Cartoons!

Those are the Japanese rock stars that are featured in the TV show Puffy Amiyumi. Last week, when we were all gathered together sick at home, I started taking advantage of our TV set and watching shows with Marta. And there's some cool programming on. In fact, most of the shows seemed to appeal more to the little kid in me, rather than Marta.

Take Spongebob Squarepants - the little yellow sponge who lives under the sea in a pineapple. In the episode I saw there was some ort of situation going on where the sea creatures were teasing a squirrel that lived underwater (with a glass helmet) that the squirrel couldn't breath water without an aid. And the squirrel fired back that Spongebob couldn't survive five minutes on dry land. And I was really enjoying it. But I am not sure Marta understood a single word.

With Puffy Ami Yumi, the rockstar girls were at some event where they were to meet their "biggest fan" and the biggest fan turned out to be a psycho stalker that wouldn't leave them alone. And they spent the rest of their episode trying to escape from their "niggest fan." I loved it. In fact, I checked to see when the next episode was on so I could watch more. But did Marta, the intended recipient, really care?

I don't recall either of my parents being into any shows I liked. I think my Dad was entertained by He-Man. But not to the point they'd actually check to see when the next one was on. And it got me wondering, who is the intended audience. Are marketers really aware that parents are so self centered today, that they should market shows to the parents rather than kids, because the parents are the ones who decide who's on? Could be. Anyway, Puffy is on this Friday night. And if I am in our living room, with the TV in it, at that time, I just might sequester myself and Marta to the couch.