Does anybody think you're weird for watching Sesame Street?

[CensoredAlso]

But good is all a matter of taste so it could just be that the person doesn't like it and isn't just trying to seem like a rebel

Yeah that's can definitely be as well.

 

[frogboy4]

I still feel Survivor debases people for the sake of ratings. I don't feel the need to watch people put themselves through all that nonsense and drama in order to live vicariously through them. I do feel that's the major draw. However, I also see it as others do a sporting event - people watching stars play a game instead of taking part in one. Let's not forget that most athletes aren't paid as much as their superstar teammates and wind up with broken bodies later in life for the sake of entertainment so that has an element of exploitation too. I have many friends who like Survivor and sports programming. I generally don't like it myself, but I'm fine as long as I don't have to sit through it. Different tastes.

I don't dislike anything because of its popularity. I've mentioned Grey's Anatomy a couple times and it's not really the content or ratings that bother me. I tried to watch it in the beginning and just didn't like it. I will, however, watch Desperate Housewives from time to time. I've probably seen one-third of their shows.

My point is that while both programs are popular (and on the same network) one show pretends to be highbrow entertainment and the other admits to being true pulp. That and Felicity Huffman garners more respect from me. It's really an acceptance and honesty issue on my end. That's what sets apart a Jerry Springer from a Maury Povich (as was eloquently mentioned before). You can like or dislike both (I don't watch either show), but Springer's nod of acknowledgement of what he does is more respectable.

 

[Redsonga]

Even today people near me have always said that you are carzy still watching Sesame Street, cause its like a movie that your brrain has remembered so long ago, but since Im a 80's guy the old stuff seems to be lost, and hopefully with the happyness of the old school box set mabye they can make another on soon, but yeah lifes cool

'Still watching' is the part that really steams my carrots . As if there is nothing to be gained from SS after you are six

 

[Convincing John]

Many of Sesame's life lessons can be carried and utilized from cradle to grave. Share. Live. Listen and look at the world you are in and enjoy it. It's okay to be curious about the world and we're here to help you (or remind you) to see how wonderful it can be. That (and so much more) is what Sesame taught me beneath the basic ABC's and 123's.

In a way, this insightful philosophy can be seen in Fraggle Rock, too. I also see it in Peanuts. Peanuts! I have not one bad thing to say about it. It's a cartoon about kids, sure, but it's so philosophical, simple and eloquent, just like Sesame Street.

"Everything happens here. You're gonna love it!"

Gordon was right.

Convincing John

 

[CensoredAlso]

Well there's this insane idea that only children need to be taught morals. That once they're adults, there's no longer a need, heh. When in fact, I think moral lessons are needed more than ever.

 

[Convincing John]

When in fact, I think moral lessons are needed more than ever.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Convincing John

 

[Drtooth]

Actually, lol, I get criticized because I do enjoy South Park. And I actually hated it originally until I watched a couple of episodes by accident. For the most part I don't like swearing humor because it's done with no thought or real wit. But SP knows how to use it to actually make it shocking and funny. But more than that, they do address important social topics that literally no one else is touching, in an intelligent manner.

I have to say, South Park is a ruthlessly intellegent show. Even the fact that the kids are potty mouthed, ignorant, and just nasty jerks makes a lot of sense. I have met too many Stan's and Cartman's in my childhood. They were making HIV jokes at 10 years old. If SP doesn't ring true after that, then you must live somewhere where parents actually disapline thier kids or something.

Anyway:

Everyone is bashing lowbrow TV right now, and I'd like to stick up for it for a second.

First I wanna say, yeah, it's really sad, but people sign themselves up for this kind of stuff. It's not really exploitation, it's people trying to get their 15 minutes of fame. The only people who lose is the TV audience because there is nothing better on. And I and 100% against shows like The Swan and Extreme Makeover where they change people's image... THAT is exploiting people with low self-esteem and making changes that can't be reserved. It's just sick.

But Survivor? Survivor actually takes some sort of skill. Yeah, you do get creepers on there and it is seeing people at their worst, so it's full of inappropriate behaviour and extremes. But these people fully knew what they were getting into, and at the end, it's all a GAME, which is much different that something like The Biggest Loser, which is about your actual life.

As for lowbrow (and I spelling that right?) stuff like Grey's Anatomy and South Park and Family Guy, or whatever, it all depends on the person. I LOVE the Muppets, and Harry Potter, and a bunch of other stuff that could be descibed as family/wholesome entertainment, but I love Grey's and I LOVE Family Guy! I don't approve of the bed-hopping and breaking up of marriages in Grey's (It was better before Issy and George hooked up, I don't like that storyline at all), and Family Guy sometimes crosses the line of what is appropriate and what isn't. But it's much different than reality tv show stuff, and I think pushing the line is quite necessary sometimes, because it reminds everyone else where they stand.

You know, I've never hated a show for being popular (except I hated the popularity of Power Rangers casting off every single non-Americanized Sentai show), but hated popular shows because of their low quality. I mean, Earl and Office are big right now, and I love both of them (though Office was a hard sell to get into), and that's bcause they're high quality. Heroes as well, though you have to watch every single episode to figure what's going on (For someone that likes certain anime shows, and Rocky and bullwinkle, I have a problem with serialization go figure).
I can't get into Grey's, since it just seems like an even more serious version of Scrubs that's an hour long. I believe Scrubs even made a joke about that in one episode.

But reality shows, I think just show the worst in humanity. Either they take a personal tragedy and exploit it for ratings sake(Biggest Loser, Home Makeover), or they tell people to be shrewd, nasty, rotten, and overall dispicable to each other (Survivor, Big Brother). If Biggest Loser didn't consist of humiliating excersizes, dangling hopes in front of people's faces, and making fun of how gluttonous fat people are (the opening episode I once watch had them all eat as much food as possible, and subsiquent episodes feature them tempting the contestants with huge plates of food, watching them breaking down and crying) I wouldn't complain. But it seems like something militant anti-fat people came up with to make them look pathetic. I'd rather watch a documentary type show documenting people's induvidual weightloss. That's inspirational. The other is exploitational.

So, I can take any horrible show as long as its scripted (even hannah montana- ew) over a reality show anyday. I did sort of like Last Comic standing, but stopped watching when the little hairy self depricating guy got voted off. he was much funnier than everyone else.

 

[sesameguy]

It's been fun reading these comments. I could probably do a whole blog posting on this subject, but most of what I have to say has already been said here. I'm kind of "off the hook" in that I don't usually watch the new episodes. But having spent most of my years watching the show has sometimes brought about some kidding from others.

In short, I think it's fine to like something that other people might not like. Especially if that something is something that was meant to help people. As an old friend once said, "people may smile, but I don't mind. They'll never understand the kind of fun I find."

If it weren't Sesame Street, I'm sure they could find something else to make fun of me for. No need to spend your life trying to please people who will never be pleased with you.

 

[jeffkjoe]

I can see people thinking that a grown man watching Sesame Street on a REGULAR BASIS would be frickin' weird.

I've got kids, so at least I have an excuse.

And plus, if you're interested in the craft of puppetry, then that's a good reason too. Look at Stephanie D'abruzzo....she watched in college and eventually got a job on the show.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Look at Stephanie D'abruzzo....she watched in college and eventually got a job on the show.

Very true, you never know what can pay off years later!