Ep. 34: Calliou

"He likes to throw his toys and make a lot of noise. He's the worst of all the boys. He's Caillou." You asked for it, and the Should They Watch it ladies dove headfirst into the notorious Canadian children's tv show Caillou. And they didn't come out smelling like roses! Laura and Kara agree with the millions of parents who despise everything from the earworm of a theme song to the petulant behavior of its main character.As a children's play therapist, Laura does her best to find something redeeming in Caillou and turns up some limited examples of empathy. The ladies discuss that it is normal for children to behave selfishly and inappropriately according to societal norms but should outgrow it, barring any early trauma. The problem with Caillou is that the character's behavior appears to be acceptable and even effective at getting what he wants. The parents are also pushovers and enablers who seem to have no interest in their own happiness! Whoa. Not great. The hosts then revisit a study discussed in their review of Spongebob Squarepants that indicates children's executive functions can be negatively affected by watching certain tv shows, (but Caillou was the show that improved their behavior!  What??).  The internet would beg to differ and provide many of those anecdotes online. On a lighter note, there are some fantastic Caillou memes online generated by very creative parents, likely being held hostage by crying toddlers who now refuse to watch anything else. The ladies discuss some of their favorites and, at 39:18, go through their favorite online roasts of the title character. Why has Canada subjected the world to this show when overall, they seem to be a friendly and well-adjusted group? Is the answer in this National Post article that suggests outsiders are concerned Canadian parents are raising a generation of psychopaths or are all too baked to care? Unlikely. Kids like mindless entertainment, and tv keeps them busy, which gives parents a break. Caillou certainly qualifies as mindless entertainment. Final thoughts:  Positives? No gore or scary moments. Suggestions for improvement? Don't do the show at all! Watch or don't watch? DON'T WATCH Sidebars: Kara's young son finds the winter Olympics unintentionally entertaining less because of the sports themselves but because the athletes all appear to be intentionally thrusting their butts out given their tight outfits and herky-jerky movements. "Look at my butt" becomes a running theme for the episode. Tinder Swindler gets rave reviews, while Sex In The City does not.  Both agreed that it's essential for women to unlearn the Prince Charming societal construct. Independence is vital for success and happiness.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please be sure to subscribe and leave a review on your favorite platform.  Follow us on Instagram and check us out at shouldtheywatchit.com.