Dora sans Diego – May 24, 2007
As the father of a 17-month old girl, I'm becoming more and more familiar with the daily children's TV fare – JoJo's Circus, the Wiggles, Judge Judy, The View. The following is a critical review of one such popular show – Dora the Explorer.
How many times can one person's heart break? I found myself wondering that the other day as, once again, I found myself tuning into the gut-wrenching, emotional roller coaster that is Dora and Diego. Allegedly cousins, according to my wife, these two young lovers have seen their share of hard times including their recent breakup and Diego getting his own show where you can find him sauntering through the jungle with some leggy, brunette home wrecker. I assume it's the same woman that kept Dora alone so many nights with no one to keep her company except her friend, Boots and a singing backpack. But occasionally, like last week, Diego pops back into the newly self-dependent Dora's life (usually swinging on a vine like above) and exposes all of her frailties. He reminds her that she can't live without him, that she can't build any serious relationships since their split and then, under a guise of friendship, he goads her into dangerous and often unnecessary tasks like trying to save baby jaguars from the clutches of the man. And Dora, again stripped of her womanality, is eager to oblige. Luckily, they do a song and dance and end the day's show before we have to see Dora forced into the role of a Martha-Stewartish domestic goddess where she cooks Diego a big meal and he eventually passes out on the couch with a beer watching "I Love Lucy" reruns. I hope each day for Dora to get the nerve to throw Diego and all of his belongings to the curb including that fancy fly-fishing vest he wears. And I'll keep watching until she gets the courage to become her own person. And I'll keep wondering, is my daughter getting the same thing from this show?
