Baby shows are weird and creepy!

*Tetsu Deinonychus* · 11-17-2015, 01:52 PM

Okay, so I have Direct TV and one of the many channels I get is called "Sprout", and it's a network for babies and small children that I'm guessing is mostly educational shows starring puppets. I don't really watch it obviously, since I don't have kids and while I still watch kid's shows they skew a little older than that.

But, late last night, I'm flipping through the channels and on Sprout they have "Nighttime programming for baby". And, I'm like "What the hell would that be?" I hit "info" and it says it's "soothing images and lullabys to help your child sleep".

So, I start picturing a steady stream of stock footage of ocean waves and sleeping kittens, or pastel drawings of children hugging teddy bears, and bunnies having tea-parties while a warm maternal voice sings a gentle lullaby, and I think "you know, I could kind of go for something like that myself" (I haven't been sleeping well lately).

I checked it out, and what I got was not what I expected...

There were three people in the creepiest rat costumes I've ever seen. I'm not normally creeped out by mascot costumes, but these had such dead eyes and were total nightmare fuel. But the creepiest part was the set. It was just an eerie plain white solid background. Even the floor was just white as if they were just floating in an empty void. They were singing songs but not a lullaby. Just stuff about sharing etc. But, they weren't singing very well and there was no music to go with it.

The whole thing was like a hallucination from a Kubrick film. This must have been what the kid from The Shining watched when he was little (or what the Dad saw when he was going nuts)!

Anyway, I don't know anything about children, so I don't know if this helps them rest or not. It certainly has nothing to offer an exhausted and stressed adult aside from the WTF factor and an anecdote.

So, anyone here with kids, is this really what lulls babies to sleep these days?

~~Amaranthus~~ · 11-17-2015, 01:54 PM

Babies shouldn't be watching TV in the first place, lol.

*DarkFell* · 11-17-2015, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amaranthus

Babies shouldn't be watching TV in the first place, lol.

What, you never had a television raise nor entertain you as a baby, or even as a toddler?

That pretty much what my parents did, and I loved watching Nickelodeon back in the day when people got drenched by green slime in (I wanna say) Double Dare.
Heck I still have some hazy memories of being little - sitting in a plastic high chair, eating Fruit-Loops, and watching The Muppets - to which I could stand way better than Sesame Street.

*CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy* · 11-17-2015, 06:28 PM

I sure as heck wouldn't let my baby watch THAT. The way you describe it makes it sound like a low-budget Five Nights at Freddy's ripoff.

*TurtleTitan97* · 11-17-2015, 07:54 PM

I used to like Teletubbies, but now it freaks me out.

Mona_Lisa · 11-17-2015, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tetsu Deinonychus Power-5

Okay, so I have Direct TV and one of the many channels I get is called "Sprout", and it's a network for babies and small children that I'm guessing is mostly educational shows starring puppets. I don't really watch it obviously, since I don't have kids and while I still watch kid's shows they skew a little older than that.

But, late last night, I'm flipping through the channels and on Sprout they have "Nighttime programming for baby". And, I'm like "What the hell would that be?" I hit "info" and it says it's "soothing images and lullabys to help your child sleep".

So, I start picturing a steady stream of stock footage of ocean waves and sleeping kittens, or pastel drawings of children hugging teddy bears, and bunnies having tea-parties while a warm maternal voice sings a gentle lullaby, and I think "you know, I could kind of go for something like that myself" (I haven't been sleeping well lately).

I checked it out, and what I got was not what I expected...

There were three people in the creepiest rat costumes I've ever seen. I'm not normally creeped out by mascot costumes, but these had such dead eyes and were total nightmare fuel. But the creepiest part was the set. It was just an eerie plain white solid background. Even the floor was just white as if they were just floating in an empty void. They were singing songs but not a lullaby. Just stuff about sharing etc. But, they weren't singing very well and there was no music to go with it.

The whole thing was like a hallucination from a Kubrick film. This must have been what the kid from The Shining watched when he was little (or what the Dad saw when he was going nuts)!

Anyway, I don't know anything about children, so I don't know if this helps them rest or not. It certainly has nothing to offer an exhausted and stressed adult aside from the WTF factor and an anecdote.

So, anyone here with kids, is this really what lulls babies to sleep these days?

lol, this was so funny, anyway I have my early childhood credentials and I can tell you that no doctor or pediatrician or anyone like that would recommend allowing your child to go to sleep watching TV. But you know, some parents do it... to each their own. I was a meanie, after my kids got to big for their bassinet I let my kids cry themselves to sleep…. Actually it is usually about 3 nights of agony then your home free.

*Wes* · 11-17-2015, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tetsu Deinonychus Power-5

There were three people in the creepiest rat costumes I've ever seen. I'm not normally creeped out by mascot costumes, but these had such dead eyes and were total nightmare fuel. But the creepiest part was the set. It was just an eerie plain white solid background. Even the floor was just white as if they were just floating in an empty void. They were singing songs but not a lullaby. Just stuff about sharing etc. But, they weren't singing very well and there was no music to go with it.

I just want to see this. And perhaps drop acid while watching it. (Kidding, people. Drugs are bad.)

*shuriken* · 11-17-2015, 11:48 PM

^^ I kinda agree... but we'll settle for pot since it's practically legal

~~ABrown~~ · 11-18-2015, 02:46 PM

I've got twin two year olds at home. Unfortunately, when I'm hope it's usually either Sprout, Disney Jr, or Nick Jr on the television. The shows on those channels are fine for kids their age. However, they're EXTREMELY repetitive. You feel like you're watching the exact same episodes over and over again. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is without question the easiest of their shows for an adult to sit through. Fortunately they're enjoying the new Muppets show on ABC. They've also been starting to enjoy Alvinnn!!! and the Chipmunks. As I'm a big Transformers fan, I was hoping that they would like Transformers Rescue Bots. Though they don't seem really like that show. It's just really nice when they enjoy shows that aren't just for toddlers and preschoolers as it really makes it much easier for me to get through my day. The only time that I get to watch my shows is after they've gone to bed.

*Tetsu Deinonychus* · 11-18-2015, 05:32 PM

I guess it wouldn't be very good for babies then, but I still wish there was a channel that played lullabies all night to help people sleep.

TLP · 11-19-2015, 02:34 PM

*IndigoErth* · 11-19-2015, 02:44 PM

I believe I once came across those rats a while ago, and if I remember it correctly...I completely agree with you.

Haven't seen much on Sprout, for me it's channel number isn't really nearby too many others I flip through too often. However the Pajanimals are adorable and the only decent thing I ever ran into on there. I swear the dog sounds like Gobo Fraggle, but pretty sure it's not the same voice actor.

Edit: Oh, wait, also the one with the talking star puppet. I think that was on Sprout? The woman on it had the coolest sofa ever with the moon-shaped back on it - I wanted that damn thing.

Spoiler:

Quote:

Originally Posted by TLP

[creepyass video]

Well. Now that I'll be having nightmares for weeks...

~~Mew~~ · 11-19-2015, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

I

Edit: Oh, wait, also the one with the talking star puppet. I think that was on Sprout? The woman on it had the coolest sofa ever with the moon-shaped back on it - I wanted that damn thing.

Spoiler:

That, Blue's Clues, and Thomas the Train was all I watched when I was two or three.

Edit: Am I the only one who thought this was about something like a pet show with babies at first?

11-17-2015, 01:52 PM	#1
Tetsu Deinonychus The Iron Dinosaur Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Studio Snowlion HQ Posts: 3,021	Baby shows are weird and creepy! Okay, so I have Direct TV and one of the many channels I get is called "Sprout", and it's a network for babies and small children that I'm guessing is mostly educational shows starring puppets. I don't really watch it obviously, since I don't have kids and while I still watch kid's shows they skew a little older than that. But, late last night, I'm flipping through the channels and on Sprout they have "Nighttime programming for baby". And, I'm like "What the hell would that be?" I hit "info" and it says it's "soothing images and lullabys to help your child sleep". So, I start picturing a steady stream of stock footage of ocean waves and sleeping kittens, or pastel drawings of children hugging teddy bears, and bunnies having tea-parties while a warm maternal voice sings a gentle lullaby, and I think "you know, I could kind of go for something like that myself" (I haven't been sleeping well lately). I checked it out, and what I got was not what I expected... There were three people in the *creepiest* rat costumes I've ever seen. I'm not normally creeped out by mascot costumes, but these had such dead eyes and were total nightmare fuel. But the creepiest part was the set. It was just an eerie plain white solid background. Even the floor was just white as if they were just floating in an empty void. They were singing songs but not a lullaby. Just stuff about sharing etc. But, they weren't singing very well and there was no music to go with it. The whole thing was like a hallucination from a Kubrick film. This must have been what the kid from The Shining watched when he was little (or what the Dad saw when he was going nuts)! Anyway, I don't know anything about children, so I don't know if this helps them rest or not. It certainly has nothing to offer an exhausted and stressed adult aside from the WTF factor and an anecdote. So, anyone here with kids, is this really what lulls babies to sleep these days? __________________ (Image hosting by Postimage.org) And here's a list of all my old wacky threads!

11-17-2015, 06:28 PM	#4
CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy Annalist Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 16,435	I sure as heck wouldn't let my baby watch THAT. The way you describe it makes it sound like a low-budget Five Nights at Freddy's ripoff. __________________ *ALL THEIR DAYS ARE NUMBERED*

11-17-2015, 07:54 PM	#5
TurtleTitan97 Space Cowboy Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Speed Force Posts: 7,043	I used to like Teletubbies, but now it freaks me out. __________________

11-17-2015, 11:48 PM	#8
shuriken Second City Shinobi Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Chi-town Posts: 4,182	^^ I kinda agree... but we'll settle for pot since it's practically legal __________________ Some things are better left unsaid. This isn't one of them

11-18-2015, 05:32 PM	#10
Tetsu Deinonychus The Iron Dinosaur Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Studio Snowlion HQ Posts: 3,021	I guess it wouldn't be very good for babies then, but I still wish there was a channel that played lullabies all night to help people sleep. __________________ (Image hosting by Postimage.org) And here's a list of all my old wacky threads!

11-17-2015, 01:54 PM	#2
~~Amaranthus~~ Banned Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: West-Flanders, Belgium Posts: 1,815	Babies shouldn't be watching TV in the first place, lol.

11-18-2015, 02:46 PM	#9
~~ABrown~~ Banned Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 1,831	I've got twin two year olds at home. Unfortunately, when I'm hope it's usually either Sprout, Disney Jr, or Nick Jr on the television. The shows on those channels are fine for kids their age. However, they're EXTREMELY repetitive. You feel like you're watching the exact same episodes over and over again. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is without question the easiest of their shows for an adult to sit through. Fortunately they're enjoying the new Muppets show on ABC. They've also been starting to enjoy Alvinnn!!! and the Chipmunks. As I'm a big Transformers fan, I was hoping that they would like Transformers Rescue Bots. Though they don't seem really like that show. It's just really nice when they enjoy shows that aren't just for toddlers and preschoolers as it really makes it much easier for me to get through my day. The only time that I get to watch my shows is after they've gone to bed.

11-19-2015, 02:34 PM	#11
TLP Hench Mutant Join Date: May 2015 Posts: 263	__________________ TMNT (2003) 4Kids DVD Count: ALL OF THEM (plus UNCUT Turtles Forever from Region 2)