Veggie Tales

[gilora]

My kids found this cartooon series on Netflix streaming. At first I didn't mind because the values expressed seemed ok but now I'm hearing more about god, bible stories, etc. on the shows. (The first few episodes I let them watch didn't have any overtly religious elements.) I'm an atheist and my husband's a Jew. We belong to a temple but hardly ever go (high holidays only). The kids are 5 and 7 and I don't want them indoctrinated so early -- I'd rather let them decide for themselves.

Does anyone know anything about this series -- I'm a little concerned that it may be the shiny face of something more sinister. (Probably paranoid, but who knows?)

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[Lostie]

I know it's Christian and often used for Sunday schools. My born again Christian neighbor had me watch a few episodes with her when I went to church with her for a year. From what I remember it's not sinister at all, nor particularly indoctrinating (after all, I'm still agnostic :P). However, I was also older when I watched it and not as impressionable. It may be that other posters may have a different opinion though.

Also, if you're really worried about it you could always watch them first to see if it makes you uncomfortable or watch them with them so you can discuss anything with them. Obviously, there's also the option of banning it outright, but if your kids have become especially fond of it then that may not be the way to go. Ultimately, of course, it's up to you and your husband to decide what kind of religious knowledge you give your kids and when.

[Bookworm]

Veggie Tales used to be explicitly a Christian company which did a lot of retelling Bible stories, David and Goliath, Jonah, Esther, etc. All the voices were done by the founder (really talented guy) and then they had money troubles and had to sell, though I think the founder still works there. They are less Christian now, but yes, you will run into a lot of Christian stuff. The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything are pretty hilarious. Ditto to Lostie re: maybe watching them first. I don't think Lord of the Bean had anything explicitly Christian in it...

[sableduck]

They're pretty harmless. It doesn't go much further than "God loves you," "Don't tell lies," "Be nice to others." Even the Bible stories aren't heavy handed on God, they're just retold in a funny, creative way. Most of the Bible stories are from the Old Testament--Queen Esther, Jonah and the Whale, David and Goliath--and I don't remember any mention of Jesus in any of them.

I still enjoy watching Veggie tales.

[slickcat79]

I watched a lot of them as a kid. I was raised a christian and am now an atheist. I don't remember anything about them except "Where is my Hairbrush?" and "My Cheeseburger". I was a bit older than that when I watched them as far as I remember. At this point I probably wouldn't encourage my (hypothetical) kids to watch them, but they're probably not terrible in terms of indoctrination.

sidenote: I had a really hard time not writing "My Cheezburger". Too much lolcats... :oops:

[InkyGirl]

Confession: Mr. Inky and I just watched a Veggie Tales show the other day: Lyle the Kindly Viking. It was cute and the message was about sharing. It really didn't have any religious overtones at all. Like the others said the most your going to get is 'God loves you'. The rest is basic morals - sharing, courage, don't lie, don't steal, be kind, friendship.

:animals-cat:

[Angri-la]

They're pretty harmless. It doesn't go much further than "God loves you," "Don't tell lies," "Be nice to others." Even the Bible stories aren't heavy handed on God, they're just retold in a funny, creative way. Most of the Bible stories are from the Old Testament--Queen Esther, Jonah and the Whale, David and Goliath--and I don't remember any mention of Jesus in any of them.

I still enjoy watching Veggie tales.

As I now have to worry about things like cartoons for kids, I had to see what this said. I am reticent to let my girl watch too much Princess nonsense, although she already turned off by it, so I'm always looking around.

I'm going to watch one; as long as the carrot doesn't tell the eggplant that Jesus loves him more because he is male, perhaps this might get some play in my home. Thanks reviwers!

[snarkykitty]

I watched a lot of them as a kid. I was raised a christian and am now an atheist. I don't remember anything about them except "Where is my Hairbrush?" and "My Cheeseburger". I was a bit older than that when I watched them as far as I remember. At this point I probably wouldn't encourage my (hypothetical) kids to watch them, but they're probably not terrible in terms of indoctrination.

sidenote: I had a really hard time not writing "My Cheezburger". Too much lolcats... :oops:

When my niece was little (this is 13 years ago), she used to watch Veggie Tales. I vividly remember - to my annoyance - "where is my hairbrush". Hubby used to call it "Jesus Preaching Vegetables" which I find rather funny. They were too much for me, and I'm someone who used to watch the claymation "Davey and Goliath" shows in the 70s.

[gilora]

Thanks everyone. I think I'll keep an eye on which ones I'll let them watch -- some just have a values lesson without mention of god, but some are more explicitly religious - the David and Goliath episode quotes from the book of Matthew and tells kids that they can do anything that god wants them to do. My seven year-old recently asked me whether god lives in church and controls the weather. I told him that people who believe in god disagree about where he lives and that some people believe god controls the weather.

My kids go to secular camp and public school so the only place they can be picking this up is Veggie Tales. I am relieved to know that others find it relatively harmless.

[xDreamerx]

I remember watching it a few times in Sunday school and I went to a church that was fairly Sunday Catholic and relaxed. They were mainly just used as a way of explaining Bible stories. I had a friend whose family was much more religious (Dutch Reformed) and it was one of the few shows she was allowed to watch. But I don't think that stemmed from the fact that the show is religious so much as it was their desire to keep her very sheltered. (We were like 13 at the time and it was still one of the only shows she could watch).

I just wanted to add that I don't think it's fair to the kids to keep them explicitly away from Christian elements (or any other faith). They might like it or genuinely find they have a belief in it. I know your children are young so it's a tricky situation, but my aunt who is an atheist went through a similar situation with her children. They were 8 and 14 at the time and expressed a desire to attend church with their grandmother and my aunt gave them a really hard time about it and made digs at them a lot. I didn't think it was fair because it was the same intolerance she accuses theists of having, just to the opposite ends.

[CanadianHippie]

I'll admit that I haven't seen the show in ages so it might have changed. But when I watched them, it was more like really neat stories that some people actually believed, than actual attempts to convert. I knew what the bible was and even knew a lot of the stories in there so I knew where the show got its ideas from but I never got the "if you don't believe, you're evil" vibe from it./\

[longskirtlotsakids]

Barbara MANATEE!!! You are the one for MEEEEE.....

the songs are pretty catching.

The piriates who don;t do anything have a pretty good soundtrack. The Newsboys, a Xtian rock band, have some play and are adorable.

The big thing for me is that they don;t preach any patriarchy or homophobic messages.

[sableduck]

A lot of fundies hate veggie tales. Needless to say that's all the more reason to let my son watch them.

[emmyfair]

My kids watch them. I think they are cute and pretty much harmless. Warning, however, the silly songs will be burned into your brain for all of eternity. I could have a massive stroke and I'm sure I will still remember the words to this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKYVZ2CdlMQ&ob=av2n

[bea]

We've got a few Veggietales movies. I think they're dumb, but the kids like them.

One point in their favor is that they pay on time. A friend of mine is a comic book artist who's worked on a bunch of their coloring books and comics, and says they're just about the only people in the business who pay exactly when they say they will.

[Feberin]

I watched them while babysitting a few times. I didn't care for the Christian elements but they're less annoying and more funny then some other kid shows.

[auntdoc]

I remember watching a movie long ago with the veggie tales and it was so boring. I can't imagine children watching them very long.

[maybeizfundie]

I love them. My kids love them.

Though I have a hard time watching some of the older ones because the computer animation is so....old-fashioned, lol.

But, they're specifically Christian, so you're gonna get Christian stuff from them. Unless all Christianity is sinister to you, I don't think there'd be anything particularly scary about Veggie Tales.

[Deleted02]

I like Veggie Tales. It's not overly preachy or christiany.

I like the songs they play in between stories like "I love my lips", and The Hairbrush song.

[GenerationCedarchip]

I love Veggie Tales! They're Christian but not in-your-face about it and they definitely aren't fundie. As someone else noted above, some of the fundies actually don't like them. The explanation I've heard is that it's because they don't take faith seriously enough.

Sheesh...if you gave me a choice between this and Elsie Dinsmore, "Where is my hairbrush?" would totally win every time. :D

[cjsmom]

My kids watch them. I think they are cute and pretty much harmless. Warning, however, the silly songs will be burned into your brain for all of eternity. I could have a massive stroke and I'm sure I will still remember the words to this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKYVZ2CdlMQ&ob=av2n

I'm pretty sure I'll be looking for Blue's Clues in my (hopefully) very far-off senility, if it's any consolation!

[ChickeyMonkey]

The only thing that bothers me is that they don't have arms or hands. How do they grab/hold anything? I know, I know. I'm putting too much thought into a *cartoon*.

[gilora]

The only thing that bothers me is that they don't have arms or hands. How do they grab/hold anything? I know, I know. I'm putting too much thought into a *cartoon*.

Ha ha, you're like me in that respect. Talking, singing vegetables -- no problem. But wait, how do they hold things? :P

Thanks again everyone -- I think I'll preview future episodes, but otherwise let them watch. I wouldn't be so concerned if my kids weren't so young.

[masagoroll]

Thanks to this thread, I just spent part of my morning singing "'CAUSE YOU'RE MY CHEESEBURGER, MY LOVELY CHEESEBURGER, I'LL WAIT FOR YOU-OO..."

I liked these as a (raised evangelical Christian) kid. The Lutheran preschool where I work occasionally (VERY occasionally, because there is usually no TV or movies there at all) let the little kids watch these and they seemed to like them.

[Little_Eyes]

I, too, loved the veggie tales as a kid. But then again, I was raised somewhat conservatively. But now I am singing the hairbrush song! Thanks Everyone. This thread brought back some great memories.