James Monroe Iglehart (pronounced eagle heart) has one of the most memorable songs, Silent E, in a show that I’ve been a staunch supporter of: The Electric Company. I would have paid more attention in grade school if my teacher looked like Mr. Iglehart. And, wow, this gorgeous bear can sing as well.
Luis Avalos in The Electric Company
As we age, the next generation will rely on our wisdom and guidance while they continue on with the human race. As a believer of responsible worldwide parenting, I would always approve of childhood education. In my personal opinion, learning to read is the most fundamental skill our youths need to master. Especially now, where there are literally mind-bogglingly amounts of easily-accessible information right at our fingertips.
So I’m pleased to find out that one of my influential childhood television show, The Electric Company, is now returning for the new generation of kids. The original iteration of the show had a funky Motown vibe whereas this new one is updated with hip-hop culture. It appears to be a very ambitious project where not only is the show isolated in one channel, but will also be broadcasted through the internet, schools, mobile devices, and video games. I’m not sure how this will play out but I’m definitely excited for it and wishing the program the best. I feel that The Electric Company and other shows like it did influence me greatly and probably encouraged me to be a teacher (well, ex-teacher). Not only that, such shows were also highly entertaining and did not talk down to children. I believe that its entertainment factor (the goofier the better) is also a very important ingredient when it comes to retaining information.
Well, that’s a bit of my personal thoughts on the subject of youth education. The point is, I noticed that The Electric Company 2009 — wait for it — has one cute chubby Hispanic bear in it. He appears to be the “Prankster” who manipulates robots and gadgets (the show involves 4 kids gifted with superpowers with words as they battle the neighborhood troublemakers, aka “Pranksters”). I have no clue who he is, but I’m sure a young boy or young girl will definitely later realize why they would enjoy watching this show…
Note the Nintendo Power Glove… I love this show already!
If there’s a great educational show that I could recommend to any parents out there (specifically those kids between the ages of 6 and 8), WordGirl is a complete blast. And as for the rest of you (read: all of you, lol), the animated Butcher is definitely cute looking, especially with his gruff Brooklyn accent.
And since I’m in an heightened state of aching nostalgia, check out these awesome theme songs for The Electric Company and 3-2-1 Contact…
Luis Avalos was my favorite daddy bear in the show
