Why we're Wild for The Wiggles!
Aug 18 '02
The Bottom Line The Wiggles are the best children's performers around. Parents can't help but love 'em too!
If you are the parent of a preschooler, you've probably heard of The Wiggles. Actually, anyone who has ever talked to me for more than five minutes or has read my reviews also knows who they are. If not, you are about to find out why we are Wild for The Wiggles!
The Wiggles are not just any "kiddie group." Not by a long shot! Though they mesmerize toddlers and entertain preschoolers, I can honestly say that their fan base is comprised of as many parents as children. To tell you the truth, I am among the legions of "Wiggly Moms" who adore, appreciate and respect The Wiggles above all other children's entertainers.
It never fails, bring up The Wiggles to a group of parents and at least one will say, "I love them!" At a recent concert, there were as many moms smiling and singing as there were kids. Every time my younger daughter wears her Dorothy the Dinosaur hat with a Wiggles logo on it, kids will point her out and go "Ooh! The Wiggles!"
Those who have not heard of The Wiggles often ask how anyone can get that excited over a group who sings and dances for children. I'll give you six excellent reasons: Greg Page, Murray Cook, Anthony Field, Jeff Fatt, Paul Paddick and Paul Field.
You may recognize the first four names above as the yellow, red, blue and purple Wiggles, respectively. Paul Paddick portrays the popular friend of The Wiggles, Captain Feathersword. These five performers make magic together. Combined with the costumed Dorothy the Dinosaur, Henry the Octopus and Wags the Dog, a unique mix of singing, dancing and silliness keeps the kids riveted.
Paul Field, their producer, had been filling in for his brother, Anthony periodically when severe dental problems prevented the Blue Wiggle from touring with the group at various times. I did not have the pleasure of seeing Paul Field perform as an honorary Blue Wiggle, but those who have were impressed.
From Cockroaches to Wigglemania...
Though it is only recently that we've discovered The Wiggles, they have been quite popular in their native Australia for years. Thanks, in part, to The Disney Channel adding the group's show to their lineup.
The group formed more than ten years ago when Anthony Field (the Blue Wiggle), Murray Cook (the Red Wiggle) and Greg Page (the Yellow Wiggle) met while attending Macquarie University in Sydney. The three were studying Early Childhood Education and what started as a class music project turned into something much more.
Anthony Field had played with a popular 80's band called The Cockroaches and recruited fellow band member Jeff Fatt to work on the children's songs with them. Jeff became the fourth Wiggle, known for his purple shirt and sleepiness.
The Wiggles released their self-titled debut back in 1991, it later went gold and then platinum. They have released a total of 10 albums selling more than a million copies in Australia alone. There have been 13 videos released, selling more than 2.5 million down under. I don't know the numbers as far as US sales, but I suspect they are skyrocketing.
Some more honors worth noting (taken from www.thewiggles.com.au) include:
The Wiggles were the Highest Selling Children's Sell Through Video five years in a row: 1995 YUMMY YUMMY 1996 BIG RED CAR 1997 WAKE UP JEFF 1998 WIGGLE DANCE 1999 TOOT TOOT
The Wiggles have a massive 39.1% of the total Children's Video Market in Australia and hold an incredible 7.3% of the overall video sell through market.
The Wiggles have won three ARIA Music Awards for Best Australian Children's Album: 1995 BIG RED CAR 1996 WAKE UP JEFF 1998 TOOT TOOT
The Wiggles have won three APRA Awards for Best Children's Song: 1994 HOT POTATO 1995 CAN YOU POINT YOUR FINGERS AND DO THE TWIST? 1996 WAKE UP JEFF!
Who knew a class music project could result in the birth of one of the most successful acts in Australia? There are Wiggles toys, Band-Aids, books, greeting cards, toothbrushes, watches, shirts and even underwear.
They are currently touring North America, selling out show after show. When I took my kids to see The Wiggles Live last week, there were hundreds of happy families enthusiastically singing along to songs like Rock-A-Bye Your Bear, Taba Naba and Hot Potato.
What makes them so special...
Sure, there are many popular children's acts. Some have videos, CDs and merchandise. Many perform live as well. I've watched children's artists perform, ranging from singers to costumed character shows (yes, I survived Barney Live, Rugrats Live and VeggieTales Live).
I've seen videotaped performances from performers like Raffi, Joe Scruggs and even Sharon, Lois and Bram. While all of these performances were entertaining and exciting for the kids, The Wiggles have this amazing charisma. They simply are a pleasure to watch.
For one thing, these gifted performers seem to truly enjoy what they do. Sure, many performers smile when performing, but The Wiggles are genuine. When you watch their videos or television shows, you can clearly see each performer's personality and why they appeal to children and adults alike.
Anthony has a sparkle in his eyes, they twinkle. He really projects a wonderful personality. He's energetic, he is friendly. He always seems to be smiling and many moms will tell you, the man is very handsome. You can see the enthusiasm in his performances and hear it in his voice.
Murray has a soothing voice and a gentle, patient and comforting quality. He is a true musician and often plays his guitar. He's energetic, but there is something very nurturing about him. It could be based on times where his own children appear in videos. In an older video, he holds is infant daughter as a sweet song he wrote for her is performed. Georgia's Song melts my heart.
Greg is the young lead vocalist. His voice is wonderful and he displays a combination of Anthony's enthusiasm and Murray's comforting quality. When performing live, he does an incredible job singing and dancing. No lip-synching here. Greg is an energetic dancer and a wonderful vocalist.
Jeff is also a talented musician. His trademark is "falling asleep" as the other guys encourage the children to say "1-2-3, Wake up Jeff!" He typically does "all sorts of silly things" and keeps the kids wiggling. His animated gestures and facial expressions make him my youngest's favorite.
Paddy, or Paul Paddick performs as Captain Feathersword, the dancing, singing friendly pirate. He is a real crowd pleaser at live shows, improvising at times and keeping the adults as entertained as the children.
The Wiggles Live!
There are the other characters as well, costumed characters named Henry the Octopus, Wags the Dog and Dorothy the Dinosaur. The performers in the costumes have dancing skills, but they aren't actually doing the singing or speaking. Dorothy is very popular at live shows. Her appetite for roses (what talking dinosaurs eat, don't you know...) inspires kids to bring them to live shows.
The kids are usually able to give their roses to one of The Wiggles who will come out into the audience. My daughters held up a poster saying "Emily and Amanda have roses for Dorothy" which Anthony made a point of reading aloud when they played at The Chicago Theater. Both Jeff and Murray came into the audience to collect the roses, Murray even went up to the balcony, much to the surprise and delight of the kids seated there.
Though my kids gave Jeff their roses, when Murray came down our aisle towards the stage, he spotted my camera and actually posed. This is apparently not uncommon for the guys to do.
One thing I have to point out about the live show is the overall positive feeling that came over the theater. I kid you not, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles were as wide-eyed and excited as the children they brought to see The Wiggles. Infants sat mesmerized, toddlers danced and adults sang along as well.
The thunderous applause when the guys took the stage rivaled the noise of any rock concert and the performance was fantastic. Unlike when we saw Barney and the parents were merely smiling because their kids were happy, parents smiled when watching The Wiggles because they are wonderful performers.
WARNING- RANT AHEAD:
If only the ticket brokers and TicketMaster didn't have such a strangle-hold on the tickets! No child who loves The Wiggles should have to be deprived because "legalized scalping" isn't limited to rock stars. Yes, the brokers snapped up the good seats and resold them for at least 4-5 times face value. Isn't there some Eminem concert they could concentrate on? Is nothing sacred?
END RANT
Gee Jen, you sound like a Wiggles groupie! Didn't you just review The Red Hot Chili Peppers' latest?
Yes, I did. I liked it. It is right next to my Wiggles CD in my car CD holder. I also love The Goo Goo Dolls, Extreme, Matchbox 20, Bon Jovi and even some P.O.D. Proof positive that I'm not a complete musical geek.
That being said, I have young children and can only take so much Barney, Dora the Explorer and even the ever-popular VeggieTales. I'm too old to drool over the many "boy bands" that, ironically, also sing and dance.
What could be better than a group of talented performers who delight our children while being pretty darn adorable in their own right? Their songs are catchy, they encourage children to explore music and have some fun.
So yes, I have listened to Fruit Salad (Yummy Yummy) moments after hearing Youth of the Nation and I've heard Hoop-Dee-Doo (polka...Wiggly polka) as often as I've heard You Give Love a Bad Name.
I admit I know all the dance moves and words to Hot Potato. I've even watched Wiggle Time right before The Osbournes and enjoyed both. If my kids doze off in the car, I may well leave Wiggly Party playing on the stereo.
It isn't often that parents can truly enjoy something as much as their preschoolers, so I say Wiggle On!
You can learn more about The Wiggles by checking out my reviews listed on my profile. I have a link to a web page I put together if you would like to see some pictures and find direct links to my reviews. Click on my homepage link at my Epinions profile. You can catch The Wiggles on The Disney Channel, check your local listings. As always, comments and questions are welcomed. Thanks for reading!
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