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Sept 10-14, 2001
This week, I'll be spending my time watching five consecutive episodes of Bear in the Big Blue House. What will you be doing?
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Monday, Sept 10: Stop me if I'm getting weird.
I have a confession to make. As you've seen in the previous My Week columns, I try in my Muppet journalism to adopt a completely objective professional distance. I pride myself on telling the truth, not swayed by personal bias. My Sesame Street week was the first time I'd seen Elmo's World, and my Tomie week was the first (and, Frog willing, the last) time I've seen Tomie dePaola.
But, in the spirit of full disclosure, I have to admit that I have already had intimate relations with Bear in the Big Blue House. I have watched the show many times. I own four Bear videos, and a couple of coloring books. When the live Bear tour came to Philadelphia, I stood in a mall with a hundred preschoolers and took pictures. When I bought my car last year, I named it Treelo, and glued a Treelo toy onto my dashboard. I just realized that there are two different Bear plush toys on my desk within my line of sight at this very moment.
So, basically, Bear and I are very good friends, and I came to this week's Bear viewing a little worried that I was already too familiar with the show. Maybe I've seen it all, and I wouldn't have anything new to write about.
At the start of the show, Bear opened his door and invited me in, as he does in every episode. He stopped to sniff me, as always - but then he stopped, and leaned against the wall. "Y'know, I do the same thing every day. You come visit me, I sniff you, and - hey, don't get me wrong! I love to sniff you - it's one of my favorite things! But whaddya say we do things a little differently today? How about you sniff me?"
Oh my gosh. Bear is reading my mind again. How does he DO it?
Bear invites me to sniff him, then explains that it's nice to do things differently once in a while. Then he's interrupted by his otter friends, Pip and Pop, who are terribly upset because they've seen a creepy bat out near the otter pond. He takes them out to the pond to see the bat, and he tries to explain to them that the bat is just an animal, like them. Bats are interesting - he has wings, like a bird, but he's not a bird, because he doesn't have feathers. But just because he's different doesn't mean that he's bad. Pip and Pop leave, unconvinced. Then Bear explains to us that "the world is full of things - and people - that are different from each other! Which is a good thing. Because if things weren't different, they'd be the same - and life wouldn't be nearly as much fun!"
Okay. Stop me if I'm getting weird. But is Bear hitting on me?
I mean, he keeps talking directly to the camera, which creates this amazing intimacy. He already asked me to sniff him. And now he's looking into my eyes and telling me that things - and people - can be different. It really feels like if the kids weren't watching right now, he'd ask me for my phone number. I mean, is it getting hot in here?
Anyway. Turns out Ojo the bear cub and Tutter the mouse are scared of the bat too. Bear finds the bat in the attic, and he introduces himself. The bat's name is Benny, and he has a funny Brooklyn accent. Bear acts as peacemaker, and offers to introduce Benny to his friends.
But when Bear goes downstairs, Ojo, Tutter, and the otters are all discussing how scary the bat is. They sleep upside down, and they sleep in the daytime! Tutter snaps, "Yeah, yeah, but y'know what else? Those big WINGS they've got - and, y'know, they're not birds!" The otters agree: "Oh, that's right! They're not! The whole feathers thing." Bear arrives just in time to hear Tutter say that he hates bats. "Whoa, whoa, hold it!" Bear says. "This is some serious stuff you're saying."
Okay. I just want to take a moment and appreciate that line. This is some serious stuff you're saying. So respectful. So cool. So encounter-group. Bear is, like, moments away from saying that these are some seriously heavy vibes, and maybe we ought to just mellow out for a while. Then he's going to light up a joint.
Anyway, Bear points out to his friends that they're all different from each other - they're different species, and different colors, and they like to eat different things. But that doesn't stop them from being friends, does it? They all agree to go upstairs with Bear and meet the bat. They find out that Benny is already good friends with Treelo, the lemur - they like hanging upside down in trees together, and eating bananas. Benny sings a song, and teaches everyone his Bat Dance. Later that night, as Tutter goes to bed, he admits to Bear that he loves the Bat Dance. "And if I'd never met Benny, I never would have learned the Bat Dance, would I?" Then Bear says good night to Luna, the moon, and they talk about how great it is to meet people who are different. "We're all different in our own ways, and that's what makes the world a richer and a better place!"
A little too pro-social? I don't care. Honestly, they could spoon-feed this junk to me forever. On any other show, I would hate to have Today's Lesson About Life explained to me over and over. But on Bear, I find that I just agree with it. We are all different! It does make the world a richer and a better place! It's like Bear has this direct link straight into my heart.
Bear says goodbye to Luna, and then turns directly to me again. "It's great to try different things from time to time, but one thing will always stay the same." What's that, Bear? "I will always be happy to see you."
Oh gosh. He's so dreamy. I have such a crush on you, Bear. Call me. I mean it.
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Tuesday, Sept 11: ...
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Wednesday, Sept 12: What I learned so far
I had a lot of funny stuff planned for this week's column that I'm not going to use. I can't really be funny right now.
But I guess I feel like I have to write about the World Trade Center, because I don't have anything else to do. Yesterday, obviously, all I thought about was checking in with my family and friends in New York (they're all okay) and then finding out what was happening in the world.
But today I keep thinking about Fraggles.
I went to work today, and I talked to a lot of people about what happened. Every time someone talked about revenge, about striking out at the Palestinians, or the Taliban, I would think: No! They're not monsters. They're just Gorgs.
Most of the people who we're talking about aren't evil or bad. They just have a different perspective and a different life. They're scared and angry too. Seeing them as huge ravenous monsters just makes everything worse. The only way we're going to make peace between the Fraggles and the Gorgs is if we try to understand them, if we try to help them understand us, and if we try to find some common ground.
I don't want this to sound stupid. I'm not trying to be naive or flippant. It's just that a lot of people are praying right now, turning to their religious beliefs to help them think about what's happening. Personally, I don't have any religious beliefs. The Muppets, Fraggle Rock, Sesame Street -- those are my myths, my legends, the stories that I use to make sense of the world and to figure out how to be a good person. It may sound silly, but those are my stories. And if you're reading a Muppet-fan website right now, then I have to imagine that those are your stories too. Maybe the Muppets have something to teach us right now.
It seems so correct and good that the Bear episode I wrote about on Monday was all about understanding people who are different from us. Bear's friends were scared of the bat. Bear gently approached the bat, assured him that he wasn't going to hurt him, found out his name, and then showed his friends that the bat was friendly. Benny the bat was just as scared as Tutter and Ojo. But Bear was calm, and friendly, and gentle, and he found a way to make peace.
I don't know. I don't really know how to do this in the real world. I just wish that Bear was in charge of everything today.
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Thursday & Friday, Sept 13-14: Bear Telepathy in full effect
I don't want to get repetitive or pretentious about this, but it really is hard to write this column this week without thinking about the World Trade Center. I'll go back to being funny next week, but this column has a big hole where Tuesday should be, and I can't go from that straight to being cute and cranky again.
Luckily, Bear operates on telepathic principles; he can see directly into my heart and give me whatever I need, which in this case is inspiration and comfort.
Thursday's episode is "The Tutter Family Reunion," in which all of Tutter's relatives descend on Bear's house for a big party. Bear helpfully explains that "there are so many different kinds of families," which is just the kind of thing I need to brighten my day right now. The Tutters are all different from each other - and, without making a big deal about it, it's clear that they come from all over the world. There's a Scottish mouse with a bagpipe, a Mexican mouse with a serape, a mouse with a fez, a mouse with an Austrian accent. All of them are welcome at Bear's house, and all of them are important members of Tutter's family. Even when Treelo, Ojo and the otters feel left out, Tutter apologizes and tells them that they're his family too. There's disagreements, but they all listen to each other, and try their best to love each other.
Friday's episode is "The Best Thanksgiving Ever," where the Bear family celebrates Thanksgiving and talks about how thankful they are to be alive, and how lucky they are to be together with people that they love.
Is this too obvious? I hate to be corny about this. My usual defense against this kind of sentimentality is a healthy sarcastic distance, but I really am thankful that there are American kids who are getting daily doses of Bear. He telepathically zeroes in on whatever I need because Bear speaks right to the heart. He avoids easy answers - he never pretends that everyone just naturally gets along without fighting and disagreeing - but he also doggedly insists that we can work through our disagreements by talking and listening and remembering what's really important.
What can I say? I just love the guy, and I'm glad that I spent this week watching his show. Normal cranky service will be resumed next week.
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
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