Faithful readers of Smart News will know although we recommend the animated show Franny’s Feet to other parents, we like to pretend the TiVo in our own home isn’t able to record it. Don’t get us wrong — it has a fabulous concept. (Girl transported on magical adventure each time she tries on shoes in grandpa’s cobbler shop.) We love cobbler shops. But the show is just a wee bit precious for our own personal tastes. (Are there really any kids out there who say, “Applesauce!” when things don’t go their way? And parents who encourage it?)

But like we said, we’re in the minority here. Franny’s Feet just got picked up for an additional season on PBS KIDS. As did Ni Hao, Kai-Lan on Nick Jr. And we just received word that Wow, Wow Wubzy! (another Nick Jr. animated show) is coming to DVD this fall for the first time.

Do you see where we’re going here? Just because a show is dubbed a “good” show for kids doesn’t mean you have to love it, too. Or do you? (This is like one of those voice-over questions Carrie asks on an ep of Sex and the City, although not as, well, sexy.)

We thought we’d start a new occasional category called “Wove-Hate Relationship,” in which we (and you) defend or challenge kids’ shows. We’re not going to take on easy targets like Pokemon, but shows which come highly recommended by media experts, yet have a tendency to either inspire passionate adult groupies (like The Wiggles or The Backyardigans) or hit the parental gag reflex. (The Big, Comfy Couch anyone?)

We’ll start things off with — yes, you guessed it, The Wonder Pets! Has any duck with a speech impediment ever been more loathed by parents?

But while listening to the WPs save a chameleon this morning, pre our-usual-three-cups of coffee, we had a revelation: Kids don’t seem to be bothered by Ming-Ming Duckling’s inability to say the letter, “R.” Only adults do — and we usually react by rolling our eyes and mimicking Ming Ming’s speech problem. (”The phone! The phone is winging!”)

It’s a small thing, sure. But as parents, we try to teach our kids to tolerate differences. To treat kids in wheelchairs, say, or kids with different skin colors the same as we’d like to be treated. Did creator Josh Selig intentionally make Ming-Ming talk differently than the other two Wonder Pets as a sly lesson in tolerance and diversity?

Or did he just think a fuzzy baby duck should talk like a baby instead of having, say, a British accent?

Watch the clip. Weigh in below. Does the fuzzy teamwork goodness of Wonder Pets! outweigh the patronizing babyness?

Filed under Wove-Hate Relationship

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