Sesame Street Old School DVD's: Not For Kids

[Foodie]

I'm disappointed that the exploding frog cartoon didn't make either of the Old School sets ( that I'm aware of anyway ). Anyone know what I'm referring to?

 

[mikebennidict]

Well, true, parents do have much less spare time on their hands - but it's not the amount of time you have that matters, but what you do with that amount of time.

Had to drop this in, 'cause you know me - Richard Hunt said at Jim's memorial, "Henson's Muppets spoke to the part of kids that was grownup, and to the part of grownups that was childlike."

That shows that Jim and the gang knew full well that children were intelligent human beings who needed to be taken seriously - but that disclaimer at the start of the old school set starts hinting the opposite.

"As if adults were smarter..." very true, heralde. In my experience, kids aren't stupid - but I know of several adults who are.

Let's not forget Jim did not create the show. He might of had a hand on the muppet aspect of the show after all he created them but it was preety much the brainchild of Joan G. Cooney and the CTW as it was known as.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Let's not forget Jim did not create the show. He might of had a hand on the muppet aspect of the show after all he created them but it was preety much the brainchild of Joan G. Cooney and the CTW as it was known as.

That's a good point and we do often forget that. Though, at the same time, the people involved with Sesame Street have also described the creative process as a collaboration, and that they couldn't have done it without Jim and his vision.

 

[Muppet Newsgirl]

Too true - notice I said "Jim and the gang," rather than just Jim. And Jim worked with a fairly large gang.

 

[Drtooth]

Let's not forget Jim did not create the show. He might of had a hand on the muppet aspect of the show after all he created them but it was preety much the brainchild of Joan G. Cooney and the CTW as it was known as.

Yeah. But then again, Jim did help to shape a lot of the things on it. I mean, I recall hearing that J.G.C. didn't particularly like the Baker falling dowwn the stairs with cakes bit that much, but Jim pulled for it. So it's a bit of both worlds. Though, honestly, SS wouldn't have been the success it was without Jim Henson and the Muppets. Or as Ed Sullivan called him Jim Janson and the Moffits.

 

[Brooklyn]

to add a fresh voice to this discussion, Virginia Herrernan wrote a very funny piece for this past Sunday's New York Times Magazine. Enjoy:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/magazine/18wwln-medium-t.html?_r=1&ref=magazine&oref=slogin

 

[mikebennidict]

I don't think we need to keep posting these article to keep emphasising the differences between today's and yesterday's SS.


Well if she was just being commical then I guess it's no big deal.

Sorry.

 

[minor muppetz]

People seem to be making a big deal out of old Sesame Street not being for kids. The Old School sets have disclaimers, but they don't say that they are not for kids, just that the sets are meant for adults and may not fit today's educational needs. And those disclaimers only appear in introductions for the first episodes on both sets. I didn't see it written anywhere on the packaging or in the booklets.

I mean, how could a show that includes a grouchy animal in a trash can, an overeating monster whose diet includes eating pipes, an incompetent waiter, a suspicious-looking stranger, a guy who paints numbers on other peoples property, and a baker who always falls down the stairs not be suitable for kids?

 

[CensoredAlso]

"On the first episode, Oscar seems irredeemably miserable — hypersensitive, sarcastic, misanthropic. (Bert, too, is described as grouchy; none of the characters, in fact, is especially sunshiney except maybe Ernie, who also seems slow.) “We might not be able to create a character like Oscar now,” she (Executive Producer of Sesame Street)said."

Unbelievable...well that is their loss and unfortunately ours too (and I mean kids and adults). Sesame Street is no longer allowed to have grouchy sarcastic characters? They all have to be "chipper" and sunshine? Stepford Street, I rest my case. After all, we can't let kids think it's normal to be angry and sarcastic now and again. We have to convince them to be cheerful and oblivious every moment of the day no manner how hard life is (and life can be hard even for 3 year olds unfortunately).

And apparently it would also be wrong to create deep, complex characters for children. How foolish we ever were to think that was a good idea.

"Cookie Monster was never a righteous figure. His controversial conversion to a more diverse diet wouldn’t come until 2005"

Again, incorrect. And it's not that hard to check these facts.

"The harshness of existence was a given, and no one was proposing that numbers and letters would lead you “out” of your inner city to Elysian suburbs. Instead, “Sesame Street” suggested that learning might merely make our days more bearable, more interesting, funnier. It encouraged us, above all, to be nice to our neighbors and to cultivate the safer pleasures that take the edge off — taking baths, eating cookies, reading. Don’t tell the kids."

Well, I did appreciate this part of the article. Sesame Street (as opposed to Stepford) showed the world the way it really was (granted in a fanciful manner), warts and all. And yet, offered some hope.

Now I definitely know which SS DVDs I'll be showing (and not showing) to my kids.

 

[frogboy4]

I don't think we need to keep posting these article to keep emphasising the differences between today's and yesterday's SS.

Well if she was just being commical then I guess it's no big deal.

Sorry.

I enjoy reading them. I liked the old Street. It's a shame that very little of it exists for my sister's kids. Just, "Elmo likes this," and ,"Elmo wants that!" I see no problem with allowing members to post links that pertain to the thread title. You can always just skip them.

I do find the disclaimer on the Old School sets odd, but I get it. That Sesame reflects a different time with different ideas on what kids should see. And I fully understand dropping the pipe bit with Cookie Monster. I remember when the Mr. Potato Head toy lost his pipe. Different general value-system. But back then there seemed to be more mutual love on the street, not just Elmo's self love. I haven't seen any of the new Abby shows. The character is beautifully crafted and translates easily to product likeness. I just hope she won't be another self-obsessed scene stealer.