Blues Clues makes us Blue?!
Apparently my two guys missed the memo on being obsessed with Elmo. I tried Sesame for months and the boys were seemingly unimpressed. The first time we watched Blues Clues, it was a different tale. They became little wide-eyed ducklings, following Steve and his dog Blue, from beginning to end. “Blues Clues?” Twin R asks hopefully each time the TV us turned on. Twin S runs to press his nose up to the screen in anticipation. The routine of the show is reassuring and the learning technique is patient and sweet. Besides, my own twin sister read in Malcolm Gladwell’s ‘The Tipping Point’ about how the Blues Clues show is a beacon for learning in young children, so it’s gold in our house.
Now, speaking of my sister, she and I also missed the boat on Elmo. Being before his time, our Sesame Street loyalties were with his predecessor, Big Bird. I also have a clear memory of one of my first film experiences starring this feathered friend. “Follow that Bird”, the Sesame Street Movie, came out when we were 3 or 4, and we were first in line to see it. Little did we know, we were unwittingly walking into a horror show.
All I remember, even to this day, is that the plot centered on ruffians kidnapping Big Bird (cue our small stunned jaws dropping), locking him up (here come the trembling lips), and painting the helpless hero BLUE (our Dad recalls chasing our screaming forms up the aisle as we literally ran for the exits). Our Dad did what I (for years) thought was cruel and unusual. After a pep talk outside, we were marched back in to sit through until the conclusion. He knew we would only be reassured by seeing our friend safe again in the end.
Today, after a rough nap, I hoped to ease the boys into the afternoon with a Blues Clues Special Movie about the gang preparing musical. ‘This will cheer them up’ I thought! Ohh, how wrong I was.
Halfway through this special, Steve, our faithful guide in Blue’s world, suddenly became frustrated that we (the viewer) are always finding clues before he does (cue a frown from twin S). ‘Why is this a problem now’ I thought to myself, ‘when it never is during your regularly scheduled show?’
On screen Steve sat glumly down to sing a sad song (SAD?!-I have seen dozens of regular episodes and this guy is NEVER sad!) about how he just wants to be able to find the clue first for once in his life. Throughout the song Twin S’s frown became a tremble, then his whole face crumpled, and he let out a wail for his friend Steve. Twin R seemed confused by what was going on, but he took S’s sobs as a sign that it was clearly upsetting and definitely time to bawl too!
So much for cheering them up. I rushed to S and R, held them, soothed them and even though they tried to bury their little faces in my arms, attempted to get them to watch as I was sure Steve would come through in the end. Right?! ASA(Humanly)P Steve! Please!
It took Steve less than two minutes, after finishing his dirge, to locate a clue all on his own. It was the longest two minutes of a television special I have ever sat through. But during it, I wasn’t thinking about the hero at hand. Instead, I was thinking about my own Dad and how he ever got us through the rest of that two-hour Big Bird debacle.
Now, I am sure these TV shows think carefully about how to up the dramatic ante on their characters for the big screen. So listen up TV execs:
Adventure? Sure! Just don’t ever paint a bird blue! And even if you have a show about a character named Blue, that doesn’t mean we are ready for our favorite character to be, well, blue.
