Yo Gabba's Plex

For Halloween, my four-year-old son, Felix, asked to get dressed as PLEX, one of the many wild and fun characters of the hit TV show, Yo Gabba Gabba. Also, he asked for me to dress up like the father of PLEX. Wow! I had never experienced such an amazing, bounding moment in our over-materialistic world of pure idiotic, compulsive, consuming addictions. But again, we’re the result of brain manipulation by some Dark Lords of the capitalist TV world trying to force onto us more products and more spending we can’t afford. Or is this over-intellectualizing the situation and we should just bond — Felix and I, son and father — and focus on the true love at core? Well, to help us go through this confusing sensation, I placed a call to one of the creators of this brilliant show, Christian Jacobs. Not only he is one of the punk rock stars of The Aquabats, but he is now an inspiration for all children around the world with Yo Gabba Gabba. As if the show was not enough, a series of LIVE shows is coming to a town near you. So forget about the consumer-capitalist fear and dive into a grand family moment with your kids, catch the wave of pure fun and join the party!

Emmanuel Itier: My son is four and he is so into Yo Gabba Gabba, he even will be PLEX for Halloween. How do you explain the success of the show?

Christian Jacobs: I’m not sure. Creating this show was like creating the telephone — you kind of stumble onto it and it’s amazing. But it’s true we wanted to do something in the style of The Muppets, Sesame Street… We got inspired by many shows from the past. I think it’s a very simple show but with many layers on top of each other to keep the kids’ attention. Also, it’s loaded with some really unique and interesting music, and usually kids love it.

EI: Speaking of the music, it seems to me this is the type of music, as an adult, I love. Was it scary and a problem to put punk rock and pop music for a kids show? Any fear from the network to air such a show?

Christian Jacobs with his TV Critics Association Award (Getty Images)

CJ: Yes, it might have been one of the hesitations from the network to air the show, but at the end, it was so new and fresh that it worked out. The idea of putting this type of music came from my own experience with my daughter. At one time, I was watching TV and she was playing with her toys when, at some point, I fell onto a song with a big beat, like 50 Cent on MTV, and she really started to get into it. She really stopped playing with her toys and got into this music. Of course, I had to switch the channel because the material in the video wasn’t that appropriate for her age, but it showed me that good music transcends age; it doesn’t matter how old you are — if it’s a good song, you will get into it. My kids love good music, like Kraftwerk and The Ramones. Really, at the end, I’m glad we took a risk and created a show that does work for kids.

EI: Now talking about the Live Show, what can people expect and what’s are the surprises?

CJ: We have plenty of surprises! It’s big and cool! It’s like a big, live rock concert for kids, to introduce them to live music. I have several friends running big music festivals, and this is exactly what we did with the Yo Gabba Gabba show. In most shows, you’re watching an adventure, a story of your TV show put live in front of you. But here, it’s totally different. Here, the focus is music and it’s like a big dance party event. It’s a fun party for kids. And yes, there are plenty of surprises and musical guests! It’s a fun time for the entire family for sure.

EI: Is it also to make a bridge of communication, face to face, with the kids?

CJ: Sure, it’s about breaking down the barrier between television and the kids, and just having it all there in front of them. It’s something that they will never forget, and it’s very exciting for me. It’s really about families having sweet times together and remembering this unique moment, this magical experience. The idea is to have you bond even in a stronger way with your children so they do remember this cherished time you spent together.

EI: Now that Yo Gabba Gabba is all over, from a TV show to figurines to a Live show, are you scared it could become a Big Brother-type of capitalist empire out of your control?

CJ: We are very aware of this danger and we make sure we’re not losing any control over anything that is done with Yo Gabba Gabba. We were fans of shows when we were kids that were designed in a way for us to consume all the products made around them, and knowing this, we’re trying not to over-do it and to pay attention to details. We don’t want our products to be watered down and just a means to make more money. We don’t want it to become a corporate money-making machine, but we want to create partnerships with all the partners making the products around the show and help them keep the philosophy of Yo Gabba Gabba intact. We want to keep the pure fun going and not let it become a lame excuse to make more money.

EI: What do you think the most important message of the show is?

CJ: That our children are the most important elements of our lives. We need them and they need us. They are our future. The show was created to connect with our children, and this is why we put adult elements, such as the music, as much as kids’ elements, such as the various characters. Bonding is really the key word when it comes to representing what Yo Gabba Gabba is all about. My son is playing YoGabbaGabba.com with me, and it’s great that we can be together and share this great bonding time together…

For more information on the Yo Gabba Gabba Live Shows, go to www.YoGabbaGabba.com

YO GABBA GABBA! LIVE: THERE’S A PARTY IN MY CITY

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Los Angeles, California @ Shrine Expo Hall

Saturday, November 14, 2009 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
*Sunday, November 15, 2009 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

New York, New York @ Beacon Theatre

Saturday, November 21, 2009 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. – *5:00 p.m.

Chicago, Illinois @ Rosemont Theatre

Saturday, December 5, 2009 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.