# Anyone else freaking hate Caillou? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 15, 2013, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-freaking-hate-caillou/661080 "2013-06-15T18:14:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![WisdomofLife](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/34f0e0/32.png) [@WisdomofLife](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WisdomofLife)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-freaking-hate-caillou/661080/21 "2013-06-16T10:49:31Z")
I hazily remember seeing some Caillou episodes when my nephew was a baby. Though it was low budget, I don’t remember it being that bad in IMO. Max and Ruby was a fun show. If I have to think of bad kids shows, they are the ones that can be easily be made fun of. They are great shows, but easy comedy bait based on the plot and story advices :). There is my great little kids/educational shows during the 80s and 90s. PBS Sesame Street Barney (Barney is chessy but I was really into it) Where in the World is Carmen SanDiego. Bill Nye the Science Guy Nick Shows Grimm Fairy Tales Little Bits Noozles Eureka’s Castle David the Gnome Adventures of the Little Koala (Australia love screams 1980s trends :eek:) Mr. Wizard Alot of the Saturday special/movies ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-freaking-hate-caillou/661080/22 "2013-06-16T16:28:05Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > Caillou touches that magic nerve that makes you want to punch someone in the face (my wife overheard me saying this to the iPad, and she finished my sentence with ‘throat’). Your wife has it, I would throat punch that little whiner and not even hesitate. While being tortured when watching it, I do like to make note of when it gets especially Canadian, like when they play ringette, or the auto mechanic sporting the extreme mullet. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-freaking-hate-caillou/661080/23 "2013-06-16T16:45:54Z")
If you wait long enough, your kids may realize just what an annoying whiny little fucker Caillou is, too. There’s some vindication in that. My 8 year old was channel surfing the other day and watched a few moments, then turned to me with a horrified look on her face and said, “Wow…Caillou is really…_annoying_! Did I really like to watch this show when I was little?” Yes, yes you did. You also liked to pick your nose and eat it. 3 year olds are not the most discerning creatures. ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-freaking-hate-caillou/661080/24 "2013-06-16T17:14:03Z")
Okay, I’ll admit it. My youngest kids, now 9 and 13, and I watch Caillou on purpose, MST3K style. It’s disturbing, comforting, and hilarious for us, all at once. ---
**Author:** ![Kiyoshi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e19adc/32.png) [@Kiyoshi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiyoshi)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-freaking-hate-caillou/661080/25 "2013-06-16T17:24:20Z")
Does anyone else find it disturbing that Caillou and friends seem to live in Silent Hill, surrounded by an impenetrable mist? ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-freaking-hate-caillou/661080/26 "2013-06-16T17:47:32Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > To lessen the pain, I used to add my own narration in Grandma’s voice: > > _Caillou was sad because daddy put Gilbert in the blender_ I “heard” that perfectly in Grandma’s voice in my head! > [@delphica](#): > > Your wife has it, I would throat punch that little whiner and not even hesitate. > > While being tortured when watching it, I do like to make note of when it gets especially Canadian, like when they play ringette, or the auto mechanic sporting the extreme mullet. “Yeah, Bobo ate a bad can of Canadian bacon and came down with a case of hockey hair, and now we’ve all got it.” > [@Kiyoshi](#): > > Does anyone else find it disturbing that Caillou and friends seem to live in Silent Hill, surrounded by an impenetrable mist? This is the funniest thing I’ve read all week - I’m sitting here giggling. This show totally needs a pyramid-head and some zombie nurses. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-freaking-hate-caillou/661080/27 "2013-06-17T13:30:07Z")
[Here’s some more Caillou-bashing from last year.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=653992) ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-freaking-hate-caillou/661080/28 "2013-06-17T13:51:35Z")
I tell my grandson: “Finish your chores or I’ll make you watch Caillou”. He’s 12. He finishes his chores. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-freaking-hate-caillou/661080/29 "2013-06-17T14:19:52Z")
I haven’t had to see it in years (my son is too old for it now), but I did hate it. That doesn’t make it a bad show, however. Look, I hated Barney and Dora too, but that’s not a reflection on the shows, it’s a reflection on me. I’m not a toddler. SOME cartoons and kiddie shows have subtext that adults can appreciate and enjoy. SOME of them have sly humor that will crack up adults but that toddlers won’t get at all. But then there are cartoons and kiddie shows that really are just for little kids. Barney and Dora and Caillou really are just for little kids. Caillou and Barney and Dora have no subtext for adults. An adult who tries to sit through them is likely to be bored. But if they keep 3 year olds quiet and occupied for a while, they’re doing their job. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-freaking-hate-caillou/661080/30 "2013-06-17T14:24:53Z")
I kind of liked Caillou. I was sad when my kids outgrew it. I also made up funny voiceovers to make my kids laugh though. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-freaking-hate-caillou/661080/31 "2013-06-17T14:47:45Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > But then there are cartoons and kiddie shows that really are just for little kids. Barney and Dora and Caillou really are just for little kids. Caillou and Barney and Dora have no subtext for adults. An adult who tries to sit through them is likely to be bored. But if they keep 3 year olds quiet and occupied for a while, they’re doing their job. I definitely agree with this to some extent. Barney and Dora are boring to me. I sit there while they are on, and am bored and think my own thoughts. Something about Caillou, though, puts me in _nearly a rage_ if I focus on it for too long. My reaction to that show is so strong that I put it in its own category (and I am also laughing at myself for letting a TV show get me so worked up). ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-freaking-hate-caillou/661080/32 "2013-06-17T15:29:06Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > OK - I just checked Wikipedia and clearly there is a lesson here… > > Caillou, Max & Ruby, The Berenstain Bears, Big Comfy Couch, Care Bears, The F’in DOODLEBOPS?! > The list goes on and on… > > Canadians are EVIL! I hate Caillou with a passion. Max & Ruby should have been put in protective care long ago. Who is raising those kids? I can’t agree with you on the Doodlebops. Mostly because DeeDee Doodle is f’in hot. And my inner 12 year old snickers every time I hear the name Moe. I always hated Little Bear. That show is seriously creepy. Put some damn pants on. ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-freaking-hate-caillou/661080/33 "2013-06-17T17:41:03Z")
Thankfully, my four year old has outgrown Caillou, but a year ago, she couldn’t get enough of him. Now she mostly wants to watch superhero cartoons, which is awesome. 🙂 My two year old is more of a Barney fan. I cope by imagining him snapping and eating all the children, _because he’s a freakin’ T-Rex_. ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-freaking-hate-caillou/661080/34 "2013-06-17T17:43:13Z")
> [@bup](#): > > Dora’s cool. Dora sucks. I could handle the show if Dora didn’t SCREAM ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING. “HEY…LOOK OVER THERE…DO YOU SEE SWIPER?” Yes, already, but can you ratchet the volume down about 30 notches? ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-freaking-hate-caillou/661080/35 "2013-06-17T17:50:34Z")
So I have a 2 year old, and I haven’t seen this Caillou show yet. I’ve seen Doodlebops, Busytown Mysteries, Thomas & Friends, Yo Gabba Gabba! and Sesame street plenty, and none of them really bug me very much. What is it about Caillou that’s so horrible exactly? I don’t really want to watch it, lest my son discover it’s existence and decide that it’s cool. ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-freaking-hate-caillou/661080/36 "2013-06-17T18:04:30Z")
> [@bump](#): > > What is it about Caillou that’s so horrible exactly? I don’t really want to watch it, lest my son discover it’s existence and decide that it’s cool. Caillou is a whiny pussy who teaches kids how to throw tantrums. ---
**Author:** ![Taiyoshi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b2d939/32.png) [@Taiyoshi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taiyoshi)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-freaking-hate-caillou/661080/37 "2013-06-17T18:06:55Z")
Caillou was bullshit and so were his parents, I don’t like him or his family, his sister rosie was annoying as hell, the dad would get abusive sometimes (refer to that episode where he tried to make caillou brush his teeth) but then again caillou was acting like a brat which he always is! The kid has no hair which probably would make people think he has cancer and on top of that gilbert is probably the only normal one in the family Lol I could go on and on why I hate caillou. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-freaking-hate-caillou/661080/38 "2013-06-17T18:28:45Z")
> [@bump](#): > > So I have a 2 year old, and I haven’t seen this Caillou show yet. I’ve seen Doodlebops, Busytown Mysteries, Thomas & Friends, Yo Gabba Gabba! and Sesame street plenty, and none of them really bug me very much. > > What is it about Caillou that’s so horrible exactly? I don’t really want to watch it, lest my son discover it’s existence and decide that it’s cool. The tone is weird because it’s very “toddler calm”, everyone has that vocal inflection that is supposed to be soothing to kids, but sounds psychotic to adults. There’s a narrator who frames the story throughout the episodes, and that actor takes this to an extreme. She sounds like a SNL skit spoofing a children’s show, it’s like a parody of itself. Cailllou is a whiner who bitches about everything, and is usually indulged in some stupid way by his parents and other adults. From a child development view, I totally see where they are going - Caillou experiences toddler frustrations, and the adults are sympathetic and helpful in finding age-appropriate solutions. But from the view of the parent watching the show for the umpteenth time (that would be me), he’s a whiny brat who needs a kick in the pants. And the whining is both in what the kid is saying – he’s complaining about all sorts of things – and the querulous tone of voice used by the actor, so it’s especially grating. That’s not actually ALL he does, there are plenty of examples of good behavior, but it’s the whining that overshadows everything else. This is one show that I wish I had never allowed. When asked to pick a show, my 2 yo will pick Caillou nearly every time. ---
**Author:** ![FrancisCastle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b4bc9f/32.png) [@FrancisCastle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrancisCastle)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-freaking-hate-caillou/661080/39 "2013-06-17T18:51:25Z")
I always hated Calliou too, but thankfully my little one doesn’t watch that. Instead, we get to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse a billion times in a row. The show doesn’t really get to me because I love to watch the way he interacts with it, dancing and doing all the actions along with the characters. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2013, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-freaking-hate-caillou/661080/40 "2013-06-17T18:55:17Z")
> [@lorene](#): > > Caillou is a whiny pussy who teaches kids how to throw tantrums. Nailed it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-freaking-hate-caillou/661080.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-freaking-hate-caillou/661080.md?page=3)