Berenstain Bears went fundie on us

[MamaJunebug]

Whoa, whoa, whoa!

What's specifically "fundies" about saying prayers and going to Sunday school?

Plenty of us who are liberal religious do those things.

Just askin', as I haven't picked up a BB book in years and don't plan to (no Grandjunebugs near their age level right now).

Just sayin': with one or two exceptions, I found the original BB books to be difficult read-alouds. It seemed like Jan and Stan weren't writing for out-loud reading when they didn't write in verse.

Also, not to derail the thread, but the Little Critter books? there were several that were fun to read, others not so much.

[Feberin]

All the new ones have religious overtones even The Berenstain Bears Go Fishing has papa bear praying in it. Little Criter is also getting religious.

[Deleted02]

NOT LITTLE CRITTER TOO!

:(

[Patsy]

Nooo! I don't give a flippety-flop about the Berenstein Bears, but I loooooved Little Critter!!

[Kitty]

I never really cared for the Berenstain Bears either, but it bothers me that they now have an explicitly Christian bent. They were preachy before and now they're even MORE preachy. grreeeeaaaat.

[Feberin]

NOT LITTLE CRITTER TOO!

:(

That was my reaction when I found out.

[demgirl]

Whoa, whoa, whoa!

What's specifically "fundies" about saying prayers and going to Sunday school?

.

True. But there appears to be an entire line of BB books now dedicated to Christian values. Such as Let The Bible be Your Guide, wherein Papa has to learn a lesson about what happens if you don't follow the rules of the Bible.

Plus, it's never a good sign if Focus on the Family is pimping out your books. family.christianbook.com/berenstain-bears-the-bible-your-guide/jan-berenstain/9780310727149/pd/727149?item_code=WW&netp_id=878496&event=ESRCN&view=details

[LynnKaboom]

ARGH. Little Critter and the Berenstein Bears? I learned to read using a computer program, but those were some of the first actual books that I ever read on my own.

DAMN IT FUNDIES, STOP TURNING EVERYTHING FUNDIE!

[library_youth]

Another librarian here chiming in to say I also hate the newer Berenstain books. I own several of the older ones from the 80s and I used to love them as a kid. While they've always been somewhat didactic (something I never noticed too much as a kid, but it's obvious now :D ), the newer books are SO much more preachy and annoying.

[cjsmom]

My son loved the early books and the TV show. The books were okay, but the TV show drove me nuts - for all Mama's wisdom, I can't work out why she puts up with Papa. He must be really good in bed...

[Kelya]

Whoa, whoa, whoa!

What's specifically "fundies" about saying prayers and going to Sunday school?

Nothing. But adapting a beloved and popular, previously nonreligious children's series to reflect only your faith is pretty damn fundie.

Did anyone else watch Rugrats when they were growing up? (Or had kids who watched it?) They celebrated Haunkkah and Christmas in the series and I really liked that.

[formergothardite]

I love Little Bear, too. Maurice Sendak's illustrations are so charming.

I was willing to read pretty much any children's lit to my girls, but I could not abide the Berenstain Bears. I thought they were horribly written.

Me too. I now understand why my mom would never read them to us. They are really hard to read out loud. Something about the way they are written, makes them hard.

[FireIsCatching89]

Nothing. But adapting a beloved and popular, previously nonreligious children's series to reflect only your faith is pretty damn fundie.

Did anyone else watch Rugrats when they were growing up? (Or had kids who watched it?) They celebrated Haunkkah and Christmas in the series and I really liked that.

I watched the Rugrats! I think it actually presented major points of the Jewish holidays rather well for its intended crowd. I remember learning about Passover and unleavened food for the first time from the Rugrats, and I was like seven. I wish more shows were like that now, since religious differences are so common but not well addressed mainstream childrens' programming and education (and I mean, the 3-10 set...they have questions too!).

I also loved the Berenstein Bears! Yes they were preachy, but sometimes, kids kinda need to be hit over the head with information, since they can't discern nuance very well at age five, and it can be easier to accept if it comes from a book rather than a harried parent. And their evironmental book (BB Don't Pollute!) inspired me to make a glitter and orange construction paper sign for our front yard that said "NO POLLUTION" at age three. It is now hanging in my old playroom at my parents' house. I also thought their book on various careers was really well done and encouraged a lot of equality between men and women in careers.

Sigh...nostalgia...

[CanadianHippie]

I used to watch Rugrats all the time as a kid. I have a few episodes on VHS now even.

[Antigone]

Interesting!! I did see a BB book about "God loves you" or "go to sunday school" or whatever at my daughter's best friend's house once. They aren't fundies so I didn't think much of it, only that it was slightly odd. Now I kind of get it :( sad to see such great books going off the rails. The cartoon though isn't too bad. I never really noticed any stereotyping, I actually liked how they made Papa bear into an approachable father who actually did things with his kids, etc- instead of only Mama.

and WTF is up with the new addition, Honey???? ...sheesh.

[SquirrelySquirrel]

I loved the BBs as a kid, but I freaking hate reading them to my daughter. She loves the cartoon (it's on PBS Sprout), but thankfully she doesn't love the books like I did. Even though I'm not enamored with them anymore, I got really upset when I saw awhile back that they had gone all religified. Barf.

I haven't bought any Little Critter books in a long time, but I'm definitely bummed to hear they're also going in that direction. Mercer Mayer is one of my absolute favorite children's authors (we have ALL of the Little Monster stories) and this will taint that a bit.

I love Rugrats! I was too old for the show when it came out, but I've watched it with the kiddo quite a bit. If you have Xfinity OnDemand they sometimes have episodes on Nick Rewind. :D

[contrary]

i read the old books, but don't remember them being a beloved staple for me.

my children like the cartoon on PBS Kids, but it annoys the piss out of me. Mama is so effing smug, i can barely stand her...and the theme music. ugh!

[GenerationCedarchip]

I'd seen these at Target and noticed they looked more religious than what I remembered reading as a kid. When I flipped through one, it sounded pretty mainstream Christian, though, and not really fundie. Just because someone goes religious doesn't mean they've necessarily gone fundie.

[eohiken]

My husband used to work for the animation company that made the cartoon. He knows all the back stories about the background fundyism at play, all sorts of storylines/characters/dialogue that got nixed for not upholding a Certain Moral Standard. Any freejingerite can see the script behind the script on that show.

[GenerationCedarchip]

My husband used to work for the animation company that made the cartoon. He knows all the back stories about the background fundyism at play, all sorts of storylines/characters/dialogue that got nixed for not upholding a Certain Moral Standard. Any freejingerite can see the script behind the script on that show.

I've never watched the cartoon. How does it compare to the books in terms of preachiness, agenda, etc..?

[eohiken]

Yes, and more so because it's more fleshed out. The portrayal of Papa Bear is very patriarchy, less bumbling as well.

[MamaJunebug]

You know, rack my so-called brain as much as I can, I only remember having 2 BB books for the Junior Junebugs. And in it, Papa was no dolt! He and Mama both were caring grownups.

One of the books had to do with picking up after yourself. The other had to do with the kids staying with Gran and Gramps while P&M second-honeymooned. I'm certain that in both of them, Papa was cool, Mama was cool. There was no "stupid" parent and no "wise" one.

Did this sitcommy development come about in the original books, or on TV? TIA !!!

[eohiken]

IIRC, there's always been something of a moral at the end of every book, but the cartoon has a very Cosby-esk, father-knows-best third act.

[library_youth]

One of the books had to do with picking up after yourself. The other had to do with the kids staying with Gran and Gramps while P&M second-honeymooned. I'm certain that in both of them, Papa was cool, Mama was cool. There was no "stupid" parent and no "wise" one.

The Week at Grandma's! That one was my favorite.

You're right, Papa Bear wasn't a bumbling dolt in the Week at Grandma's book. There's also one about the cubs breaking a lamp and lying about it. Papa was also pretty cool in that one.

[Kitty]

I only ever watched the show like, twice. I preferred the books, since the books didn't have the annoying theme music.

Something about how the Bears were drawn was just very weird to me too, and the show just made it weirder.

I remember in the earlier books that Papa and Mama were both smart, but later on Papa got flanderized into a bumbling dad and Mama was the closer-to-earth, mother-knows-best character. I used to read the books a lot, and once I got to the later ones I stopped liking them because of how much of an idiot Papa turned into.