I can't decide if I am more sad that children all over the world are traumatized because (actor turned musician) Steve Burns has left Nick Jr.'s Blues Clues and been replaced by "Steve's younger brother" , or that we live in a world where children either happily (or sometimes aren't even bothered to) wave goodbye to their parents as they are being dropped off at daycare or school. Yet they develop such strong emotional ties to characters on a television screen that there would actually be a need for research and preparation on the part of the network to make the transition as least traumatizing as possible. Not only that, then they post tips on how to help your child through the experience on their site. Grief counciling for tots over the loss of Steve. Doesn't this seem a little sad to you too?

Yet another reason I am convinced turning the television off entirely when I did was a good thing. As my children, especially Savannah and Hope, would also have taken it hard. That really puts it all into perspective though.

On the other hand, I can understand how it would be extremely suffocating to be in Steve's position. I can also understand why he would think that nearly 100 episodes of interacting with a blue screen was enough and want to get on with his life beyond the character he is known and loved for. I am willing to bet that my music loving children (Cake, Peter Murphy and Lyle Lovett being the most requested artists in the Jaguar playlist at the moment) would dig songs for dust mites as they are pretty cool like that. Yes, I do edit out the inappropriate Cake songs, silly.

Posted by gwendolyn on May 02, 2002 at 03:19 PM