Today I've been looking after the kiddos, and we spent a bit of time watching C-Beebies. In particular, we watched an episode of 'In the Night Garden' which focused on the character Makka Pakka. Before seeing this episode I think I knew that Makka Pakka likes washing things, and has a little bike/trolley thing that he pushes everywhere, and a horn that he (I think he's a he) likes to blow, but that's about all.
After watching today, I am utterly convinced that Makka Pakka is obsessive compulsive. The general gist of the plot was that Makka Pakka got up (from his bed made of stones) and went for a walk with his trolley. He found three stones just lying on the ground and decided that this would just not do. He cleaned them, dried them, and then arranged them neatly in a tower. He then (eventually) continued on his walk, and came across several more piles of stones (which he had clearly neatly arranged together on a previous walk). Then he realised that he was lost. Luckily the Pinky-Ponk (a big airship with cute paddles on the side which flap up and down and make farting noises) came along, and he was able to follow it home. When he got home he stood and looked at his stones for a little while (not to be confused with the ones in the forest, but ones that he had in his house already) and then the programme ended.
Additionally, Makka Pakka seems incapable of walking along without saying his own name every
five seconds. I wonder how long I could do that before someone decided to sock me one. Makka Pakka also appears to have some sort of nervous twitch. He is incapable of walking along pushing his trolley for more than a few steps, before he has to stop and adjust his hold on the handles or the angle the trolley is pointing. As Little One observed "He doesn't go very fast. He has his slow feet on today".
As I sat watching this seemingly obsessive character acting out this strange scenario I wondered what exactly it was meant to be teaching children. I'm sure I'm just reading too much into it, but I'm sure he ought to see someone about his behaviour. Actually, his desire to wash the stones did remind me of my friend Tracey. She has a bit of a thing about dirt, and is slightly obsessive about using hand sanitizer. I wondered how Makka Pakka and Tracey would get on if they met in real life.
I don't think this post really has a purpose, except that it amused me. I hope you don't think that I've totally lost the plot!
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5 comments:
I think you have a great point - I often pay attention to kids' shows and wonder what the heck the take-away is supposed to be, and often see messages that I'm sure must be unintentional. In this case, it's probably meant to teach kids to wash up after themselves, but it sounds like it may go a bit far.
Interesting concept ocd!!
Tracey ;)
LOL! Love that interpretation, and I think you may be right...
Too funy. My ex was OCD. Sounds fasmiliar.
interesting....
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