Surfing The Channel

Archive for the ‘Shopping’ Category

             Comedies families can watch together are a rarity today. Good, clean humor seems to have disappeared with the censorship repeal. There are a few TV. series that rely on witty discourse, interactive facial expressions, and humorous situations to entertain their audiences. The TV. series, Jeeves and Wooster , is one of these comedies. Jeeves and Wooster‘s comedic adaptation of an English gentlemen and his trusted valet in the 1920s portrays the kind of humor families can enjoy. Families will delight in Jeeves’ unfailing common sense and Wooster’s good-natured goofiness. Wooster’s rebellion against the rules of Edwardian fashion is one episode that will not fail to entertain.
               Jeeves and Wooster reveal the humorous rules of Edwardian fashion. Wooster is an English gentleman who enjoys new fashion. As Wooster’s valet, Jeeves tries to dissuade Wooster from wearing designer men’s clothing that will make him appear ridiculous in society. To Jeeves dismay, Wooster purchases a dinner jacket while on vacation. Jeeves warns Wooster that a white dinner jacket is not considered good taste in Edwardian fashion. He will be mistaken for a waiter. Wooster ignores Jeeves’ warning. He wears the white dinner jacket to his Aunt, Lady Dalia’s dinner party. Aunt Dalia’s derision of Wooster’s white dinner jacket is witting and cutting. Wooster realizes that the jacket causes him to blend in with the footmen, attending Lady Dalia’s dinner. Wooster sits through Lady Dalia’s dinner with as much composure as he can gather. The facial expressions during this scene display a mastery of innocent fun that families will enjoy. The memory of this awkward dinner soon fades though. Wooster’s nature is not satisfied unless it purchases something it does not need. A Skimmer straw hat snatches Wooster’s attention in New York. The straw hat makes Wooster look spiffy and, as Jeeves points out, as common as a politician or a tenor in a men’s Quartet. It is not the sort of designer men’s accessories , Jeeves could recommend to an English gentlemen. Jeeves’ opinions are correct. The hat leads Wooster to consort with doubtful men who wear Skimmer hats. Worse, the Skimmer’s straw form fades abruptly during the return sea voyage home.
                Jeeves and Wooster‘s writers recreate an Englishman’s life, in the 1920s, using the comedic elements of the period. The accents are authentic and the dialogue witty. Unlike Hollywood animated movies, adult references are not part of the script. The writers and the comedians have to work harder for their laughs, in order to remain an authentic source of Edwardian humor. Jeeves and Wooster‘s emphasis on realistic, period humor allows the TV. series to reach a wider audience, making it appealing to families with children of all ages.

As you start to contemplate that end of the year tradition of holiday shopping, you may be searching for a unique gift idea for the children in your life. You know they have, or will have, detailed lists of all the toys, electronic games, and even pets that they want. But everyone else will be fighting it out in toy stores for this year’s must-have presents and you don’t want to be a part of that. Maybe it’s time to consider the value a map can provide as a present.

The best thing about giving maps of the world to a child is that it can spark not only learning about geography, but it can spark the imagination with thoughts about travel and exploration. A quality map should be an object of beauty as well as a practical tool which can inspire creativity in children to draw their own maps, or draw the places represented on the map. Consider giving a map along with a small art set to encourage this artistic interaction.

Personalized maps can also appeal to children. Map companies today can make customized maps of any region, city, or country. Imagine giving a child a one-of-a-kind california map that highlights their life, including their birthplace, where they live, the homes of their grandparents and aunts, etc. Or a map that commemorates the family road trip they completed the previous summer. The possibilities for customized maps are only limited by your imagination.