MSNBC: Old School Sesame DVD's not for kids

[mikebennidict]

I think I see what they mean, by 'Not for Kids.' In recent years, they do tend to reach out to younger kids. (Ex. Someone not knowing what a 'button' was, Elmo not knowing how to use the phone) There was more adult humor in the earlier years. I'll take a look at that article and see what more I can say about the subject.

WEll the point is this release is more for those who grew up on the show's early years but they don't need to be sticking the noses in whether parents allow their kids to watch the old SS. I'm sure this can be a fun thing for the whole family. Parents putting on the old SS and sharring with their kids what it was like in the old days and let the parents explain that these episodes were from when they were young.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I agree, saying the DVD is not for kids is unneccesary and ridiculous. Kids enjoy watching older shows all the time. The only people they're hurting with that attitude are the kids.

Personally, if I had kids, I'd feel better showing them this DVD than the current show.

And I agree, parents being told not to show their kids something is a little weird.

 

[MrsPepper]

A disclaimer, eh? That's weird. I don't have the set (yet), but I don't see what would be so different that today's generation can't learn from it.

 

[DTF]

Are they missing a word?

I first read something about that, and the way my mind works, thinking about how they would advertise it, I automatically saw "Not Just For Kids." Now, maybe my mind was playing tricks on me. But, if they did use the slogan "Not just for kids" that would make perfect sense. After all, it's not only kids who will love this, they figure grownups will love it, too.

it's happened before in advertising - anyone old enough to remember the Nova? Well, that car never sold in Spanish speaking countries, becasue some ad exec failed to realize that that the verb meaning "to go" is conjugated "va, vas, va,..." In other words, they sold a car that in Latin American translated as "no go."

Friends, I am not at all certain that they *meant* to say "not for kids." Having read my share of stories like the "nova," I can see two places where they may have messed up royally. First, the writer of the Pittsburgh artcile that this person quotes could have had a word omitted and written the article like that. (It looks more like a blog entry.) Or, second (and still possible) the people at Sesame Workshop could have told their people to use the term "not just for kids", with someone just missing a word and not proofreading it, so it went from seeming like an ad slogan to a disclaimer. (Which, if an executive sends a memo to someone saying "not for kids," is what that department will assume. So, in other words, they *meant* to say "not just for kids" - and now someone at SW has egg all over their face.)

It makes a lot more sense than saying "not for kids." People don't proofread like they used to; even I don't proof like I did in the days before computers and such.

 

[Vic Romano]

The journalist seems to have good intententions, it's just a little misinforming. They credit the disclaimer as "The official line is the changes over the years may be confusing to children.", so I think I'm with DTF on this one that some miswording or a general screw up is cause for making mountains outta' mole hills.

 

[Big Bird Fan]

Yeah, the journalist isn't exactly quoting right. If you look at Muppet Central's review:

"Bob, a familiar animated character, introduces each episode. He mentions in his introduction to the first episode that this set is meant for adults and may not suit the needs of today’s preschooler. This is probably true, but I still expect to see it on the children’s shelf."

They're not saying it isn't for kids, but the curriculum back then is very different from now. What that really means is that this is just for entertainment and shouldn't be used as something for parents to stick their kids in front of the TV for an hour like regular Sesame Street (of course parents shouldn't be doing that, but we all know some do), because today's SS teaches very different things.

 

[CensoredAlso]

They're not saying it isn't for kids, but the curriculum back then is very different from now. What that really means is that this is just for entertainment and shouldn't be used as something for parents to stick their kids in front of the TV for an hour like regular Sesame Street (of course parents shouldn't be doing that, but we all know some do), because today's SS teaches very different things.

Yeah but even that I'm having trouble buying. As I said before, I'd sooner let my kid watch this than the current show if I wanted them to learn, or be entertained. It's frustrating to me that they're going out of their way to get kids to avoid the classic stuff, as though it'll do some damage or something.

(Though of course, as you say, the TV shouldn't be a babysitter!)

 

[Drtooth]

Actually... this DVD isn't for kids. It was intended as a long awaited apeassement of angry "old School" fans who are sick of all the Elmo.

As for the content... haven't seen it yet. I don't think it's too bad for kids. But considering the typical age of the SS viewer now is 1-3... that's pretty much a half and half issue. I can agree and disagree.

Now, According to Sesame is DEFINATELY not for children. And the reason it may not be selling in Target is they lump it into the "Preschooler" section with the Baby Einstine crap, and not in the "look at how cool we are" Pseudo-Independant film section where it belongs... pretty much one of the only ones there that would have BEEN independant.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I get that's it's mainly for people who remember the older episodes. Absolutely.

What bothers me is the idea of advising parents that it's not viewable for their kids. It just sounds like the usual over-protectiveness we have nowadays. The idea that kids "can't handle" certain things. Kids are tougher and much smarter than society seems to think.

Plus, yet again our society is sending the message that anything old is useless to the current generation and should be kept in the past. If we think that way, nothing good will preserved. We'll all be about the "flavor of the moment" which could be gone tomorrow.

The Muppet Show used Vaudeville humor that was decades old, but it still worked.

But anyway, it's not worth getting that upset about. I mean, you don't HAVE to listen to the warning.

 

[mikebennidict]

Actually... this DVD isn't for kids. It was intended as a long awaited apeassement of angry "old School" fans who are sick of all the Elmo.

As for the content... haven't seen it yet. I don't think it's too bad for kids. But considering the typical age of the SS viewer now is 1-3... that's pretty much a half and half issue. I can agree and disagree.

Now, According to Sesame is DEFINATELY not for children. And the reason it may not be selling in Target is they lump it into the "Preschooler" section with the Baby Einstine crap, and not in the "look at how cool we are" Pseudo-Independant film section where it belongs... pretty much one of the only ones there that would have BEEN independant.

I thought I'd mentioned already this was mostly aimed at those who grew up on SS.

Oh I see you were adding more to it. Sorry about that?