Too old for Sesame Street

[CensoredAlso]

But just because there is does not mean that there aren't still some of the newer generation that like things better the older way

Absolutely, the idea that today's kids don't like older things is a myth; I see it all the time. We have a tendancy as people and a society to assume the past was so different and alien from now. When if you do the research, it's amazing how little things and people really do change. We just all have a very short memory.

 

[Ilikemuppets]

We have a tendancy as people and a society to assume the past was so different and alien from now.

But to be fair, we also have a tendency to assume that things now days are so much different they they were in the past too.

 

[frogboy4]

Laughter keeps the clouds away!

2 Things... Preschoolers have a bigger sense of humor (you can tell them every joke in a kid's joke book, and it'll be new to them)... plus, of course they laugh harder. Paying bills, getting work, working at said work.... there's very little for adults to laugh at.

Kids are fearless by nature because they don't know any better. As we grow we are taught to fear and worry about aspects of life - most of which we cannot control. It's easier to get the job done with a smile on your face than a scowl - whether it's learning the alphabet or paying the electric bill. That doesn't mean one has to go around with a plastic "est" smile and laugh like a buffoon. It does mean we have the choice to accept our lives, improve upon what we can and enjoy them to the fullest.

It is said that Jim Henson kept his childlike qualities. Not childish - childlike. There is a difference. I see this as a very important thing for an artist. We all have angst, but it's in the fresh way we see the world and new perspectives we feel the need to show others that is at the heart of an artist's growth. Cynicism sets in when this element is missing. Once an artist becomes jaded their work loses any purpose or value.

Sesame Street and the Muppets provide a childlike joy like no other. In my experience most people who dismiss the Muppets are dull and try too hard to appear mature to others. They do not strive for much outside what is already known or accepted. That's fine for them, but not for me. I can't hang around that sort of tract-personality for very long - especially without doing something silly to coax a smile.

Joy is not only a state of being – it’s a choice that we make to allow ourselves to find happiness and peace.

 

[wwfpooh]

Joy is not only a state of being – it’s a choice that we make to allow ourselves to find happiness and peace.

Indeed. And finding that joyful, childlike wonder isn't hard if you know where to find it. XD

 

[Redsonga]

That doesn't mean one has to go around with a plastic "est" smile and laugh like a buffoon.

I dunno, letting a smile be your rain coat may make you seem like a buffoon to some people but really if that is what those people think I would rather not be friends with them to start with

It is said that Jim Henson kept his childlike qualities. Not childish - childlike. There is a difference. I see this as a very important thing for an artist. We all have angst, but it's in the fresh way we see the world and new perspectives we feel the need to show others that is at the heart of an artist's growth. Cynicism sets in when this element is missing. Once an artist becomes jaded their work loses any purpose or value.

There is something to be said for being able to be childish though, I don't think it is always the bad word it has become when talking about being an 'adult'. As long as you pay the bills etc it is fine to be childish if it keeps you sane IMHO...

And I dunno, but I refuse to believe that being jaded is something that happens and you can never ever go back EVER and become one of the masses . Many people on the internet seems to take that idea a bit too far. If I could only count the comments on youtube in reply to comments on youtube that go "you ruined my childhood, I'll never be able to see it the same way again after what you said" like the un-jaded parts of themselves can just be ripped away that quickly . Our childhoods, and love of SS isn't just made of tissue paper IMHO, it is in a lot of cases the foundation of who we are and is always with us, always. You can go home again just fine, if only in your mind, and jading is a two way street, even if the internet and the media and pop music says you will be serious/scarred forever IMHO. Only if you let it be forever

 

[wwfpooh]

Indeed. Incidentally, most people say those things (that their childhood has been tarnished or whatever), but then, the way they recall their childhood will never--as a memory--truly go away, because that memory is a part of them as people. For example, I may really dislike the Disney version of Underdog, but despite the film, it doesn't tarnish my view of the original classic cartoon. Or better yet, many fans of the WWF/E often say that the company hasn't had a quality product since The Attitude Era days and while that may be true in some aspects, the respect people--as fans--have for the talent (whether they be veterans like 'Taker or up-and-coming stars like Misterrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Kennedy...Kennedy) proves that the company is still going strong in terms of a fanbase, even with sloppy storylines and poor writing choices.

 

[Drtooth]

Joy is not only a state of being – it’s a choice that we make to allow ourselves to find happiness and peace.

I was also half joking.... Personally, I'm usually down on everything, but I'll be danged if I didn't laugh like an idiot half the day. Of course, I laugh at some pretty WeIrD stuff, but then again I'm a pretty WeIrD person. I actually laugh hardest and longest over the weird stuff no one else finds amusing... some find it crazy. For example, as much a sI love the muppets, and how many times I laughed at their carefully constructed jokes, in no time have I laughed louder and longer than the muppet without an eye in "Any Old Iron."

 

[mikebennidict]

Absolutely, the idea that today's kids don't like older things is a myth; I see it all the time. We have a tendancy as people and a society to assume the past was so different and alien from now. When if you do the research, it's amazing how little things and people really do change. We just all have a very short memory.

Pre-school kids have not concept of what's new.

 

[wwfpooh]

Which goes to show that more than just pre-schoolers watch shows like SS nowadays, despite the stigma the show may have.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Pre-school kids have not concept of what's new.

Agreed, and that's why there's no reason to not show the older clips.

But I think I was really talking about the adults who create the show, who shouldn't assume kids wouldn't like older things.