Should They Watch It? - Ep. 52: T.O.T.S.

Ep. 52: T.O.T.S.

08/02/22 • 44 min

T.O.T.S., short for Tiny Ones Transport Service, is a Disney Plus computer animated series about Pip the Penguin and Freddy the Flamingo, the organization’s very first non-stork birds tasked to deliver baby animals to their new families. TV-Y

The Positives
The show is well-written entertainment for kids.

Messages of the importance of inclusion and the benefits of diversity.

Representation of diverse family structures.

Teaches problem solving, teamwork, and perserverance.

Fluffy or Educational?
The show is fluffy for the most part, but includes social-emotional messages. They also throw in the occasional animal fact, but it’s usually the obvious (e.g., cheetahs are fast).

Potentially Problematic
Stork storyline could lead more inquisitive minds to ask questions about the birds and the bees, so come prepared for a response that works for your family.

Will parents like it?
Yes. It’s cute and fun to watch with your kids and it’s not chronological, so it’s easy to jump right into.

Should They Watch It?
Laura: Absolutely

Kara: Yes

Side Conversations
The hosts (Laura mostly) were all over the place this week, so strap in, listeners!

Coffee is not getting Laura over the energy hump today. Kara reveals that she drinks the green tea leaf drink matcha instead of regular caffeinated coffee because coffee makers her jittery. Laura’s brother has been pushing butter coffee on her since after seeing Jeff Bridges drinking it on the show “The Old Man.”

Remember 2003 American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken? Clay Aiken’s rabid fans, “The Claymates,” attacked Kara after a photo of her and Clay turned up online after she interviewed him. The jealous Claymates nicknamed Kara “Peach Perky Boobs,” because she was wearing a peach shirt in the photo and harassed her.

Fun fact: in many cultures at different times in history, storks have had positive associations with fertility and reproduction. Everywhere from Greece to ancient Egypt to Europe.

Kara and Laura are looking to crowdsource a name for their listeners. If you have any suggestions, please contact us at [email protected] or let us know on instagram.

Daytime Emmy nomination or not, are these birds being exploited? Child labor violations! Is their pay equivalent to the quality of their work?

Laura attempts to include Vanessa Williams lyrics into the show whenever she can, which has Kara rolling her eyes.

UP NEXT WEEK
Ducktales!

Kara and Laura are looking to crowdsource a name for their listeners. If you have any suggestions, please contact us at [email protected] or let us know on instagram.

The Positives
The show is well-written entertainment for kids.

Messages of the importance of inclusion and the benefits of diversity.

Representation of diverse family structures.

Teaches problem solving, teamwork, and perserverance.

Potentially Problematic
Stork storyline could lead more inquisitive minds to ask questions about the birds and the bees, so come prepared for a response that works for your family.

Will parents like it?
Yes. It’s cute and fun to watch with your kids and it’s not chronological, so it’s easy to jump right into.

Should They Watch It?
Laura: Absolutely

Kara: Yes

Side Conversations
The hosts (Laura mostly) were all over the place this week, so strap in, listeners!

Fun fact: in many cultures at different times in history, storks have had positive associations with fertility and reproduction. Everywhere from Greece to ancient Egypt to Europe.

Kara and Laura are looking to crowdsource a name for their listeners. If you have any suggestions, please contact us at [email protected] or let us know on instagram.

Daytime Emmy nomination or not, are these birds being exploited? Child labor violations! Is their pay equivalent to the quality of their work?

Laura attempts to include Vanessa Williams lyrics into the show whenever she can, which has Kara rolling her eyes.

UP NEXT WEEK
Ducktales!

Kara and Laura are looking to crowdsource a name for their listeners. If you have any suggestions, please contact us at [email protected] or let us know on instagram.

Previous Episode

Ep. 51: Sea of Love

Netflix’s brand new Sea of Love is a colorful new animated series about a group of adventurous sea friends. TV-Y

The Positives
Netflix is embracing diversity among their creative collaborations, as Sea of Love is the first Thai pre-school animated series created by two Thai moms.

Teamwork and friendship are at the forefront of this show, making these characters positive role models for young children. The show teaches important messages, like how to give your friends space or “alone time” when they ask for it.

Bruda the Whale likes to cook, which invites children to become curious about the food on their plates.

Fluffy or Educational
The show strives to be Educational-ish, but there’s room to strengthen these goals. Because of the pace of the show, we got a bit of a PBS vibe.

Potentially Problematic
There’s a couple instances of lying from the kids, but it is eventually resolved at the end of the show.

The accents on some ‌animals could affect your child’s speech if they are in the very early stages of speaking or have a speech delay (think Peppa Pig).

The teachers and parents never seem to get upset, even in moments when you’d expect them to.

Will parents like it?
Laura: No

Kara: With some yoga, yes!

Should They Watch It?
Kara: Yes

Laura: Meh...it won’t hurt, but there are better shows out there.

Side Conversations
After “mining” for “gold” on a recent vacation, Kara’s son Michael has is hungry for riches, making for an interesting birthday wishlist. With the cost of gold being outrageous, Kara buys him a faux gold bar. The hosts then scheme over other potential gifts Michael, including faux jewelry, faux fur and who knows what else.

Laura and Kara discuss the Emmy-winning drama (and definitely-not-for-kids series) Euphoria, and they both love it. They discuss the show’s depiction of family trauma and addiction, which struck a chord with viewers as being very relatable, though scary to imagine for parents of young children. Who else out there is watching this?

If you enjoyed this podcast, show us your appreciation with a five star review on your favorite platform and check us out on Instagram. Thanks for listening to Should They Watch It!

Next Episode

Ep. 53: DuckTales (Woo-oo!)

DuckTales
The new iteration of DuckTales tracks the globetrotting adventures of Scrooge McDuck and his nephews Huey, Dewey, Louie and granddaughter, Webby. Donald Duck, Launchpad McQuack, and Mrs Beakley also make their returns to round out this this star-studded and entertaining cast. Also to return? Hijinks! But the plot is much more substantial.

Did they Sing It?
Kara has never been more excited to sing a theme song and the ladies sang over half of this one. If you’ve never seen this DuckTales theme animal mashup by Insane Cherry, please watch.

The Positives
Talented voice acting cast and a witty, well-written show. The best-written and funniest show we’ve watched so far.

The female character Webby, voiced by Kate Micucci, becomes a much more substantial and contributing character this time around. The hosts discuss Hollywood’s penchant for “Manic Pixie Dream Girl” tropes or token characters like Chip N’ Dale’s Gadget, and why Webby defies these stereotypes to become one of the most interesting characters on the show.

Scrooge’s character is much more lovable and adventurous, while still maintaining the grumpy, opulent traits that make him the iconic feathered friend he is today.

The boys have very distinct personalities, as compared to the original where viewers could only distinguish them by their t-shirt colors.

Nostalgia! If you are a fan of the original DuckTales, you can rest assured that this version will not only entertain you with a combination of reminiscence and refreshment, but it’s also a show you can enjoy with your children.

Fluffy or Educational
Fluffy as a duck feather, but very fun for adults and kids.

Potentially Problematic
Some cultural references are for adult audiences and could fly over your children’s heads, like the show’s reconceptualization of the headless horse/man.

Our trio of adventurous youth are not what you would call role models. Therefore, expect to see defiant behavior, lying, sneaking out, and pretty much unsupervised. Given what we know about a child’s inclination to mimic defiant behavior, the fact that it’s cartoon animals doing on pretty extravagant (beyond realistic belief) adventures, we think it’s unlikely to cause issues, and concerned parents could just have a conversation with kiddos about what is and isn’t appropriate behavior. Caillou on the other hand....

Will parents like it?
Kara: Yes

Laura: Yes

Both ladies loved the nostalgia and laughed like crazy. The writers clearly targeted the parents when writing the show with some pop culture references and throwbacks to the original, which is appreciated.

Should They Watch It?
Kara: Yes

Laura: Yes

Side Conversations
TV has changed significantly with binging becoming the norm. Block programming and delayed gratification that came with TGIF, after school shows, and Saturday morning cartoons is all but gone.

Kara and Laura discuss workplace inequality after Kara experiences a blatant career opportunity oversight because of her gender. Kara, a 25-year voice acting veteran, points to examples of how gender inequality has impacted her industry. Laura and Kara discuss examples of misogyny in the entertainment industry and the ladies agree that Kara should make some phone calls to address the issue.

We are happy to see more female roles, more diverse roles, and truer to the part casting. We loved to see Nope star Keke Palmer