Thursday, January 24, 2008

Scientific Inaccuracies My Daughter Learned From Wonder Pets

The Wonder Pets is a Nick Jr. (offspring of Nickelodeon) program that features Ming-Ming Duckling (aka 'Peking' - thanks to the Yuan Dynasty- and is also referred to as 'fois gras'), Turtle Tuck ( aka 'Soup'), and Linny the Guinea Pig (more commonly known as 'Pelts' and less commonly known as 'Snacks', and secretly known as 'Javier' but only by his frat brothers). The antics on the show are scientifically inaccurate. I know. It's a cartoon. Just bear with me. From the episode The Wonder Pets Save the Dinosaur and one of their more impossible scenarios; children are learning:

1) That a boat can be manned by a duck, guinea pig, and a turtle. And? That it can fly. Also? That they can speak. Even with a speech impediment. Wearing fashionable yet functional headgear.


2) That a duck, guina pig, and turtle would be physically capable of saving a triceratops. Which they pronounce "twicewitops". Thank you Nick Jr. for the opportunity to teach my daughter the proper use of the letter "r".


3) That apparently modern ducks, guina pigs, turtles, and the extinct triceratops (triceritopsuses? triceratopti?) inhabited the earth at the same time and not millions of years apart from each other. Okay. Maybe the turtle. Although, their exact ancestry is disputed.

Then:


Now:

12 comments:

Karen said...

I saw that show exactly once and nearly vomited. I don't do the cutesy thing very well.

Burgh Baby said...

What do you mean boats can't talk? I swear they yell at me to stay the heck away if I don't want to yack all over the place.

Texasholly said...

that is sooo true! it's such a weird show and I just don't get it. too funny.

Unknown said...

I think the correct term would be triceratopti. If it's not, it totally should be!

That show sounds creepy.

Cynthia said...

Miss Peach hasn't found this show yet...I just found your blog...Fabulous!

Anonymous said...

Actually, I don't remember Bugs Bunny or Daffy Duck ever teaching me anything remotely realistic or educational. Fred Flinstone, maybe. But I will let you have your rant...

Angie McCullagh said...

How cool is your new banner??? You look like the cast of Melrose Place walking through LA except that you're at some totally collegiate place.

Angie
www.AllAdither.com

Madame Queen said...

I can't decide if I like that show or not. It's wayyyy better than the Doodlebops, that's for sure, although it may be a case of the lesser of two evils!

Tootsie Farklepants said...

I learned all my poor sportsmanship from Bugs and Daffy!

Angie~ Thanks! It's a shot from our trip to VA. And you're perceptive! It IS a college.

Anonymous said...

Haha! I like the "then" and "now" picture of the turtle. I really don't like the duck. It's voice annoys me. It needs to talk right.

Anonymous said...

ya know I really hate this show I really would not like my son to talk with some kind of speech impediment and you people who think it's cute to hear someone talk the way that duck does, I hope you live somewhere where speech therapist's are very cheap b/c more than likely you're gonna be paying for one. If you are that Liberal that you accept what ever is on television as cute or you accept it b/c oh the doodle bops are worse. Well I'd rather my son watch the Doodle Bops and speak correctly then not being able to talk properly and use his R's correctly b/c I let him watch this wonder pets show just because I didn't like something else. That is my rant thank you for reading

Tootsie Farklepants said...

Clearly you have a comprehension barrier. Or you don't recognize sarcasm. And not one commenter claimed to like this show. Do you feel better?