Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be sick of anthropomorphism in children's TV

111 replies

BalloonSlayer · 06/03/2010 14:41

It seems every time I stick CBeebies on it's "The Large Family." Which is an utterly tedious, unfunny cartoon about a boring family in a boring town doing boring things. But they are all elephants. Why? Why are they elephants and not people?

"Arthur" is bad enough. I don't even know what sort of animal Arthur is supposed to be. He looks like nothing on God's earth. But at least all the families look different.

In "The Large Family" all the elephants look exactly the same except the three hairs on top of their heads are arranged in different ways. Even I have better things to do with my day than scrutinise elephants' haircuts FGS.

I appreciate that Beatrix Potter started all this with Peter Rabbit and his blue jacket and camomile tea. But at least he had some real rabbit issues in his life, like risking being put in a pie by Mr McGregor.

Why can't The Large Family face some real elephantine issues, instead of just the trials of babysitting or having the bath overflow?

Why not:

  • drama as ivory poachers are spotted in town
  • Mrs Large faces antenatal depression as her pregnancy enters its second year
  • a plague of mice terrorise the family
  • Mr Large goes to a clinic, worried that his penis is only two feet long
OP posts:
StewieGriffinsMom · 06/03/2010 21:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Kelix · 06/03/2010 21:30

Not watched the elephant one but Timmy Time and Big Barn Farm are great :D

Dirt Girl World is just wrong - it sounds like a porn channel!

houseworkhater · 06/03/2010 21:33

Does anyone remember Hong Kong Fooey?

He was a dog btw.

confuddledDOTcom · 06/03/2010 21:40

Igam Ogam is driving me mad at the moment.

Igam Ogam - human cave girl
Big Daddy - dinosaur
Doggy - little dinosaur
Birdy - pterodactyl
Roley - Igam Ogam's friend monkey

waitingforbedtime · 06/03/2010 21:44

I thought we were the only ones who watched Igam Ogam! Ds LOVES it.

waitingforbedtime · 06/03/2010 21:45

PS You forgot the tiger rug thing that is alive...

mummychicken · 06/03/2010 21:45

Dirtgirl world REALLY gives me the creeps. Her mouth is just wrong!

Thomas the tank programmes are okay but the books are crap. Nothing for DS (2.4) to point at. It's a bit boring saying where is the Choo Choo for every page.

Quite like Roary the race car but unless there is some kind of discrimination that I don't know about, don't think mole mechanics should be allowed.

Shoshe · 06/03/2010 21:47

Sorry to go back a bit, but if Judy is a CM, why has she got 4 under 5 year olds???

Unless Max is her assistant, she is only allowed 3 under 5's under Ofsted rules.

And if Max is her assistant, how come they often have the tweenies (all 4) on their own, again not allowed, they should both be there.

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Maybe I am over thinking this.

confuddledDOTcom · 06/03/2010 21:47

Triple Tog - sabre tooth tiger duvet. That's alive.

TiggyD · 06/03/2010 21:48

@BallooonSlayer:
"TiggyD is your surname Winkle by any chance?"

No. It's Tiggy D'Amour.

tethersend · 06/03/2010 21:58

I'm more concerned about why some of the Waybuloo er... characters cover their bottom halves and leave top halves naked, and others do the opposite. Make your bloody mind up.

It's not been the same since the glory days of Bagpuss if you ask me.

MrsNetz · 06/03/2010 22:30

"igam ogam igam ogam igam"

dirt girl world is truelly horrendous!

Every one of these big long word programsnever heard of b4 almost put me off Reading the thread that comes on ds 3.5 tells me "mummy animals don't talk" so that's ok !

I loved pigeon street........

(dashes off to sky plus clangers and bagpuss)

MrsNetz · 06/03/2010 22:33

Loved hong kong phoey saw it
on tv in egypt when we were on hols!

.....wonders why her strike outs never work

houseworkhater · 06/03/2010 22:36

Glad you remember it MrsNetz bring it back I say.

stottiecake · 06/03/2010 22:40

no no Penelope is a koala? Her friends are tigers, elephants etc BUT she has a pet cat that can't talk or whatever.
And when they go to the farm the pigs don't talk either
I can't cope with the inconsistancy.
it actually bothers me!

tootootired · 06/03/2010 22:42

mummychicken I like the old Railway books where the engines had truly rail related adventures related to bridge washouts and the wrong sort of coal. The fat controller was fat and Really Useful was rarely mentioned. I find the new stuff nauseating. You could always try finding a copy of the "chuffing" Thomas & Bertie book for variety, that will soon have you hiding it behind the toybox.

confuddledDOTcom · 06/03/2010 22:59

MrsNetz, it's because you have to do each word individually.

MadamDeathstare · 06/03/2010 23:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

nickschick · 07/03/2010 00:35

Back to tweenies shoshe this was in the days when ofsted wasnt such a big thing about 2000 i think - please dont make me ring the beeb up again and inquire about Judys ofsted rating.

KatnKankles · 07/03/2010 01:32

Max and Ruby bothers me.

Where are the parents? Clearly Ruby being lumbered with Max everyday must cause some sort of resentment? One day she will snap...

Pic me is the worst example... I find it truly horrifying.

Have a secret fondness for the wonderpets though

MrsNetz · 07/03/2010 02:01

Thx Confuddled x

Scrudd · 07/03/2010 02:22

I'm certainly no expert on kids tv, as mine are too old to watch it, thank god. Not that I ever watched it much when they were young

But I do remember Arthur, and I do remember wondering what the fook him and his family were supposed to be, lol!

Sooo, each family in Arthur look different, but I don't remember if they had mixed unknown species families. Do they? it would be rude not to.

Do they?

BalloonSlayer · 07/03/2010 08:25

Rofl at all the other examples.

MrsNetz - lol re the long word - I expected 98% of posts on here would be "YABU for being poncy".

Scrudd there are quite a few "things" on "Arthur" which I can't identify. Perhaps they are the cross-breeds?

OP posts:
StewieGriffinsMom · 07/03/2010 08:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

sarah293 · 07/03/2010 09:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn