Really Bad Children's TV from Hamas

Matt pointed me to this clip (thanks also to Dave Weigel and Andrew Sullivan) from a Palestinian "children's" TV show that uses a Mickey-Mouse-like character to indoctrinate children in Islamist extremism. Creepy stuff. But what I couldn't get over watching the clip was how developmentally inappropriate and, frankly, boring the show is. I can't imagine any child I know sitting through this crap. (Based on the color scheme, Mickey-Mouse kock-off, and the age of the little girl co-host, I assume this is targeted at preschool age kids, the same age that Sesame Street is intended for.)

Sure, there's a Mickey Mouse-like figure and a little girl, but they're not doing anything to actually engage or interest the kids. The show's structured like a bad adult talk show (down to the call-ins, which I think would confuse a lot of preschoolers). And, if the English traslation is any guide, the vocabulary and syntax hasn't been adjusted to children's development and comprehension level. Even the songs are dirge-like and incredibly dull. Contrast to good children's programming. In short, this isn't just scary indoctrination, it's terrible children's TV and, as a result, probably not as effective as indoctrination as if it were more developmentally appropriate.

Seems like there's some work to be done on the "hearts and minds" front by offering more appropriate and engaging, non-indoctrinating children's entertainment content to parents in the Middle East. USAID has already funded an Arabic-language Sesame Street, Alam Simsim, in Egypt. More of that might be beneficial. Or perhaps President Bush, having endorsed Baby Einstein in the 2007 SOTU, could persuade the Walt Disney Company to ship a few tons of Baby Einstein CDs and DVDs to the Middle East. The company's developmental claims are wack, but damned if the kids don't eat that stuff up. If the young mothers I know are any judge, we'd at least have some mothers there grateful for something to entertain their children better than this garbage.

UPDATE: I missed the fact that there is a Palestinian Sesame Street, as well, Hikayat Simsim. You can see the full list of international Sesame Street programs, including programs in Israel and Jordan, here.