For many years, my son was only allowed to watch PBS. I love their television shows for kids, and in moderation, they can facilitate all kinds of learning.

The Munchkin was fascinated by Sesame Street from the time he was a toddler. I mean, what child doesn’t like the concept of people and multi-colored puppets living in harmony in New York City? He especially loved the Cookie Monster, who has tragically been cheated out of valuable screen time and only given a segment on the letter of the day. Occasionally he would be in an extra song or sketch, but Cookie Monster sightings outside the letter of the day segment were rare. He also really liked Grover, but Grover is hardly ever on Sesame Street any more. This made the Munchkin sad.

For some reason, Sesame Street has somehow evolved into something that should be called “The Elmo Show.” Just give him his own spinoff or something, would ya? I don’t know who decided that Elmo should be the new face of Sesame Street, but he is a poor substitute for the articulate, introspective Kermit the Frog. Elmo is in almost all of the opening sketches, and of course, there is the scourge known as “Elmo’s World.”

To endure the fifteen straight minutes of high-pitched, Yoda-like pidgin-speak that emanates from Elmo was too much for my son to bear. At first, he would watch as far as Mr. Noodle. The old Mr. Noodle, by the way, not the new one. And certainly not the disaster that was that one woman who was supposed to be their sister or something. Anyhoo, after a while, even Elmo’s interactions with Mr. Noodle were too grating, and as soon as “Elmo’s World” came on, he would do something else or turn the television off. “I hate Elmo!” my son would cry in exasperation.

What can I say? The kid’s got good taste.

Oh dear, and just when we thought we were making progress!

From NewsBiscuit:

America today woke up to the news that George W. Bush will remain US president for a further four years after officials from the Electoral College ruled that he had failed to secure the grades needed to graduate from the White House. A sub-clause of the US Constitution requires a serving president to be held back and forced to repeat a term if he does not make the necessary progress.

While I’m sure we’re all aware of the importance of learning lessons, we’re equally aware of the sheer humiliation in being held back like this, and who among us can claim that it’s productive? Surely it’s best to let the poor boy go on to a Gerald Ford-like existence of corporate sponsorship and cushy board appointments, no?