Hannah Montana, Webkinz, and other stuff

I remember when I was a kid and I used to play “monkey-monkey Annabelle,” “Pepsi 7-UP,” and “tumbang preso” all day-long with my friends until the top of our heads smelled sweaty and ripe. Back then, cartoons were only shown on Saturday mornings and if you woke up late, you had to tolerate that crappy show The Great Space Coaster. Today, it’s a completely different story. Cartoon network shows animation 24/7. Kids interact with each other online through Yahoo Messenger or on their Multiply site. And if you’re not up to date with the latest popular trend, you’re considered old and uncool. Here are a few things you ought to know to build up your coolness factor in the eyes of the youth:

Hannah Montana

If you haven’t heard of Hannah Montana, then you’re really out of the adolescent loop. Hannah Montana has replaced Lizzie McGuire as the most marketable TV show for tweens and teens. If you have a daughter or a niece, I’m sure she’s put some type of Hannah Montana merchandise on her wish list. Her real name is Miley Cyrus. She is the daughter of former country pop singer Billy Ray Cyrus—yes, the guy with the mullet responsible for that awfully memorable song “Achy Breaky Heart” which we all put on our slow jam mix-tape for our teenage crushes, or was that just me?

Club Penguin (www.clubpenguin.com)

This website allows kids to create penguin characters that live in a virtual world, unlike Madonna’s material world. These penguins live in igloos. They can buy stuff, decorate their igloos, interact with other penguins or pedophiles, and work for money, just like the sampaguita kids on the streets. The people who created this site are making millions from the membership fees. Just be careful not to let your kids talk to the penguins that drink beer and have beards.

Webkinz (www.webkinz.com)

This is another website for kids. The gimmick here is they sell virtual pets in addition to the plush toy pet. But they discriminate based on where you live. If you’re in the US or Canada, you can go to a store like Walgreens and buy the plush toy that comes with an activation code for the online version of your toy. If you live in the Philippines or any other 3rd world country that doesn’t have distribution rights, you can only buy the virtual pet on their Webkinz Store. Not too many people know about this yet, but I’m sure pretty soon your kids will be crying and begging you to buy them this so be prepared.

These are just a few pop cultural trends that kids are going crazy over. I’m sure the youngsters will be impressed after you mention some knowledge about them. But nothing beats spending quality time with the younger generation. After all, there’s no better satisfaction than beating an asthmatic 9-year-old at holding your breath underwater in the kiddie pool.