I don’t like kids shows. I don’t care what you say about your Daniel Tiger’s and your Word Girls, I hate them all. Their heavy-handed plots designed to teach children that they are all special snowflakes, irritates me. Where is the storytelling? Where is the conflict? Why do we always have to learn? Where is the show that makes the point that life sometimes sucks and by the way, stop screaming at your mom? Because that’s a kids show I can get behind.
Instead, they are all these glossy little versions of reality that ignore some glaring plot hole. And none more so, than “Curious George.” We’ve been watching “Curious George” on Netflix whenever mom needs everyone to shut up around here. A big benefit of the show is that George himself doesn’t talk. Although, how Charky hasn’t been run over by a car never ceases to amaze me.
The more I watch “Curious George”, the more disturbed I am by this world that this illegally poached monkey lives in. I highly doubt The Man has a permit to let George live in his New York City apartment. Also, why does he go by a moniker? Who is he hiding from? The Man hardly has a real job. Although he is loosely affiliated with the museum, he rarely works. And yet he somehow is able to afford a summer home in the country?
It’s clear he deals drugs, or sells black market items like illegal ivory poached from the museum. Plus, he is stupid. Regardless of how often George covers the apartment in flour, he still, episode after episode, leaves George alone to do things like cook, clean and go grocery shopping. Hardly acceptable responsibilities for a monkey. And George, well beyond the fact that the monkey can build a robot, yet isn’t smart enough not to turn on a hose in the house, the monkey is clearly a metaphor for modern slavery.
Beyond that, I have 5 nagging questions, that linger every time we watch the show.
1. Is Professor Wiseman sleeping with The Man in the Yellow Hat or is he friend-zoned?
2. Why would you willingly choose to live with a monkey?
3. How many health code violations does Pisghetti’s restaurant have? I mean, they let the monkey back there.
4. Is Hundley the only one with sense on the show?
5. When is George going to eat The Man with the Yellow Hat’s face off?
And that last question, is the reason I keep watching.
