December 6, 2005 4:51 PM
Rethinking Veggie Tales - The time Has Come
I almost had to end my Nativity Set post on a sour note, but decided to start a fresh discussion here.
Can you believe this?
I'm a little hesitant to say anything negative, because my cynicism about Mr. Rogers landed me in some hot water - well, not boiling, but I do care when people don't like what I say!
While I loved Veggie Tales at first, I think it's gotten very, very old. And the problem with Christian marketing is they want to make Larry Boy not just an interesting detour into a Bilbe story, but your child's best friend and way of life. Sometimes I try to picture how today's kids who've grown up on a steady diet of Veggie Tales will make the transistion to find much of interest in the Bible, to find the sotires compelling, or to take them seriously.
And I just have to say I'm offended by the Baby Jesus as a vegetable!!!!
Key to Montessori's teaching was the idea that when the child is in the stage of the Absorbent Mind, they are taking in everything we give them and it is becoming their very foundation. Which is why a child raised in China speaks perfect Chinese and a child raised here speaks perfect English, and a child raised in a bilingual home will speak two languages perfectly.
Whatever images and ideas and concrete information we give our child now will be there forever. Wouldn't you rather have your child have an appreciation for good music, fine art and design than for veggies with no arms, silly voices, and stupid antics?
Parents - it's really time to reconsider some of the dopey stuff being peddled to our kids. I mean, it's amusing, but wouldn't their time be better spent learning the actual Bible stories and using their imaginations rather than being entertained by Christian cartoon figures conceived with the purpose of competing with worldly cartoon characters? What does that say about the Bible? That it's really not interesting enough to capture the hearts and minds of our children?
Do we really not trust the Bible enough to present it on its own merit, doing our best to make the stories come alive and using appropriate materials. Do we really have to have silliness to make it speak to a child?
There, I've said it. And I think that's the end of Veggie Tales in my house. Baby Jesus as a vegetable, sheesh!
Posted in Christmas, Family, Montessori, Mothering, Toddlers | Permalink
Comments
I started to think along the same lines when I bought "Jonah." Very clever, very funny, and makes it hard to read Jonah seriously without thinking about the Pirates Who Don't Do Anything and so forth. In short it makes it hard to take the Bible seriously.
I was given some Hanna Barbera videos of Bible stories and we never ended up watching them. I just don't feel right about reducing Bible stories to a cartoon. They're just in a row with Mickey and Donald at that point.
I would prefer Veggie Tales if they had Christian heroes, values, and themes, but did not directly retell Bible stories.
Posted by: monika | December 6, 2005 6:24 PM
woah Barbara, you've done it now!! haha!
Posted by: floorplan | December 6, 2005 6:26 PM
Yes yes yes Barbara! You've hit the nail on the head here! My dh and I have been skeptical of Veggie Tales. I mean, they're cute and fun and all, but they aren't the Bible, you know? DH says they are more based on moralism than on Scripture, and I tend to agree.
I think what you've written is fabulous and right on. No complaints here!!
Posted by: Jennifer | December 6, 2005 7:34 PM
Barbara,
Maybe the change happened when they had financial trouble, and the original creators had to give up control of the business. They were vindicated in the end, but maybe it's too late.
Anyway, I think it's very tacky.
Posted by: Julana | December 6, 2005 7:37 PM
Now I see why I have been so uncomfortable with cartoonish representations of Jesus in shows and books. I dont' want my kids to have a cartoon in their head when they think of The Almighty. You make an excellent point.
I love how you can take something that everybody just accepts becasue they think they are suppose to and you challenge it. I consider myself a pretty "conscience" person, but I catch myself just going with the flow against my own good instinct (or Divine prompting) more than I care to admit.
Posted by: paigeu | December 6, 2005 8:39 PM
Ok, this is so funny because my husband and I were talking about this about 30 minutes ago, just before I read to Sophie from the book you recommended, Read-Aloud Bible Stories by Ella K. Lindvall. I mention that because we talked about what an amazing job she does at holding a preschooler's attention with accurately told Bible stories. As a side note, I also love that she doesn't show Christ's face. At any rate, my primary beef with the Veggie Tales cd Sophie was given is that the singing vegetables are pretty pitchy. I mean, shouldn't children listen to music sung on key, at least to the greatest extent we can control? I know that sounds a bit nit-picky, and I might not have mentioned it to anyone had I not read this post. Oh well, needless to say, I agree on the Veggie Tales issue.
Posted by: Carrie | December 6, 2005 8:40 PM
Thanks everyone - I thought maybe I was a voice in the wilderness.
And Carrie - Tripp and I loved that too about the Lindvall books - that Jesus' face wasn't shown.
Posted by: barbaracurtis | December 6, 2005 8:58 PM
Well said, Barbara! I have to wholeheartedly agree with your commentary on the Veggie Tales. I am happy to say that my kids have never been that interested in them.
I really appreciate your point of view!
Posted by: Christa | December 6, 2005 9:22 PM
NO WAY! I can't believe they would market something like that!!!!!! Good grief...
I lost much love for Veggie Tales when I watched their rendition of Esther, and saw the Biblical story turned into some drama featuring a somewhat sassy/rebellious hair-flipping teen. NOT what I think of when I read the REAL Esther, and not what I want my children to think either.
I'm not a VT hater--don't get me wrong. I just think they ought to stick with plain old values-friendly entertainment, and not with wanna-be-spiritual garbage.
Posted by: molly | December 7, 2005 2:12 AM
Okay, I'm going to DEFEND the Veggie Tales creche. Not because I like it (I don't. we moved on from VT when they started messing with Bible stories, too)
But when I look at that toy, I see Larry, the Peas and the rest as children in a Sunday School play, wearing costumes. Much like my kids will be doing in 2 weeks.
And you have to admit, some of their silly lyrics (when they're not trying to be hip with the Bible) are SOOO funny, like the Cheeseburger song, and the Pirates Who Don't Do Anything.
And that's my 2 cents.
Posted by: floorplan | December 7, 2005 7:01 AM
Maddy was really on my case last night - reminding me of the cute songs, etc. of the Veggie guys. Okay, they're amusing and I have nothing against them as cartoon characters. I love the Pirates song myself. I just don't think it's wise for Bible stories to be reduced to such silliness.
Posted by: barbaracurtis | December 7, 2005 10:48 AM
Thank you! Finally somebody has said what I've been thinking for years! Thank you!
Posted by: Anita Johnson | December 7, 2005 3:03 PM
We hemmed and haw-ed on Veggie Tales, got rid of the couple that came as gifts from somebody and recently checked a couple out from our local library. Do you want to know which song I heard for the next two weeks? "Oh where is my hairbrush?" YES on the silly Bible stories, Larry Boy as your 'new best friend', the inappropriate attitudes of some of the characters and the 'screechiness' of the voices.
Although, floorplan, now that you mention it, I can see that too... but we'll pass on this creche for our family collection!
Posted by: StephanieS | December 7, 2005 9:54 PM
Barbara... this is just a note to you, not to be posted... but back before T-giving, someone posted a hilarious story about brining a turkey... and I posted after it. You offered me a book... and I just wanted you to know I deeply appreciate the thought, would love to have a book, but the funny story wasn't mine! I'm sorry I didn't make the time to write sooner... I don't want you to think I was ungrateful...
I really enjoy your website. I found out about you before your blog started--looking for Montessori toys, believe it or not--read your essay, "My little extra"... was blessed with my own little guy with Ds (James, who will be one year old this week). I googled for you after the birth of James (and his first 3-week hospitalization) and voila! you had a blog! It's blessed me ever since... Thank you and God bless you!
Posted by: StephanieS | December 7, 2005 10:00 PM
