Cool Jim Henson Article from 1986

[Miladyelfn]

"I just read an article about how younger kids (ages approx 7-12) are now doing things normally reserved for teenagers, like being obsessed with fads, wanting to wear "trendy" clothes and carry cell phones and have relationships with the opposite gender."

I read the same article! I think that often parents buy into the whole marketing of this crap also. So some parents think that Bratz, skimpy clothes, etc., are cool and others just don't know how to say no. I just watched Good Night and Good Luck and the Murrow character made the same point as Jim. Television could have emphasized what is best about humanity, instead it appeals to the lowest of the low. But I guess that is to be expected-after all it was originally created to advertise products, not entertain or enlighten.

Watching my old tape of MFC, the commercials seem more innocent, much less obnoxious and SHORTER!

I miss Jim! Unfortunately, I see the same raunch culture creeping into the Muppets in the last 15 years.

milady

 

[CensoredAlso]

I miss Jim! Unfortunately, I see the same raunch culture creeping into the Muppets in the last 15 years.

Absolutely, that's why I don't even count most of the new projects. It's not the Muppets.

And yes, a lot of parents are overly concerned about their kids being trendy. As I said before, they want their kids to be normal and happy, but they are raising a bunch of sheep.

And you're right about the commericals being nicer a few years ago. I don't know why TV has to keep lower its quality so darn much. Especially network TV, most of it might as well not exist for all the good it's doing.

Though, it's nice to see some people have posted those classic Christmas commericals on youtube. It's such nostalgia! I think I'll do a sort of Advent calender thing, looking at at different one everyday of December. Hehe

 

[Miladyelfn]

I'll have to check out the commercials-who would have thought we'd be nostalgic for that? LOL!

 

[Miladyelfn]

"It was always interesting how Jim was so against violence on TV (me too) but so much of his stuff could be very dark. He was on the Dinah Shore with Anthony Newly. Anthony and Dinah talked about childrens' fairy tales like Hansel & Gretel and how dark and violent they could be, but Jim stood up for this saying how it dealt with childrens' fears and how they should be exposed to this early on. Kinda strange..."

I think there is a big difference between showing/telling a dark or scary (sometimes violent)story for a purpose, i.e., teaching a lesson, and being constantly subjected to gratuitous sex and violence for no purpose other than appealing to prurient interests. Perhaps that is the distinction that Jim made.

 

[Muppet Newsgirl]

"I just read an article about how younger kids (ages approx 7-12) are now doing things normally reserved for teenagers, like being obsessed with fads, wanting to wear "trendy" clothes and carry cell phones and have relationships with the opposite gender."

I read the same article! I think that often parents buy into the whole marketing of this crap also. So some parents think that Bratz, skimpy clothes, etc., are cool and others just don't know how to say no. I just watched Good Night and Good Luck and the Murrow character made the same point as Jim. Television could have emphasized what is best about humanity, instead it appeals to the lowest of the low. But I guess that is to be expected-after all it was originally created to advertise products, not entertain or enlighten.

Oh, Lord, it makes me think of that project I did last year for my university's second-year writing seminar. I did a thesis paper and an oral presentation on how commercials aimed at children took an unfair advantage of them through false advertising and pumped-up claims.

And it looks as if it's the same for adults, even though we're supposed to be older and wiser. It's gotten so that I routinely ask God to abundantly bless the person who invented the mute button.

 

[sarah_yzma]

Wonderful find of an article...and so much of it still holds true!

 

[Miladyelfn]

I hear that, Muppet Newsgirl! At our house we have actually cut the cable/satellite cord and just have an aerial to get Canadian tv! LOL! Watching DVDs sans commercials is so much better, especially since you see so many parts that are edited on TV. Sorry, I am muffining!
milady

 

[Morgan Clueless]

Very interesting article, indeed. It captures Jim's view on all the violence on TV and how it's affecting people ever so well.

However, if saying my opinion isn't consider muffining this thread, I personally think it's more of the parents' and adults' faults for allowing children to be left off alone in the cruel world, with sex, violence, and oodles of peer pressure. But just to point out the flaws in the broadcast networks, it seems that even kids' networks are trying to make the age audience mentioned (7-12) more "adult" or "trendy" with the latest advances in technology and fads--long story short, they do take advantage of their developing minds. Long ago, people thought that once a child reaches puberty, their brains are fully developed; later research proved otherwise, but pop culture keeps beating what remains of their childhood innocence and mentality with the need--the desire--to "fit in", to "be popular", to "be cool" with their content and product advertisement!

... And now I'm just rambling nonsense. Everyone else pretty much summed up what I wanted to say.

Morgan "Ever So Clueless" Goat