What do you honestly think about Dora? - Page 3

[Oceanjones]

My dd loves Dora. I have to admit that tonight on the long drive home from Seattle we sang the theme song over and over to keep everyone happy. My oldest dd (13 TODAY!) still likes Dora. Mostly we watch movies with a full plot and storyline though. If there is music in anything Sophie loves it.

I have to say that I'm just recently having issues with my dd (a month away from being 3) acting like Stitch. Growling and being overly destructive. So no more Stitch even though she asks for him all the time. Dora is a much calmer example for her....

[gabysmom617]

Originally Posted by geeky

That's exactly how I feel about it. Seems like whoever makes it just puts in the minimum effort in order to put it together and slap the 'educational' label on it. It is possible to write good music for kids shows, and kids can appreciate more complex music at a very young age.
It also seems to me like there is very little actual information about animals on Dora and Diego. Mostly it is dumbed down and made "cute". I know my kid loves to watch Animal Planet and look at much more complex books about animals and he can process that information.

Maybe it's appropriate for kids under two, but we didn't watch TV before two.

I totally agree with this, you hit the nail on the head.
I am remembering something I saw somewhere (youtube?) about the making of Sesame Street how children are much smarter athan we think they are and how their thinking is much more complex and how in the making of sesame street they take this into account with the personalities of the characters and the way they teach on it and the story line or something like that; I forgot exactly how it was worded, but that was the jist of what was said. He put it into words what I noticed a long time ago about the differences in kid's shows like Barney and Sesame street. Dh always says after watching shows like dora with ds that his IQ just dropped ten points.

I also tend to prefers shows that have a story plot, including a climax. Something that leads even an adult to wonder "Golly I wonder how that's going to turn out! Well the baby monkey find it's mama? Will Oscar get his sloppy jalopy started?" etc. The simplest plot makes the story interesting. Barney is absolutely lacking in this---I don't know about dora, I can't sit through her hollering long enough to find out what's going on...

Which is another thing. Dora's hollering monotone voice inflection. Don't you know how annoying when some one talks to any and every elderly person extremely loud just because they are old and they think they won't be able to be heard otherwise? That's what I get with Dora. It's so condescending. Kids don't need to be hollered at to hear you. (My mom does that too, holler at my 2 year old, her voice is much louder when she speaks to him than when she speaks to an older individual.)

Dora just rubs me the wrong way.

Oh, I forgot, we love Little Einstiens, learning about complex classical music and composers is fun. My monkey loves Jimmy Nuetron and stories that include life like characters.

He loves The micky mouse crap. (Club? clubhouse?) I HATE IT. ugh.

[Maggie05]

The rule in our house is that we only watch a TV show when it is a rainy day. I have been Tivo-ing Dora for rainy day viewing. Here's what I like about her:

1. She is a kid. (Not a princess!) She has the body of a toddler, not a grown woman,and she wears appropriate toddlers clothes.

2. She is a girl who is adventurous. Takes risks, uses her brain.

3. She is ethnic...exposing my kids to someone different than they are.

They love Map and Swiper, and we have lots of Dora books.
I haven't seen Diego yet, but might Tivo that to preview it.

[tiffer23]

Everyone on the show yells. They don't talk in normal voices. It drives me nuts. We don't watch it, but we watch plenty of other tv shows.

I GREATLY prefer Dora to Diego though. *shudders*

[tsume]

Originally Posted by elmh23

I hate Dora cause I find her way more annoying than other shows. It's the voice and the asking over and over and over "Can you find the (blank)?" I hate it.

:

Originally Posted by nextcommercial

I personally think Map is trying to get Dora killed. I can see lots of ways around the muddy mud swamp. Why do she and Boots need to go through it?

:

I like old school Blues' Clues. Before we went no-tv (we still watch occasional video) they liked Liberty's Kids, Zoom, CyberChase. Those shows on PBS. oh and Clifford.

[bri276]

I hate it because of her excruciatingly annoying voice/scream and the repetitive songs. I'll take Barney any day.

[KBecks]

Dora who?

Just kidding! I've not watched Dora yet.

[charmander]

She irritates me. My DD prefers Diego, anway.

[greenfish]

At least one thumb up from me.

(1) The girls love Dora and Diego--and this means that Dora/Diego is a better treat for them than some other shows *we* would prefer to watch. But--I don't need to watch Dora/Diego with them and never do. So...since it's not bad for them and they don't watch more than ~2 hours a week, I don't mind letting them choose.

(2) She's a girl, she's not sexualized, she's adventurous--but she's still cool to the kids. And her skin tone is closer to my girls' skin tone than almost every toy and character out there. (Honestly, I'm getting really pissed at many of the natural toy companies right now. *Some* of their dolls and toys come in all skin shades. But, not all...often not even half...and rarely the ones I say--"oh, that looks good!")

(3) They love to play Dora/Diego when we go hiking. This means at 3 and 4 they're willing to hike (well, run, pause, run, pause, non-stop chatter the whole time) two+ miles on a good day. Definite plus!

(4) They don't just sit there, they actually get engaged. When they watch other shows, they just sit, but they really enjoy that there are things they need to do to help Dora/Diego do whatever they need to do. I know it's a little gimmicky, but they like it!

(5) We don't have cable...we just get DVD's...no commericals. The children's DVD's are free at our video store, so they get to pick one when we go.

[limabean]

Luckily DS isn't into Dora, so I've only seen it once, but her voice grates on me.

I bet some of you will appreciate this hilarious parody they did of Dora on Saturday Night Live earlier this year:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8rGgcv4uuQ

[Petersmamma]

Originally Posted by limabean

Luckily DS isn't into Dora, so I've only seen it once, but her voice grates on me.

I bet some of you will appreciate this hilarious parody they did of Dora on Saturday Night Live earlier this year:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8rGgcv4uuQ

That was pretty darn funny.

[RainCoastMama]

Yeah...that voice echoes in my dreams.. :

I agree with most of the above pros and cons, but wanna add that it annoys me that Diego's adventures and show is more complex, exciting and adventurous (I know, I know, different demographic age-wise) but why does the GIRL always have the less fun stuff? /sulk

[maplesugar]

I don't like Dora much.
We don't have cable and the kids have never seen her that I know of.
We LOVE spongebob, though!
I keep reading that people don't like spongebob, and I think to myself, why?
That show is soooo funny imo.

[ann_of_loxley]

I dont 'hate' it....I dont 'love' it... I would put 'could take it or leave it'....but then compared to other tele shows I have seen much much better! lol
My ds himself isnt fussed about it - its not a show we watch because he doesnt want to watch it!
On the other hand - there was an episode once invovling a 'new baby' - where the baby was 'bottle fed' (pointed out so - not just faded in the background as the point of this episode was making our way to the new baby (and then once there bottle feeding it) )...so one could argue against that lmao

[flapjack]

Let's put it this way: if my children brought Spongebob home for tea and a playdate, I'd have him in the car and on his way back to his mummy within 5 minutes. (wow wow wubbzy too.) They're rude to people. And Barney? Nah. Far too nice.
Dora, yes, she's a girl, her mummy had homebirthed twins, should be good. But WHYYYYY does everything have to be so crisis-driven? Oh no, the baby monster got lost, let's take it up the beanstalk back to the giant... it would be really nice if once in a while, that kid stayed at home and did some colouring.
I like Spider. And In the Night Garden (ragdoll's latest offering.) And Shaun the Sheep.

[lisalou]

I voted hate it compared to other kid's tv. But hate is too strong of a word. Basically I find it insipid and gormless compared to The Upside Down Show or Little Bear or Jack's Big Music Show or even Backyardigans. The theory I've always read is that it's ideal if your kid is going to watch tv to be watching it with them. Dora I just find insults my intelligence and that of my 4 year old.

[the_lissa]

I like her okay. I hate her football head.

We like Spongebob, Wybbzy, the Backyardigans more though.

[marybethorama]

Originally Posted by maplesugar

We LOVE spongebob, though!
I keep reading that people don't like spongebob, and I think to myself, why?
That show is soooo funny imo.

I could take or leave Dora. I'm glad that my youngest is no longer interested.

I agree on Spongebob. It is one of the best shows of recent years.