Created in the Soviet era as a TV Character – this strange animal with the squeaky voice is in my theory a reaction to the Capitalist Mickey Mouse and lesser known (in the USA) Topo Gigio
I understand that kids need to play with kosher toys in terms of not having toy pigs or sharks etc – Predator animals are considered violent too – yet why do we take on names like Leib (Lion) or Ari en Hebrew? The explanation is that we seek to have the POSITIVE traits of those animals… In any case, Cheburashka seems like a fun fellow, especially when people playfully alter his original image…
Overall some fairy tales – like those written by Grimm are not that kosher either – they teach kids to steal (Jack and the Beanstalk), Falsely accuse – Hansel and Gretel: I was reading my infant son this story, perhaps it was edited, but the kid deducts that they are the meal, but she really never stated this as her intent. So the lady gets pushed in the oven without defending herself. Yeah, she was a weird lady, but she had a house made out of candy – so these kids that were trespassing actually killed her. Something like killing the landowners and owners of wealth (candies?)…. I dunno, perhaps a stretch, but in between Disney and some other stuff – localized cartoons and fairy tales for your children are the better choice. I have had a chance to read some stories designed for children from Venezuela and they seemed quite innocent enough.
Take time to listen to nursery rhymes too – lots of mishugass there!!!! Rocking My Baby – that is sweet how???? London Bridge/Pocket Full of Posies is just morbid!
Why do we cling on to this stuff? Are we deluding ourselves that our children’s psyche is far too young to be influenced by this crap? Think again.
