Time for #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales! Today I'll be livetweeting VeggieTales "Madame Blueberry" (1998) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R-0FfbLXmw …—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
If you like to talk to tomatoes...—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
#PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales
We open up with Bob on the counter. Seems like Larry is driving a car around him? #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
Larry is super excited about his new car #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
"Well there's just one more thing I need to be really happy." He needs the camper that goes with the car. #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
He lists a few other accessories that he needs before he can be happy. Bob points out that it will never end. #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
lololol the French peas #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
Okay we are starting the story of Madame Blueberry #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
youuuu guysssss look how trees were animated in 1998 #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales pic.twitter.com/R5HMj5u1SC—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
Madame Blueberry lives in a tree house. Bob & Larry are her butlers. #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
"I'm so blue-ue-ue, blue-ue-ue, blue-ue-ue-ueeeee, I'm so blue I don't know what to do" #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
All Madame Blueberry does it cry about how she's so blue, seems like it's because she wants new stuff, her dishes are too old #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
she wants nice dishes & spoons & a crock pot like her neighbors #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
wowwww i have Some Opinions about this. #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
Every day Madame Blueberry cries about the thing she wishes she had #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
Oooh looks like they're building a new Wal-Mart outside Madame Blueberry's house #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
It's the Stuff Mart #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
Oooooh 3 salesmen from the Stuff Mart #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
"And as associates of the Stuff Mart, it looks like you could use some stuff" #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
Yayyyy the Stuff Mart rap #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
OR A DEHYDRATED STRUDEL OR A NOSERING FOR YOUR POODLE #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
OR SOME FLIPPERS TO GO SCUBA #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
OR A SOLAR TURKEY CHOPPER #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
"So... if I buy more things, that will make me... happy?"—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
salesmen all nod
#PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales
Bob butts in to argue that it's NOT true that if you buy more stuff, you will be happy #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
Ooooh silly songs with Larry! #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
nooo Larry lost his silly song gig #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales pic.twitter.com/SsCUwvnmgi—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
Archibald: "I'm saying, silly songs is cancelled until further notice"—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
i love Archibald though #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales
Love songs with Mr. Lunt—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
"He said to her I'd like a cheeseburger, and I might like a milkshake as well" #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales
When I was a kid I thought it was so unfair that silly songs got replaced with this, but now i think it's HILARIOUS #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
Denny's had bacon & eggs for half price #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
"Cheeseburger please do not get angry, he'll eat and be back here for lunchhhhhhhhhhhh"#PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
"Cuz he loves you cheeseburger with all his heart, and there ain't nothin' gonna tear you two-oo apart—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
#PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales
"And if the world suddenly ran OUT OF CHEESE he would get down on his HANDS AND KNEES—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
TO SEE IF SOMEONE ACCIDENTALLY DROPPED SOME CHEESE IN THE DIRT
#PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales
AND HE WOULD WASH IT OFF FOR YOU, WIPE IT OFF FOR YOU, CLEAN THAT DIRTY CHEESE OFF JUST FOR YOUUUUUUUUU—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
#PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales
Back to the story of Madame Blueberry. On their way to the Stuff Mart, they see a poor family, having a birthday dinner for their little girl #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
All she has for her birthday is oatmeal and 1 piece of pie. But she is so happy & sings a song abt being thankful. #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
"Madame Blueberry was confused. The little girl had so little. And yet she was happy?" #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
wowwwww there's a Buzz-Saw Louie easter egg #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
At the Stuff Mart~ Time to start shopping~ #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
Madame Blueberry gets all the things she saw that her neighbors had. She keeps shopping #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
Salesman says they can ship the stuff to her house. Madame Blueberry agrees. Bob says "i'm not sure that's a good idea." I'm really not okay with Bob's general negativity about shopping #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
Madame Blueberry, Bob, & Larry are at the food court. She says she wants to keep shopping. #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
"I'm not leaving until I have everything I need to be happy" #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
Junior & Dad show up. Junior really really wants a train set. Dad says it's too expensive. He can get a ball instead. Junior sings a song about being thankful for spending time w his Dad (end of the song mentions God too) #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
Madame Blueberry is confused, why is the little boy happy even though he didn't get what she wanted, and why isn't she happy even though she's getting everything she wants #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
Madame Blueberry suddenly realizes she doesn't want any more stuff. She wants what the girl with the pie and the boy with the ball have- a happy heart #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
Madame Blueberry declares that she will change! She will be thankful for what she has! #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
They walk out of the store & see her house in the distance, the tree is bending under the weight of all her new stuff being delivered #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
wowwwwwwww they are racing on the shopping carts to stop the deliveries. this feels very VeggieTales. #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
Larry is scooting along in a shopping basket, because of course he is #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
The treehouse is balanced perfectly. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief. Then a butterfly lands on it & everything comes sliding out #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
oh my god, the entire house is flying through the air—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
lands in the Stuff Mart parking lot #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales
Madame Bluberry lost her home, but it's all good bc she has friends & has learned how to be thankful #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
The end ~ Back to Bob & Larry on the counter #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
Bob & Larry can't stop crying bc they are so touched by the story of Madame Blueberry #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
"Madame Blueberry learned that being greedy makes you grumpy. But a thankful heart is a happy heart." #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
Larry decides he will be thankful for what he has, even if he never gets those other accessories he wants #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
All right, that's the end of VeggieTales "Madame Blueberry." Hang on to your seats, because Perfect Number has Some Opinions About This. #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
First of all, at the beginning of the story, Madame Blueberry is talking about how she's so unhappy bc she wants to have nicer plates & a crock pot #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
There's nothing wrong with that desire! Go ahead and buy nice plates & a crock pot! It's not a big deal at all! #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
This story acts as if "wanting a new thing" is THE SAME AS "always being desperate to get new stuff, unable to ever be satisfied" #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
I hate Bob's general negative attitude toward shopping in this story. And it's framed like he's the voice of reason, telling her the right thing to do. #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
Salesmen come to her door like "hey you know these things you've been wanting for a long time? you can go buy them!" and Bob is like "uhhhhh i don't think this is a good ideaaaa"—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
WHY THE HELL NOT, BOB? #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales
Bob is acting like "buying new things is bad"—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
And this is the lesson kids are going to get from this story #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales
Here let me get my soapbox—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
Ahem
THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH WANTING THINGS. It's only a problem if you're so obsessed with wanting things that you're unable to enjoy your life & treat ppl right. #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales
Like, I'm really curious abt why Madame Blueberry didn't just buy new stuff in the first place- why did she complain every day? Must be there was no mall she could buy stuff at? #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
There's also the bit about Madame Blueberry comparing herself to her neighbors, how they have nice things & she wishes she could #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
I mean, there's ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG with noticing someone else has a nice thing & deciding you want to get one of them. It becomes a problem if you get so obsessed that you become unhappy, or if you treat that person bad bc you're jealous #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
@pnumber628 and even with the wanting it bad enough it makes you unhappy bit, that really only applies to luxuries.—Superenby! (@MorganL666) 2018-01-25
There are some things where not getting it *should* make you unhappy and it's normal and trying to make yourself not want them so much is unhealthy and unhelpful.
@pnumber628 In that second scenario, you do your best to try and meet the need with what you have and make a good life with what you can get, and you try to remember that the problem is not that other people get the thing, the problem is that you didn't/don't.—Superenby! (@MorganL666) 2018-01-25
This VeggieTales story claimed that it's teaching "being thankful is good" but instead it seems to be teaching "wanting things is bad."—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
Which is very much NOT THE SAME THING. #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales
Let's move on to the little poor girl and little poor boy that Madame Blueberry sees #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
First of all, poverty is totally romanticized in this story. This little girl has so little but she's thankful & happy & therefore her life is better than Madame Blueberry's #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
Seriously? Seriously? How does "being thankful" help when you don't know where your next meal is coming from? #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
This is totally a trope in Christian culture- the idea that poor ppl (especially people of color in other countries) "have so little, but they have so much joy" #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
Like poor ppl who have the right "thankful" attitude are perfectly moral & content & their lives are so good #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
Also, I would like to point out that Junior wanted a train set, & his dad said no but he can buy a ball instead. So they got a ball.—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
Tell that to Bob with his "buying new things is bad" attitude #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales
Oh and back to the thing about romanticizing poverty- at the end of the story, Madame Blueberry's house is destroyed (uhhh, spoiler warning, I guess) #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
But she doesn't seem unhappy about it at all. There's no acknowledgement about how truly devastating it would be to lose one's ENTIRE HOUSE. She's all good because she learned her lesson abt thankfulness. #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
maybe someone wants to make the argument "this is a kids' show, that's why they presented poverty in such incredibly simplistic terms"—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
The issue isn't that it's "simplified." The issue is that they're presenting ideas that are ACTUALLY NOT TRUE. #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales
I find myself asking "What is thankfulness, exactly? And what kind of story would work for teaching about it?" Because this story wasn't abt thankfulness, it was about "wanting things is bad." #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
I guess I would define thankfulness as focusing on the good things in your life, not focusing on the problems or things you don't have #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
And yes, I think thankfulness (defined as focusing on good things in your life instead of things you don't have) is a good thing. But being honest abt your desires is also a good thing. #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
This is so important, and ain't nobody in the church ever told me this: I deserve to have nice things & be happy #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
That doesn't mean I deserve MORE nice things than other ppl. That doesn't mean other ppl are required to give me nice things. For practical reasons, we aren't able to have all the nice things we want all the time. #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
Imagine being a parent, & you give your kid a new toy, & they love it & they're so happy. As a parent, doesn't it feel good to see your kid enjoying something? & I believe God is like that too. God likes when we experience pleasure. #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
This VeggieTales story acts like "if i had xyz, then I would be happy" is ALWAYS a false statement. As if it's DEFINITELY TRUE that when you get xyz you will think "well now i also need abc in order to be happy"—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
#PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales
I have news for you: Sometimes you get a cool new thing that you really wanted, & it really is just as great as you thought, & it makes you really happy, & it's not any more complicated than that #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
For example, I bought a Star Wars t-shirt for myself recently. It's pretty great & i really like it& i'm glad i bought it. That's it. Buying this shirt really did increase my happiness. Don't let any Christians tell you that's impossible. #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
In the VeggieTales video "Madame Blueberry", any statements of "I want xyz" were treated like "NO! you should be thankful! you shouldn't say you want things!" #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
All right, that's all I have to say about that. #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
And one more thing I want to add: If it is the case that you're always saying "oh if only I had xyz then I would be happy" and then you get xyz and you're still not happy, you're like "oh if only I had abc then I would be happy"- you should really examine your emotions and desires and try to figure out why you feel that way. If you expect that getting a new thing will make you feel good, but then it doesn't, then it seems like your desire wasn't really for the thing itself. Like there's some other underlying issue, and for some reason you've developed unrealistic expectations about how to solve that underlying issue.It took me a lot of time & therapy & mental health problems in order to unlearn the teaching "wanting things is bad" that I learned in church #PerfectNumberWatchesVeggieTales—Perfect Number (@pnumber628) 2018-01-25
Your emotions and desires are real and important. Ask yourself why you feel that way and what you actually want. That's how you will figure out how to feel better.
Way more useful than "the way you feel is SINFUL so just STOP IT."
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To see all my VeggieTales reviews: Perfect Number Watches VeggieTales (Master Post)
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