What are the Silly Songs really trying to say?

I've been thinking about the Veggie Tale Silly Songs for awhile now. We have them on DVD (*cough*pirated*cough*), and if Laidey's being squirmy when I'm trying to change her, I'll slip the DVD in and select the Ultimate Silly Song Countdown episode. That way, we have a whole lot of silliness we can both enjoy.

But I was thinking, are they really that silly? Are these songs, silly though they appear, really conveying some sort of subliminal message? Do you think I'm a little touched in the head for suggesting this? Let's explore, shall we:

* The Water Buffalo Song. "Everybody's got a water buffalo, yours is fast but mine is slow, oh where'd we get them I don't know, but everybody's got a water buffaloooooooo..." Here's my interpretation: the water buffalo represents commercialism, capitalism. Everyone has lots of stuff, and everyone compares their stuff to other people's. We don't know where we get them - because it's all meaningless? THEN of course, Archibald comes out and tells Larry off for singing about water buffalos, because of course, not everyone has one. So Archibald is pretty much saying, "Yo, Laz. Quit with the bragging. Not everyone has a mansion and an SUV and a pool and an inheritance. STOP BEING A CAPITALIST PIG!" Woo, go Archibald!

* The Hairbrush Song. Now this song really pisses me off. Larry has a hairbrush. He can't find it. After a few red herrings, his BEST FRIEND Bob finally confesses that he GAVE LARRY'S HAIRBRUSH AWAY. He didn't ask Larry's permission first. And he obviously thought Larry didn't deserve a hairbrush, just because he didn't have any hair. Whether or not that is a logical train of thought is beside the point. Bob had no business giving away something that wasn't his to begin with. It's rude, it's thoughtless, it's inconsiderate, and it's just plain mean. Maybe Larry liked to massage his scalp (... or whatever it is cucumbers have). THEN (yes it gets more annoying). THEN when the Peach is revealed to be the new owner of the hairbrush, the narrator states that the Peach "recognis[es] Larry's generosity [and is] thankful". What the hell! Larry isn't generous! He wanted that damn hairbrush!! He loved it enough to make a song and dance about it, in a slippery bathroom, while wearing nothing but a towel.

* The Dance of the Cucumber. This is one of my favorite songs I have to admit (mostly because I like to sing along with the Spanish and pretend I can actually speak Spanish when really I can't), but it once again puts Larry in the character of bragger. According to his translator Bob, he's such a rad dancer that he moves like butter on a bald monkey, and the breath from his throat is like a chorus of little birdies. Quite the modest character, this cucumber in authentic Argentinian garb. Anyway, it gets worse. After waxing lyrical about how fabulous he is, he then turns on his translator and best friend Bob, to point out to the audience that Bob can't dance or sing - "miren el tomate, no es triste? el no puede bailar - pobre tomate" Look at the tomato, isn't it sad? He can't dance - poor tomato. He then goes on to point out that Bob *wishes* he could dance, freely and smoothly, but he can't. What is this song trying to tell us? That it's okay to brag about how awesome you are, and then LAUGH at your friends for not being as good as you? Whatever happened to different gifts serving the same God? Laz mate, you may be doing some goober dance with a sombrero, but Bob is translating for you. Wonder if you could translate into another language, huh. Maybe THAT'S his talent, and not goobering around.


I'm sure there are issues with the other Silly Songs, but I haven't delved that deeply into them. I will have to watch them when I get a free moment, and then I shall report back here!! I hope I haven't ruined Veggie Tales for you :-P