Life in cartoon motion
While it may be common to attribute recent pop culture phenomena to the tween population, it really hasn’t occurred to us to suckle from the teat — so to speak — of an even younger demographic when it comes to trends. Until now, that is. Who knew that, apart from a penchant for toy trains and my foil-tinted shades, my two-year-old nephew would be onto something that might just redefine today’s cross-generational entertainment? Yup, like lots of other crayon-wielding rugrats, he is absolutely bananas for Nick Jr.’s Yo Gabba Gabba!. Because of that, I’ve sorta become hooked on it, too.
Created by Scott Schultz and Christian Jacobs for preschoolers between two and six years old, Yo Gabba Gabba! is 24 minutes of live-action singing and dancing spliced in with totally tripped-out animation. With a very 21st-century approach to molding young minds, the show takes place in a brightly hued fantasy world populated by alien-like creatures that come to life when the host, DJ Lance Rock, utters the magic words “Yo Gabba Gabba!”
There’s Foofa, the cute pink flower monster; Toodee, the blue cat-dragon; Muno, the tall red cyclops; Brobee, the shaggy green alien; and Plex, the low-tech-looking yellow robot. Imagine Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. through a pair of Kanye West’s shutter shades and you’ve got the primary-colored cast.
Bands, Lessons, Beats
Schultz and Jacobs have described YGG! as “life lessons with a beat” and, boy, they weren’t kidding! Aside from teaching the usual things like colors and manners — eating vegetables, making your bed, and not biting your friends! — the Daytime Emmy-nominated program also shows children more millennial skills, like how to beatbox. (Toddlers, after all, can produce the same sounds Justin Timberlake makes with considerably less prodding.) And get this: the semi-regular segment Biz’s Beat of the Day is hosted by the resurrected late ‘80s rapper Biz Markie (Just A Friend).
That said, the Biz is but one among the dozens of celebrity entertainers that have already graced the frenzied Yo Gabba Gabba! universe. Tony Hawk, Elijah Wood and Sean Kingston have all made cameos in “Dancey Dance.” Indie faves The Shins, Trembling Blue Stars, Cornelius and Tahiti 80 have likewise performed. Aside from looking like a Cassette Playa runway presentation, YGG! draws on the eclectic skills of its musical guests and collaborators to present songs that are not only in tune — and in time — with fleeting attention spans but cut across different genres as well. So far, the hodgepodge of original tuneage has touches of everything from hip-hop and electronica to even reggae and new wave. The lyrics, of course, are always easy to understand and give off an upbeat, throwback vibe.
Contact High
Don’t look now, but Yo Gabba Gabba!’s unique blend of endearing characters, music heroes, and wholesome absurdity has also given grownups a contact high. “An older demographic — college students and many parents of preschoolers — has become just as, if not more, obsessed with Yo Gabba Gabba! as the toddlers who the show is aimed at,” ABCNews.com says.
“It makes sense that college-age kids would take interest in watching because there is a strong pop culture element to this show, and because we have popular bands that college-age students like on the show,” one of the show’s masterminds, Christian Jacobs, told the site.
It becomes more interesting, however, when the article specifies the unusual fanbase. “And while many older fans of the show said they like it just for the music and quirky characters, others said the show was even better when combined with another popular pastime of some 20-somethings: smoking marijuana.
“Both show co-creators said they’re happy the show has attracted older audience members — Schultz thinks it’s ‘awesome’ — but they didn’t comment specifically on those who get high to watch.”
Hip Gibberish
If you look closely, most (if not all) children’s shows seem to have been conceived during a random acid trip — The Teletubbies, SpongeBob SquarePants, even The Muppets. What increases YGG’s potential for greatness, at least among more mature audiences, is that its timing is perfect. Yo Gabba Gabba! is right in the middle of a confluence involving Internet culture and alt-indie programming.
“Since its 2007 premiere, the show, produced by animating company W!ldbrain, has been seen by more than 21 million viewers and streamed more than 25 million times online, according to Nickelodeon’s estimates. YouTube clips have been viewed more than two million times, and the show is in the process of developing merchandise bearing the characters’ likeness for both younger and older audience members. This audience presumably isn’t toddlers or their parents, but those 20-somethings who live on the Internet,” concludes ABCNews.com.
For a show with a title inspired by baby gibberish, YGG! seems to be doing something right. (Time magazine named it one of last year’s top 10 new television series.) Beneath the crazy colors and loopy musical skits, Yo Gabba Gabba! is about being a kid again and embracing life’s idiosyncrasies without being overly judgmental. In other words, it’s fun.
