Saturday Morning Cartoon

I never watched Strawberry Shortcake until now. In fact, as a youngster, I had nothing but disdain for it seeing as it was a girl cartoon. But now that I have a daughter, I'm watching all kinds of girly stuff. And enjoying some of it.



Maybe three years in the children's library is starting to get to me, but I have to say the art is gorgeous. Sure, it's sweet to the point of being nausea-inducing saccharine, but you have to admit it's stylish... in a folk-art sort of way.

But what's really surprised me is, I had no idea how trippy Strawberry Shortcake was.



Now, my daughter kind of likes the original, but disturbingly, she far prefers the remake series. She likes Strawberry's new hat better.



Okay... see... this is why I hate now so much. The old Strawberry Shortcake was preoccupied with making confections and spiffing up her pets for parades -- oh, and matching wits with the Peculiar Purple Pie Man of Porcupine Peak. The new Straberry Shortcake? She's off to a career fair???

I'm sorry, but that is not the sort of thing I want my daughter watching.

Worse still, the episode above -- "the Good Mayor" -- is about how Strawberry's friend, Peppermint Patty, wants to be mayor when she grows up (public service being, to my mind, a noble career goal) and over the course of a day where everyone pretends to have the careers to which they aspire, Patty winds up completely corrupted by the power that comes with being the leader of Berrytown.

The moral of the story? Be a good little worker and remember government is evil. Translation: Americans are anarchist whackos.