  |
|
|
|
PBS is importing another British television production, but if you're expecting lush Victorian landscapes and eloquent speeches, you're in for a shock. Close your eyes and imagine four fuzzy aliens prancing around in brightly colored rompers, singing songs such as "Fi dit, fi dit, ma ma ma..." Add a Sun Baby (an infant face superimposed on a cartoon sun) and teddy bear drummers, and you've got "Teletubbies," a children's television show that has been hugely successful in Britain. The fact that these alien creatures are sporting television antennae on their heads and insist on speaking repetitive gibberish have prompted critics to charge that "Teletubbies" is contributing to the "dumbing down" of children's programming.
A show that depicts the world as a friendly place may be just what we need - according to another Reuters report, the average American child watches 8,000 murders and 100,000 acts of violence on TV by the time he or she leaves elementary school. Such sobering statistics may influence parents to agree with Peggy Charen, an advocate for quality children's programming, when she says, "It's kind of sugary - too much television has Tabasco all over it, and this is very sweet." Saccharine sweet, or satisfyingly sweet? Now, you can decide for yourself, when from "over the hills and far away, teletubbies come to play!!" Children as Consumers While "Teletubbies" may or may not be affecting children's intelligence, they are certainly impacting the marketplace - over the recent holidays British toy stores were besieged by parents looking for Teletubby dolls, videos, recordings, and other merchandise featuring the rolypoly foursome. Production companies are entitled to marketpopular characters, but there is a danger that children's television programs may evolve into mere toy tie-ins. The successful marketing of Barney products, for example, proves that preschool programming can create incredible money-making opportunities. At a recent conference on children's television, Australian businesswoman Janet Holmes a Court said, "Some researchers have suggested there should be an age of consent for commerce. This business should not be driven by market forces alone." Unfortunately, the trend of viewing preschoolers as budding consumers is likely to intensify - plans are already underway to launch new lines of products featuring characters from shows such as "Teletubbies," "Wimzie's House," and "Blue's Clues." Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Time for Teletubbies?! in Mothering is owned by . Permission to republish Time for Teletubbies?! in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
|
|
|
|
