"The Draidle Game"

[Daffyfan4ever]

I thought I'd mention this since they talked about this in "Elmo's World: Happy Holidays." I was at a church service tonight because it's mission's week and they have a service just about every night. One of the ladies there talked to the children about the dradel game. That reminded me of when Telly played it with Papa Bear and Baby Bear. Now that I think about it, they could have 'splained the game in more detail. They have mentioned in the special that if it landed on 'Nun/noon' you get nothing and that if you land on 'gimmel' you win. (I think that was it.) But they didn't really talk about the other letters on the dice. I think that would be a fun game to play if I knew all the rules.

 

[GonzoLeaper]

One thing I will say about "Elmo's World: Happy Holidays"- I like that they were honest in the title in saying that it was about winter holidays in general. Thus, I wasn't surprised to see segments of the special devoted to Hannukah and Kwanzaa as well as Christmas.
What I don't like is when a special is called "A Sesame Street Christmas Carol"- and then segments are included on Hannukah and Kwanzaa for no apparent reason. If they're going to call it a Christmas special, then I would prefer that they just stick to Christmas themes. (Of course, while I enjoyed some things about that special- I really wish they had done a Sesame Street version of the Charles Dickens book "A Christmas Carol"- I've seen a couple of movie versions of this book, but the book is definitely better. I've read it a couple of times- and there are a lot of things that Sesame Street could have done in an adaptation.
Anyway- is the segment with the Dreidel Game on "Elmo's World: Happy Holidays" with Telly and Baby Bear? I do recall seeing that one a while back...

 

[GonzoLeaper]

And I forgot to say that I did really appreciate "Elmo's World: Happy Holidays" for trying to teach kids about the first Christmas with Prairie Dawn doing a Christmas pageant- that was perfect. And they had the comedy of errors that is typical for her pageants- lol. But I wish they had been more specific about Jesus than just that He was a good man. We celebrate His birth because of what He was born to do- to grow up and die on the cross and rise again to pay for the sins of the world- so that we could all have salvation! It's what we celebrate at Easter- and Christmas really isn't complete without Easter. So I celebrate both every day! Merry Christmas and Happy Easter!

 

[Drtooth]

What I don't like is when a special is called "A Sesame Street Christmas Carol"- and then segments are included on Hannukah and Kwanzaa for no apparent reason. If they're going to call it a Christmas special, then I would prefer that they just stick to Christmas themes. (Of course, while I enjoyed some things about that special- I really wish they had done a Sesame Street version of the Charles Dickens book "A Christmas Carol"- I've seen a couple of movie versions of this book, but the book is definitely better. I've read it a couple of times- and there are a lot of things that Sesame Street could have done in an adaptation.

The special stunk for being a cheap clip show anyway...

But I wish they had been more specific about Jesus than just that He was a good man. We celebrate His birth because of what He was born to do- to grow up and die on the cross and rise again to pay for the sins of the world- so that we could all have salvation! It's what we celebrate at Easter- and Christmas really isn't complete without Easter.

I'm surprised they got as far as they did. Talking about the life and times of Jesus is a little out of reach for the show... sure, they talked almost in depth about the Hanukkah story, but they left a lot out (Shalom Sesame's Hanukkah: Case of the Missing menorah actually dove deeper into it), but they only basically said what Kwanzaa mean, and not where that one originated either... but you gotta admit, a Christmas special that actually TALKS about it that isn't a specifically religious special is pretty amazing.

 

[Katzi428]

And I forgot to say that I did really appreciate "Elmo's World: Happy Holidays" for trying to teach kids about the first Christmas with Prairie Dawn doing a Christmas pageant- that was perfect. And they had the comedy of errors that is typical for her pageants- lol. But I wish they had been more specific about Jesus than just that He was a good man. We celebrate His birth because of what He was born to do- to grow up and die on the cross and rise again to pay for the sins of the world- so that we could all have salvation! It's what we celebrate at Easter- and Christmas really isn't complete without Easter. So I celebrate both every day! Merry Christmas and Happy Easter!

As nice as SS handled the first Christmas with Prairie's pageant, I think it would confuse little kids a lot with a pageant about Jesus being crucified and then arising from the dead 3 days later (Easter) . They might get the wrong idea about death in my opinion. For example,if a pageant about Jesus dying & then rising from the dead is done on a SS pageant, a kid might think if their loved one (like let's say, "Grandpa") dies, the kid will think "Oh Grandpa will come back from the dead just like Jesus did." The topic of death was covered back in 1982 (I'm sure a LOT of you were still in diapers or not even around) when Mr. Hooper passed away.In my years of watching SS I never heard of any talk about death.(Then again, nobody else from the cast had died before then.) Only when my brother & sister started watching in the early '80s, when Mr. Hooper died,it was the first time the subject of death was approached.

 

[Convincing John]

As nice as SS handled the first Christmas with Prairie's pageant, I think it would confuse little kids a lot with a pageant about Jesus being crucified and then arising from the dead 3 days later (Easter) . They might get the wrong idea about death in my opinion. For example,if a pageant about Jesus dying & then rising from the dead is done on a SS pageant, a kid might think if their loved one (like let's say, "Grandpa") dies, the kid will think "Oh Grandpa will come back from the dead just like Jesus did." The topic of death was covered back in 1982 (I'm sure a LOT of you were still in diapers or not even around) when Mr. Hooper passed away.In my years of watching SS I never heard of any talk about death.(Then again, nobody else from the cast had died before then.) Only when my brother & sister started watching in the early '80s, when Mr. Hooper died,it was the first time the subject of death was approached.

I agree. Sesame Street went about as far as they could go with that. If kids have other in-depth questions, well, that's what Sunday School is for. They can talk about things in Sunday School that they couldn't really say on Sesame Street.

There are certain things that just aren't on Sesame Street's specific curriculum. Their reasoning is that either parents (or in this case Sunday School) are better suited for the job of explaining things to their kids. Sure, Maria got pregnant, but they never went into detail about how it happened. Young kids who go to Sunday School will learn more about Jesus, or they can ask their parents. Same with those kids who celebrate Hannukah or Kwanzaa and ask about their meanings, histories, etc. Divorce was attempted in one unaired episode, but we all know how that turned out. The closest thing that aired was one News Flash segment.

As for death, yeah, they hadn't said anything about it until Mr. Hooper died. The only other times they mentioned death (except for references to Mr. Hooper), were when Elmo's Uncle Jack died and an animated segment about a dead goldfish.

If I remember right, one of Elmo's goldfish kicked the bucket a while back. No, not Dorothy. This was a long time ago, pre-Elmo's World. They said the basic stuff the clip did, but I'm sure they didn't show the usual way a goldfish is "laid to rest". (A famous Cosby Show episode already did that).

Convincing John

 

[Drtooth]

As nice as SS handled the first Christmas with Prairie's pageant, I think it would confuse little kids a lot with a pageant about Jesus being crucified and then arising from the dead 3 days later (Easter) .

I never got that coloring book where Jesus was nailed up to the cross. I'm sure one exists... but I remember seeing a LOT of nativity books, and none of them really said "he's going to be the savior of humanity" outright. This is a way to get preschoolers into the faith without adding any nasty bits about death (we as a society are too afraid to have to explain it to kids... I agree with Katzi, the resurrection bit might be hard to teach... save that for kids who are older). Plus, it also gives a nice view of what others believe without pushing it as an agenda. They handled it with both dignity and fun without making it preachy, but not denying someone's beliefs.

Plus, they didn't get into that Virgin Birth thing either... again, too young for that.

There are certain things that just aren't on Sesame Street's specific curriculum. Their reasoning is that either parents (or in this case Sunday School) are better suited for the job of explaining things to their kids. Sure, Maria got pregnant, but they never went into detail about how it happened. Young kids who go to Sunday School will learn more about Jesus, or they can ask their parents. Same with those kids who celebrate Hannukah or Kwanzaa and ask about their meanings, histories, etc. Divorce was attempted in one unaired episode, but we all know how that turned out. The closest thing that aired was one News Flash segment.

As for death, yeah, they hadn't said anything about it until Mr. Hooper died. The only other times they mentioned death (except for references to Mr. Hooper), were when Elmo's Uncle Jack died and an animated segment about a dead goldfish.

Death is a very sensitive subject, resurrection or not, and they were extremely bold to outright say "Mr. Hooper's not here anymore." without saying "He was old and it can happen to you at any point in your life." And even then, there was intense planning for that. It was an important milestone, and thankfully one they didn't need to address for a long long time (David left the show long before he passed on). As it stands, it's apparently unacceptable for characters on kid's action shows, even rated TV Y7 to die gloriously in battle, and references to death and killing are toned WAAAY down or omitted. Somehow it's okay to say a character died years ago for effect, but even then, it's a little obscured. You know a character's not really dead when they actually address they thought he was dead, and they actually are shown getting blown up gloriously in battle.

 

[GonzoLeaper]

As nice as SS handled the first Christmas with Prairie's pageant, I think it would confuse little kids a lot with a pageant about Jesus being crucified and then arising from the dead 3 days later (Easter) . They might get the wrong idea about death in my opinion. For example,if a pageant about Jesus dying & then rising from the dead is done on a SS pageant, a kid might think if their loved one (like let's say, "Grandpa") dies, the kid will think "Oh Grandpa will come back from the dead just like Jesus did." The topic of death was covered back in 1982 (I'm sure a LOT of you were still in diapers or not even around) when Mr. Hooper passed away.In my years of watching SS I never heard of any talk about death.(Then again, nobody else from the cast had died before then.) Only when my brother & sister started watching in the early '80s, when Mr. Hooper died,it was the first time the subject of death was approached.

Don't get me wrong- I totally applaud Sesame Street for actually delving into the actual events of the first Christmas and talking about Jesus' birth- that was great to see on a video special that wasn't specifically Christian!
And I understand that they probably weren't going to do "The Passion of the Christ" for kids and I wasn't expecting that- I just think they could have just as easily said that Jesus came to be the Savior and left it at that. That's a place where live action segments with kids at a Christmas Eve candelight service at church could have worked well. I'd just prefer that the full signficance of why Christians celebrate Christmas be explained a little better and that Jesus be elevated to more than just a good man status- because He's the God-Man.
Yeah- I know there's a limit to what they will and won't go into- but I think there is a way they can briefly explain Christian beliefs without being anything more than educational and not trying to be pushing one thing or the other. For that matter, they could have gone more into the celebration of Hannukah and the miracle of the menorah staying lit for 8 days and all. They could have explored the roots of Kwanzaa and why it was established in the 1960s as a way for African-Americans to unite in a holiday to promote peace and understanding as well as remembering African traditions.

As nice as SS handled the first Christmas with Prairie's pageant, I think it would confuse little kids a lot with a pageant about Jesus being crucified and then arising from the dead 3 days later (Easter) . They might get the wrong idea about death in my opinion. For example,if a pageant about Jesus dying & then rising from the dead is done on a SS pageant, a kid might think if their loved one (like let's say, "Grandpa") dies, the kid will think "Oh Grandpa will come back from the dead just like Jesus did." The topic of death was covered back in 1982 (I'm sure a LOT of you were still in diapers or not even around) when Mr. Hooper passed away.In my years of watching SS I never heard of any talk about death.(Then again, nobody else from the cast had died before then.) Only when my brother & sister started watching in the early '80s, when Mr. Hooper died,it was the first time the subject of death was approached.

But that is the point of Easter. Grandpa can and will come back from the dead if He trusts Christ as Savior - of course, he will be with Him in Heaven and not necessarily coming back in bodily form on Earth. The distinction to make clear is that Jesus came back from the dead in bodily form on Earth to fulfill what He said He would do and to prove He's God. Only God can raise the dead- and for the kids watching, we can tell them that though we don't see that happening here now- God does promise to give those who trust Jesus as Savior a new life in Heaven after they die.
Anyway- I know this is probably going to get way too preachy for most folks' tastes and that's why I'm not expecting Sesame Street to do an Easter special any time soon- or at least not one that actually delves that much into the first Easter and the events of Jesus' crucifixion and Resurrection.
But I just feel like if they're going to go so far as to actually get into the events of the first Christmas and why Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ (which I think is great for kids' education- along with the reason Jews celebrate Hannukah and the reason primarily African-Americans celebrate Kwanzaa) - then they should make it clear who Jesus is and what He came to do. Which is why I said earlier that they could have said Jesus came to be the Savior and leave it at that.
Any further discussions about that could be taken up with the parents and whatever their religious background, they can explain- "Well, Christians do believe that about Jesus, but we believe..." or - "Yes, Jesus came to be the Savior of the world and as Christians, our family celebrates that at Christmas..."
But overall, I am happy that Sesame Street at least mentioned Jesus' birth in some form rather than just ignoring it and only focusing on the secular side of Christmas. I feel like it's more intellectually honest and educational for kids to hear the religious side as well.

 

[Convincing John]

Again, Sesame Street can only teach so much. We can't rely on it to teach everything. Next week, we won't see an Elmo's World where Elmo teaches kids the "birds and the bees" or the more specific (and sometimes upsetting to real little kids) aspects of a certain religion. It can't be done. It's up to parents to explain what Sesame can't: these topics and others.

We do know that over and over again, Sesame Street encourages kids to ask questions. "Asking questions is a good way of finding things out." That can apply to "what's that word on the sign say, Mommy?" to "why is that man on that big letter 't' with his arms out?"

As for the death topic, nothing tops "I'll Miss You, Mr. Hooper." They did a good job with explaining about Elmo's Uncle Jack, plus the animated bit with the fish was done well, too. For those who haven't seen it, here it is.

Convincing John

 

[GonzoLeaper]

Thanks for the link about the goldfish death. Elmo's Uncle Jack was from the special made about soldiers who died in combat overseas, right?
I agree- "I'm Miss You, Mr. Hooper" is classic- Sesame Street did a great job with that episode.
And to clarify- I don't expect Sesame Street to give instruction on the facts of life or the details of world religions. Both of those topics are definitely something parents should take the lead in talking about with their kids. Certainly- Sesame Street is meant to encourage questions and education, but it's not meant to be a substitute for actually going to school and good parenting. It prepares kids for school.
All I was saying is that I think they could have done more to note Jesus' divine status as God- that's all. But I guess from what I'm hearing here, that would probably be crossing the line for some folks from pure informational education to religious instruction. Oh well- like I said before, I'm just happy they bothered to give the basics of the birth of Jesus at the first Christmas at all. That's still way more than I've seen done on most other Christmas specials that weren't strictly Christian in nature.