10 Failed Children's Media

Hi all,


I made this list a while back, for the heck of it. It's a list of failed children's songs, nursery rhymes and such that have 'hidden' or unintentional meanings. Some are here just to make the list have 10, and others are there because....well, they failed. Enjoy!


1. Ring around the Rosie
- ok, this is a nursery rhyme. about the freaking BUBONIC PLAGUE. do we REALLY want our children to be singing about death and disease and cremation?

2. The Itsy Bitsy Spider
- The moral of this story is- no matter how hard you try, you ALWAYS fail in the end. I don't recall a verse saying that the spider actually MADE it to the top of the water spout, do you?

3. You are my Sunshine
- this is a lullaby that parents sing to their children because they think its cute. Go read the lyrics. It's about shattered dreams, infidelity and lost love. what a lovely song to sing as a lullaby....(got this off of stephs formspring :) )

4. Rock a bye Baby
- this lullaby is about a baby....FALLING OUT OF A TREE. how much more screwed up does our world get?

*5. Alice in Wonderland
- there is some debate on whether Alice was just high on Acid or something.....

6. Alouette
- this song is about plucking a bird. part by part. yes, this is certainly a song our children should learn. and yes, it is in french. which is the reason most children sing it. because they have no idea what it means.

*7. Puff the Magic Dragon
- laments immortality. 'A dragon lives forever but not so little boys' implies that either 'little jackie paper' died, or grew up and forgot about puff. in the end puff is depressed and goes back into his cave. what a wonderful story. hey, at least Nicholas Flamel can just stop taking the immortality potion and die. Puff doesn't even have THAT choice.

*8. London Bridge is Falling Down
-this song is actually about the London Fire. if you don't know what that is, you're stupid.

9. Humpty Dumpty
-this is actually supposed to be a riddle (according to lawrence) where you're supposed to guess what Humpty is. but really, its a wonderful story about an egg who suffers mortal wounds after falling off a wall.

10. Georgie Porgie (sp?)
-for those who do not know this nursery rhyme, it's about a boy (Georgie Porgie) who kisses girls and makes them cry. Then he runs away from all the other boys. Really, need I explain any farther? ok, basically Georgie is symbolic of a man who takes advantage of women and takes the more 'violent' approach; then he leaves to escape the wrath of other men in the women's lives (eg brothers. husbands, children, etc.)

So, next time you read your children a nursery rhyme, or a book, or sing them a lullaby, THINK about what you're actually telling them!!

*these are ones that may be pushing it, they're only here because I needed 10 pieces that everyone knew ;)