Nursery rhymes put kids 'at risk'(barf)

The BBC ^ | December 10, 2003

[RWR8189]

"All the king's men" should have given Humpty proper care

Some nursery rhymes send dangerously inaccurate messages to young listeners, according to Canadian researchers.

They are concerned that characters in popular rhymes suffer major injuries without receiving proper treatment.

The characters include Humpty Dumpty, who had a great fall, and Jack and Jill, who tumbled down a hill.

Children are told these stories "without people stopping to really look at what's happened", according to the tongue-in-cheek research.

The team from Dalhousie University ridiculed the idea that all the king's horses and all the king's men should even try to put Humpty Dumpty together again.

"What sort of EMS (emergency medical service) training and equipment did these first responders have?" they ask in a light-hearted paper published by the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Medically sound

The carer in "Rock a-bye baby" also comes in for criticism.

Medically correct nursery rhyme Little Johnny rode his bike, No helmet on his head. He took a fall and split his skull, His mother feared him dead. She rushed him to the ER, Where they checked his neuro signs. They noted a blown pupil And inserted IV lines. They called the neurosurgeon, Who came in and drilled a burr. Now Johnny's fine; he rides his bike, But he's helmeted, for sure.

The child should not have been put in a tree in the first place and when the "bough broke" medical assistance should have sought immediately.

Jack and Jill's injuries are at least reported, but not accurately enough, according to the researchers.

"Does a broken 'crown' refer to a skull fracture?" they ask.

"It's Raining, It's Pouring," "Ten Little Monkeys," and "Ring a ring o' roses" were the other rhymes studied.

Luckily the authors of the report, trainee doctors Sarah Giles and Sarah Shea, have composed their own, more "medically accurate," nursery rhyme to improve things.

[RWR8189]

For the love of God liberals, these are nursery rhymes!

I thought this was just a joke at first, but these crazies are for real.

[Eris]

www.dictionary.com

Check for "satire" or "humor."

[RWR8189]

Except its not satire or humor.

As ridiculous as this story looks, its for real.

[RosieCotton]

tongue-in-cheek research.

Still funny, though. The average nursery rhyme is NOT very PC. It's one of the things I like about 'em.

[Dianna]

Except its not satire or humor.

It HAS to be! I absolutely refuse to believe there are peope this ridiculous on earth with me.

[Mr. Burns]

For gods sake people, lighten up. This is a few doctors having some fun over the holidays. It's also the same type of publicity stunt that all sorts of groups use to get people talking about a particular issue.

[Eris]

Except its not satire or humor.

As ridiculous as this story looks, its for real.

Think again, Tonto.

Children are told these stories "without people stopping to really look at what's happened", according to the tongue-in-cheek research.

....

"What sort of EMS (emergency medical service) training and equipment did these first responders have?" they ask in a light-hearted paper published by the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Now, if any of those words I italicized gives you trouble, follow that first link I provided.

[lawdude]

Jack and Jill went up the hill,
They both had a buck and a quarter.
When Jill came back,
she had two and a half.
Jack didn't go up for water!

[John Beresford Tipton]

"Jack and Jill, who tumbled down a hill"

Jack and Jill went up a hill
And each one had a quarter
Jill came down with fifty cents
They didn't go up for water!

[GATOR NAVY]

...according to the tongue-in-cheek research...

...they ask in a light-hearted paper...

Sorry, you need to read a little closer before getting bent out of shape-it's a joke.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

I don't know which is more humorous, the article, or you're thinking it is a true news piece.

[John Beresford Tipton]

I see there is rampant inflation in your part of the kingdom

[Billthedrill]

If they were serious - and they're not - they might have a point about Ring Around The Rosie (a charming little recollection of the Black Plague) and Humpty Dumpty (a mockery of a cannon during the English Civil War - notice that eggs appear nowhere in the rhyme?). If this sort of thing amuses you, Click Here.

[southernnorthcarolina]

When I was a child, I saw the Roadrunner drop an anvil onto Wile E. Coyote. It was horrible. The coyote's head was flattened and his eyes bulged way out. I was permanently traumatized.

I now spend all my free time dropping anvils off of buildings and highway overpasses. My aim is so bad, I haven't hurt anyone yet, but I keep trying. Of course, my local blacksmith is starting to wonder what I'm doing with all those anvils.

[GeronL]

I grew a lovely garden
it sprouted up a vine

out cropped a tomater

It tasted devine

Until I fell in and was eaten by a gator

*burp*, "I feel fine"- the Gator

[RWR8189]

Yeah, so I made an ass out of myself, so what?

[GeronL]

Is Anvil envy possible?

[Eris]

;)

Happens to everyone, everyday. At least you had cover of Internet anonymity.

I do most of my "assing" in real life. :)

[mylife]

Of course lots of children are seriously injured by imitation of poor examples they see on the TV. The Hospitals are full of them. Kids imitating superman and wiley coyote.

I wont even subject you to:

The Horrors of the 3 Stooges ward!!

[fourdeuce82d]

so I made an ass out of myself, so what?

So now you have lot and lots of people with similar experiences to hang out with...myself included.

welcome to the club! *grin*