Saturday, June 12

Big and Small Inspirations

Big and Small is one of the few children's programs where I think I might like the characters more than my child does. Big is one of those very zen-like bearish creatures who likes to take life slow and think things through while Small is some kind of biped orange rat who appears to be on high on life. Or meth. Take your pick.

They are a more tolerant Odd Couple for a wee generation who probably will never know the names Felix Ungar or Oscar Madison. Wow. That's sad that these kids probably won't know that classic show that peppered my childhood tv diet. A diet that also included liberal doses of Gilligan's Island, Three's Company, and Alf. Syndication: it's a good thing. Oh great. Now I have the Odd Couple theme song stuck in my head.

Anyway. We bought the first five episodes of Big and Small on DVD recently (the first season if you will) and sat down to watch it together. Obviously I discovered something jarring while watching the very first episode of the show otherwise I wouldn't be writing this post (or would I? Perhaps my intention is to bore you all to death. Mwhahahahahahahaha.)


Anyway.

During the very first episode of the show I couldn't help but find it totally freaky that Small, who did not even know Big, just turned up on Big's doorstep one day with suitcase, stuffed giraffe, and a u-haul full of other stuff in hand, and just the moved the f*** in under the guise 'didn't you get my postcard?' -- a postcard he admittedly NEVER SENT.

Now just to back track a little, in the beginning of the episode Big exclaims that something is missing from his home in this totally angsty way that lets you know that what's missing is probably something more philosophical than physical missing from his life but hey, the intended audience doesn't really care. So. Out of the blue comes this Small character who totally encroaches on Big, thrusting himself into his life, and then somehow convinces Big that he is what was *missing* from Big's life.

Holy crow. Small is by all appearances a grifting con man of epic proportions. WHO KNEW? Wow. I cannot wait to see how the writers and producers end this season. Will Big be taken for everything he's worked so hard to get? Will Small's dark side be revealed? I wanna know.

Now in addition to this totally weird story line that is reminiscent of Pacific Heights (not really but if it was Small would be Michael Keaton and Big would be Melanie Griffith), there is an episode where Big builds Small his own door so he can have more independence around a house that was obviously built for bigger creatures.

So while Big is testing the new small door out, he gets his head stuck in the frame. While watching this (and trying to figure out if Small would use this opportunity to rob Big blind and kill him for the insurance while Big was totally incapacitated) I blurted out to my daughter that I once got my head stuck in a fence.

She was totally fascinated. I hadn't really meant to tell her that story but it just came out so I decided to stop right there. Of course she asked me questions.

How did you get your head out mom?

I stayed calm, held down my ears by putting my arms through other parts of the fence, and slowly removed my head without a scratch or hurting myself.

Where did this happen mom?

Um. In London. At Buckhingham Palace.

I stopped the story there in hopes that she would go back to watching her show. Which she did. After a few minutes, Small helped Big out of his bind with some butter (I think Small was making himself a hero so Big would feel his loyalty and trust - DON'T BELIEVE IT BIG, DON'T BELIEVE IT FOR A MINUTE) and the episode ended.

This is when my daughter turned around and said 'Momma, were you big or small when you got your head stuck in that fence?'

I paused, coughed, and quickly said 'Big' and left the room.

She doesn't need to know I was thirty when that happened does she? For the record, the fences around that place really look a lot bigger than they really are. Liz should really put up a sign or something.

4 comments:

MARY G said...

Laughing about the fence thing. Sorry, but it is funny. It will be even funnier when the daughter blurts out, at just the wrong moment, 'My mommy got her head stuck in a fence once!'
As mine did, about one of my worst moments.

Kyla said...

At least she'll know how to get her head out when she does the same one of these days!

Jenna said...

Love the new blog layout. When I was younger I saw a kid get their head stuck between a fence at an aquarium. Pretty freaky when you're stuck up against a huge aquarium tank with sharks swimming on the other side of the glass.

Heather said...

I have never gotten my head stuck in a fence, but then again I have never been to Buckhingham Palace...so I am sure that if I had we would be trading head trapped stories next time we are together.