I thought we鈥檇 avoid it, but it鈥檚 simply unavoidable. The animated allure of talking dogs is just too strong for preschoolers to resist.
Yes, I鈥檓 talking about Marshall, Rubble, Chase, Rocky, Zuma and Skye 鈥� the Paw Patrol. My 2-year-old is hooked on the hijinks of this Nickelodeon cartoon, while I鈥檓 stuck with the theme song in my head at all hours of the day and night.
I called it junk food television. Because unlike Sesame Street, Daniel Tiger鈥檚 Neighborhood and other kids鈥� shows that offer important life lessons, Paw Patrol is a loud and glossy franchise with far-fetched plots (pun intended).
But I was wrong. I mean, yes, it鈥檚 still a loud and glossy franchise with far-fetched plots. But it also ignites my toddler鈥檚 imagination.
Some background for the folks not yet indoctrinated by this canine cult: Ryder, a 10-year-old boy with no parent or guardian supervision in sight, has a team of problem-solving pups who save the day in Adventure Bay with gear and gadgets that get more elaborate as the show鈥檚 seven seasons go on.
As hollow as some kids鈥� shows can feel to an adult, it has been heartwarming to see my son鈥檚 young imagination spring into action after watching this troop of pooches.
Each dog has career-centric skills. For example, Marshall, a clumsy Dalmatian, is the crew鈥檚 firefighter and paramedic; Chase, a German shepherd, is a police officer; and Skye, a cockapoo, is an expert aviator who jets around with a winged backpack (or 鈥減up-pack鈥� if you want to get technical).
How does Ryder afford all these pups and James Bond-like devices? My husband jokes that he鈥檚 funded by the Illuminati. My theory is that the taxes in Adventure Bay are absolutely exorbitant. How else would all the public services 鈥� from construction and recycling to underwater rescue missions 鈥� be handled by a squad of dogs with high-tech tools?
While stopped in traffic recently, my son asked what the towering object was near our car. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a billboard,鈥� I said.
鈥淢ommy go up there?鈥� he asked in his cute and curious toddler voice.
鈥淥h,鈥� I replied. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very tall, so we鈥檇 need a ladder.鈥�
I thought that was a sufficient answer, but his silence was actually a pause. It turns out he was devising a solution to this height hindrance, and he knew exactly what we needed to do.
鈥淢ommy, call Marshall?鈥� he asked. You know, Paw Patrol鈥檚 resident firefighter who has fast access to a ladder.
I was impressed. This show I had chalked up to being a bit mindless is actually educational in its own way. It teaches my son that different skills can help in different situations. In this instance, it was Marshall鈥檚 ladder that was coming to our aid.
Since then, we鈥檝e had to call the Paw Patrol countless times to save us from sticky situations. When a toy was perched precariously on a table鈥檚 edge, only a safety net from a responsible police pup would do 鈥� 鈥淐hase is on the case!鈥� When there was a pile-up of pillows on the floor, we needed the strength of a bulldozing bulldog to clear a path 鈥� 鈥淩ubble on the double!鈥� And whenever a bath toy floats out of reach, you better believe we鈥檙e quick to call Zuma, a chocolate lab with scuba skills and a buoy launcher 鈥� 鈥淟et鈥檚 dive in!鈥�
As hollow as some kids鈥� shows can feel to an adult, it has been heartwarming to see my son鈥檚 young imagination spring into action after watching this troop of pooches. And while I do my best to limit his screen time, I will always encourage his creativity. Even if it means watching the same episode over and over and over again.
Besides, I grew up on a steady diet of Garfield, Muppet Babies and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and I turned out OK 鈥� I think. So next time I worry about Ryder and his team of pups occupying our afternoon routine, I鈥檒l take a cue from Bart Simpson and tell myself, 鈥淒on鈥檛 have a cow, man.鈥�
Bree Watson 鈥�04 is senior copywriter with 麻豆原创鈥檚 Communications and Marketing team. She can be reached at bree@ucf.edu.
The聽麻豆原创 Forum聽is a weekly series of opinion columns from faculty, staff and students who serve on a panel for a year. A new column is posted each Wednesday on 麻豆原创 Today and then broadcast on W麻豆原创-FM (89.9) between 7:50 and 8 a.m. Sunday. Opinions expressed are those of the columnists, and are not necessarily shared by the 麻豆原创.
