Do you feel bad for liking Sesame Street?

[mikebennidict]

Yep. The kids at school would not think well of me if they found out I still like it.

However, some girl during play practice saw me watching an SS video on my laptop and she didn't mind, claiming she likes the show.

But, one thing I hate is when people refer to the show as "Elmo's World".

Did you ever ask them why they do that?

Especially if they might of watched SS themselves at one time.

 

[StreetScenes]

Sesame Street is actually a pretty easy show to defend. When someone looks askance at me for liking it as an adult, I always say why the show has value for adults, rather than why I still watch a kids show. Depending on the person I'm trying to convince, I mention one of these reasons:

1) The writers know kids learn more if they watch with a parent, so they have always written it to be entertaining for the parents, too. There are all sorts of parodies, jokes, and cultural references that are specifically aimed at the grown-up audience. There are clips I remember liking as a kid, but now I know the songs and tv shows and celebrities they're parodying, so those clips are funny on a whole different level now.

2) It's really interesting from the standpoint of teaching, how they get different concepts across to kids. The creative ways they come up with to use humor and music and exaggerated characters to teach things from subtraction to cooperation, and make learning fun in the process, is interesting to think about and always makes me appreciate it more.

3) It's also fun to watch for artistic techniques (like in animations, songs, and puppet skits) and to appreciate the production and performance skills that go into making the show. I explain the "behind the scenes" stuff--how physically and artistically challenging it must be for the puppeteers to crouch on the floor, on some other puppeteer's lap, and hold the puppet up over his head and make it look lifelike and sing in its voice. Lots of people don't even realize the muppets are hand puppets, much less how the live hand ones take two people, or how they all do their own voices, or how the puppeteers play so many characters. And lots of people think the guy in Big Bird must be really tall--they don't realize the beak is a puppet, and that Caroll can't see out of the bird and he has to use a little tv and walk around seeing what the viewer sees rather than what he would see, etc. etc.

Whenever anyone makes fun or is skeptical and I respond with "actually, it's really smart/interesting/cool because...", they always see my point. Plus, because almost everyone watched it when they were little, whenever you give an example they even know the characters you're talking about

 

[CensoredAlso]

1) The writers know kids learn more if they watch with a parent, so they have always written it to be entertaining for the parents, too. There are all sorts of parodies, jokes, and cultural references that are specifically aimed at the grown-up audience. There are clips I remember liking as a kid, but now I know the songs and tv shows and celebrities they're parodying, so those clips are funny on a whole different level now.

That's what I tell people too and sometimes it does work.

And if they don't get it, then fine, that's their loss.

 

[Ilikemuppets]

Personally, I think that some girls can be downright cruel to each other over the pettiest things, Can be downright vindictive and can hold grunges unlike anything I've even seen over not much of anything. It can be war war three because sombody didn't apologize or something... I don't know? Guys can be cruel, but mainly just to be cruel from what I've experienced. *shrug*

Anyway, I don't feel bad for liking Sesame Street, I never can and I never will.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Personally, I think that some girls can be downright cruel to each other over the pettiest things, Can be downright vindictive and can hold grunges unlike anything I've even seen over not much of anything. It can be war war three because sombody didn't apologize or something... I don't know? Buy can be cruel, but mainly just to be cruel from what I've experienced. *shrug*

Oh yeah I agree about girls. I figured they were the worst. It was just that one male friend of mine insisted that boys gave you absolutely no choice in such matters. I obviously have no personal experience. lol ::shrugs::

 

[Kiki]

There have been times when people bag me for liking SSt -and Muppets- (including my own brother, who's known me all my life) but you just have to stick up for yourself. I mean, making fun of somebody because they like such a brilliant show? It's like, "you have too much time on your hands. Aren't you concerned about more important things, instead of teasing someone because of their interests?"

In primary school I copped it a lot, but I look back at that and laugh. Obviously it wasn't very pleasant at the time, though. I remember wearing a Cooking Monster top when I was about 12 and I got teased tons, and a year later it becomes the trend among people who don't know the difference between Elmo and Grover!

But I've always been a proud fan. I watch lots of "kiddie" shows, and I still watch cartoons religiously. Thesedays at school I'm reknowned for my love of art (esp. cartooning), fashion, classic rock and retro-stuff, but not as much for my love of SSt and Muppets which is weird, because it's not like I hide it or anything (my school diary has drawing of Fraggles ). Some people think I'm kidding when I say I love SSt, they just laugh (not hurtfully, it's just weird) or just don't take me seriously. The other day I was shopping with a couple of friends and I bought a SSt CD and they didn't really care, they respect that. People don't really care as much now, anyway. You get the odd person who's like, "ohmygawwwd, she watches baby shows" but they just make an a**e out of themselves.

 

[Kiki]

Personally, I think that some girls can be downright cruel to each other over the pettiest things, Can be downright vindictive and can hold grunges unlike anything I've even seen over not much of anything. It can be war war three because sombody didn't apologize or something... I don't know? Guys can be cruel, but mainly just to be cruel from what I've experienced. *shrug*

Anyway, I don't feel bad for liking Sesame Street, I never can and I never will.

I'm exactly the same, why get a guilt-trip because you love something so much?

Yeah, girls can be cruel. Sometimes I like the nature of males more because they're more light-hearted about things and if you do something a little kooky they don't give a rats, while a lot of girls will be like, "ohmygawd, she's, like, retarded" (trust me, I've had that said about me many times, over the most minor things ). I gotta admit, though. The other day in art I had a convo with a girl who was giving SSt the thumbs-up, and actually understood why I loved it so much. But I still see where you're coming from with girls. I'm prolly making a big generalisation there but from my experiences...

 

[CensoredAlso]

I mean it really just depends on the person. Some guys were just as nasty to me about the Beatles as girls. And some boys I knew were terrified of going against their "pack." Still, I went to a very jock-oriented school, hehe.

Yet there were other boys were more easy going and kind. And I will admit there were thankfully some kinds girls as well.

 

[bazooka_beak]

When you get to be my age, it doesn't matter so terribly much what people think. I still watch "kiddie" stuff Heck, a few months ago I saw a Sesame Street shirt in the teen section of a clothing store (and almost bought it, but I really didn't have the money, darnit!).

If you love Sesame Street, don't feel bad about it. Love what you love, or else you'll end up unhappy

 

[CensoredAlso]

If you love Sesame Street, don't feel bad about it. Love what you love, or else you'll end up unhappy

Exactly don't make yourself unhappy just to please other people. (As long as you're not hurting anyone obviously hehe).