Nickelodeon’s really fun series The Penguins of Madagascar (based on the two movies) has declared today King Julien Day, after the ego-maniacal lemur who serves as the penguins’ antagonist on the series. They’re featuring a mini-marathon of Penguins episodes, starting at 5 p.m. tonight, with a brand-new episode premiering at 8 p.m.
Who doesn’t like a good bad guy, right? And certainly Julien’s behavior and general attitude is hardly something we want our kids emulating. But he does remind me of the Trickster archetype. You know, Monkey in Bhuddist legend, Coyote in many Native American tales, the Norse god Loki. The Trickster is the character who’s a bit of a con artist and snark, but whose heart is ultimately in the right place. Kind of like Bugs Bunny.
In short, there is something to be learned from King Julien’s antics, even if it’s how not to behave. And he’s funny, in the meantime.
Anne Louise Bannon
Your Family Viewer
