Adults And Preschooler Stuff (Also A Short Review Of Bluey)

Several forms of entertainment face scrutiny from different groups of people. It's inevitable. There will always be elitists in any fanbase known to man. People who think that their favorite or preferred genre of music or movie or whatever is the best, and anything that is inferior, taboo, or perceived as "lame" is torn to shreds. It's to the point that anyone who likes whatever is perceived as "uncool" is scrutinized just for liking something. One of the biggest examples of something that gets scrutinized for being lame or stupid is anything aimed at the preschool audience, particularly preschool shows. And for good reason. I mean, as an adult, we like to enjoy things that cater to a more adult demographic. Instead of watching something on Nick Jr, adults are way more likely to put on "Game of Thrones" or "The Office". However, we cannot ignore the group of adults who actually do enjoy shows aimed at a younger audience. Some of these people are parents who watch preschool programming with their children. Some of these are special needs individuals who don't have the cognitive ability to process anything made for adults and even teens. Some are animation fans who unironically like certain shows, no matter who they're intended for or how good or bad they are. For any of you adults who think that all preschool shows are for 4-year olds and that no adults should EVER watch that stuff for fear of becoming eternal manchildren, I'm here to say that it's OK to watch this type of programming. You don't have to care about what others think about you, and you don't have to look down upon people that watch something you don't like. But, you also have to be aware of what's GOOD in the preschool show market, and what is BAD. Above all else. 

First off, what makes a good preschool show? In my opinion, the best shows of this variety need to offer a lot to their young demographic while also having elements that can appeal to people outside of that. For example, "Sesame Street" has entertained millions of people young and old for decades due to its longevity and the fact that it has branched out past its preschool status. Some of the skits on the PBS show, especially back in the 70's and 80's, are pretty funny, and adults can enjoy the antics of the characters while kids are learning about whatever it is they're trying to get across, and they're doing all of this in an alluring and clever way. One example is the skit where Kermit the Frog is trying to teach the audience about being happy and sad. Elmo pops in constantly, excitedly asking Kermit if he wants to play with him. Kermit tells him that he's too busy, causing Elmo to feel sad. Kermit then tells Elmo that eventually the two will play, causing Elmo to be happy and excited, but when Kermit says that they can't play at the exact moment, Elmo starts feeling sad again, wailing loudly and repeatedly shouting that he feels sad. In the process, the young viewer is being shown the differences between being happy and sad, while the adult is being entertained by the antics of the two characters. The same thing happens in the Kermit skit where he's teaching the audience about "loud and quiet". Because Kermit and Elmo work so well off of each other as a duo, both audiences are being entertained by them while also understanding the lesson. That is what has made "Seasme Street" timeless, regardless of what year the episode came from. 

When a preschool show doesn't succeed is when it ISN'T catering to a wide demographic, and instead it's specifically designed for preschoolers or infants. Adults do not get any emjoyment out of these shows for various reasons. For example, the creators of "Teletubbies" have literally said that their show was intentionally designed for babies and little kids to shut up for thirty minutes in order to watch infant-like creatures with TVs on their stomachs jump around and giggle. That's not entertaining at all. "Barney And Friends" also faces a lot of the same scrutiny, because Barney as a character is overtly happy all of the time and the show itself is devoid of any real value. There's no acknowledgement of any negative emotions at all. It's just a show for toddlers to jump around and dance just as much as the titular character, and that's lame. That's the type of preschool show that sucks and should never be watched by any adult whatsoever. However, there have been cases of adults being fans of the show, many of these adults and older kids being seen as primitive manchildren by the public. There was even a YouTuber who showed off a Barney CD that he got at Barnes And Noble, which of course received a lot of commentaries and negative reception from other YouTube ranters. I mean, it's fine if you like shows like that. At the end of the day, they are harmless and aren't meant to directly offend or infuriate anyone, and people can like whatever they want, but "Barney" and "Teletubbies" are big examples of shows that aren't meant to be for adults and that anyone outside of their target demographics should stay far away from. 

But, of course, those aren't really animation. These are, for the most part, live action shows with puppetry and costumes. What we're primarily focusing on is the animated side of the coin. And with that, some of the biggest examples of early childhood shows I enjoy are "Little Bear" and "Franklin", both from the Nick Jr. block. Why are these shows good and shows like "Dora The Explorer" or "Ni Hao Kai Lan" are garbage? It's simply due to the fact that shows like "Little Bear" and "Franklin" are more focused on having a narrative and trying to tell a story with a lesson attached at the end. In a way, they play out like conventional animated series without any of the slightly objectionable content that could make parents change the channel in record time. "Little Bear" was one of Nick Jr.'s first real hits, and "Franklin" was originally on the CBS morning block before coming to Nick Jr. later, trading places with "Rupert" which had already been over for a while. Both shows are wonderfully animated, the plotlines run smoothly and consistently, and children are able to understand the morals that these shows are presenting. They also teach children that using their imaginations is a good thing, and that's an excellent skill to have especially if you're an inquisitive child who wants to learn about the world around him or her. Kids perceive the world in a different way than their parents or even other older people. If a toddler sees their own shadow, they might think that the shadow is real and is trying to get them. But, adults understand that shadows are just light from a source being blocked by a solid object. That's an example of a child and the imagination that they have, and that's what shows like "Little Bear" and "Franklin" encourage to their young audience. These are skills we should all have as we grow up until our dying day. And that's what make shows like "Little Bear" and "Franklin" work.  

However, not ALL shows focused on the narrative are good. "Dragon Tales", one of PBS Kids' shows, is an example of this. It's an interesting concept, about two kids who travel to a magical world roamed by dragons, but most of it is pretty lame and boring to be honest. It also doesn't help that the two protagonists aren't written well at all, and often times complain when thing don't go in their favor. Take a look at the episode where they're trying to build a treehouse, and there you go. "Clifford The Big Red Dog" is another example of a show that focuses on the narrative side of things that can be faulty at times. However, both of these shows are masterpieces when compared to the awful abomination known as "Caillou". In every single way, "Caillou" is everything that is wrong and awful about preschool programming, and the titular character is a model example of what kids should NOT be. Always whining and being mean to everyone around him, even resulting to pinching his younger sister Rosie when she arrives as a newborn which doesn't result in any type of punishment. And of course, everyone knows about the clip of Caillou wanting to go to the circus, but when his parents don't take him, he throws a fit. Again, no punishment involved. It's baffling. None of the characters are likable or even relatable. It sucks. How did they let this show go on for so long, let alone at all?!? The visuals suck, the animation is awful, the morals are botched considerably, and everything about "Caillou" is what you should NEVER be obsessed with if you're an adult. You should never show something like that to your children for fear of them believing that acting like a screaming child on an airplane is acceptable behavior... which it's not. Not a chance. I think it's safe to say that "Caillou" is the absolute worst show of all time. 

In more modern times, it has become very hard to find a good preschool show that actually caters to everybody. It's not as often as you'd like to think, as shows like "Shimmer And Shine", "DocMcstuffins", and "Vampirina" are not that interesting and only cater to their main demographic, at least in my opinion. Then, we have shows like "Peppa Pig" that are "Caillou" ripoffs and are just as awful and inept on every level. However, "Bluey", a show from Australia that was carried over to Disney Junior, is easily an exception. Starting in 2018 in its home country before being exported to America in 2019, "Bluey" brings back the fluid narrative concept that was prevalent in shows like "Franklin" and "Little Bear", but also finds a way to execute it in a clever and interesting way. That methodology is what caused it to be universally praised by virtually everybody, gaining a high 9.7 score on IMDB and grabbing the attention of every person who comes across it, even outside of the preschool demographic. At first, this show didn't really interest me to that level until I learned of the universal acclaim that this show was getting. That's when I decided to take a look at this show, and I can safely say that I agree with everybody who claims "Bluey" is excellent, because it really is. And this is just based off of the episodes I've watched so far, not the entire series as a whole. 

So, what makes "Bluey" work as a show? Why is "Bluey" the best show for any child to watch? The answer is simple, and it obviously has to do with the fact that there is more attention to detail put on everything that makes a great show great. First of all, Bluey and Bingo as characters are highly relatable, because they represent what little kids actually act like. The show was inspired by the creator's children, and I can see why that is because both of these characters are excellently written and performed. For example, there's one episode named "Hospital" where they get their father, Bandit, to play a game of hospital with them, with Bandit acting as the patient, Bluey acting as the doctor, and Bingo as the nurse. This is probably one of the best examples of my claims of how well the show is written and composed, and I've only seen five episodes so far. The dialogue between characters is humorous, and even though there isn't a clear message that this episode ends with, episodes like this encourage kids to use their imaginations in similar situations. Another episode, "Copycat", has a plotpoint where Bluey and Bandit finding a dying bird on the side of the road as they go about their day. After taking the bird to the vet, they get the unfortunate news that the bird has died. Bluey, of course, is saddened, but on the drive back home Bandit tells her that not everything is meant to go in one's favor. "It's out of our hands", Bandit says. It's uniquely strctured in that the episode begins with Bluey copying her dad's every move, then the bird plot kicks in, and then the episode is reenacted by Bluey, Bingo, and their mother Chilli. It's a very creative and excellent way to get this message across without going too dark but also not skipping over the meat of the bone. Other episodes I've seen are equally as great, and I'm very looking forward to seeing more episodes with the hopes that I can say the entire show is excellent. 

As I've elaborated throughout this thinkpiece, there ARE good preschool shows out there. The problem is that whenever an adult watches a preschool show and gradually starts to love it, there is potential for them to become scrutinized by others. Either that or they get shoehorned by people into being called "manchildren" or "idiots" or "Autistic" or whatever other insult you might come up with. That's not necessarily fair, and I think that's wrong on so many levels. While I wouldn't want an adult to be obsessed with "Ni Hao Kai Lan" or some other awful preschool show, in the end it is their opinion on what they perceive as good. And like I said, Autistic people or special needs people watch certain shows because they don't have the attention span to focus on shows that people of their age might like. Thus, you see all these people being obsessed with "Paw Patrol" and "My Little Pony". That's why you see these VHS collections that are mostly comprised of "Barney" tapes or shows from Playhouse Disney or Nick Jr or PBS Kids. How is that a bad thing? How is that something that's the ultimate offense that would get you exiled off of the Internet and society as a whole? Someone likes something where they aren't in the target demographic, and so that means they're inept at having an opinion? That somehow means they're wrong or stupid or a moron? I mean, if they're on the Atrocious Deviants Wiki, that's applicable, but if they're not doing any harm to you and all they're doing is collecting "Bob The Builder" merch and obsessing over "Thomas The Tank Engine", than there is NO threat. This is coming from someone who doesn't care about most of that stuff, as I only like a few preschool shows and that's it. But, that isn't a bad thing either. The real message I'm trying to get across is that sometimes having a different opinion is a good thing, and that's a message I've hammered many times. But, in this particular case, I find it to have a lot of relevancy. You may not think so, but it is. So, if you watch your adult movies and adult shows, that's fine. That isn't going to change. Neither are people who watch preschool shows ironically or unironically. Everyone is allowed to watch whatever they want to watch, at their own free will, and if you don't like that, it's better to keep those opinions in secrecy. Same thing for anything else. If you don't like something, don't associate yourself with it and don't criticize others for liking it. That just leads to more fighting and negativity. Enjoy what you like, regardless of who you are. That is the most important message I'm sending to all of you. 

What do you guys think? Do you think adults should watch shows that are outside of their age demographic? Are you a fan of some preschool shows even if you're way older than four or five years old? Do you agree with what I'm trying to get across? Let me know in the comment section down below. Please feel free to enjoy my content on the Scamp4553 Deviantart account as well, including other lists, reviews, and other series. Also, if you'd like to get a glimpse at all of the insanity that goes on outside of this site, check me out as Scamp4553 on Instagram and as SimbaKoda444 on YouTube. And of course, more content is coming your way soon. Take care.