Life’s Hard Questions March 30, 2008

1.  When is Dora going to give up the map, get a GPS, and stop needing us to constantly repeat the directions?  The episodes can be cut down to only a few minutes and we can all do without the shouting and staring.

2.  When are Handy Manny and Kelly going to take their friendship to the next level?  Am I the only one who notices the sexual tension there?

3.  When is Ming-Ming from the Wonder Pets going to have to attend speech therapy? 

4.  Where are The Backyardigans’ parents and why do they let their kids play outside alone all the time?  Plus, don’t they ever get tired of fixing snacks for all of those kids every damn day?

5.  Why, why, WHY does Otis from Barnyard have udders when he is a BOY?!?

6.  When is Diego going to encounter a rain forest animal that ISN’T friendly?  Odds are, he should have been eaten by something by now.

More of Me Being Pathetic March 28, 2008

I try really hard not to talk about my television obsession on here.  I mean, if you like it, you watch it.  You probably don’t want to read about it.  But I was so pumped by American Idol this week that I have to humiliate myself a little bit.

I’ve been a fan of David Cook since the auditions.  I like his style of music and for some reason I think he’s adorable, even though he looks like he speds more time on his hair than I do.  I thought maybe I favored him at first because he used to live in Tulsa, so I was routing for the hometown boy.  But I really look forward to hearing him sing each week.

But this week?  His version of Billie Jean made me want to throw my panties onstage and scream like a teenager.  Granted, I was watching from home, so it would be my stretched-out granny panties being flung towards the tv, which Squeaks would inevitably scoop up and put on her head. Thankfully I was DVRing the show, so I have been able to play the song over and over again.  I could break down and order the song from iTunes, but then I would miss the goodness that is drooling over him onscreen.

So, yeah, I’m a dork, but it’s nice to have a tv crush again.  I got over Julian McMahon after he got too weird on Nip/Tuck and I was needing someone to fill the void.  Who are your tv crushes?

Gender Roles October 5, 2007

I find it funny that people view America as a progressive nation.  We are a country that boasts equality.  Women are slowly obtaining their equal rights in the workforce.  BUT the gender roles that parents (and the media) set for their children make me sick.  What’s got me so riled up, you ask?  Stuipd Nick Jr. characters.

My daughter is a perfect example of a non-stereotypical child.  Sure she plays with stuffed animals and shows a very nurturing side, but she also has a tool set she loves and she loves to go out and get dirty.  So I found it only natural when she took a shine to Go Diego Go, while hating the show Dora the Explorer.  There’s just something appealing about Diego that isn’t there with Dora (maybe the fact that Squeaks realizes Dora’s voice is annoying and her football head is huge).  But whatever the reason, she’s obsessed.  She’s picked out plenty of Diego toys (all lead-free so far) and we took her to see the live stage show over the summer.  So it’s only natural that she would want other Diego items, as well.  But here’s where it’s complicated.  You see, the only clothing and shoe items out there are for boys.  If you’re a girl you get Dora, if you’re a boy you get Diego.  Because apparantly a girl cannot sport a cartoon character boy on her shirt or shoes (although Mickey Mouse is technically male, but I guess rodents differ from human cartoon characters). 

Since Squeaks doesn’t like Dora, this makes it hard when she’s crying for Diego items.  We’ve ended up buying her some boy pajamas and while I’m not against dressing her in boy clothing or shoes (for now at least!), I think it’s bull shit that the companies are playing such gender roles.  Why does it have to be like that?  Just once I’d like to walk into a store and be able to find some cute tank top with Diego on it.  That would make my daughter’s day.

And the same goes with Backyardigans items.  For you long-time readers, you know that Squeaks is a die-hard fan of Backyardigans — almost to the point of obsession.  But if I buy her anything Backyardigans that is gender-specific, it only has the female characters (Tasha and Uniqua) on there.  When we put Squeaks’ shoes on in the morning, she names off Tasha and Uniqua, then says “Where Pablo?  Where’d he go?  Tyrone?  Austin?”.  Yeah, it’s sad that she can name them all off and she’s not quite two, but damn if her verbal skills aren’t getting awesome!

So what am I trying to accomplish by bitching about this?  I’m just venting, really.  But I’m sick and tired of the stereotypes, especially when it comes to preschoolers.  Grow up, Nick Jr.

As If I Wasn’t Obsessed Enough About TV…. September 17, 2007

We finally joined ranks with the rest of the world and we now have satellite tv!  I have been waiting for this since we moved into this house last October.  I was spoiled with cable, but when we moved out here to the hillbilly country we were unable to get anything but satellite.  We tried to be money conscious and not spend the money on it, but we finally broke down (The Hubby got a better-paying job, but that’s another entry)!

To top it off, we also have two shiny new DVRs that are just begging me to record the most random crap I can find.  And I’m already fulfilling that duty.  A marathon of America’s Next Top Model?  Recorded yesterday.  Some Dr. 90210?  Sure…haven’t seen it in a year or so.  And I’m just shaking with anticipation of the fall lineups starting this week.  I need help.

All Hope is Lost May 24, 2007

I don’t know if I’m just becoming bitter towards reality shows or if they’re starting to suck even more than usual. I normally get pretty involved in them because I watch a lot of tv when I’m sewing my bows. And I’ve gotten pretty good about picking out one person in the beginning who will go on to win it all, whether the prize is money, marriage, or a trophy. But this season of reality shows was total crap. On American Idol I never had a person that I liked so much that I would pick up the phone and vote. Dancing With the Stars was boring. The Bachelor was full of girls that I would have kicked off from day one. I don’t know how many of you watch reality tv, but did you all feel the same way I did? Maybe I should get over my tv addiction…

My Dirty Little Secret April 17, 2007

Okay, so I have a confession to make. I love the show Hannah Montana. No lie.

It all started when my sister’s kids stayed with us for a week. We were snowed in with nothing else to do but watch movies and play games. At one point, Drama Queen put in her DVD of Hannah Montana and I was hooked! While we don’t have satellite anymore, it still comes on ABC on Saturday and Sunday mornings and I find myself constantly watching it. Like there’s not anything else I should be doing on a weekend morning! Granted, I don’t schedule my day around it, but if I’m home, it’s on tv. And the bad part is that I can’t even blame it on my daughter. Squeaks is only 1 and couldn’t give a damn about Hannah Montana. Oh no, it’s all me. But seriously, how many of you out there would love to live 2 lives? I know I would. Sure, I love being a SAHM, but there’s another part of me that could stand being some secret, sexy, career woman or something!

But because of my love for Hannah Montana, I’ve started cheering on Billy Ray Cyrus on Dancing with the Stars. I know he’s not the greatest dancer and he freaking counts the beat out loud while he dances, but he’s Hannah Montana’s dad (both on the show and in real life) and I therefore like him. Plus he’s come a long way from the mullet-sporting, Achy Breaky Heart crooner.

So does this confession make me pathetic? Probably, but I don’t care. It really means that I need to get a life outside of television!