Handy Manny is the newest show on Playhouse Disney for preschoolers. This 30 minute show is broken down into two 15 minute episodes to capture your child's attention.
This show is about a handy man named Manny who is bilingual; speaking both English and Spanish. Each story incorporates both languages, including counting to eight in Spanish, and several other words done in both languages. Handy Manny is a great way to introduce your English or Spanish speaking child to another language in a fun way.
During each story Manny and his talking tools will fix a problem in their community while giving an easy lesson for children to understand.
Regular characters include the eight tools, among them Philippe the Phillips head screwdriver, Pat the hammer and more. Also in each story is Mr. Lobart and his cat Fluffy. Mr. Lobart is the one person on the show who never wants any help. Because he won't accept Manny's help he provides comic relief when he has problems doing things. This also teaches children that it is okay to ask for help.
Premiering this week on the Disney Channel, Handy Manny quickly captured my 4 year olds attention and has become one of his favorite television shows. I love having him watch this program because of the multicultural lessons he learns in each episode.
To "America" Re: Huh? (Review 1 of 180)
Reviewed by AWD on 12/30/2008 Rating: (4271)
To answer your "perfect episode" question....
It would involve Manny offering help to Mr Lopart and his refusing the assistance.
Later in the episode, Manny would stop by again to see how it went, only to find that Mr Lopart successfully completed the project.
It is not necessary to have Mr Lopart play the fool and come off as a bungling idiot incapable of fixing anything without Manny's help.
Huh? (Review 2 of 180)
Reviewed by america on 12/21/2008 Rating: (4265)
1. Maybe some of the posters here who find problems with the show could explain what the ideal episode would look like in your mind. Would Manny speak only English? Would Mr. Lopart be the wise-kindly mayor? Would we somehow pretend that the Spanish language and the people who speak it don't exist?
2. A stereotype is negative when there are few other examples in media to counter- act its message. When minorities began to complain about such instances, indeed when the entire notion of "stereotypes" was created, the problem is that there were only four or five minorities on television to begin with, and they ALL had the same negative qualities. An impressionable kid watching could only form one opinion about these people. Can any white person reasonably argue that Mr Lopart allows kids to form only ONE opinion about white people? Aren't there thousands of white characters on televisions demonstrating all levels of intelligence, buffoonery, and trustworthiness? If having a white character with negative qualities constitutes a negative stereotype, shouldn't we be complaining that the villians in Spider-Man are white? That the annoying bad guy kid in iCarly is white? It's almost impossible to have a real white stereotype, because there are millions of contradicting images of white people, ultimately offering the idea that white people are just PEOPLE. Latinos and African Americans and Asians and Native Americans complained about stereotypes because they didn't enjoy the same objective representations.
3. If there are any uncomfortable racial ideas in Handy Manny, it's that the Hispanic main character is in a blue-collar service role while the white characters seem to make up the white-collar class. ( I can hear some clown saying "well that's the way it is buddy, get used to it" Of course that's the way it is now, but it doesn't have to be that way forever. A child growing up in America deserves the chance to believe that all kinds of success are possible and likely for him or her) But anyway, even this complaint holds little water, because the creators and writers of the show (all white, by the way) have included characters of both backgrounds in a variety of roles...a hispanic mayor, a white-female hardware store owner, etc.
My conclusion: Anyone finding problems in this show, has problems with white or brown people already.
Manny's Subliminal Message (Review 3 of 180)
Reviewed by AWD on 12/11/2008 Rating: (4261)
Many here seem to miss the point regarding the message "Manny" seems to send....
For years the "minority" community has complained that the only images on tv were showing them in a negative light. Their complaints have changed the lineup and character base on many of the networks.
Now, in simple terms, here's the message "Manny" is putting into the minds of its young viewers...
White people (Mr Lopart) should accept the latino (Manny) because he is doing the work that white people cannot (as implied by Lopart's unsuccessful attempts) do.
If you don't accept this help, you look like an idiot.
This "subliminal" message is as clear as the one that a latino woman can be Mayor, a white woman can own a business, as well as the other "positive" character traits...
These kids are getting the PC indoctrination from the get go.
Handy Manny (Review 4 of 180)
Reviewed by Gary on 11/24/2008 Rating: (4258)
I think that this show is wondrful for children. For all of you that think this show is stereotyped you need to grow up. Our kids love cartoons and dont appreciate there parents making up such obsurd remarks about a harmless show. In other words growup and stop judging shows on the language. If anyone is stereotyping it is all of you who talk bad things about it!!!
We love this Show! (Review 5 of 180)
Reviewed by Chris on 11/1/2008 Rating: (4235)
My son and I absolutely love this show! Handy Manny is a very down to earth character that is willing to help everyone in town no matter what kind of task it is. People who dislike the show are very closed minded and this is what they will teach their children in return. This is 2008 wake up and smell the diversity! This might be the USA and English may be our first language, but knowing other languages makes you that
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We love this Show! (Review 6 of 180)
Reviewed by Chris on 11/1/2008 Rating: (4236)
My son and I absolutely love this show! Handy Manny is a very down to earth character that is willing to help everyone in town no matter what kind of task it is. People who dislike the show are very closed minded and this is what they will teach their children in return. This is 2008 wake up and smell the diversity! This might be the USA and English may be our first language, but knowing other languages makes you that much more intelligent. Open your minds and stop acting so ignorant. This show shows how important a handy man is, not that it lacks intelligence so if you are offended by the message that this is sending, change the channel because then no one will know the importancew of any handy men out there.
Mother (Review 7 of 180)
Reviewed by Debbie on 10/2/2008 Rating: (4220)
My 8 year old son watches Handy Manny every morning before he goes to school. He loves it. We record it on our DVR so he can watch them over and over. He wants to be Handy Manny for Halloween. I like that he is learning some spanish. He enjoys it too.
What a Joke (Review 8 of 180)
Reviewed by Lynn on 9/27/2008 Rating: (4215)
I love how those of you who praise this show cannot do so in proper English. The posts are filled with spelling errors, grammatical errors, improper punctuation and sentences that end in prepositions. You are giving perfect examples of why our children should be taught English, instead of Spanish.
This show is banned at my son's school. The teachers gave a list at the start of school. It was of shows that are good for children to watch and ones that his class is not permitted to watch. Manny was at the top of the list of what not to watch. My son never watched it anyway, but this confirmed my suspicions about this show. I asked the teachers why, and the answer was that they felt that it provided negative stereotypes. Last year, children were attacking each other based on color and language and it is not allowed at their school.
Isn't that nice? A show that teaches children to spot differences in each other rather than teaching them we are all alike. I am shocked Disney would allow this on the air.
Handy Manny as role model (Review 9 of 180)
Reviewed by sq on 9/20/2008 Rating: (4211)
Hi Everyone,
Some food for thought: My issues, albeit I haven't fully finished evaluating the show, is that Handy Manny as role model, protray's "Latinos" in the community as being the Blue Collar service people within the microcosm of that society. I don't believe that there is anything wrong with being "Blue Collar' however, I do believe that some balance should be struck when I show these images to my child or any child at such an impressionable age.
Can anyone else
Handy Manny (Review 10 of 180)
Reviewed by ohio on 8/2/2008 Rating: (4175)
My son who is 16 months old love handy manny on saturday mornings,the guy the play manny he is the voice of the guy played on thats 70/s Show as Fez,my son watchs that show during the week and he knows the voice of manny i think the show handy manny is great for kids his age it draws his attention and keeps it there ,but when it goes off he looking for it again ,keep up the great work just wish it was on more then just on saturday mornings
Manny Steroetypes (Review 11 of 180)
Reviewed by Corol on 8/2/2008 Rating: (4177)
I am concerned about the negative sterotyping of caucasians on the show. What message is it sending to my caucasian son who watches selfish, incompetent Mr. Lopart? If Mr. Lopart was a minority there would be an outrage but because they are poking fun at a caucasian we're all supposed to accept it as ok? I don't think a program made for preschoolers should have any negative stereotypes.
Question (Review 12 of 180)
Reviewed by DaBluey's724 on 7/29/2008 Rating: (4172)
In You opinion how does Handy Manny compare to shows like Dora and Diego on Nick... Just a survey, FYI I like Manny Better because I accually find it more entertaining personally and since the Boys watch what I do, LOL, they like it too.
just great (Review 13 of 180)
Reviewed by Liz on 7/27/2008 Rating: (4171)
I really love to watch this program with my daughter, she is 11 months and she loves it a lot... I don't see any reason to complain about teaching spanish and I wish we all had the opportunity to learn 2 languages 20 years ago and take advantage of that...
IGNORANCE (Review 14 of 180)
Reviewed by DW on 7/17/2008 Rating: (4156)
I can not believe the ignorance of some of you parents. This is just a show that expands your childrens minds. I can understand how your children might get confused with the differing languages, but to me it is a prime time to talk with my son and teach him. English is our first language, but you make it seem bad that a company is trying to teach different languages. It also teaches cultural awareness. We do have a large Mexican population in the US. I do agree that illegals are a crime, but not every Mexican is illegal. I really do feel sad for your kids that have parents like you.
Whats wrong?? (Review 15 of 180)
Reviewed by Lola on 7/4/2008 Rating: (4141)
My son watches 'Handy Manny' He is 5 and finds Handy Manny amusing. What is wrong with children learning a few spanish words? I don't see any problem and I don't know why you are complaining. If you have a problem with Handy Manny then fine. Don't let your children watch it if you don't like it. You shouldn't be wasting your time posting how bad it is here. That's just lame.
Cute, funny, and better than average. (Review 16 of 180)
Reviewed by Stephen on 7/3/2008 Rating: (4138)
It's really ignorant to say "learn English or go back to Mexico." The US has the third largest Hispanic population in the world -15% of Americans are Hispanic. Learning to speak another language is really important for brain development. Spanish is a romance language, which is a good basis to learn other romance languages. Most of the educated world has to learn multiple languages, and the US (in recent history) has had the convenience of not having to learn other languages because we're such an economic power. But other countries around the world are developing fast, and we're just going to keep having more and more of a "global economy."
With that being said, this show doesn't throw Spanish down your throat. They slip in Spanish words and phrases in context, which is a great way to learn. Unlike Dora, this show does not talk to (or scream at) your kids like they're stupid, or train them to talk to the television. From what I've seen, the show teaches kids creative problem solving - to think outside the (tool)box.
The show does have it's shortcomings - the tools talk, Manny never has things like screws, bolts, nails, and nobody pays anybody for goods or services,
I'm a die-hard Sesame Street fan myself... best kids show ever - they talk to kids like they're real people and it's entertaining for adults.
Obviously Our Education System is Broken (Review 17 of 180)
Reviewed by Allen on 7/2/2008 Rating: (4137)
I can't believe all the "teachers" on this site who are obviously bigoted and trying to mask it by giving a falsely academic reason why they don't like this show. You're saying it teaches "negative stereotypes" and "hatred of white people" or "reverse racism?" Obviously you are either the worst teachers there are, or not teachers whatsoever and are just saying that to try and attach some credibility to your statements to get less intelligent people to stop watching it. I believe it is most likely the latter because of the abundance of spelling and grammatical errors in your posts. This show is educational and fun. It teaches problem solving skills and shows children how to be friendly to other people. The only reasons your children would think Manny is stupid or that he "hates white people" (which I think is completely made up by the poster; I see no reason children would glean that information from this show) is because YOU taught your child that either consciously or inadvertently. And even if that is not the case, you shouldn't stop watching because of that. That would be lazy parenting. "Oh, my child misunderstood something in a TV show! We need to stop watching it and leave the child with that impression instead of explaining what really is going on. I'm not going to explain that Manny doesn't hate white people and ask why my child thought that that was what was going on." No wonder so many kids are so messed up these days. There should be a licensing requirement to have children. Let's face it. Like it or not, this country's population of Spanish-speakers is increasing every year and that is not going to change. Do you want your child to be an idiot and get left behind? Or do you want your child to be smart and know two languages? I know three languages and I want my daughter to do the same.
Handy Manny - GREAT GREAT GREAT (Review 18 of 180)
Reviewed by Mum - Lakes on 5/28/2008 Rating: (4088)
My daughter loves this show, she always dances to the songs, the repetition is excellent. Those of you who are knocking it for teaching kids spanish should appreciate that the best time to teach your child an additional language is when they are first learning to talk! Spanish is now taking over French as the second most commonly spoken language except for English! I am delighted to be able to introduce spanish in a fun way and intend to teach my daughter as many languages as possible! Why not give them everything we can?
Open your minds people!
This program id great (Review 19 of 180)
Reviewed by Libbismum on 5/11/2008 Rating: (4072)
Hi guys i live in the UK and this is on the disney channel, i've got a 5 month old little girl that absolutly love it when it comes on, as soon as she hears the music her face is glued to the tv.
Those people that can not see how good this program is for children need to get out there and get socialising themselves.
I would not mind if her first word was in spanish, As it as still teaching her to comunicate.
Please make a tool belt to care my tools. (Review 20 of 180)
Reviewed by Daniel Castillo on 4/27/2008 Rating: (4067)
Dear Handy Manny, My name is Daniel and I love you. I love your tools too. I would like a tool belt like yours. Can you please make one. I love you Handy Manny and thank you for a great show. It is the best and I consider you my best friend. Love Daniel
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(4.55) Out of 180 Reviews
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