Monday, January 19, 2009

We Found It At The Library


There was a hole in my daughter's childhood. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but something was missing. We tried to give her good memories and positive experiences, we showed her classic films, read her great books, and attempted to feed her healthy food, but there was still a void, some crucial element of my own formative years I was unable to provide in hers. And then we went to our public library on Saturday and happened past the children's DVD shelf. That is where we found Hanna-Barbera's original complete series, that's right, 16 episodes on two discs, of Josie and the Pussycats. What a weekend we've had! Let me say this to all of the reviewers over the last few months who've said Beyonce's (fabulous) "Single Ladies" video borrows mostly from Bob Fosse and Michael Jackson, let's give some credit to Josie, Melody, and Valerie who were rocking out wearing nothing but leotards back in 1970! When offstage, they dress in a remarkably modest way, but they certainly have a Sasha Fierce vibe going on in concert.
Josie and the Pussycats began as an Archie comic book. When the TV series was being planned, Hanna and Barbera originally balked at the idea of a black main character, but wiser voices prevailed. Valerie was one of the first African American animated characters in a regular series. The history of the show is fascinating, and so is all of the foiling of international criminals. And the girls always made it to their concerts on time!

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