Thursday, August 07, 2008
Media Reaction - Hip Hop Harry
Every weekday at 5:30 am on the Learning Channel, and at 9am and 12:00 noon on Discovery Kids, Hip Hop Harry dances his way across our televisions. Hip Hop Harry and his television show cater to grammar school aged children (ages 6-12); the same crowd who ten years ago would have been singing “I Love You” with Barney the Purple Dinosaur. Today, those children are probably listening to rap music, thus Harry attempts to parlay those children’s love of hip hop into an enjoyable but educational experience. The show is rated TV-G which means that it is perceived to be suitable for General Audiences and that any and everyone can watch it without fear of encountering anything objectionable.
The “Hip Hop Harry” show centers around a large bear dressed in hip hop gear, and a group of children who hang out at the
The episode that I watched centered on two separate lessons; the necessity to always thoroughly wash your hands and the importance of always doing your part when there is work to be done. A young woman who hangs out at Hip Hop Central with Harry and the kids was having a birthday and one of the children wanted to throw her a party but felt as if there was more work than she could handle alone. While the other children were researching germs and the consequences of not washing their hands, the one child was afraid to ask for help, feeling that her comrades were too busy to help her. Harry convinced her to ask her friends for help, knowing that they would be more than happy to help her and that they were all willing to do their share. The children, all got along well with one another, and they were all willing help the girl with the party preparations. The party came of successfully and everyone had a good time sharing their lessons with Harry and celebrating the young woman’s birthday. Once everyone had sufficiently proved that they had learned their lessons, they all gathered in the center of the floor for some hip hop dancing.
Hip Hop Harry is just as sugary sweet as Barney used to be, except for the rap music, and there is nothing objectionable on the show. As I earlier mentioned, Hip Hop Harry teaches grade school children values such as working together and keeping their hands clean. This is a show that, because of its educational value, I would have no qualms about allowing my children to watch. Harry’s messages are positive and his delivery relates to today’s children, provided those children are fans of rap music.
