Curious George

Every weekday morning, the boys and I sit down to watch Curious George, before we head to daycare or work. Though I wasn’t exposed to Curious George as a kid, my husband grew up with his parents reading Curious George books. I used to fumble through the books, when we were visiting his parents. I didn’t understand the draw to Curious George, perhaps because I am a girl or perhaps because I am just different. To me, the books were simply different tales of the man in the yellow hat leaving his monkey behind to cause trouble. George rarely listened, and his curiosity always got the best of him.

Ah ha! Causing trouble? Curiosity getting the better of someone? Sounds like a perfect formula for kids! More specifically, Curious George is the stuff of little boys, and the Dads who raise the little boys.

Truth be told, I’ve grown to love Curious George. And, I am quite fond of the classroom experiments that take place between each 15 minute episode. Our boys love Curious George, too. And, silly though it may sound, I believe our boys learn a bit about science and math, while watching the show. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t look to Curious George to teach our boys, but the fact that the show is somewhat educational is a nice bonus.

So, this morning I sat down with a cup of coffee and watched Curious George. I was waiting for the boys to join me. The boys didn’t wake up in time to watch Curious George, yet I sat and watched the entire show. I’m not sure what it says about me because I sat and watched Curious George without the supervision of a child. I think I’ll be OK, as long as I don’t feel the need to record episodes.

As I watched, all I could think was ‘the man in the yellow hat is a complete dork.’ He is suppose to be some sort of scientist, which makes me think he is smart. Then again, some of his actions lead me to believe the only bright thing about him is his yellow clothing. And, he seems to be oblivious to the fact that whenever he says, “Be a good little monkey,” it cues George to do the exact opposite.

I believe George is smarter than the man in the yellow hat – much smarter. I am not at all surprise that the man in the yellow hat is still single. I think women would have better luck with George than the man. But, I realize this is a kid’s show, and it isn’t about the man in the yellow hat finding a female (or male) companion. I mean, I’m not expecting the man in the yellow hat to try out for a spot on The Bachelor or even a bachelor on The Bachelorette. And yes, I realize I am talking about a cartoon and a reality show, but come on – both are pretty comical.

While watching Curious George, I came to realize what I liked most about this kid show, and other shows like it. Romance and sexual tension is not something you will find in shows like Curious George. Scripts for shows like Curious George are not written to create a love/hate relationship between the characters. I know, you are saying to yourself ‘duh’, right? Still, with all the dramas on daytime soaps and night-time television, I find Curious George to be quite refreshing. The man with the yellow hat is not interested (or too clueless) to worry about an adult relationship, and his friends seem to feel the same way. And, George? George is content running to the next corner and seeing what is around the bend.

Thank goodness for my kids. With kids in the house, I don’t feel nearly as odd watching kid shows as I would if it were just my husband and me. The boys and I can watch shows that are entertaining and educational. We’ll skip the kid shows that merely annoy. You know, shows like Caillou and Barney. Instead, we’ll enjoy watching the fun shows like Clifford, Dinosaur Train and – of course – Curious George. I look forward to watching Curious George tomorrow, even if the boys don’t wake up in time to watch it with me. Who knows, George might even be a good little monkey. (I hope not.)