HOPE E. TREMBLAY
As a 10-year-old in 1982 my television channel choices were pretty limited. Cable TV was just starting to take off as the norm in typical households and I wanted my MTV and was lucky to have it.
I would watch Duran Duran videos shot in exotic locations, lower-budget-early-years Madonna and the MTV cast of VJs. Nickelodeon was in its early years, too, and was groundbreaking in its focus on children and teen programming – my favorite being You Can’t Do That on Television.
Before cable, I was stuck watching whatever was on one of the four or five channels we had. After school it was usually The Streets of San Francisco. It wasn’t all bad, though. Saturday night was my favorite – Love Boat and Fantasy Island. Thinking back, they were probably pretty inappropriate for my age, but I was oblivious to the adult slant to both shows.
Today, my children have hundreds of channels available to them, as well as shows on demand. And what do they watch? Yup, YouTube. My son watches other people play video games and usually my daughter watches Youtubers doing crafts or making DIY organizers (which, frankly, I wouldn’t mind if she actually made and used them herself).
I find myself kind of longing for the days of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Wonder Pets and Disney Channel and Nick Jr. shows. I am happy that they no longer watch adults on YouTube unboxing toys. I never understood that phase. What was so interesting about watching someone else (especially an adult) open and play with Shopkins or Lego mini-figures?
One thing my children and I still enjoy watching together are baking shows. We like Food Network’s Kids Baking Championship and Chopped, Jr. as well as the holiday-themed competition shows. But our latest baking show obsession is Nailed It.
In this show, amateurs must replicate a professional baker’s masterpiece. They are timed in several rounds and are judged on whether or not they “nailed it.”
It’s like watching Pinterest fails. And it’s hilarious. The worse the confection looks, the better is our motto.
I think I like this one better than the kid baking shows because these bakers make me feel like maybe, just maybe, I could nail it. In reality I probably can’t, but I feel like I could. The young baking stars of Kids Baking Championship make me feel the exact opposite – these children are amazing! Not only do they make attractive – and often flawlessly done – cakes and treats, but they appear to taste delicious. How does a 9-year-old know how to bake macarons without a recipe? When did 11-year-olds become experts in the difference between Swiss, American and Italian buttercream?
It’s mind-blowing to me. The show has the opposite effect on my kids, especially my daughter who thinks she can bake anything. So, we occasionally get out ingredients that do not come in a box and give it a go. And in their eyes, we always nail it, and that makes me smile.
