Taiwan TV stars a loving cross-dressed grandmother

By Annie Huang
Associated Press

Chao Tse-chiang dresses up as Fruit Granny for the Taiwanese children's TV show "Fruit Ice Cream." He says the character was inspired in part by the Robin Williams movie "Mrs. Doubtfire." Associated Press

Blowing kisses and waving his arms, the cross-dressing Chao — known as Fruit Granny — sings the farewell song to his "Fruit Ice Cream" show:

"I wish your smile will be as sweet as fruit and your mood as delicious as ice cream."

Before his show begins, Chao smudges red lipstick on his lips and slips into a bulky red dress. With a sleepy little farmhouse set, the half-hour show consists of Chao singing, reading stories and cavorting with a dozen or so puppets, including sheep, a bear and friendly witches.

The puppets and other characters make the show look a bit like "Sesame Street" — which, like other American kiddie shows such as "Clifford the Big Red Dog," is dubbed or subtitled and shown widely on Taiwanese cable television. But "Fruit Ice Cream" is not about math or learning to read.

Rather, the show focuses on simple traditional family values, something greatly treasured but gradually fading in industrialized Taiwan, where nuclear families with two working parents are replacing traditional clans with grandparents living together with grandchildren.

"Many kids are in the care of nannies after school and go to bed with their parents pushing the VCR button to play a story on video," said Chao, whose pink apron is sewed with the pattern of a home. "So we try to let children feel the warmth of a home, the coziness of ordinary life."

In one recent show, Fruit Granny tries to cheer up her grandchildren, two puppets with heads shaped like bananas. They were going on a picnic when a small car accident forced them to cancel.

"Let's put our food on the table, and we can have a picnic at home," Fruit tells the kids. "Everybody comes across an unpleasant event once in a while, but we can get together, laugh it off and be happy again."

Nancy Tyan, a professor of National Taipei Teachers College, said "Fruit Ice Cream" contains lessons long ignored in an educational system that emphasizes grades and neglects children's independent thinking.

"Taiwanese parents often tell their kids: You do your job by studying hard and I'll take care of the rest for you," Tyan said.

"With 'Fruit Ice Cream,' children are taught to do their own chores, get along with others and develop their potential," she said.

Two years ago, Chao, who's also the host of a talk-radio program for children, suggested that the state-owned noncommercial channel produce a program featuring a loving grandma.

Chao said the role of his cross-dressing granny was partly inspired by the movie "Mrs. Doubtfire," featuring Robin Williams as a divorced father who dresses up like a nanny to spend more time with his children.

Children know Fruit Granny is played by a man, but they fondly call him Granny or Brother Chiang when visiting him in the studio.

Chao, who grew up in a big family in a small town, shares his own experience with kids who typically have only one or no siblings and don't get to see their working parents until late in the day.

The 36-year-old comedian worries that children now have too much stress. He recalled that some of his greatest childhood concerns were about whether he would catch enough crickets. But children nowadays fret about whether their parents will get divorced or lose their jobs.

"I even slow down the pace of my speech to help them relax," he said, in a nod to Fred Rogers.

The role of a grandparent gives the program a more relaxed atmosphere, Chao said.

"Parents often play the role of a punisher, scolding their children for not studying or not eating meals properly. But the grandparent is more like their friend."