King Friday XIII, Detrol Spokesperson/ Disturbing things about PBS Kids

I was watching Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood today with one of my kids, and I suddenly remembered an episode that was totally weird.

It was in the Neighborhood of Makebelieve, and King Friday XIII was supposed to be looking at some royal paintings or something. All of a sudden he goes, "I'll be right back. I have to go to the bathroom," and he leaves. So the other characters stand around and make small talk for a minute until he comes back to finish looking at the paintings. It was really random, and it totally caught me off guard. And remember how Mr. Rogers used to go to factories and see how things were made? Well, I kid you not, in this same episode he went to a factory that made toilets.

This was not a faded memory from my childhood, either... this was less than a decade ago. I totally remember it because it made me laugh my ass off.

Another disturbing PBS fact: I totally remember that, when I was a kid watching Sesame Street, Big Bird had a butthole. He'd bend over to straighten his nest or pick something up, and there it was under his tail. It always kinda grossed me out. I mean, he was a frickin' puppet... why did he need a butthole??? Then one day in the 80's when I was home sick from school and watching Sesame Street, I realized that he didn't have it anymore. Maybe parents complained or something, I don't know.

Something else about PBS Kids that I don't get: why they indulge the Kratt brothers on Zoboomafoo. These guys are creepy. They have this fascination with poop. This one time they were talking about different ways animals in the rainforest help plants grow. They're putting seeds into these holes in the ground, and suddenly, in close-up of course, a huge crap drops into one of the holes. They look up, and this puppet monkey goes, "Oh, sorry, that was me." Then they go into this whole explanation of how animal crap helps spread seeds and fertilize them. It was hilarious and disturbing all at once. That's not all, though: these two freaks have stepped in poop, fallen in it face first, sniffed it, and just about everything but eaten it... but I wouldn't be surprised if that happens in tomorrow's episode. I hate those frickin' Kratt Brothers so much.

I'm glad my youngest kid has almost totally outgrown PBS Kids... I'm not sure how much more my sensibilities can take.