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Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Looking Thru Purple Colored Glasses...

In the early 90s one of my hobbies was writing pen pals.  Most of them were from overseas but I did have a few from the US. 

There was one US woman I had been writing only a short time, so we were still in the “getting to know you” phase where you are deciding if you have enough in common to be pen pals.  One day I got a letter that made the decision for me; for no particular reason this 20 something woman (with no children) ranted thru most of her letter to me about how much she hated Barney the Purple Dinosaur. 

She ended up with something on the order of “what do you think about it”? 

In my brief answering note, I said “I don’t watch Barney as his target audience is preschool children.”  And that was my last letter to her. 

Flash forward about 20 years. 

I now watch Barney. 

I have bought a Barney toy.

I sing the Barney song along with Little Bird and Little Hoss as we hold hands and sway to the music.

And I adore Barney… because those two sweet babies love Barney.  You know what… it’s OK. 

There have been criticisms leveled at the program that it is too nice and too sweet and too happy. 

Seriously??  Too happy??  Isn’t that what the world of a preschooler is supposed to be like?  Safe and happy and simple.  Soon enough they will be hitting school with the real world of bullies, and stress, and being made to feel inadequate. 

But not now… not yet. 

“I love you, you love me… we’re a happy family…” 

That’s what a pre-schooler needs.  And that is what Barney delivers.
 
 
 
 

 
 
 

2 comments:

  1. 13 years ago when my son was born, Jim and I swore he would never watch Barney. We had a niece and nephew that were addicted and we didn't want Jacob to follow in their footsteps. 13 years later and Jim and I will watch Barney with Alexa in the morning before he heads to work. You are so right,for little ones nothing can be "to happy". Thanks for sharing at my Our Favorite Things Link Party.

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