Most parents who allow their young children to watch TV spend a lot of time fretting over issues such as which shows are age-appropriate, which ones are educational or improving, and which ones could be harmful.

The latest kids' show to be called into question is Nickelodeon's long-running cartoon series, 'SpongeBob SquarePants.' According to The Wrap, a study due to be published online Monday by the journal 'Pediatrics' found that watching just nine minutes of 'SpongeBob' had a negative effect on four-year-olds' attention spans.

Nickelodeon questioned the validity of the findings, criticizing the small size of the control group and pointing to the fact that 'SpongeBob' is targeted at children aged six to eleven, not four.

There are few signs in this crazy business that you have become an indelible and beloved member of the pop culture lexicon than getting a cameo appearance on an episode of Sesame Street. Case in point: Gallagher, O.J. Simpson and Kanye West have yet to appear on an episode of Sesame Street.

Well, would you want West teaching your kids the difference between "near" and "far," things that are yellow and why George Bush hates black people?

Some upcoming episodes of the long running PBS kids' show will include appearances by Christina Applegate on Jan. 25, Hugh Jackman on Jan. 27, Debi Mazar and Sarah Jessica Parker on Feb. 16 and Paul Rudd and Eva Longoria-Parker on Feb. 18.

WARNING: The following post contains images of a shocking nature and despite its source material, is not appropriate for anyone under the age of 18. And before you get all excited, no, it does not contain naked boobies.

We all remember lovable ol' Fred Rogers, aka TV's Mister Rogers, as a warm, cuddly and caring neighbor who never wore a frown and always had a smile for someone smaller than him.

But what if all those cheerful hellos, colorful sweater jackets and speeches about being special on Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood were just a mask hiding something very dark and sinister? Specifically, a clown mask?

If the very thought of the fledgling economy makes you just a little bit sad, get some Kleenex and a shoulder to cry on because you're about to bawl your eyes out.

If you are the kind of heartless bastard who won't cry at the discovery of this news, you should. Get a fork, poke yourself in the eyes, and let nature take its course.

The Sesame Workshop, the non-profit organization that created the world's greatest kids show in the history of whatever, is laying off a huge chunk of its staff.

Way back in July and August I mentioned the new PBS series from Bear in the Big Blue House creator Mitchell Kriegman called It's a Big, Big World. At the time the show was still in production and facing a writers strike. I pretty much forgot all about the show when it finally aired, but I've since caught a few episodes, and I must say, it's quite impressive, at least visually. The show uses a technique called "shadowmation" which combines puppetry with animated backgrounds using what appears to be a blue screen effect. The result is a varicolored jungle world that jumps off the screen like a pop-up book. The environmental message of the show is a good one as well, even if it does get a little too "kumbaya" at times.