What do these parents want??
This thread probably won't get many replies as it's about an unpopular British children's TV show. But I just need to voice my opinion.
A few years ago there was a controversy about the show "Topsy and Tim". OK, I'm not against the sexism one of the episodes had (even though people overreacted a bit). But when I read a whole thread about parents criticising other things about the show, I did get annoyed.
They were complaining that everybody in the show are 'too calm', and it seemed like they wanted the mother in the show to lose it and shout and swear when Topsy and Tim (the twins) done something naughty. But hang on a minute, it's a kids show, particularly aimed at preschoolers. Why would they want the characters to be swearing or shouting in a young kids show? Surely that would be even more controversal than the sexist episode?
Also these parents were complaining that Topsy and Tim don't fight like twins 'should'. But then if the producers did get the twins to fight, the parents would still be complaining because they'd say something like "seeing the twins fighting isn't acceptable in a kids show, it encourages my kids to fight!" But the twins being polite and respectful, particularly to their elders, is also apparently unacceptable in a kids show because it isn't realistic enough.
I know it's a preschoolers show but I like it and I sometimes watch it on YouTube. But I just wanted to see what your views on this show are and if you think these parents are nitpicking or if parents these days just wrap their kids in cotton wool.
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lostonearth35
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People swear all the time now, so it's a wonder they haven't yet made a show aimed at toddlers that's full of swears.
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I just think a lot of parents these days are too overprotective of their children. I totally understand parents keeping their kids from watching violence, sexual or any other adult type shows, but overreacting just because a preschool is too realistic or isn't realistic enough is just stupid. I'd like to see these smart-arse parents make their own 'perfect' preschool show if shows like Topsy and Tim are traumatizing their kids that much. ![]()
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My kid is five and I have to watch a lot of kids shows. We’re American, so I had to look up this Topsy and Tim.
A couple of thoughts:
1-Some parents are so sick of watching kids shows that they become grumpy about them. I myself get irritated by the “nicely nice” voice and way of talking that a lot of people have around kids. It’s in these shows a lot. But I understand why it is. It’s not a show for grown ups, after all.
2-I have a family member from England. He is very nice, and a cool person, but I get the impression that he sometimes feels like he’s living in a third world country over here. Like we’re constantly offending him without meaning to. So it could be that some of the video critics are from other countries and are not used to the politeness.
That could be one reason, but I don't think Topsy and Tim is very popular in other countries, also the people on one of the forums have UK on their profiles at the bottom of their posts. It's like there are several hate sites for this show.
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Seriously, why do parents think they have to watch kid shows, they don't. No one is telling them to watch every episode of Peppa Pig or what every episode of Tickoty Tock and The Backgaurdians.
Now I am going to check out Tospy and Tim.
I am pretty sure people have always complained about TV shows. My mom hated The Simpsons because she saw that one episode where Homer was mistreating his wife and Marge shows her husband that women are human beings and not objects. My mom then thought the whole show is like that based on that one episode. She also didn't like Solute Your Shorts or Rockos Modern Life because it had adult humor in it and I had a baby sitter who wasn't allowed to watch Are You Afraid of the Dark. I am not sure why, it was just teens telling these thriller stories and it's a lot like Goosebumps except it's not kids telling these scary stories at a campfire.
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But these parents sound like they think Topsy and Tim is a bad influence on their children because of the way the mother is so calm and lenient. But why would they want a preschool show to contain a mother who loses her temper all the time? I'd understand if it were a show aimed at older children, teens and adults, but a preschool show has to be mild-mannered at least.
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