Teletubbies
Teletubbies: The Album
Kid Rhino
People are quick to quick to negate or embrace Teletubbies based on its “weirdness.” With its abstract and simplistic qualities, it’s easy to see a lot of things in Teletubbies. The show is an empty vessel into which almost anyone who watches it can invest their imagination. The fact so many people see Teletubbies as “weird” and are not recognizing an inherent innocence is a sad statement about society as a whole. Fringe groups attempt to politicize Teletubbies as making a statement about sexuality or race. Others see the Teletubbies as something to “trip out” to. (Unfortunately, Teletubbies’ promoters don’t shy away from these aspects.) Why do so many people complicate and corrupt something that could be so doggone pure? Why can’t we simply appreciate things for their simplicity? All I know is that when I watch Teletubbies, in any state of mind, it brings an easy smile to my face. I can’t say the same about most television these days. Teletubbies reflect an amount of thought and imagination absent in most television. Ironically, it is the majority of adult programming which is pretty formulated: sexual and violent payoffs with the occasional sitcom chuckle. Teletubbies may actually be weird, but for the age bracket it is designed for, all television is weird. The difference being that Teletubbies is a tad more comprehensible, and a lot less reprehensible.
The album itself is what Teletubbies fans would expect. The music is as abstract and simple as the visuals and storylines themselves. The trademark banjo, tuba, and “rat-a-tat” snare weaving in and out of calliope-like keyboard tracks, and occasional interactions between the narrator and the Teletubbies themselves. Signature songs “Teletubbies say ‘Eh-oh!” and “Lullaby” highlight what could be a welcome sound to the ears of kids trapped somewhere in all of us. “Eh-frickin’-oh!!!!” Rhino Records, 10635 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025; http://www.rhino.com
