Was babysitting Joe’s kids the other night, which went about as well as could be expected. One was spending the night at a friend’s house, and the other two were on their best behavior. (Dora, who is completely inexperienced in such matters, got the 3-year-old into bed with a minimum of fuss. I mean best behavior.)

At one point during the night we put in a tape of Disney Sing-a-long Beach Volleyball edition, or some such tripe. Giant-sized Disney characters interspersed with children doing faux-beach activities and pretending to be happy while lip-synching to the words of banal popular music. It’s like Triple-X Disney: no plot, no dialogue, just scenes, one after another of pure action.

And the kids loved this. I mean really loved it. Both kids seemed to know the sequence of songs by heart, and the videotape itself looked quite worn, so I can only guess how many times they’ve watched it. And yet Reilly (the 3-year-old) spent 30 minutes completely entranced, alternately singing along with the music and doing his version of dancing in front of the TV.

There is a concept in Zen Buddhism called keeping child’s mind. It means… well, it means many things, as all things in Zen do, but its meaning was never so clear to me as the other night. I watched the tape and thought about Disney-the-corporation and their lobbying efforts to extend the copyright on Mickey Mouse. I listened to the music and thought about licensing contracts and royalty payments and the RIAA. I watched the child actors and thought about how every single one of them has an agent.

Reilly watched the tape and he danced.

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Twenty comments here (latest comments)

  1. Sounds like Disney’s answer to The Wiggles. Personally, I find four Australian men singing about “Fruit Salad (Yummy Yummy)” disturbing, but the kids seem to adore it.

    — Andy Baio #

  2. debgpi (trackback)

  3. I own several Disney sing-alongs and have no children. I could engage in the Disney is Evil discussion with you, but first, can we listen to The Ugly Bug Ball song? Thanks! :D

    — Patricia #

  4. Ah, yes, “child’s mind.” Maybe we take things too seriously; maybe not. There are those who might say: “If I knew then what I know now…” Personally, I think the adult world we’ve built is as inevitable as human growth itself. It’s hard not to take seriously what you’re a part of (adult society).

    — Matthew McVickar #

  5. It’s harder to take pleasure in what isn’t real when you’ve had to experience what is.

    — sleeper #

  6. it pays the bills =)

    — Disney employee #

  7. My kids rather like “Fruit Salad, Yummy Yummy”. 4 aging Aussie guys with inexpensive sets go up against mega empire Disney and make a dent - now there’s a story.

    Meanwhile, my 3 year old knows probably every word of every wiggles song and wants to be just like Murray (which he pronounces in his best 3 year old faux aussie “Mar-ree”).

    I like it. Less commercial than Disney and less banal than Barney.

    — Mike #

  8. OTOH, perhaps it’s an illusion - a “deception” - to think one can go back to that:

    “… shall we follow
    The deception of the thrush? Into our first world.”

    TS.Eliot’s Burnt Norton from “Four Quartets”

    — Michael #

  9. “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

    Jesus, The Bible (Matthew 8:3).

    There are a lot of similarities between religions, on the whole…

    — Tim #

  10. The thing that makes me laugh about kids is how one minute the love something, like that video. Then the next the hate it. Someday soon the mere mention of that video will have those kids in a fit of rage. Or is that just my spoilt brat of a newphew ? ;-)

    Well he is not a brat but he is definatly spoilt.

    — Paul Michael Smith #

  11. If there is one reason for having children, it is how much you get to learn about yourself.

    — Werner #

  12. Ultimate Zen for kids.
    http://www.teletubbies.com/

    — Randy Charles Morin #

  13. I have brought up two children without ever having a Disney video in the house. In fact, I don’t think either child had any videos until they could read. It solves a lot of problems.

    — Andrew #

  14. I realized the depths of my love for my son when I sat through an entire episode of Barney. Stopping a bullet would be a breeze.

    — Anonymous #

  15. The mind evolves. Funny thing: why is the consideration of the corporate hegemony any less an act of whimsy than dancing?

    — Daniel #

  16. The Wiggles challenging Disney? The Wiggles are on Playhouse Disney every day. They’re not challenging them, they’re selling out to them.

    — James Snell #

  17. there was an article on the topic of kids watching movies again and again this sunday in the nytimes:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/13/movies/13YOFF.html

    — finn #

  18. Excellent observation, Mark.

    I too am partial to the Wiggles. Tivo makes sure there is always an episode to watch. And when the little bugger is in the car with his mum, one of their CDs is usually playing.

    And while Murray is great, I’m partial to Jeff. Oh, that I could sleep as often as he…

    — Dan Isaacs #

  19. The Daily Chronicle (trackback)

  20. Maybe the next “Mark” book should be a tape!

    Imagine, a sing along for . . . . “your choice of technology” !!!!! . . . . . the next strategic learning tool

    — Jean-Claude #

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