I have never been a big fan of Dora the Explorer. I don’t like to complain, but when Dora first hit the scene, I wanted to like her! I thought it sounded like a great idea to have a young Latina heroine solving problems and speaking Spanish! But right away, I noticed a couple of things I just couldn’t get over.

First of all, why doesn’t her shirt cover her belly? Isn’t it bad enough having to see grown-up women baring their tummies all over TV? Do we have to see it on preschool programs? I’m sure the animators made a conscious decision to leave her belly exposed, because it couldn’t be an accident. I mean, how many frames do they have to draw to make a single episode? Can’t they just draw her shirt a little lower? I guess it’s supposed to be cute, but the more I see it, the more annoying it is.

Secondly, why does she always shout? To me, the dialogue on the show seems so loud. Unless Dora and Boots are deliberately whispering, it sounds like they’re yelling. And then, they urge the viewers to shout at the TV! “I can’t hear you! Say it louder!” Or how about “Swiper, no swiping! Swiper, no swiping!” Stop!

I didn’t think Dora would last this long, but she’s still everywhere.

Don’t even get me started on Bratz!