Cute is a word, except when applied to puppies and kittens and babies, I have never liked. In fact, the yuck factor for cute doesn’t even register on my meter.
It is with great irritation, then, that I watch TV and its commercials.
This morning, for example, Lainey and I tuned into a kids’ show in which two young children – a brother and sister, I believe – travel the world while the rest of us sit back at home enjoying our bear paws and rye toast, taking a lesson in geography.
But today, instead of being immersed in the splendour of Africa, I spent my viewing time with my hands over my ears trying to drown out the squealing “wheeees” and “whoohoos” as these obnoxious, self-important children let us know that, really, this program is far more about them than about lions, giraffes, elephants or the plains of the Serengeti.
Then there are all those ‘talented’ children that show up on Ellen – the Justin Biebers and the youtube sensations, who flap their moppish hair from side to side, grin endlessly over the list of their accomplishments, and sit back in between rounds of audience applause, their ankles crossed and arms hanging loosely on their chairs, looking more like seasoned Wall Street brokers than fourteen-year-olds who can – occasionally – sing.
But worse than any of this for me – after all, who can absolutely fault the cuteness factor in a kid? (hello mother, hello father) – is a commercial I saw today for World Vision, an organization I wholeheartedly support. During the exchange, a couple are sitting on a couch surrounded by goats.
The point of the ad (which is a point I take) is that there are ways to assist hungry third world families but that, in order to support effectively, a process must be followed. At the end of the commercial the man takes a sip of what is presumably goat’s milk – to the repulsion of his partner – and makes a comment that it’s not too bad. (Don’t quote me. I have the gist, but probably not the words.)
For anyone who doesn’t understand what’s wrong with this deliberately coy, cute, attention-seeking climax, no matter. You likely stopped reading this entry somewhere near the fourth paragraph.
But for the rest of us, and certainly for me, I despair of a world that feeds us disingenuous, ridiculous, pandering, posturing, pretentious, insulting and utterly cute haircuts, gestures, grins, stances, antics, sentiments, comments and messages.
If Lainey or I need a lesson in geography, better an encyclopaedia, a classroom or a Blue Planet series.
And if it’s humanity we are trying to teach, we need to eliminate the whoohoos and the wheeees, and eviscerate the patronizing stupidity that leads a person to wonder just what kind of organization, and world view, she has been supporting these many years.
In the meantime, Lainey and I are on our way out. We just spotted an adorable kitten across the street.
Meow.
