ARTICLES: Spongebob Squarepants vs. Caillou: Both of These Things Are Not LIke the Other

News sources can't resist an inflammatory headline about the ills of exposing children to media. Academics, increasingly in an environment where "publish or perish" isn't enough: you have to publish and publicize, are all too willing to oblige.

This week, the perpetrator has been an innocent and entertaining yellow sponge, condemned for being exactly what his creators intended: fast-paced, wacky, and written for primary-school children (and adults). Blaming the creators of "Spongebob Squarepants" for not educating preschoolers is like blaming Aaron Sorkin for not penning "Blue's Clues."

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