Sesame Street Old School DVD's: Not For Kids

[wwfpooh]

I wonder where Superman has to transform now.

Or his dog equivalent in Underdog.

 

[PinballStewie]

I mean, with Sesame Street, all the characters have some problems.

Telly isn't just a worrywart... he overly emotes all his feelings. The Count's counting can be seen as obsessive cumpulsive disorder. Zoe's personality could be misconcieved as ADD or ADHD. Rosita's panicking (where she speaks only in spanish and really fast) can be concieved as a stereotype..... when you get down to the bottom of it, the only characters that these people have no problem with are the kids that don't really do or say anything, and are just in the background. And that's not beneficial.

To me, the world is full of people with problems and quirks. How does it look when your kid grows up around characters with no personality? How can they relate to real people? There's a bit of Oscar, Cookie, Bert, Snuffy (et.c) in everybody.... I feel these characters having quirks, emotions, feelings, are better for kids.

LOL! I actually have obsessive compulsive disorder (to a small, but significant degree) myself, so I know EXACTLY what you mean about the Count. That's why he's one of my fave characters on SS.

Here are some other "quirks" I've found in SS characters

- Cookie Monster's like a "monsterized", clean-language version of Homer Simpson; overindulgent, gluttonous, and somewhat ignorant - which makes him another favorite character of mine (Cookie, that is, since we're talking SS, not Homer, though Homer's pretty cool too!)

- Kermit's encounters with characters like Forgetful Jones, the Count, Grover, and the salesman in the "Kermit the Frog T-shirt" segment are hilarious, but to me they're also reminders for children (and adults) to know that even someone as smart and insightful as Kermit is bound to lose their temper at some point (I'm no exception, though I try to keep my cool most of the time)

- Grover reminds me of someone with a combination of Asperger's syndrome and ADHD (myself and many friends of mine fall under this category); he's very smart and well-meaning, but he just goofs up a lot of the time.

- The way that Bert is anxious, is only willing to socialize when he wants to, and is obsessed with peculiar and/or ordinary objects (like paper clips, bottlecaps, and oatmeal; not to mention random animals like pigeons), makes me think that his actions could be construed as autism to some.

- Ernie's pretty level-headed, but sometimes he doesn't realize how much he bothers someone (particularly Bert, though there could be others), and I'm kinda like that too, sometimes.

- If Big Bird really is 6 years old (in Muppet years, of course, not human or bird years), then he seems to have a simple mind even for somebody that young, and the fact that he is so tall is (or at least was) probably intended as an ironic joke.

- Even Prairie Dawn seems to be somewhat of a control freak sometimes.

- And of course, Oscar the Grouch's problem is obvious from the "Grouch" part of his name

Dr. Tooth already mentioned Telly's problem so I'm not going over that one, but with all that being said, characters like Elmo (esp. the "modernized" Elmo) just aren't the same since Elmo's a little kid who acts like...well...a little kid, meaning he's pretty normal for his "age" (3 years old). Same with characters like Baby Bear who is (once again) a little kid who acts like a little kid. It's characters like that that made the show decline so all I can say is...thank goodness these "Old School" DVD's are being released so people like me (and most if not all of the other folks on MuppetCentral) can enjoy SS for what it was; a place full of monsters, people, and other appealing creatures who went beyond teaching letters and numbers to also teach acceptance and humor.

 

[wwfpooh]

Exactly. It's just too bad that the Street had to become this prestine perfect world where even Oscar is nice!

 

[CensoredAlso]

And the fact is, political correctness and Stepford values have not fixed the world's problems. They just seem to add to them. While we're worrying about outdated clips and what Cookie Monster's doing, there are still disadvantaged children in this country, lack of education and motivation, and a seriously problem with bullying, as early as Kindergarden.

And all I'm seeing now is kids being told to follow the trend, enjoy the one popular character, and be like everyone else. Don't have any quirks or anything that separates you from the pack. As young as 2 years old they are being taught this. I don't understand how that is OK.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Wow, I just saw this rather cute Christmas cartoon called "The Forgotten Toys." This doll and Teddy Bear get thrown out the day after Christmas to make room for the newer, more popular and modern toys. They try to think of ways to get their kids to like them again and the Teddy suggests they change themselves to be more like the modern toys, or perhaps try to advertise a product on TV. It's rather painful to see actually. The doll finally says, "We are what we are, we can't be anything else."

Rather telling I think...

Anyway, they meet a Santa Claus-type character who tells them it's not falshy lights and batteries that make kids happy, but the love of the person giving the gift. Surprisingly nice.

 

[wwfpooh]

Yes and even the various Scrooges in the multiple variants of the classic Charles Dickens tale learn a similar lesson. 'Tis too bad the real-life Scrooges can't seem to fathom it.

 

[Drtooth]

- Grover reminds me of someone with a combination of Asperger's syndrome and ADHD (myself and many friends of mine fall under this category); he's very smart and well-meaning, but he just goofs up a lot of the time.

Heh. Grover reminds me a lot of interns and people who just found work, and they are both eager and willing to keep it as long as possible. Plus, he's just so darn litteral. And he's always constantly trying to please everyone, and over exherts himself. So he's both like an over active 3 year old, and a 20 year old in the work force.

And the fact is, political correctness and Stepford values have not fixed the world's problems. They just seem to add to them. While we're worrying about outdated clips and what Cookie Monster's doing, there are still disadvantaged children in this country, lack of education and motivation, and a seriously problem with bullying, as early as Kindergarden.

This goes beyond PC and Stepford. Far more, into a deeper sinister attempt to make the richest kids seem like they're the worst off. I mean, didn't the Kosovo segment of "world According" talk about how they're going to make a segment about what to do when a kid finds a hand granade. I mean, that has to tell you that there's something unholy in this world.

It all goes back to uppermiddle class white washing the poor. Look at the Christmas commercials we have now. it's all upper MC people buying the most expensive stuff they can and being so dang smug and happy they were able to give everyone in their family a BMW. And half the kids out there need stuff from Toys for Tots (which has even less than usual due to rich stinginess and the rich toy companies using lead paint in China). We don't want to think about those less fortunate.

I mean, it all goes back to the fact we have a false sense of morals which has been bought out by religious fanatics and certain politicians. Now Morals mean hating people for being different, and voting for politicians that come from upper class backgrounds, and don't care for the poor they sell themselces to. Had we had real morals, we'd care about the poor, the sick, the dying. people that can't even live in the bustling city because developers keep pushing out the poor with Rent hikes, so spoiled rich 20 year olds can live in them. But that's just me.

I'd kill to see an episode in which Zoe or Elmo or someone gets really jealous that Abby has magical powers, and whines and whines about how they don't have them. In fact, they can't even see how great they have it because they can only see what they don't have. A nice little parelell to spoiled little kids that have millions of toys, and whine they don't have enough. I'm glad Arthur got into that, but I think they should have Elmo or Zoe teach them that as well.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I do agree we are developing a false sense of morality. I just think it's coming from both liberal and conservative politicans. Just in different ways. We're getting both fanatical secular and fanatical religious. From my point of view, it's best to side with neither group and think for ourselves, hehe. Everything in moderation.

 

[wwfpooh]

I do agree we are developing a false sense of morality. I just think it's coming from both liberal and conservative politicans. Just in different ways. We're getting both fanatical secular and fanatical religious. From my point of view, it's best to side with neither group and think for ourselves, hehe. Everything in moderation.

Well said. Heck, a good percent of us are Christian and yet, we don't condemn other religions for believing in different ways, although the previous generations may be somewhat set in their ways (my own parents for one).

 

[CensoredAlso]

Well said. Heck, a good percent of us are Christian and yet, we don't condemn other religions for believing in different ways, although the previous generations may be somewhat set in their ways

That has been my experience as well.