Here I am watching Super Why and it would appear that the Super Readers have gone into a comic book invented, apparently, for the purposes of the show called “Attack of the Eraser”. This is an improvement over the usual course for this series, which is to go into a real story and completely butcher its original intent. Maybe they’ve realized that using fictional source material means they don’t have to ruin classic literature?

Yes, I’m writing about Super Why again. I’m twenty-eight years old, why do you ask?

I can still complain about the main character, though. When Whyatt realized they were facing a “Super Big Problem” (his words, it was actually some minor thing that only the Super Readers would even mildly care about) he did what he always does, he uses his little PDA thing to summon his friends, the other members of the Super Readers. But this time They Were Standing Right Behind Him. All of them! Right There! I hate you Whyatt!!!

I do, however, love how the cover of the Attack of the Eraser has this blurb that says “Comic Book!” and I think all comics would benefit from utilizing this blurb.

(Plus, there’s the fact that the Readers live in Storybook Village, which is populated by fictional characters like Little Red Riding Hood, but then they go into stories that are books to them, but also can have characters that live in the village? Are these documentaries? Does this represent time-travel into the past of Storybook Village? What the Chunks is Happening? The Eraser comic is just doubly fictional and that rests much easier in my mind.)

I now have a Visa Platinum Travel card, which I assume means that I am a rich person. Go me. I assure you all that I will use my new found wealth and privilege only for good and probably for buying DVDs and books. Probably.

Hey, I’ve noticed that a lot of the time when I try to type the word “you” I will type the word “toy” which might be because the letters make a similar pattern on a keyboard, but might it not also be because because I see all people who aren’t myself as mere playthings? Interesting.

Hey, I’m totally about to fail at Novel Writing Month. I mean, after all I did say “when” I fail and not “if” I fail in the old post. It is not a good sign that I want to write and totally don’t do it. I can try to lay the blame on how I didn’t care about that story, but the lack of discipline and the short attention span are pretty much the real blame. Also, more legitimately I began to resent the story because it was keeping me from doing a new level of Adventure Dennis or a Hover Head comic. Sigh.

And finally, man, the Super Readers are idiots. And also, what the chunks is with wolves blowing houses down? When and why did someone decide that wolves are good at blowing things over? Honestly?

Okay, a long time back I complained about a show called Super Why. (Only at the time I thought it was called Super Readers) Now all the complaints I had do not stop me from watching the show, like, dozens of times since then. Including right now.

The episode started and Why was walking around to see if any of the other Super-Readers wanted to hang out, but they were all busy. Why considers this a “Super Big Problem” which, as always, can only be solved one way: By calling together the Super Readers! So, because all his friends are busy, Whyatt calls all his friends away from what they are doing so they have to help him. Honestly? That’s just cold.

Super Why is one of the most self-centered superheroes ever.

Okay, I don’t think it’s really fair to point out flaws in educational cartoons for kids, but I just saw this one which I think was called Super Readers that had some things I feel like venting about, so… I will.

The main character is called Why. His baby sister just said her first word, which was his name. He told his family, but they didn’t believe him. Because of this, he summons his friends, the Super Readers to help him solve the problem. Apparently this is a situation that merits the intervention of superheroes. I thought that was kinda sad, but I figure this little storyland that these characters live in probably doesn’t have much in the way of crime, so I assumed they weren’t overly busy. If, after solving the problem, they hadn’t sang a song about how they “Saved The Day” I could have let it slide. A superhero calling in his friend superheroes to solve a terribly minor familial tiff doesn’t count as Saving The Day.

But the main problem is that, apparently the Super Readers solve problems by travelling into stories. This episode’s story was The Boy Who Cried Wolf. This is the classic story in which a young boy makes friends with a wolf and calls all his family to see, but the wolf had to go to the bathroom so he isn’t there when they arrive so nobody believes him. This happens a couple times until the family realizes they have to trust the boy and they wait around until the wolf finally shows up and brings them all flowers.

Except… That’s almost EXACTLY the opposite of what that story is. They changed the story so drastically that they didn’t really need to go into that story at all. Now a generation of literate, but misinformed children will never learn the moral of not lying about dangerous things or you’ll be eaten. I base my life around that moral! When was the last time I claimed to have seen a wolf? Not ever, I can tell you.

But really, though, they really did a number on that story. On the plus side, I was able to deduce the Super Story Answer after getting only two of the Super Letters. It was “Trust”. That made me feel pretty good. So good I didn’t even point out to Why that his sister’s first word could also be a sign that she’s having some sort of existential crisis.

I know I only get like six television channels, but I find it sad that Saturday morning gave me no good cartoons on any of them.