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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:
nannynobnobs · 07/03/2010 12:42

In Narnia there are both Talking and non Talking animals (this is in the books). The non Talking ones are freely nommed.
I hate third and bird. I hate Chuggington. I hate the new Thomas where its all CGI and everybody has moving faces, and Edward (or Henry?) sounds like the moon from the Mighty Boosh. I hate Arthur. I really hate the Large Family- how do they hold things with their big round flat 'hands'? I have always hated the Tweenies and DD2 doesn't like it either.
I think dirtgirlworld is very very strange but oddly compelling. Timmy time is fab. Old original Thomas we still like. I love Jakers!

MrsNetz · 07/03/2010 14:48

Loves third and bird whole family ds3.5 dd1.5 and dh all get up and dance our silly dance to the theme tune and then slump at the end with a big cheer!!

Nifa86 · 07/03/2010 15:28

I've just signed up so I can post on this thread!

Arthur has a pet dog and one of his friends is a dog....wtf?

BalloonSlayer · 07/03/2010 18:33

Does he really? OMG!

Maybe it's like the talking animals in Narnia thing - if it can't talk then it's sort of inferior. But weird. Like having a pet human.

OP posts:
LadyGaggia · 07/03/2010 18:43

Its like Mickey Mouse. Pluto is his dog, Goofy is a anthropomorphic dog.
Weird.

BalloonSlayer · 07/03/2010 18:48

LOL!

I remember Chandler from Friends pointing out that Donald Duck wears a jacket and nothing else but when he's had a bath he puts a towel round his waist.

OP posts:
nannynobnobs · 07/03/2010 19:08

Augh Third and Bird. It's that little baby bird talking in that ridiculously contrived babytalk that really grates my cheese. 'Muffin want dat for Muffin dinner' who the fuck has a kid that talks like that? I'd be putting on my bird-punting shoes.

Cloudbase · 07/03/2010 20:11

I used to love Ivor the Engine, full of lovely Welshies in the Valleys, and choirs and the only anthropomorphism was the exceedingly cute Idris the Dragon

"Hellooooo Ivoooorrrrrr!"

dinkystinky · 07/03/2010 21:52

LOL StewieGriffinsmum - DH was saying the other day that Lola is a bad influence on DS1 (round about when he watched the not eating food episode and then refused to have his previously loved tomatoes at tea time)...

StewieGriffinsMom · 07/03/2010 22:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

catsdontscreetch · 07/03/2010 22:03

Dinkystinky, Charlie & Lola also has a major influence in our household, probably explains why a child in a northern family says grass with an extra r - lol

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