I love the statistics WordPress provides on the people who read this blog (aka my new best friends). And the most fun thing to do when I want to feel like I am blogging, but don’t want to write anything, is to look at the country map on the Stats page, and see where in the world people are clicking on these pages. I like to imagine glowing screens in places like Uruguay, Estonia, Mongolia, and the Maldives, where web-savvy readers gather round to chuckle heartily at my musings on parenthood and things I watch on TV.

Or, more likely: “I searched for X and have no idea how I got here.” Here are some of the actual search terms that have brought people here:

Colorful rugs for preschool in india Can’t help you there, good luck though

Jonathan Crombie is creepy NO HE’S NOT YOU’VE OBVIOUSLY GOT THE WRONG BLOG

What happened to Bob Costas’ face? Too much Botox, I reckon

I have a crush on Gil from Bubble Guppies AGAIN, MOVE ALONG

Is Norman Fireman Sam’s son YES

Aside from a surprising number of queries as to “why do divers use such tiny towels?” – a question I posed during the Olympics (here’s the answer, in case you are one of those people who seeks this information), the number-one topic that people came to Five Uninterrupted Minutes to read about is, according to WordPress Stats: What is up with Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins’ sideburns? Yeah, that. Hilarious/poignant observations on family life? No. Facial hair on some bloke. Who won a bike race.

Guess those sideburns don’t slow him down: it’s Bradley Wiggins (Photo: Brendan A Ryan)

Bradley Wiggins has quit Twitter, probably because of twits like me that ask these inane questions [But is it really so dumb?]. So I am afraid this one will remain unanswered. Far be it from me to question a knight of the realm. The best answer I can give is to direct you to this interesting documentary about the UK Sports Personality of the Year - Bradley Wiggins: A Year in Yellow from Sky Atlantic.

So to sum up: the top country for blog readership: the USA [where I know the most people], followed by the UK [Wiggo], and right up there at number three is Australia, because apparently there are a lot of people down under who are mystified, hurt, and confused about the Wiggles breaking up. And then they end up here, to read Oh no, I accidentally broke up the Wiggles, my most-viewed blog post of the year. I never set out to write about Australian preschool music, but there you go. Come for the Wiggles information, stay for the essay I wrote about “show-shaming.” Why not?

Most people from Oz got here because of some variation on the search terms “Sam Moran fired” and “Wiggles break up.” So many that, when you Google “Wiggles break up” my essay is the fourth item that comes up. Which is good, I guess? One even came here by typing “Captain Feathersword does not look happy.” Too right.

But sorry to disappoint you, I am not the Yoko Ono of the Wiggles. I did not break them up, by accident or otherwise. But in the spirit of giving the people what they want, I will endeavor to answer some of the burning questions posed to the Google gods.

Toot toot, chugga chugga. Later, Sam.(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Why do the Wiggles sing in Greek sometimes? I have wondered that myself. Anthony Field, the last man standing of the original Wiggles line-up, has a wife of Greek descent. Opa.

Does Murray Cook have children? Many people seem to be curious about this. Yes.

Lately, I have had many people seeking news of “anthony field affair.” So maybe there is a Yoko Ono of The Wiggles after all. I can’t speak to the matter, even as a Wiggles Expert (at least according to Google search algorithms). But I can link to stuff, so you need not seek further. Click here for an article. Also, for those who can’t get enough Anthony Field: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Wiggle (via The Australian).

That last article gets extra points for having a good title. And that brings me to an important lesson I’ve learned about blogging from obsessing over WordPress stats: A good title will get you far. Oh no, I accidentally broke up the Wiggles? Lots of hits. An Ode to the Dreamcrusher, my next biggest blog post, which was also Freshly Pressed? Solid title, sweet hits. But Missing Teeth? I like to think it’s a good essay (who wouldn’t want to read about my family’s strange teeth? I mean really!), but the hits there are not quite as sweet. If anyone can think of a better title, I’d be obliged.

The other thing I’ve learned is that writing about topical, newsworthy stuff is obviously better in terms of generating an audience. I wrote a few posts about the Olympics, to good effect. August was my best month of the year for viewers. But the Olympics won’t be back for another year (Sochi 2014!). Dash it all to hell!

So I’ve got a Google news alert going on to let me know when the Wiggles drop some major news bombs. And when they do, oh, I will be there.

I’m still waiting. In the meantime, maybe I can just pepper my essays about children’s books and my strange Italian relatives with words like Super Bowl! and Justin Bieber! and see how that works.

Belieb it! (Photo credit: cukuskumir)

This blog is only nine months old. I haven’t been at it even a full year, but blogging has made writing central to my life again. And I am grateful for that. In this time, every connection I’ve made with a reader has been gratifying (My favorite comment of the year? From someone called Johnnyboy: “I’m stoned and I have no idea how I ended up here, but I like your review of Moonrise Kingdom.” Success!). Every time I hit the “Publish” button I feel good. It’s one more thing I wrote that I couldn’t write a year ago, or two years ago, when I felt so blocked. Being here has helped me start writing again after having kids, and I am proud of what I’ve accomplished so far, and excited to keep going.

Thank you WordPress! And thank you for reading! I am looking forward to Super Bowl! another year of writing Oscar Buzz! and connecting with other writers Kate Middleton! and readers Gangnam Style!

The end of an era. Introducing new Wiggles Emma, Lachlan and Simon.

It’s finally happened. Three of the four original Wiggles are hanging up there skivvies for good. Murray Cook (Red Wiggle), Jeff Fatt (Purple Wiggle) and Greg Page (Yellow Wiggle) are ready to retire and have already found their replacements. Yes, even though Greg has only been back for four months, he’s retiring again. He is apparently still plagued by health problems and the whole group has suffered fan backlash after some bad pr. Interestingly, the next person to don the yellow shirt will be the first female member of the Wiggles. Well, aside from honorary Pink Wiggle Kylie Monogue. Good luck, Emma Watkins! (Ain’t that a kick in the pants to recently dismissed Yellow Wiggle Sam Moran?) There is speculation that the negative tone set by the poorly handled dismissal of Sam has led to this result. On the other hand, Jeff is pushing 60 now; he had heart surgery last year. They’ve all been wiggling for 21 years. How much further could they go? As we witnessed ourselves in the Wiggly Circus show, their act is still physically demanding even for men half their age.

It’s just too bad they couldn’t make it work with Sam and the whole thing turned many fans sour on them. Perhaps they can overcome any ill will with some fresh faces and the brand can continue to entertain youngsters for years to come. It is going to be a harder sell now that they’ve created so much competition for themselves. Hard to believe when they started in the 90s, they were the only band targeting the toddler market. Now they may become victims of their own success. At any rate, it’s been a great journey. The retirees will continue to write and produce. Anthony Field (Blue Wiggle) will keep an eye on the new crew on tour. He’s not quite ready to stop wiggling yet.

I realize my child has outgrown his one time favorite band. But they brought joy and music into his life which he carries with him still. Here’s hoping the band can get its mojo back and carry on!

If you are on the fence about attending a concert, this will be your last chance to see the original guys before retirement. Check out the tour dates for the US.

Vintage Wiggles:

Drive on, Big Red Car. Photo by Anthony Arambula  (Wikipedia)

According to Australia’s Daily Telegraph, just a few short months after announcing Sam’s sh*tcanning and Greg Page’s triumphant return to the band, Murray, Jeff, and Greg are leaving the Wiggles. For good. The word down under is that the negative reaction to the last yellow-skivvy transfer was too much for them to bear, and they felt it was time to retire. An “insider” said, according to the Daily Telegraph: “Murray and Jeff are getting older and they’ve been thinking about this (retirement) for ages. And Greg is still a very sick man. The ill feeling towards them after Sam left really pushed them to do it. They felt ‘What’s the point in going on after all this?’, they’re all millionaires anyway so why would they? They don’t exactly need to.”

After 30 Rock sent up the Wiggles a few weeks ago, I wrote a post about the group and their machinations of late. I compared them to Oasis. And well, look now.

That “ill feeling”? That’s me! I don’t mean to take credit for the downfall of a international kiddie phenomenon, but literally dozens of readers in Australia (thank you Word Press blog stats page) read my post, and look at the result!  Didn’t think I had that much of an impact on Australian preschool band affairs. Wow. I even tweeted my post to @sammoran and he never responded. Which I take, considering my little joke about not buying his album, to mean “F*ck you,” or the Australian equivalent. Fair dinkum? Fair dinkum, indeed.

And fair dinkum to the Wiggles. Greg and Jeff have some illnesses that they clearly need to recover from. And they are all going to “spend some time with their families,” which I know is true, of course, but it’s also what you say when you’re a politician and you don’t want to say why you are really quitting your post. I wonder if we’ll ever know just how it all went down, beneath the hood of the Big Red Car.

And may I further say DID I NOT CALL IT when I said the Wiggles were all about Anthony Field? Because guess who’s the last man standing? I told you he was running the show! He’s going to continue on in the band, the undisputed leader, at the helm of three newbies in his grasp, with a back-up chorus probably made up entirely of his nieces, nephews, dentist’s roommate’s cousin, etc. And the others are going to remain at Wiggles HQ. Translation: stopping in to collect royalty checks. Maybe an occasional, impromptu jam session of “Move Your Arms Like Henry,” if the ill-will level is low. Who knows.

It is nice to see, though, that they chose a woman to wear yellow. For one, it helps disassociate the yellow skivvy from the nastiness of the recent hand-off, and for two, how refreshing to see a woman take center stage with the Wiggles while not being trapped inside a giant dinosaur suit. Though she doesn’t need that crazy hair bow they’ve given her; we know she’s a lady. Can I also add another of my own opinions, while wholesale changes are being made, Wiggles Pty Ltd.? In your future television programming, can you drop all the green-screen and CGI and go back to filming your videos in random locations all around Sydney? Like some weird little beach or the side of the road? I kind of liked that. Fair dinkum.

But OH NO this isn’t actually what I wanted! No! This isn’t how I intended to use my great blogging power! To be the Yoko Ono of the Wiggles? No no no! No more Fruit Salad! No more Wags the Dog! What about Sprout’s Wiggly Waffle (though they were pretty much phoning it in there)? Murray’s guitar?  Who’s going to wake up Jeff if he falls asleep behind the wheel of a car again? I’m sorry, children! I’m sorry, Australia! I’m sorry, children of Australia!

And what about the collateral damage? Has anyone thought of Captain Feathersword? Is he going to be OK? What’s going to happen to him? I’m sorry, Captain Feathersword! And somebody keep an eye on that overexcited Wiggly dancer from so many of the videos! Those who know, know of whom I speak. A lot of big dance moves, and (even for the Wiggles) a lot of mugging for the camera. I commend his enthusiasm, but he appeared like he was angling pretty hard for the top job when Greg left. And now that the new Wiggles have been announced, and he’s not one of them? Well, you’ve been warned, A. Field.

Are you OK, Captain Feathersword? (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As for Sam, the Daily Telegraph says, “Moran hasn’t spoken to any of his former bandmates since he was axed. He is negotiating a deal to do his own kids TV show and is expected to announce his plans any day.” Go get ‘em, Sam! Stick it to those rainbow-colored Gallagher brothers.

So good-bye, Wiggles. I don’t know if we’ll be on board for their next incarnation – the family member currently in their demographic has got it pretty bad for the Bubble Guppies (blast them!) and that’s about it. But still, I have to thank them. My older son really loved them, and I was fond of them, too. The Wiggles gave my older son a nice introduction to music, and me a few peaceful moments, when he was younger. And they’ll live forever in our DVD player; C cannot ride in a car to New York without watching Wiggle Bay at some point. I don’t know why that DVD in particular. With the barbie on the beach and the lady in the mermaid suit.

I’ll leave you with my top three Wiggles songs to remember the good ol’ days. One of them will now be stuck in your head all day. Mwah. Ha. Ha.

“Can You (Point Your Fingers and Do the Twist?)”

“Rock-a-Bye Your Bear”

“Bow Wow Wow”

Anyway, I personally have nothing against the Wiggles. They are immensely successful and I heard somewhere that at one time they were Australia’s highest paid performers. It got me thinking about the Corporate Music Machine. What would happen if the Wiggles decided to create an all-girl band. Four fresh-faced, young female entertainers in tight red, blue, yellow and purple skivvies, hands perpetually clasped into the “pointing finger gun” gesture? Bounding around the stage with a limitless zeal and boundless energy? What would be an appropriate name for them?

God help me.  I am so incredibly exhausted of watching The Wiggles on DVD that I could cry.  That being said, my 3 year old son thinks they are the absolute best.  (Once again…Lord Help Me!!)  Yes, I realize there are worse things out there.  But, my sanity is a bit tried at this point.

I do have to admit, I get a kick out of watching my son sing and dance along with all The Wiggles songs.  Hot Poppin’ Popcorn, Big Red Car, and Crocodile Wiggles are his 3 favorites at present.  I love to see my son strap on his plastic guitar and play along with all the songs.  He takes the choreography quite seriously.  But after about 5-10 back-to-back airings of The Wiggles in one day, (to be repeated every day,) it’s a bit much.

On a positive note, when my son demands me to stand up and dance along with classics such as ‘Wake Up Jeff’ or ‘Dance For The Queen of the Roses’ with Dorothy the Dinosaur, or the antics of Captain Feather-Sword, at least I can consider it some good cardio, right?  (Ever get ‘Rolling Down The Sandhill’ stuck in your head?  It isn’t a pretty sight!)

Anyone else been through this type of Wiggles obsession?  Any good advice for this Wiggled-out mom?

One trick I’ve been able to utilize is convincing my little wiggler to let me play the dvds on a portable dvd player on the end table instead of on the big tv in the living room.  Thumbs up for this idea!

All in a day’s work I suppose for a toddler mom.

~Chica Pants

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Last night’s 30 Rock skewered the Wiggles. What th–? Who th–? I say! How dare…! I feel I must defend the Wiggles as I had to defend poor Caillou. Another show that is deeply unpopular among adults, but loved by the little ones.

I have to say, as pro-Wiggle as I am, isn’t it kind of random that a popular primetime network TV show would devote an episode (or storyline in an episode) to ragging on the Wiggles? Within the kid world, they are huge, sure, both here in the U.S., and in their native Australia where they are permanent national heroes. Either Tina Fey promised her young daughter that she would work her favorite band into the show somehow, or she is so sick of hearing her daughter’s favorite band (I imagine) she decided to stick it to poor Murray, Anthony, Jeff, and Sam. Either way, I must admit it was a funny parody – making sociopaths of a sweet, pure-hearted group of children’s entertainers that personally wished my son a happy birthday at a concert at the Nassau Coliseum (except Jeff. To quote Stephen Colbert, you’re on notice, Jeff).

WAIT A SECOND!!! WAIT!!!

I just went on Wikipedia, as is my wont, to get a refresher on my Wiggles trivia to impart to all six of you, dear readers. Like verifying that they were one of the first bands to perform a live concert in New York City after the September 11 attacks, I recalled. Like banning all alcohol from their tours (booze is fine in the audience, kiddos, but not on the tour bus). What a bunch of sweethearts, right?

Then I read they sh*tcanned Sam and let Greg back in the yellow jersey! Oh, Wiggles. It’s all about the watermelons, as they say in Australia when referring to one-hundred-dollar notes.

In case you have been living under a rock for the past few years (by “under a rock,” I mean in the adult world, what with your fancy restaurants and movie-going and all), Greg Page, the original yellow-shirt-wearing lead singer of the Wiggles, left the group in 2006 due to illness. He was replaced by Sam Moran, a back-up singer for the group. It was all smiles and ceremonially turning over the yellow jersey. That’s great, but I need not remind you that Lance Armstrong, you ain’t.

Now, it’s 2012. Sam Moran is abruptly dumped (on his daughter’s second birthday, according to this article from Australia’s Daily Telegraph). Greg Page is reinstated. Allegations ensue. Here’s a couple: perhaps he had some financial difficulties (according to the Daily Telegraph: “He [Page] hit a financial setback when he lost a large part of his Wiggles fortune in a bad property development deal, and decided to return to the group.” Or maybe, there was a failed attempt at a solo career (just a guess – there was a grown-up music solo album). In 2011, the Wiggles earned $28.2 million Australian (or about $29 million American) dollars. You do the math.

Sam Moran (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Greg’s health condition, orthostatic intolerance, the cause of his leaving the group in 2006, is still present, and according to Greg in this incredibly uncomfortable television interview, “the condition is managed.”

And Anthony? Oh, Anthony. The blue Wiggle. He always appeared the most affable of the bunch. And he says, in the uncomfortable interview: “What Sam does now is Sam’s thing. His contract has come to an end,” Field said. “Sam was just doing a job. He was a hired hand … I haven’t spoken to him.” And according to this article, Anthony was the cause of a “toxic” atmosphere; he didn’t speak to Sam offstage unless he absolutely had to. Blurgh, as Liz Lemon would say. Poor Sam.

And, says the Daily Telegraph, “While it is estimated Page received a $20 million-plus payout when he left (including royalties for music rights), Moran was locked into a contract rumoured at just $200,000 a year.” And he only received $60,000 as a severance fee earlier this year. That is not that many Australian dollars. Why don’t they call them Joeys? That’s not so many Joeys.

But you could tell, even just watching the performances and the videos, that for Anthony, the Wiggles are all about Anthony (J’accuse!). It is a bit of a Field family business. His brother, Paul, is the Wiggles manager. I have seen the mug of pretty much every member of his family grinning like maniacs back at me from the screen. His wife is Greek, for example, which is great, but when they do songs in foreign languages, which is also great great great, Greek is way overrepresented. Like when they did “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” with Leo Sayer, they did half of it in Greek with Greek costumes. Random. We get your wife is Greek, Anthony. Give some of the other languages a chance. My kids have Greek ancestry but even I am looking to mix it up a bit. Or I was – we don’t watch the Wiggles so much anymore. My son has moved on, and I do feel a little maudlin sometimes when I hear “Rock-a-Bye Your Bear.”

Look, I know that the Wiggles are not running a charity, blithely recording music to entertain my toddler so that he’s happy when we’re in traffic on the Hutch. Of course it’s a business, a big one. And never mind the merchandising: they know jerks like me will write to Oz to get a Wiggles tablecloth for my son’s birthday party. But just like I naively extra-admire celebrities that stay out of the gossip magazines, I wanted to believe in the Wiggles. That they were among the good guys. That they were doing it out of love for children and music, and all of the fame and money was just a bonus. Well, that’s just dumb. (But do you notice that Murray Cook, the red Wiggle, is absent from these interviews and articles, at least the ones I’ve read? I like to think he has it a bit more together than the others — maybe that’s because he gave C the biggest happy birthday wish. C probably didn’t care too much, but I was psyched, and impressed.)

I can understand wanting the original yellow Wiggle back in the band, and Greg is great as a performer, but why be so hard on Sam Moran? When Greg retired, the Wiggles decided to keep the band going — presumably for the incredible amount of money — so they took on a “hired hand.” He did his job well; to the fans, Sam was a true Wiggle. Why treat him with so little respect?

I am fond of the Wiggles – I think so many of their songs are good; I appreciate their simplicity, and the warmth with which they address their young audience. I like how they keep old nursery rhymes and children’s songs alive, and it was fun to get a little glimpse of Australia through their show (did you know Australians call bell peppers capsicum?) But it’s not a good feeling to watch their discord and greed laid bare like they were Oasis or something. They seem to have been taken back by the attention this has generated, but they shouldn’t be. It’s pretty hard to hide that level of acrimoniousness. So good luck, Sam! Maybe I’ll buy your album. No, probably not – I’ve already thought way too much about this. Oh, now I feel bad. Maybe I will.

The Wiggles in concert - Wiggly Circus Tour

My son’s first musical inspiration was the Wiggles. He’s outgrown them now but for the joy that they brought him, both live and through their dvds, they have been beloved by me. Until now. What? Trouble in Wiggle land? Yes! Can you believe it?  

The band’s charm was based on the belief that they were solid buddies who set a great example of how friends should act towards each other. Our toddlers (and I!) loved to know that these four great guys truly did care about each other and that they had each other’s backs no matter what. Their world was rocked 5 years ago when lead singer and original founder Greg Page had to quit due to a medical condition which prevented him from doing the strenuous physical part of the shows. Yet they continued on and seemingly welcomed a newer, younger Yellow Wiggle named Sam. With the the group’s encouragement, fans readily accepted the replacement and a whole new group of little ones grew up knowing only Sam as the wearer of the yellow skivvy. Even older fans grew to love him for his beautiful voice and dance moves. If you’ve seen the Wiggles lately, you know that they are starting to age rather quickly and doesn’t it make sense to phase in a more youthful crew?

Well, apparently now Greg has decided he’s well enough to return to the group (Could this have to do with the huge financial losses he’s reportedly had after some bad real estate investments? We’re talking millions. Ouch). Naturally fans welcomed him back with open arms. Who doesn’t love the big, bushy-browed, man boy who lead the group in becoming one of Australia’s top exports? He wrote the songs and put in his time. Let’s just have 5 Wiggles on the team and everyone is happy, right?

Who knew they weren't really friends?

Sam Moran - We'll always have the Shimmy Shake!

Okay, here’s where they lost me (along with plenty of irate fans). The guys gave a really bad interview on the Today Show Australia that just completely popped their bubble of niceness. It showed their true colors may not be as bright as the shirts they wear and it was disappointing to say the least. The Blue Wiggle (Anthony Field has particularly upset the fan base with his seemingly insensitive remarks) coldly explains that Sam is being dumped because he was always “just an employee”. He doesn’t disagree with the host who calls Sam a “hired hand” if you will and not a true Wiggle. There can only be 4 guys in the group because “the energy is right”. It’s just business, you understand, the contract was up. Forget about the interests of their preschool audience, they can just get used to the change. In fact, at press time, he had not even bothered to talk to the guy who helped them keep that business thriving all these years. No big send off, no good-bye to the fans. Just a “Greg’s the Yellow guy now, here’s a check” and there’s the door. Not even delivered by the band mates. What the hell?????  To add insult to injury, the check was quite small considering the grueling schedule that poor Sam endured for 9 years (he started as a back up dancer) and the fact that the group pulled in 28 million last year alone. 

For his part, dear Sam Moran has been stellar in his response. No bad mouthing, no bad press. Who knows what goes on behind the scenes but he’s at least keeping the good guy persona and has been very gracious about the whole ordeal. Go, Sam, we wish you well! By the way, Sam fans hold on to that merchandise with his face on it, they may become collector’s items.

The Wiggles won’t live forever so now it seems they’ll have to work on their public image a bit and come to their senses about accepting and training some replacements (or calling it quits altogether). Good luck, guys.

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My relationship with The Wiggles was a long one beginning at  Selina’s, Coogee Bay Hotel in the late 80′s – they were the Cockroaches back then and it wasn’t the pre-school set bopping out.

Fast forward a decade and it’s another late night with the boys – this time it’s a non-sleeping child that will only stop screaming when I put the Wiggles video on. This was a behaviour that continued for months – waking up at 2 am screaming for The Wiggles. (Do not lecture me on reinforcing bad behaviour and making a rod for my own back – I was a sleep deprived, first time mum with an absent husband – nothing I did was rational). Even now, all these years later the opening bars of Fruit Salad can bring me out in a nervous rash.

I comforted myself with the fact at least Anthony was still cute, although perhaps not as sexy now his moves revolved around that whole fast finger shaking thing.

I shelled out for tickets to a concert in Brisbane once, Hippie Child proceeded to the mosh pit and fell asleep in front of a gigantic speaker. Obviously the conditioning from all those mid-dawn video sessions had kicked in.

Now what have the boys done to get themselves into trouble? Well five years ago original Yellow Wiggle, Greg Page, had to leave the group due to illness. Back-up singer, Sam Moran, got the gig of his life when he was handed the yellow skivvy (see there was the first mistake – they should have given him his own colour – but that would have really screwed up the marketing stuff that was already printed). Now Greg’s better and is reclaiming the skivvy. Trouble is nobody warned Sam about this, he apparently only found out when he was called to a meeting and handed his redundancy cheque (rumoured to be $60,000).

Obviously The Wiggles are used to very happy, clappy interviews, come on, a few jokes, a wave to all the kiddies at home, sing a song and off they go.

It all went horribly wrong yesterday on The Today Show.

I suppose it’s hard to be prepared for crisis PR when you don’t know you’ve got a crisis.

The band is  glad to have their buddy back and it’s a case of Sam who?

See it doesn’t go with the image guys. We thought friendships mattered in Wiggle World. Kids are taught to care about the people in their lives it didn’t seem like you cared about Sam.

Now I don’t like to criticise because you were such a part of my family for a long time, an endless loop of time actually, replayed over and over again to the point our videos literally wore out. I know you are nice guys. But given the money you’ve made out of being the Wiggles couldn’t you have offered Sam an alternative – help him record a solo album – get him a gig on a TV show. Something that didn’t sound like you just weren’t his friend any more?

The Wiggles in concert.

The first time I saw the Wiggles was on a Christmas DVD my sister gave my son that featured some of their older footage (they’ve been around since about 1990). This children’s band is composed of four rather tall guys from Australia in brightly colored shirts (plus kooky friends like an octopus on land and a “friendly” pirate) who sing and dance. I saw low budget staging and overly simple costumes. “Where’s the appeal in this?” I thought. I was not impressed. But Rocky, then 2, loved them at first sight and before long I was listening to their music (it’s good) and doing the simple dances with him. Yes, I admit I was charmed. They have lots of DVDs and some are better than others so it was worth pursuing. Turns out they are former preschool teachers and actual musicians who developed a very savvy way to entertain a long neglected demographic – toddlers and preschoolers.  The catchy tunes, the simple choreography and the smiling faces – once you let them into your home, they are hard to resist.

Wiggly drumline.

We thought their videos were entertaining but then we took it to the next level and attended a Wiggly concert last year. It was a magical experience for the children and I found myself wishing I had access to such shows when I was a child. It’s like having your idols jump out of the television. As a parent, it is just so much fun watching the kid’s react to a show geared just for them.

This August we attended our second Wiggles concert, this one titled “Wiggly Circus Live!”. These guys did not disappoint. The Wiggles – Sam Moran, Jeff Fatt, Anthony Field, and Murray Cook – plus their handy side-kicks and dance crew, put their heart and soul into the show. Yes, the staging is minimal and the costumes still simple but this is the formula that has led them to success. In fact, they have been one of Australia’s leading exports and have been listed among that country’s top paid earners for years. And earn it, they do. They work very hard to put on a great show, traveling to many countries doing up to 200 performances a year. This in addition to doing a tv show, creating new DVDs every year, and writing new songs. They love what they do and it shows. What makes them different is that they don’t just stand there and sing. They play instruments, they do stunts, and they interact with the audience and poke fun at themselves. They even walk up and down the aisles, making them accessible to every child in the concert hall. We went with friends and our children made signs so the kids were especially delighted when Murray Wiggle read aloud every sign in the room. Another highlight was when all the lights were dimmed during a performance of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”. The kids waved their flashing toy souvenirs and the parents used their cell phone lights to light up the darkness with “stars”. Just like a big kid concert!

Sam Wiggle

The Wiggles exude joy and it is contagious. There is no lip syncing. Even more impressive is that they are doing such a physical show even though two members are in their 50s. They really are staying fit.

If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend taking your young child to a Wiggly concert. Check out the Wiggles website to find out when/where they’ll be next. If you simply cannot afford it or they aren’t performing in your area, you can buy or rent DVDs of their concerts. It’s the next best thing. Get ready to Wiggle everybody!

***The Gen X Moms are no longer writing as a group (too many scheduling conflicts) but you can continue reading about my adventures with Rocky on my new blog at:

http://www.jedismama.com

Last night, I took my wife and two kids to see the fab four from down under…The Wiggles!

We bought the tickets a few months ago and waited until 30 minutes before the show to tell them where we were going. The look on their faces when we finally told them was worth the price of admission. I have never seen them so excited.

We arrived at the HP Pavillion about 25 minutes before the show, which was plenty of time for us to drop $45 on a program (needed the set list) a shirt, a CD and some stickers. We made our way to section 109 which were the perfect seats for us. We had a great view of the stage and were just high enough that no one was obstructing the view.

The Wiggles came on stage about 6:40 and opened up with one of my kids favorite tunes, the Big Red Car. They came out and my kids eyes lit up like it was Christmas morning! I was nervous at first because although my daughter went last year, my son hadn’t and I thought that the noise might be too much for him. My fears went away when he stood up and started dancing to Rock-A-Bye Your Bear

The Wiggles always do a great job performing for the kids. But, its overlooked what a good job they do for the parents as well. This is no Barney show. This show is actually entertaining.

Following the above mentioned songs, the Wiggles set list included songs such as: You Make Me Feel Like Dancing, Follow the Leader, Getting Strong, Quack Quack Quack Cock A Doodle Doo, Old Dan Tucker, Monkey Man, Fruit Salad, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and the crowd favorite Hot Potato. I’ll admit, the only downer of the night was that they didn’t play Shimmie Shake (a Beatles tribute). This is my kids favorite song, and it was listed on the set list, but we do understand that the set list is subject to change. Next time, please play it

My daughters favorite moment of the night had to come when she was able to hand her rose, who she brought for Dorothy the Dinosaur, to one of the Wiggily dancers. She was so excited and was glowing the whole time after. My son liked when Captain Feathersword came out and danced and did his usual routine but he also loved when Yellow Wiggle Sam Moran came up to our section and stood right next to him. It was very cute!

The Wiggles perform many, many shows each year around the world, but they always seem to enjoy what they do. I truly believe that they have a love for their jobs and a love for their fans, especially the children. I recommend seeing them in concert with your children if you ever get the chance. The show is not silly, kids stuff. You will see a great mix of singing, dancing, acrobatics and gymnastics. You’ll have a great time which is well worth the price of the ticket.

Thanks Wiggles for making my kids trip to the show a great time! We’ll look forward to seeing you again next time.

My younger daughter, age 2, just received The Wiggles: Getting Strong as a Christmas present.  This is the first Wiggles release featuring Sam Wiggle wearing the yellow shirt.  I must admit that it was kind of an adjustment; I mean for the past five years we’ve been watching and listening through videos, cds, and television episodes as Greg led the  Australian quartet.  My two-year-old, though, accepted Sam with open arms.  Now she will even tell me that she wants to watch Sam Wiggle when I try to put on a recorded television episode of the Wiggles with Greg in it.

I must admit that the addition of Sam has also caught my older daughter’s attention again, who at age five thinks that she is too grown up for baby stuff like the Wiggles.  (She has generously donated all of her old Wiggles things to her little sister.)   First of all, she has realized that Sam was an extra and sometimes special guest on old videos and episodes.  Now when her little sister watches the Wiggles, my older daughter plays Where’s Waldo? looking for Sam in the background.  Secondly, the Wiggles are starting to enter some new educational territory dealing with letters, phonics, and early reading skills.  I don’t know if this is inspired by Sam or just a coincidence that his first video included segments on reading the same three-letter words that my five-year-old is working on.

We will always hold a warm spot in our hearts for Greg, and we hope that he is enjoying this time with his family and that his retirement leads to improvements in his overall health.  And I dread the day that we hear that the Wiggles will be no more (they’re not getting any younger).  They have brought a lot of fun, learning, and dancing into our lives.  So we thank Sam Moran for filling in the yellow shirt, and we look forward to seeing what else the Wiggles have to offer.  With another baby on the way, I think that the Wiggles will have a place in our home for the next five to seven years.

Here’s the setlist of the Meadowlands show…
Here Come The Wiggles
Rock-a-Bye Your Bear
Joanie
Look Both Ways
Eensy Weensy Spider
Here Comes A Bear
Captain Feathersword Ring a Ding Ding
Getting Strong (Running on the Spot?)
Hey Hey Hey, We’re All Pirate Dancing
Ooh It’s Captain Feathersword
Romp Bomp A Stomp
We’re Dancing with Wags the Dog
Move Your Arms Like Henry
Mary Had a Little Lamb
Stairway To Heaven Riff (hilarious, to keep the adults awake)
Play Your Guitar Like Murray
Robin Red Breast/English Country Garden
Ring a Round the Rosie
Can You Point Your Finger And Do The Twist?
Teddybear’s Big Day Out
Fruit Salad
Balleirina, Ballerina
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Captain Feathersword Fell Asleep on his Pirate Ship (Quack Quack)
Hot Potato
Toot Toot Chugga Chugga Big Red Car