"Tomato 1" Is a poem written by Michael Rosen in his book "The Hypnotiser".
Plot[]
The poem is about Michael's experience with tomatoes, his hatred with tomatoes and how he hated tomatoes. In the poem, Michael describes tomatoes with such quotes like "that fleshy bit, the way it sticks to your teeth" and "slimy little seeds". His mum says that he should eat the tomato, but Michael refuses. His mum continues to command Michael to consume the tomato but Michael replies with "I don't want to, I hate tomatoes, all slimy". Michael's mother is not pleased and tells Michael that when she was a girl she had to eat what she was given, and tells him that it would be rude back then to talk to their mother like what Michael talked to his. His mother keeps going in depth and tells Michael that some people in the world are dying to eat a tomato. She tells him that if he doesn't eat the tomato, he won't be getting any dessert and she has made his favourite. Michael attempts to eat the tomato but he spits it out right away and describes the tomatoes yet again. Michael tries to sulk so that his mother will forgive him. She doesn't forgive him and tells him that a lot of hard work was put into that tomato. Michael exclaims at the end that he never ate the tomato and got no dessert.
Transcript[]
Tomato 1.
Tomato 1 - Michael Rosen
Here's me, and my mum's just given me a tomato, and if there's one thing I can't stand it's tomatoes. You know that fleshy bit, the way it sticks to your teeth, and you know all those slimy little seeds and the way they slide around your mouth. Oooh, I cant stand it. Anyway, my mum says "eat it." and I say "I don't want to" she says "eat it." and I say "I hate tomatoes, all slimy." and she says "don't you talk like that. When I was a girl I had to eat whatever my mum put in front of me. Do you think I could talk to my mother like that? D'you know there are some people who would give their right arm for a tomato. to have half a tomato because they haven't had anything to eat for a whole week. I'm telling you this: if you don't eat your tomato, there will be no afters and I've made something rather nice, I think you know what I mean". So here goes. In goes a bit of tomato - *PFFT* Just like I thought. First the fleshy bit, it sticks; then the slimy bits, they slide about, and when it goes all down my throat it' stick and slide all the way down. "Oh no! This is horrible!" So I start to sulk. I make my eyes go dim. I push my lips out - to make myself look all rotten. "Don't you dare sulk," she says "I'm not having you there throwing one of your tantrums. I don't have to put up with you behaving like this. All I'm asking you to do is to eat one tomato. It's taken months to grow, it's full of goodness, so stop that stupid sulking, will you?" But I just sit there in my great big sulk.
I never did eat that tomato. Mind you, I never got any afters either.
Trivia[]
- This was the last Kids' Poems and Stories With Michael Rosen video to be filmed in front of the infamous white/grey background.
Used in Poops[]
- The words that describe the tomato are used for sexual references e.g. "slimy", "fleshy", "oh no this is horrible"
- "I think you know what I mean" is often used to create an innuendo- e.g. "I was enjoying myself - I think you know what I mean."
- Michael saying "Oh no, this is horrible!" Is often used in YTPs to describe an unpleasant moment.