Trends in Children's TV

Here's a cheerful little article I found on CNN.com:


A Mickey Mouse lookalike who preached Islamic domination on a Hamas-affiliated children's television program was the victim of a pretend beating death in the show's final episode Friday.

The Mickey Mouse lookalike urged Palestinian children to fight Israel in the Hamas-affiliated kid's program.

In the final skit, the "Farfour" character was killed by an actor posing as an Israeli official trying to buy Farfour's land. At one point, the mouse called the Israeli a "terrorist."

"Farfour was martyred while defending his land," said Sara, the teen presenter. He was killed "by the killers of children," she added.

The weekly show, featuring a giant black-and-white rodent with a high-pitched voice, had attracted worldwide attention because the character urged Palestinian children to fight Israel.


Now, some people may think that this is a horrible thing for kids to see, but I think that it's just the new wave of political Saturday morning children's programming, like Meet the Press and Hardball. In fact, Militant Mouse has inspired several ideas for children's cartoons that I am currently pitching to the networks. Which is YOUR favorite?


Yogi Ybarra:

Yogi and his diminutive sidekick Paco torment and frustrate bumbling Minuteman Militia member, Cletus. Cletus is determined to stop Yogi and Paco from stealing pic-i-nic baskets and fruit-picking jobs. Cletus doesn't want a fruit-picking job, though. He just doesn't like bears.

In the final episode, Cletus and some of his pals finally catch up to happy-go-lucky Yogi and pessimistic Paco and club them to death.


Darfur Duck:
It's always open season on sassy but luckless Darfur Duck, as dogged but hapless hunter Elmer Janjaweed is hot on Darfur's trail. Darfur manages to temporarily evade Elmer by disguising himself as a rabbit and by posting 'no hunting' signs.

In the final episode, frustrated Elmer corners Darfur Duck and blows his beak off.


Chechyn Little:

Poor Chechyn Little keeps seeing and hearing strange things. Scared out of his wits, Chechyn Little tries in vain to tell the world that the sky is falling in on him. The world grows tired of Chechyn Little's story and remote location and turns its attention elsewhere.


In the final episode, the sky falls on Chechyn Little and squashes him.


Keep your eyes peeled for air times, kids!