Curiouser and curiouser!

We suppose it was inevitable, what with the release last week of the movie version of the children's book, Curious George. The movie, not about the odd antics of Mr. Clooney, but instead focusing on those of the hyperactive pet of The Man in the Yellow Hat, has provoked complaints from animal-rights "activists." One, for example, opines:

Although the white man in the yellow hat is never depicted mistreating the monkey (although some might argue dressing a wild animal in human clothes is the cruelest form of exploitation), the monkey is, nevertheless, a "naughty little monkey". George is constantly unsupervised, gets in trouble with the police, and is even sent to jail.

[snip]

A modern, socially responsible reading of the book must focus on a socially just solution to the problems presented by the monkey's capture. Such a reading makes Curious George an excellent educational tool in teaching children an environmental ethic where the rights of all creatures are valued and considered.

And then there's the fact that he smokes. And sleeps in a bed. No, really. You could look it up HERE.

When Dan Quayle expressed the opinion that the Candice Bergen TV character Murphy Brown left something to be desired in the role-model department, he was roundly hooted down by the left, with the (apparently intended to be) withering observation that "Murphy Brown" was a fictional character, didn't the vice-president know that?

Well, Curious George isn't real, either, and doesn't really act much like a monkey. He's a make-believe monkey, much like Pluto is a make-believe dog, and Mickey isn't really a mouse. But that would involve fun and imagination, something entirely foreign to the animal-rights lefties.

I don't think there's much danger that anyone -- regardless of age or mental infirmity -- will mistake this movie for a wildlife documentary.

But that's just me.