Review of the New Wiggles DVD

Getting Strong, which my children are watching at this moment. Perhaps it tells you something that it is not holding my attention? I mean, besides the fact that Sam and not Greg is the yellow Wiggle. I'll have to listen to Greg's CDs all morning to make up for it. . .

Um, back to the review. I knew they were revamping their sound and style, but I don't like it. They're trying to get back to a preschool and educational style, taking advantage of their early childhood degrees and knowledge. However, that means that all of their music seems very much aimed at kids. Their skits and what not in the videos and show have always been dumb, but even my husband likes the songs on Sailing Around the World, Cold Spaghetti Western and Racing to the Rainbow. Who can resist "Olive Oil"?? And their concerts are definitely designed to appeal to kids and adults. So these songs are more like "sing in preschool" songs, more similar to their earliest music on the Let's Wiggle and Yummy Yummy CDs, only Greg's not singing them. I mean, only they're not as good. Maybe that is just cause I haven't listened to them 8000 times.

This video is trying to educational, as I said before, and that annoys me. "Not trying to be educational" was the first thing I liked about the Wiggles. I always felt that, primarily, they loved music and wanted children to love and have fun with music, without an additional educational agenda to their songs. Well, the songs on this DVD focus on promoting physical health (exercise, etc.) and literacy, so they are definitely trying to be educational. This shift in emphasis is obvious from the title of the video series Wiggle and Learn, this DVD is only the first two episodes in a planned series. So the songs are not as high a quality, and everything sounds different without being sung by Greg.

My kids love it. Rosie, Roger AND Pauly have all sat entranced by it. The boys were interested, not upset, by the fact that Sam was the yellow Wiggle. I think they finally believe it after being told it for nearly a year. Pauly, who is five and thus at the upper age of the range the movie is intended for, said that Getting Strong (the title song) was "awesome" and that this was better than the other Wiggles DVDs. He did say to me, however, "It was boring for you, wasn't it?" So, yes it is a good kids video. It is less annoying than their show on Disney. The music just doesn't hold the appeal for adults that their best music in the past did, IMO. It is 1000x better than Hi-5.

The Rumors are Greg is Quitting

The Wiggles have scheduled a press conference for tomorrow morning to make a "major announcement relating to members of the group." See here and here.

I'm glad we got to see them while Greg was still Wiggling. Sam is not the same.

Greg at the August Wichita, KS concert.

So What's Up with the Wiggles?

I'm sure you have all been wondering. Unfortunately, I don't know. I don't know how the current tour is going. I don't know how Greg is doing. I don't know whether Anthony and Miki have had an ultrasound yet to find out if they're having a boy or a girl (it's about that time). I don't know anything Wiggly, because the Wiggles Message Board has been shut down. Although they have a legitimate explanation, they have just put up a new website and are still transitioning, I can't think that it is a coincidence that the shut down of the board corresponded with the first day of the new US tour.

Usually the WMB is busiest during a tour. Everyone posts their reviews of the shows, and synopses of their meet and greet, if they are able to have one. The boys and the dancers post much more often during a tour, sharing their side of things. And sometimes they let things slip -- the board found out about Miki's pregnancy the same day Anthony did (he was on tour in the US), when he mentioned it to a dad at a meet and greet, who posted it on the board.

Bob surmises they don't want speculation on Greg's condition, and they don't want someone to slip and say something that Greg is not ready to have the public know. That makes sense to me, although of course everyone is speculating anyway. And without accurate info, we're reduced to fabricating it for ourselves: I dreamed the other day that Greg was telling me that he had diabetes (not true) and Bob dreamed the same night that Greg actually was on the current USA tour (definitely not true). Without info from the horse's mouth, I'm reduced to Googling news articles.

The latest news is that Greg does not have cancer, his condition is not related to his hernia surgeries in December and March, and that he is too ill even to speak on the phone to the newspaper. This news articles quotes a statement that "Greg released for his fans." It is not a new statement, but is what he wrote back in August when he left the summer USA tour. Here is an actual brief interview with Greg. And here's one with Paul Field.

On a more positive note, here is a brief fun interview with Anthony.

I have a feeling that we got to see shows from the last two tours Greg will perform with the Wiggles. I don't know whether I should feel lucky or sad.