Are The JumpArounds Getting A Bit Fresh?

I think it's safe to say that The JumpArounds have been, shall we say, a polarizing band. The comments on my original post about the band are about as vitriolic as comments around here get. (Based on the few minutes of minutes of video I saw, I didn't understand the vitriol on either side -- generally forgettable but not execrable music that held the promise of being very addictive to young kids.)
Well, I'm not sure you'll have the JumpArounds to KickAround anymore. Not because they're going off the air permanently, but because they're changing their name. A listing for a NYC Central Park SummerStage concert this Sunday lists a concert featuring DJ Lance from Yo Gabba Gabba! and some group called the Fresh Beat Band, a description of whom sounds very familiar...
Check out The Fresh Beat Band consisting of four best friends -- Marina, Kiki, Twist, and Shout -- who attend music school together and love to sing and dance. The foursome will star in an upcoming Nickelodeon TV series that teaches preschoolers about music appreciation and how to express their feelings through movement and song. Packed with hip, catchy songs, dynamic choreography, and clever storylines, the band will get the whole family singing and dancing.OK, yeah, and the picture is identical, too.
And sure enough, WHOIS searches on thefreshbeatband.com and freshbeatband.com show that Viacom (Nick's corporate parent) registered those domain names just last week (and the JumpArounds site is pretty bare, promising new videos at some future point).
So perhaps it's time to steel yourself for a Fresh Beat Band onslaught. (Though I gotta tell you, snoozer of a name.)
Reader Comments (10)
And their saccharine-sweetness is enough to drive any parent to start adding bourbon to their morning coffee.
I can't say my two year old "hates" the JumpArounds, Ver.2.0 - but I've noticed she'll find something else to do during their commercials.
Let's be honest here (and try to keep this thread from degenerating into adolescent name-calling) - The Fresh Beat Band simply isn't age-appropriate for Noggin. Regardless of whether you love the band or despise them, Kiki & Marina, et al. are better suited on Nick, Jr. or perhaps the Disney Channel.
I remember one line from the old JumpArounds commercials - something about "when you've got to get down when you just got up" - Noggin is a place where children should be learning about shapes, colors and numbers ... not "getting down."
At risk of being berated by the "Thread Police" for my negativity - I too will change the channel whenever I see The JumpArounds, Ver. 2.0