"Dare to hug a Bear?"

It is no surprise that the media plays a huge role in the education of children.

Every day we see TV shows that introduce youth to crime, propaganda, and violence. These are all bad, But arguably, the worst blunder that television has made in my life growing up - the biggest lie that I was told by writers that I trusted...was about Bears.

As children, we grow up watching lovable shows like Winnie the Pooh, the Berenstain Bears and Care Bears. And these shows taught us that bears are nice, friendly animals. They like to sing, and ride bikes, and eat honey. They come in a multitude of different colours. Some wear clothing and others have magical tummy tattoos.

They're kind and gentle (and are always surrounded by rainbows and happy things). And given what we were taught, it would make perfect sense to run up to a bear in the wild and hug it. Because honestly, who wouldn't want to hug a cute, yellow bear who has his hand in a honey pot (who is conceivably a civilized creature).

But in reality, even the innocentest physical interaction with a bear...would get you killed.

Bears are very dangerous animals. And the writers of these TV programs essentially skewed our perception of "wild" bears and have left us disappointed. From watching these cute bears on TV, we all grew up thinking that bears could sing and talk and dance. When in reality they can't do any of these things.

These writers have not only created a potentially dangerous situation for youth who live near forests, but they have also tainted our expectation of wildlife. Instead of seeing cute, lovable bears prancing around, we have ferocious beasts roaming our woodland areas. And I bet you will never see a purple bear or even a bear wearing the simplest of clothing.

Nevertheless, these writers have, through the use of incredibly cute bears, taught me some of the most valuable life lessons that I have ever learned. From sharing and helping others, to even how to stop biting my nails, these writers have inspired children for years.

The true message that we learned through these Bears should be remembered forever. And we should forget any hard feelings we may have towards them, (and the pain of getting an oversized replica of Tenderheart's tummy tattoo removed).
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Regrettably, Janice Berestain, the co-creator of the beloved Berenstein Bears book has passed away at the age of 88. Along with her late husband Stan, the real-life Berestain's have written and illustrated over 300 books dedicated to teaching children and their families life lessons. I know that I was a huge fan growing up, and I am saddened by this news. My respects go out to her friends and family. Thank you for all your dedicated years.

xx*courtney.