I Never Should Have Turned On the TV

Let's take a moment to think about the Fresh Beat Band, formerly known as The Jumparounds.

Done yet?

Unless you have very young children, you probably have no idea who I'm talking about. Lucky you.

The Fresh Beat Band has a show on Nickelodeon. I've never seen it, I've only been subjected to their music videos, which are played all the time on Noggin. They are annoyingly catchy, like Roxette. But for preschoolers.

Anyway, I looked them up this morning. Not because I want to buy an album - I swear - but because one of them looks vaguely familiar. It turns out that I don't know her, but in my explorations I did discover something odd.

Oh my God, so much explanation for something and it's not that big of a deal. Sorry.

There are a lot of parents out there with very passionate feelings about the Fresh Beat Band. And they all have way too much time on their hands. I mean, I know people argue on message boards instead of just writing their own blogs (though I don't know why since here I can just delete anyone who disagrees with me), but a children's band? Really? Shouldn't parents have better things to argue about, like the introduction of solid food?

What is wrong with people? No wonder W. was president for 8 years and no one understands the politics of the recession and health care reform. . .they're all busy fighting about whether the Fresh Beat Band members are "too pretty" (Is everyone on Noggin supposed to be as freakish looking the humans on Lazytown?).

And I'd like to know how the hell they have time for this. As a parent who spends a LOT of time on the computer (er, I work on here. It's not all Facebook.) and doesn't even have time to look at message boards, I wonder if all of these people have maids and nannies? I somehow doubt it.

Or maybe they care so much about what's on Noggin because all their children do is watch it?

PS To the person who said that they "Have" to lip sync because they're also dancing. . . go see a Broadway show. Or a high school show, for that matter. They can dance and sing at the same time. It's called talent.

PPS To the people complaining that the videos are just advertising. . . .the whole damn network is advertising. You think they're being noble by not having traditional commercials? No, they're selling your kids all the characters so that you wind up buying Dora dolls, Diego toothbrushes, Max and Ruby books. .. .uh, not that I've been that naive. No way.