“Super Why!” is a children’s television program aimed at preschoolers, focusing on literacy and reading skills. While ostensibly educational, not all viewers are charmed, particularly by its central figure, Wyatt Beanstalk, also known as Super Why. This article delves into a critical perspective on Wyatt, mirroring sentiments of viewers who find him less thanSuper and more of a source of frustration.
Promotional image of the main characters from the children's educational television show Super Why!
Wyatt, the protagonist of “Super Why!”, is presented as an enthusiastic young boy who leads his friends on reading adventures. However, for some viewers, this enthusiasm quickly translates into what feels like excessive drama and a somewhat grating personality. The core criticism centers around Wyatt’s overreactions to simple situations. In each episode, a minor inconvenience is blown out of proportion, declared a “SUPER BIG PROBLEM!”, necessitating the assembly of the “Super Readers.” This dramatic flair, while perhaps intended to engage young children, can come across as contrived and irritating to adult viewers.
One recurring point of contention is Wyatt’s perceived lack of common sense. Episodes often feature problems with remarkably obvious solutions, yet Wyatt and his friends embark on elaborate, convoluted journeys to reach answers that seem self-evident to the audience. The example cited in the original review, where the solution to someone’s anger is simply to ask them why they are upset, perfectly encapsulates this frustration. Instead of direct, logical thinking, Wyatt often leads his team through a series of unnecessary steps, prolonging the problem and, arguably, diminishing the educational value for older viewers watching with their children.
Adding to the annoyance for some is the very name “Whyatt,” a deliberate misspelling of “Wyatt.” In a show centered on spelling and words, this choice strikes some as ironic at best and bafflingly counterintuitive at worst. This seemingly minor detail becomes a significant irritant, symbolizing a broader sense of carelessness or lack of thoughtful execution in the show’s creation.
Beyond Wyatt himself, the show’s premise and supporting elements also draw criticism. The transition from a real-world library to Wyatt’s miniature world, accessed by stepping between books, feels arbitrary and illogical. The purpose of this separate world and its connection to the real world remains unclear, adding to the general sense of confusion that some viewers experience while watching “Super Why!”.
Wyatt’s friends, the “Super Readers,” also receive their share of critique. Pig, Princess Pea (the vegetable enthusiast), and Red Riding Hood (referred to with a less charitable descriptor in the original review) are presented as supporting characters who contribute to solving the “SUPER BIG PROBLEM!” each episode. However, their roles and contributions often feel secondary to Wyatt’s dramatic pronouncements and convoluted problem-solving methods. The pig’s presence as the only talking animal in a human-dominated world is noted as particularly odd and unexplained.
The problem-solving process itself within “Super Why!” is another area of contention. The Super Readers transform into superheroes, gaining “alphabet power,” “word power,” and “letter power”—powers that seem vaguely defined and largely interchangeable. The dramatic pauses before every utterance of “COMPUTER!” become a repetitive and grating feature of the show for some viewers. The integration of the viewer as having the “power to help,” while intended to be interactive, feels thematically disconnected from the other “powers” attributed to the characters.
The journey into books, facilitated by rocket ships that appear exclusively for this purpose, further contributes to the show’s perceived lack of cohesive logic. Inside the book, the Super Readers solve problems for fairytale characters while simultaneously searching for “Super Letters.” This layered problem-solving structure, while potentially intended to maintain engagement, can feel convoluted and unnecessarily complex.
Perhaps the most controversial aspect of Wyatt’s “powers” is his ability to rewrite stories. By changing words within the fairytale narratives, Wyatt effectively censors and alters established stories to fit his desired outcomes. This “power of censorship,” as it’s critically labeled, is seen as a problematic message, suggesting that changing narratives to suit personal preferences is a valid problem-solving technique. The example of changing “eaten” to a more palatable verb in Little Red Riding Hood’s story highlights this concern, raising questions about the ethical implications of altering stories and the messages it sends to young viewers about respecting original narratives.
In conclusion, while “Super Why!” aims to promote literacy among preschoolers, the character of Wyatt Beanstalk, or Super Why, has garnered criticism from some viewers. His dramatic personality, reliance on convoluted problem-solving, and the show’s sometimes illogical premise contribute to a viewing experience that, for some, is more frustrating than educational. The core issue for these critics isn’t necessarily the educational intent but the execution, particularly the character of Wyatt and the messages his actions and the show’s narrative choices inadvertently convey.
