{"id":1431,"date":"2017-03-08T11:50:43","date_gmt":"2017-03-08T11:50:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mumblog.co.uk\/?p=1431"},"modified":"2023-09-15T17:46:20","modified_gmt":"2023-09-15T17:46:20","slug":"the-disturbing-messages-hidden-in-childrens-cartoons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mumblog.co.uk\/the-disturbing-messages-hidden-in-childrens-cartoons\/","title":{"rendered":"The Disturbing Messages Hidden in Children\u2019s Cartoons"},"content":{"rendered":"
Thomas The Tank Engine, Peppa Pig and Postman Pat might seem like sweet, gentle characters, but they hide some pretty dark secrets \u2013 if you look hard enough<\/strong>.<\/p>\n For me, this year\u2019s February half term coincided with a severe sinus infection, a teething, sleepless one-year-old and, of course, Storm Doris. Whilst I know many parents would have been able to battle through this and manage to do half a dozen craft activities to entertain their child each day, I am, essentially, a terrible person when ill. So, instead, faced with the prospect of a number of days stuck indoors with two exuberant children, I turned to my usual saviour \u2013 the television.<\/p>\n When I think back to my childhood, I remember how children\u2019s cartoons were limited to just a handful in the morning and then again in the afternoon \u2013 all of which were displayed on our tiny black and white television. I, therefore, now think my mother must have been a saint to manage two children as a single Mum with no access to Cbeebies, Netflix or Amazon Prime. This was especially true during the two days where the slightest movement made me feel as though my head was about to explode, and on demand children\u2019s television was my lifeline.<\/p>\n No doubt fuelled by a combination of sleep deprivation and Lemsip, I found myself becoming increasingly invested in the brightly coloured characters that paraded around on my television screen \u2013 accompanied by jingly music that did my headache no favours. I studied English at university, so have been primed to find hidden meaning in stories, admittedly usually where there wasn\u2019t any, but the idea seemed good at 3am when the 3,000 word essay was due in the next day. As a result, and perhaps partly inspired by the pleasant woozy feeling that comes from decongestant, I started to question the motivations of Bob the Builder and Peppa Pig. I came to the conclusion that almost all children\u2019s television is full of hidden dark meaning, perhaps designed to prepare our children for the hardship that comes with being a grown-up with responsibility and bills to pay. This is evident in a number of modern children\u2019s favourite cartoons.<\/p>\nThomas the Tank Engine: The Rise of Automation & Capitalism<\/h2>\n