With a Great Big Hug
I have to be bluntly honest here and admit from this venue, that there are many, many things from my own culture which I do not miss in the least.
And yet, some of it seems to follow me in spite of my best efforts to ditch it at the library and go hang with the cool kids at the mall.
Here I speak of things like the stereotype of we Americans being a little on the loud side, a lot on the over-emotional side, totally in the depths of the gushing praise over mediocrity, and a far shot away from the self discipline other cultures of the world tout as crucial to civilization's decorum.
And yet, fast as I try to run from the bits of it which lock us into a stereotype as a nation there are parts of it, the culture, which seem to be stalking me.
This in particular friends:
BARNEY has come to The Netherlands.
London, July 2, 2008 –
Global pre-school channel JimJam... is set to launch on the Netherlands’ largest cable operator Ziggo...
The new Netherlands launch will take JimJam, the first dedicated pre-school channel in the region, into approximately 400,000 additional households. Combined with recent launches on CanalDigitaal and UPC, the channel will soon reach almost one million subscribers in the Netherlands, making it JimJam’s single biggest new market at present... Ideally suited for children aged between 1 and 6, JimJam offers a fantastic mix of new and classic programming designed to engage, educate and provide a safe and trusted viewing environment for young children. The channel features some of the world’s most beloved and trusted shows including....Barney & Friends...
And so I say to the children and parents of The Netherlands. I am so, so sorry.
Barney is not actually my friend.
And to those who feel I might be reacting a bit strongly, I give you
Now, just imagine it in Dutch.
I am soooo sorry! I'd ask if I could barf now, but I think that would be presumptuously rude of me ...you may want the pleasure of doing it first! Of all the wonderful things they could have imported, why in the world did they choose that dorkus thing? My God, Fred Rogers (even deceased as he is) would have been 1000 x better!
ReplyDeletePerhaps they will rethink...let's hope that they don't continue along with the Teletubbies, etc!
Oh, and yes, I do adore the Autumn months...just posted a couple pics and another little autumn inspired haiku!
Heh, I've been to Hema...I think Barney's color scheme got him Dutch approved.
ReplyDeleteAnd hey, I was much more freaked when I saw Teletubbies here in Flanders.
I don't know why, but the teletubbies bother me far less than Barney does. (Which in reality, isn't saying much) and I should add here that the Brits have done their fair share of sending over goofy children's programming of their making. BUT BARNEY? Really? We had to share BARNEY??
ReplyDeletefirst thought: he looks cute, how adorable...what's the problem
ReplyDeletesecond thought (after playing the song): oh my gosh, help it's Fran Desher with a bad cold singing.
Keep it up north, ok? I'll be happy enough to hear Stef singing "Schip ahoy schip ahoy...something something" or one of the toooo many K3 songs and any other Studio 100 product that dominates the Belgian kids offer.
Haha, I was about to comment on the fact we already have bad kids show (kabouter Plop, MegaMindy, Piet Piraat, and all their friends from Studio 100) but Goofball already did. I haven't actually listened to the song yet (I am at the university, I need to keep up some sort of grown up image) but as soon as I have, I will post a new comment.
ReplyDeleteI refuse to let that purple creature in my house when my kids were wee ones, and I am decidedly NOT hitting the PLAY button on that vid. Nope, uh huh. You can't make me.
ReplyDeleteI would not want to hear "I love you" in Dutch!! That's so funny.
ReplyDelete"Ik hou van jou, jij houdt van mij" does so not fit into the rythm of the song. They'll have to change the lyrics completely.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, the Big Purple Menace is scary and I hope he can't compete with the really nice Dutch series we have (de daltons, surprisongly about four brothers, Madelief, Kinderen van Waterland, keepvogel, Loenatik and so on and so on).
gb-
ReplyDeleteHahahahaha! Fran Drescher with a cold! Too funny. And perfect case in point here. We've sent some crap American television over here if you know all about THE NANNY.
anneke-
Too true. Though I have to admit an affinity for kabouter Plop. That show just makes me giggle!
songbird-
I am fully behind you babe. RESIST the urge. DO NOT LET HIM IN.
cathy-
I searched but couldn't find just yet a video with the dubbed in Dutch. Trust me though, and annoying over-affected Barney voice is all together too much in my adopted country's language!
Thanks for playing along even though I hadn't posted yet. It's up now.
ReplyDeleteAlthough did you HAVE to post about Barney. I mean - yuck-ee!!!
smid-
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing like singing the beautiful music.
yuk-yuk-yuk!!
NOOOOOO! Perhaps you can translate my youngest's song into Dutch so legions of Dutch children can join in singing it.
ReplyDeleteNONONONONO! First the bubble wrap and now - just as my own kids realize how shitty he really is - Barney!! NOOOOOO!!
ReplyDelete(Jami runs away covering her ears)
Thank you. I feel so vindicated.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I loath Barney I wish I had access to something like that in German. The cable we have is English only, well there 3 channels in German and one in French, but no kids programing. The community organization has a monopoly on cable so I have no choice, but I actually want my kids to learn German since we LIVE in Germany. They take lessons at school but imagine if they could watch German TV. Maybe NOT Barney though!
ReplyDeleteBarney. Yes, he does epitomise all that is wrong with American culture. And I resent him, because I did like the boys' name Barnabas, shortened to Barney, but his existence prevented me from choosing it for either of my sons.
ReplyDelete