Mark your calendars, for this is a momentous day...the day that I admit...that I've grown to like Dora the Explorer. If you listen closely, you'll hear the shocked gasps and at least one little voice sitting behind a desk in Ohio...you know who you are...laughing hysterically.
Here's why...long before my SweetPea was born, I'd made a promise to myself...that my children would never watch Dora. Not that she's a skanky Bratz doll or that the show's full of "not really meant for small children" content (can you say Spongebob?)...I've just never been able to tolerate her whiney voice or that God forsaken Map. When my nephew and niece were toddlers/preschoolers and I had no little ones, I'd be over at my sister's house...Dora would be on and I'd wonder out loud "how the hell can you listen to that???" I'm sure that's right about the time that I made my vow and I've been declaring to all of my mommy friends ever since "I refuse to let my kids watch that show."
Fast forward about four years...and Dora is still as popular as ever. When SweetPea was in daycare full time, watching Dora wasn't ever an issue...yet the force that is Viacom/Nickelodeon was still working against me. Her toddler classroom was full of Dora books and toys and her classmates wore Dora t-shirts. You get the drift. So... even without ever seeing a single show, she knew exactly who Dora was. Once I became a stay at home mom, the opportunity to see Dora cracked wide open and whenever a commercial on Noggin or Nick Jr popped up, an adorable little voice would sweetly ask, "mommy, can I see Dora?" Let me tell you, I fought it...but next thing you know, when we were online playing games together on Nick Jr.com, she'd ask to play the Dora games and I figured "oh why not, at least it's not the show itself"...which was a stupid move on my part because it fed her need to see Dora even more. Finally...I gave in...I grit my teeth and tuned in. Next thing you know, I find myself singing the annoyingly catchy Dora songs with her..."come on, vamanos...everyone let's go..."...I now know all of the character names...and my hubby says to me while we are singing at the dinner table "you LIKE Dora!" Of course I deny it, "no way...I only know it because I hear it all the time"...but I guess the truth is, I've grown to like it.
I'm convinced that whoever makes the show has laced it with subliminal messages telling you to watch Dora more...or at least that's what I keep telling myself. For the record...I still hate that freaking map...and sadly...now Lil Buddy is a Dora fan and his favorite bit...is hearing it sing "I'm the map, I'm the map, I'm the MAAAAAAP". Someone save me!
Posted wish permission from The Mama Dramalogues
1 comment:
Couldn't agree with you more!!! I am a stay at home mom with two girls (4 and 1), and I find myself being somewhat a "map" myself! We'll sing in the car..."where are we going? grocery store! where are we going? grocery store!" It grows on you whether you want it to or not! Glad to know I'm not the only one!
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