Taking the (Strawberry Short) Cake

I don't remember much about the Strawberry Shortcake of my childhood except the smell of her red head. I know that I dressed up in her likeness when I was about five, but that comes from a Polaroid and not from my own recollection.

Watching the new Strawberry Shortcake Happily Ever After DVD with The Boss didn't bring forth any latent memories, but at least there was a sense of familiarity that I just don't get when trying to sit through freakshows like Yo Gabba Gabba. The Boss liked it because a) there's a lot of pink, b) it's about princesses, and c) it involves moving pictures on a screen. Really, the former two reasons are like strawberry frosting on the latter, which has always stood on its own. The Boss is not picky when it comes to the television.

I'd rather put in a DVD than leave my daughter at the mercy of television programming (which is not to say she doesn't watch way more than her fair share of Nickelodeon and the Public Broadcasting Station). It's not just the commercials that bother me, though they are bad enough. It's the fact that even PBS isn't safe anymore. I mean, have you met Caillou? He alone must be responsible for spawning millions of whiny brats from sea to shining sea. PBS should be paying us to listen to that kid kvetch.

At least with DVDs, I can watch it once and know what I'm getting. The Boss can watch it fifty times and still be satisfied. Strawberry Shortcake Happily Ever After is an example of a show we can both be okay with. It's cute and catchy and berry, berry pink. With an updated spin on old fairy tales, the two episodes strive to teach kindness and to empower the princess. It's a little bit me and a little bit her.

WIN IT! Parent Bloggers Network has two copies of “Happily Ever After” to give away. Just leave them a comment describing your memories of Strawberry Shortcake from when you were young. They’ll draw two winners at random from among all the commenters on the launch of the Happily Ever After campaign (US and Canada only, please).