Monday, April 9, 2012

An Entire Generation Is Deprived

The Pony is entranced by the Target commercial featuring folks in brightly-colored unitards hopping out of a hot air balloon to spread their hues across the lives of everyday people.

He hummed the song until I told him the name. Then he consulted his laptop. A few moments later, his laptop started singing. The Pony looked up the meaning of the lyrics. "It's not a very nice song. It's about a lark. And plucking out its feathers: I shall pluck your head! And your beak, and your eyes, and your wing, and your tail! Oh! It's about torturing the little birdy."

Of course, that does not keep him from singing it at odd moments. So far, he says he has not burst into song at school. He's an odd duck. I don't suppose it would come as a surprise to anyone.

Funny, what they put on TV these days. I'm surprised PETA hasn't inserted its snooty beak into this matter. Can't we just go back to the good old days when we tucked our kids in at night with visions of nursery rhymes dancing in their still-forming noggins? Harmless tales about hacking off visually-challenged rodents' tails with carving knives. Persecuted little non-roast-beef eating piggies. Starving dogs facing bare cupboards. Arachnids frightening young girls away from their cottage cheese. Pie-escaping blackbirds nipping off noses. Nine-day-old porridge. Obese eggs falling off walls and being smashed to smithereens. Cradled babies crashing to the terra firma.

The price of progress. Exacted on our young.

4 comments:

Sioux Roslawski said...

And "Lay me down to sleep...And if I die before I wake..." That was a wonderful thing to go to sleep to.

And how about those fun-loving Grimm guys? They could sure spin a feel-good story...

Hillbilly Mom said...

Sioux,
Yes. Let's not forget home-invader Goldilocks. Or those witch-bakers, Hansel and Gretel.

knancy said...

Your blog (and Pony) are ahead of the times! The Aloutte commercial is hitting the ears of hundreds of people. There is talk of it on food and garden blogs! First comments in describing it are the colors, but the crux is really the song and how everyone feels so good singing it! Very few know what the words really mean, but they sure do remember it from grade (elementary) school). I like the story that stated that the bird (a Lark) is interrupting lovers too early and that mitigates revenge on said bird. I feel sure this is the French rationalization for a song such as this and I like it! History - such a fascinating subject....

Hillbilly Mom said...

knancy,
Indeed, it does sound like a revenge plot from the French.