New York Magazine - USA (2019-12-23)

46 new york | december 23, 2019–january 5, 2020

“We have really liked

Charlie and Lola.

The main girl is really

adventurous and smart,

and the writing is really

good. The language

is quirky and funny.”

JULIE ORRINGER

“The things being made

now, at least the ones we

watch, are so focused on

kindness and friendship,

and they’re really

wonderful, like Simon or

Cupcake & Dino.”

EMMA STRAUB

“I’m a PJ Masks fan. It’s three

kids who become superheroes

when they put on their pajamas

at night. In later seasons,

th e bad guys become friends with

one another and it’s this whole

nuanced ecosystem of villains.”

BRIAN PLATZER

... And Ten More

Suggestions

SEX COACH SAYS

Novelists Say

TV

Writers

*

Say

PARENTS OF GENDER-

NONCOMFORMING

KIDS SAY

“Our 6-year-old is

really into YouTube.

We deconstruct what’s

really going on—how

these kids have millions

of viewers, are

millionaires, and are

wasting time of the lives

of viewers. The

conversation is key to

balancing the images.”

AMY LEVINE

“I’d rather show them

something a little over their

heads than really empty or

badly written. My 3- and

4-year-old currently watch

only Olaf ’s Fr ozen Adventure

on Disney+. As long as we’re

not watching Paw Patrol.”

WENDY MOLYNEUX

“Steven Universe

has been awesome

in terms of

representing

gender fluidity.”

SARA KAPLAN

“We love The Simpsons,

Bob’s Burgers (I don’t

force that one, I swear),

Clarence. She also

watches things I know

nothing about. I like to

give her the opportunity

to develop her own taste.”

LIZZIE MOLYNEUX

“He’s in love

with Queer Eye.

When Jonathan Van

Ness came out as

nonbinary, it was just

awesome for him.”

VANESSA M.

“I’m so grateful to people willing

to document their own transitions

on YouTube, including

Skylar Kergil and Jazz Jennings.”

JANNA BARKIN

“One of my child’s favorite shows is Molly of Denali

on PBS. We’re a family of color. So my daughter

sees her on the screen and sees someone who has

brown skin, black hair, who looks like her.”

MARYANN J.

... And Interview

the Comic

John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch

(Netflix, premiering December 24)

is a riff on vintage kids’ TV, starring a mix of

precocious kids and Broadway and

Hollywood stars. Alexander interviewed

Mulaney one day after school.

ALEX BONANOS: Yo u

know how one of the

segments is Mr.

Music with Jake

Gyllenhaal? Did you

also think that his

performance was the

most amazingly over-

the-top thing?

JOHN MULANEY:

[Laughs] He was my

No. 1 wish, because

we thought Mr. Music

has to be a bit of a

lunatic, so we needed

someone who would

own that enthusiasm.

There’s a moment

near the end when

he’s staring off and

I say, “Mr. Music?”

A.B.: That’s one of

my favorite lines.

“Is Mr. Music okay?”

J.M.:

having

trouble.”

a tak

de

him

wondering about that.

J.M.:

mak

are

was

as

I don

continuity

Mr

mental

also

a child,

a pretty

B-plot.

J.M.:

not

I don

My fifth-grader, Alexander, has become

a huge comedy fan in the past two years.

I was the same at his age, and my parents

were concerned about my consumption of

sex jokes and curse words. (Richard Pryor

was off limits, I recall.) To my wife and me,

raising a New York kid who hears a lot

of shit-talk, those are less of a concern than

sexist attitudes, don’t-drop-the-soap

jokes, and generally systemic boorishness.

His favorite stand-up is John Mulaney,

the former Saturday Night Live writer

known for his Netflix special Kid Gorgeous at

Radio City and his Broadway–and–Comedy

Central collaboration with Nick Kroll,

Oh, Hello. Mulaney’s act is not 100 percent

kid-friendly—there’s the odd blow-job joke

and a few fucks—but it’s notably not toxic.

Alex has watched Kid Gorgeous 23 times

and will reproduce every line at the slightest

hint of interest. Because Mulaney’s comedy

is so masterly—it works at kid and adult

levels—we find ourselves invoking its

catchphrases daily. When Alex is feeling

down, or is a little distant or moody,

we watch it together, and it brings him back

into the sun. It’s our shared campfire

folktale, one with sweaty-butt jokes.

The Case for Le

10-Year-Old Wa

Raunchy Comed

By Christopher Bonanos

*Who are also

sisters and co-producers

of Bob’s Burgers.

TRANSMITTED TRANSMITTED

________ COPY ___ DD ___ AD ___ PD ___ EIC

2619FEA_KidsTV_lay [Print]_36339551.indd 46 12/17/19 10:19 PM

46 newyork| december23,2019–january5, 2020

“We have really liked

Charlie and Lola.

The main girl is really

adventurous and smart,

andthe writing isreally

good. The language

is quirky and funny.”

JULIE ORRINGER

“The things being made

now, at least the ones we

watch, are so focused on

kindness and friendship,

and they’re really

wonderful, like Simonor

Cupcake & Dino.”

EMMA STRAUB

“I’m a PJMasksfan. It’s three

kids whobecomesuperheroes

when they put on their pajamas

at night. In later seasons,

th e bad guys become friends with

one another and it’s this whole

nuancedecosystem of villains.”

BRIAN PLATZER

... And Ten More

Suggestions

SEXCOACHSAYS

Novelists Say

TV

Writers

*

Say

PARENTS OF GENDER-

NONCOMFORMING

KIDSSAY

“Our 6-year-old is

really into YouTube.

We deconstruct what’s

really going on—how

these kids have millions

of viewers, are

millionaires, and are

wasting time of the lives

of viewers. The

conversation is key to

balancing the images.”

AMY LEVINE

“I’drathershowthem

somethinga littleovertheir

headsthanreallyemptyor

badlywritten.My3- and

4-year-oldcurrentlywatch

onlyOlaf ’sFr ozenAdventure

onDisney+.Aslongaswe’re

notwatchingPawPatrol.”

WENDYMOLYNEUX

“StevenUniverse

hasbeenawesome

intermsof

representing

genderfluidity.”

SARAKAPLAN

“WeloveTheSimpsons,

Bob’sBurgers(I don’t

forcethatone,I swear),

Clarence.Shealso

watchesthingsI know

nothing about. I liketo

give

to de

LIZZIE MOLYNEUX

“He’s in love

with Queer Eye.

When JonathanVan

Ness came outas

nonbinary, it wasjust

awesome for him.”

VANESSA M.

“I’m so grateful to people willing

todocument their own transitions

on YouTube, including

Skylar Kergil and Jazz Jennings.”

JANNA BARKIN

“One of my child’s favorite shows is Molly of Denali

on PBS. o my daughter

sees her eone who has

brow ks like her.”

MARYANN J.

... And Interview

the Comic

JohnMulaney&theSackLunchBunch

(Netflix,premieringDecember24)

is a riffonvintage kids’TV, starringa mixof

precociouskidsandBroadwayand

Hollywoodstars.Alexanderinterviewed

Mulaney oneday afterschool.

ALEXBONANOS:Yo u

knowhowoneof the

segmentsis Mr.

MusicwithJake

Gyllenhaal? Did you

also think that his

performance was the

most amazingly over-

the-top thing?

JOHN MULANEY:

[Laughs] He was my

No. 1 wish, because

wethoughtMr.Music

hastobea bitof a

lunatic,soweneeded

someonewhowould

own that enthusiasm.

There’s a moment

near the end when

he’s staring off and

I say, “Mr. Music?”

A.B.: That’s one of

my favorite lines.

“Is Mr. Music okay?”

Myfifth-grader,Alexander,hasbecome

a hugecomedyfaninthepasttwoyears.

I wasthesameathisage,andmyparents

wereconcernedaboutmyconsumptionof

sexjokesandcursewords.(RichardPryor

wasofflimits,I recall.)Tomywifeandme,

raisinga NewYorkkidwhohearsa lot

of shit-talk,thosearelessof a concernthan

sexistattitudes,don’t-drop-the-soap

jokes,andgenerallysystemicboorishness.

Hisfavoritestand-upis JohnMulaney,

theformerSaturdayNightLivewriter

knownforhisNetflixspecialKidGorgeousat

RadioCityandhisBroadway–and–Comedy

CentralcollaborationwithNickKroll,

Oh, Hello. Mulaney’s act is not 100 percent

kid-friendly—there’s the odd blow-job joke

and a few fucks—but it’s notably not toxic.

Alex has watched Kid Gorgeous 23 times

and will reproduce every line at the slightest

hint of interest. Because Mulaney’s comedy

is so masterly—it works at kid and adult

levels—we find ourselves invoking its

catchphrases daily. When Alex is feeling

down, or is a little distant or moody,

we watch it together, and it brings him back

into the sun. It’s our shared campfire

folktale, one with sweaty-butt jokes.

The Case for Le

10-Year-Old Wa

Raunchy Comed

By Christopher Bonanos

*Who are also

sisters and co-producers

of Bob’s Burgers.