massively overthinking.

It annoys me too. It's like being smart is something to be looked down upon.

I agree, he’s clever and that’s something to be pleased about!

Also really dislike that Peppa always talks about how fat her dad is

Ive never taken it like you. I think it sounds positive that he’s clever.

@User135792468 but the word 'cleverclogs'is not usually used in a positive way, in my experience? It's more of a mocking word to put someone down?

Well, I believe it is a fact that elephants remember everything.

David Attenborough said that in one of his programmes many, many years ago.

At least I think that's what he said.

Why can't the narrator just say 'Edmund Elephant is very clever!' That could be taken as positive.

I agree, and I think it is a very British thing. I've worked in education abroad (Germany, Japan and the US, several states) and knowledge was by and large celebrated. In the UK (excluding selective schools) being knowledgeable is 'Try hard' 'Neek' (nerdy geek) show off and recipe for being picked on.

I agree with you.
Goes hand in hand with
sporting achievements celebrated and competitions for clever children mocked (spelling bees, Britain’s brightest kids etc)

I call my daughter a cleverclogs as a compliment…. Ok so she’s only a year old and it’s not going to massively sink in but if she puts the square block in the square hole without help I’ll smile and clap and say ‘oh well done you little cleverclogs!!’ or similar.

I totally get it’s shit when people make being clever into a negative (went to a school where acting like you were stupid was practically a badge of honour ) but I don’t think the term itself is objectionable…

There’s many things to be annoyed about but Edmund elephant being called a clever clogs is not one of them 😂😂

I agree OP. I was quite advanced as a youngster, I read in church from an early age, was always the narrator in plays and as an infant the teacher asked the younger ones to read to me if she was busy. I was a quiet shy child, not at all precocious. I remember in early juniors offering the word “ought” as a rhyming word for something. The teachers assistant said it wasn’t a word and to spell it so I did. I then saw her roll her eyes to another assistant. The message from an early age was don’t be a “clever clogs”. Thankfully my parents, neither of whom was academic, shared this view. But things like that stay with you and niggle at your self esteem.

[quote WhereTheFuck]@User135792468 but the word 'cleverclogs'is not usually used in a positive way, in my experience? It's more of a mocking word to put someone down?[/quote]
I’ve heard it as both positive and derogatory. It’s all about the tone. I don’t take it as a negative on the programme. Peppa, however, is a rude brat.

I just looked up the definition and it's definitely perjorative.

YANBU, it annoys me too. Whenever Edmund says something knowledgeable they call him a cleverclogs. My DS has assumed the word just means clever because he uses it to describe someone who is smart or skilled. I don’t have the heart to tell him it’s actually bullying and belittling someone who is clever.

I agree, it's pejorative and one of the things I dislike about Peppa.

Also, I know Daddy Pig can be a bit crap, but woah would I have gone no-contact with my inlaws if they were as bad as Granny and Grandpa Pig! They are horrible to him!

I agree, this drives me mad too! I always say to my DD after it's a good thing to be a clever clogs