The Wiggles Are Dead! (Long Live The Wiggles)

05/22/2012 12:00 pm by

 

 

the wiggles The Wiggles Are Dead! (Long Live The Wiggles)

I’m just going to come right out and say it …. my kids hate The Wiggles.

I tried really hard to persuade both of them to watch those kooky colourful guys, but no dice. My eldest would actually come running to me, crying. “Mum! The … the WIGGLES are on.” 

So there was barely a ripple around here this week when the Wiggles announced they were breaking up.

Well, *kind* of breaking up—after 21 years performing together, the yellow, red and purple ones are leaving. The blue Wiggle (aka the hot one) is staying. Three new, younger Wiggles are coming up the ranks. Including the very first female Wiggle, Emma Watkins.

 

wiggles main The Wiggles Are Dead! (Long Live The Wiggles)

 

Like, Smurfette!

The new generation will feature three new members: Watkins, 26-year-old Lachlan Gillespie and 40-year-old Simon Pryce. All three have been performing with the Wiggles in supporting roles over the past few years.

“I’ve been a big fan of the Wiggles since I was a little girl,” said Watkins, “so it’s a huge privilege to be invited to perform for a new generation of children.”

The official announcement was made by the primary colour-clad guys themselves. “We’ve been entertaining children around the world for 21 years and it’s important that we plan for the future so that the Wiggles can keep wiggling in the years to come,” said red Wiggle Murray Cook.

“The touring and performing over the past 21 years has meant that we’ve spent a long time away from our own families and friends. We miss them and want to spend more time at home.”

The Wiggles have sold 23 million DVDs and seven million CDs worldwide. The group are one of the biggest earners in Australian entertainment history. They’ll perform in a final tour this year, travelling to the UK, USA, New Zealand, and Canada. In a letter to fans, the outgoing members said they would still be involved with the Wiggles behind the scenes, including the creation of new material.

I asked my sons if they were interested in bidding goodbye to one of the biggest and most successful exports Australia has ever seen. “Hey! Do you guys want to go to the very last proper Wiggle concert?” My ten year old was deadpan. “That’s so not funny.”

I’m sorry, guys. I tried.

The original members will all hold a stake in their lucrative business profits. Not a bad effort from a band whose previous incarnation as Sydney band The Cockroaches led to a few hit songs. Formed in 1979 and named after a pseudonym the Rolling Stones used in the 60s, the Cockroaches were pop/rock. Hits include “I Want a Leather Jacket,” “Through With Her,” and “She’s The One.”

With earnings last year hitting a cool $28 million, the Wiggles are set for life. What you have from here on in is a production line of Wiggles. A puppy farm of Big Red Car drivers. Once they get too old and rickety to do the Hot Potato, BAM. Replaced.

Children’s performers never die; they just change their sweaters. (Or as we say in Australia “skivvies.”)

I prefer the Woggles, seen on 30 Rock recently:

G’DIY, MITE!

 

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About Edenland

Eden Riley has a dark past. She blogs at Edenland and lives near Sydney, Australia. She's a writer, mother, stepmother, idiot, derby girl. Eden once waited seven hours to meet Bono. She'd wait even more to meet Eminem but do NOT call her Stan. Her children breathed a new life into her. She has red hair and went to too many schools. It's hard to be her friend. Eden has a dark past dark past let her show u it.

Filed Under: Parenthood, Television, Things That Have Jumped The Shark Tagged With: , , , , ,


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  • http://www.sweetney.com Sweetney

    Oh my god, when did The Wiggles get so OLD? I guess I must’ve been watching early repeats back when my kid was a toddler or something… ugh.

    • http://www.edenriley.com/ edenland

      The oldest Wiggle is the purple one, Jeff. 

      FIFTY NINE YEARS OF AGE. No wonder he always falls asleep.

  • Snarky_Amber

    How do your kids feel about Fresh Beat Band?

    • http://www.edenriley.com/ edenland

      We watched that show once … I thought it was a parody. Then I banned it forever.

  • http://twitter.com/txtingmrdarcy Brooke Shelby

    So many “That’s what she said”s, so little time….  I adore your kids’ cynicism.

    • http://www.edenriley.com/ edenland

      Thank you Brooke … later that night he was still shaking his head. “Can’t BELIEVE you thought I would go to a Wiggles concert, mum.”

  • http://www.stylingyou.com.au/ Nikki Parkinson

    Eden, I saw the Cockroaches perform and even had a beer with Anthony (aka The Hot One) in a country QLD pub in 1987. Ten years later I was at my first of many, many Wiggles concerts – albeit in a rundown community hall as opposed to an entertainment centre. Thankfully my youngest (who’s nearly 7) “banned” (his words not mine) The Wiggles from our house about three years ago. I blame his teenage brother and sister who insist on teaching him the words to many age inappropriate songs. There’s nothing like hearing I’m Sexy And I Know It coming from the back seat of the car on a school run. Oops.

    • http://www.edenriley.com/ edenland

      You had a beer with Anthony? You TOTALLY could have been a Wiggles Wife!

  • Debyl1

    Was the same in my home and also with Sesame Street.I was hoping to use both to  give me a little bit of  ’Me’ time but no she just never got into either.Would pop the tele on hoping Sesame street would teach her the abc but no chance.Would pop in the old video of The Wiggles thinking she would dance and sing away half an hour.No such luck.Kids are like little adults.Not everyone likes the same things x

    • http://www.edenriley.com/ edenland

      Oh Deb I hear you … I’ve tried in VAIN to get Rocco interested in kids shows. Nothing. He only likes Bill Bixby Hulk re-runs and Jim Carrey movies.

  • http://www.theveggiemama.com Veggie Mama

    Imma stick to Yo Gabba Gabba! The wiggles terrify me no end.

    • http://www.edenriley.com/ edenland

      I will never, EVER forget watching Yo Gabba Gabba for the first time. Waiting for the punchline.

      Just … wow. 

      • http://www.theveggiemama.com Veggie Mama

        haha I was the opposite – I knew it was a kid’s show created by one of my favourite superhero-punk bands the Aquabats, so I expected a lot of silliness, robots and cool guests! Plus I love Mark from Devo doing the magic drawing segment, and Biz Markie’s beatbox of the day… I’m easily amused :)

  • Suzie

    My little people watch Tom and Jerry.  That’s it.  They’ve made me tape them and they watch them over and over.  If no Tom and Jerry is on, they don’t watch television.

    I’m trying to remember that I watched Tom and Jerry and I didn’t notice all the violence/bigotry/sexism in it and managed to come through my childhood unscathed.  

    But watching it with a mother’s eyes is different.   Or maybe I’m just too old now.

    (never really got the whole wiggles thing – the blue wiggle is far too shiny for me).

    • http://www.edenriley.com/ edenland

      See, how old-skool violently cool are those cartoons? They just don’t make them like that anymore. #sad

  • Mrs Woog

    I preferred them when it was just about the music man.

  • http://www.edenriley.com/ edenland

    Ahh see that’s a beautiful and righteous question. Why did Greg bother coming back? 

    THROAT CLEAR.

    I believe this whole thing has been planned for a long time … they had to give Sam the flick and get Greg back in before the re-launch of the new Wiggles. Anthony will stay on for a while, and then quietly back out, leaving the new ones on award wages. The originals will be earning gajillions of dollars from royalties. 

    Soon there’ll just be Wiggle holograms doing all the work.