N_C

Disclaimer:
1. This thread will in part be serious, light hearted, fun & maybe even humourous depending on how it goes.
2. This thread will have mention of the dead horse helmet issue, but only as an observation, not in the way you may be thinking.
3. I am in no way saying if you ride bike you should wear a helmet.
4. I am in no way saying if you do not wear a helmet when you ride bike you're a Darwin Award winner.
5. I am not a parent the things I talk about in this thread are from an outsiders point of view looking in.
6. I am in no way saying Curious George is a dangerous product nor am I saying parents should refrain from letting their children be exposed to Curious George.
7. I am not saying Curious George should be banned from the store shelves.
8. I think Curious George is a great product that children should be allowed to elarn from.
9. I think grape jelly tastes good & is good for you too.
10. This thread is in no way meant as a troll post, it is simply an outsiders point of view looking in at items marketed to children, Curious George just happens to be a good example to use in this case. The example could easily include any other character, real or fictional marketed to &/or for children.

I have a jar of Welch's Grape Jelly with Curious George on a bicycle on it. That is why I bought it. I collect things that are bicycle related, when this jar is empty it will be cleaned & added to my collection. I also happen to like grape jelly.

An observation I made while looking at the jar while making tomorrows lunch is Curious George is not wearing a bike helmet. Ok fine, not big deal like I said just an observation.

I have read many times here that parents lead by example for their kids. And people here tend to get angry when other parents are not doing a good job of leading by example. They are teaching what they see as bad habits to a child. Just an observation I have made.

Even though I am not a parent I do have some knowledge on items marketed to children. Some of the things marketed to attract youngsters do not seem as safe as others. Am I right or wrong here? As a non-parent I honestly do not know. Again just the observation of an outsider looking in.

There is no doubt in my mind Curious George & all of his products are marketed to children, right? And parents lead by example, correct? And hopefully good example.

If both are true then why would a parent want to associate or expose their children to a product like Curious George riding bike with out a helmet? Is it possible that a child might look at that & think, well if Curious George does not wear a helmet I don't need to either? Don't kids learn from products like Curious George? It doesn't have to be a bike helmet, it could also be not wearing a life jacket while in a boat. I always thought products like Curious George were in part meant to be educational. Am I wrong?

Like I said these are just observations & questions from a non-parent looking in from the outside when it comes to products marketed to children?

Can someone please shed some light on my questions & observations?

I-Like-To-Bike

Your questions -

My reaction to your "observations" -

unkchunk

It's probably a conspiracy by the non helmet manufacturers. Most likey they slipped a couple grand to the producers for a non product placement. It's just corporate greed run amok trying to sell more non helmets to our kids.

I-Like-To-Bike

Analyze this, Sigmund.

What a dang dingbat!

JRA

A non helmet is hot air which the wearer can accessorize with the hat of his/her choice. The raw material is readily available. Shipping costs are virtually non-existant.

FLBandit

Since most of us who are parents today grew up with Curious George, and without helmets, most don't even think about it. I doubt the majority of parents even associate the two. I was in my 40s before I ever wore a bicycle helmet. When I was a kid helmets for bicycles were nearly non-existent.

Speedo

Holy crap! What a product opportunity! I just looked around and found that there is no "Curious George" bike helmet available. I'm gonna be the first mover on this...

* jack *

Make sure its big & yellow !

bmike

Wow. I thought this was going to be about a certain president and his mountain biking escapades.

WiseOwl

I'll have to pull out my tattered copy of 'Curious George Rides a Bike' to confirm, but I'm pretty sure he also stood on the handlebars and did the no-hands thing.

When I was a kid, Evil Knievel was our 2-wheeled hero, not Curious George. I managed to survive all kinds of stunts on my banana seat bike without a helmet, even the things George is guilty of, and I survived. Of course, my mom wasn't watching or I wouldn't have been able to do half the stuff I did...

But, if you decide to boycott everything related to the little monkey or the Man in the Yellow Hat, I got dibs on your old Curious George lunch box.

James

N_C

I'm not going to boycott anything. I love Curious George & Eviel Knievel. Like you if my mom saw or knew about half the stunts I did on my Schwinn Stingray with the 3 speed shifter I'd have been in serious trouble. When ever I came home with cuts, bumps scrapes, etc after riding my bike her first question while cleaning me up what the hell happened. My answer was always I had a bike accident. She'd ask what were you doing? I'd simply say just riding & I fell down. She let it go at that but I think she knew better. Oh I never wore a helmet when I was a kid & they were available. Mom never bought me one.

mikepop

That book was published in 1952; the first commercially successful purpose-designed bicycle helmet was produced in 1975

slagjumper

Seems like riding without helmets was the least of the Reys concerns. Better to complain about the imperialistic Babar or "the Giving Tree".

https://houghtonmifflinbooks.com/feat...orge.shtml#faq

Question
Margret and Hans Rey were both born in Germany. How did they wind up in America?


Answer
After meeting briefly in Germany, Hans and Margret were reunited while working in Rio de Janeiro. They were married in 1935 and moved to Paris soon after. Unfortunately, the political climate in Europe was changing, and by the spring of 1940 Hitler was poised to take over Paris. Hans and Margret fled on homemade bicycles with little more than the clothes on their backs and a handful of manuscripts — one of which starred an inquisitive little monkey named Curious George — hours before German troops marched into the city. After a brief stay in Brazil, they found their way to New York City and eventually settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Read all about the Reys' exciting escape from Paris in The Journey That Saved Curious George: The True Wartime Escape of Margret and H.A. Rey.

bbonnn

Curious George also runs around naked.

EnigManiac

But does he fry bacon while naked?

cat4ever

"There is no doubt in my mind Curious George & all of his products are marketed to children, right? "

Uh, you bought the jelly.

Sporkinum

randya

Alekhine

bmike

N_C

You're right I did. I did not say Curious George is only marketed to children, just that he is. I see no problem with adults purchasing Curious George merchandise. I'm sure there are Curious George collectors who are adults.

Bekologist

monkeys don't wear helmets, silly!

that's like asking to airbrush skidlids on those classic b&w tour de france cycling photos, or sanitizing hollywood movies for the mormon crowd.... damned revisionists!

"curious george rides a bike" was written and illustrated before bike helmets were even available, much less commonplace. It should be very easy for a parent to 'sneak' good helmet habits into a reading of 'curious george rides a bike'.....

The Human Car

FWIW I think it is a good idea to show people (or cartoon animals) wearing helmets while on a bike.

eubi

Curious George is a monkey...but he has no tail.

Have you ever considered the horrible accident George suffered in which he lost his tail???

Perhaps it was bicycling related?

eubi

I was involved in a community project in which we were creating a listening library of books on tape.

The book I happened to wind up narrating describes the Man in the Yellow Hat lighting and smoking his pipe.

Yes, for a children's book it bothered me, but that's how the book was written, so that's how I read it.

I consider things like this as an opportunity to discuss with my children. Is this a healthy thing to do? Maybe not, but this was the way things were "back then". Are you going to smoke because the Man in the Yellow Hat smokes?

"No way!"