Sesame Street Old School DVD's: Not For Kids

[wwfpooh]

And it is from that experience that we instill morals into the generations to come.

 

[Drtooth]

I do agree we are developing a false sense of morality. I just think it's coming from both liberal and conservative politicans. Just in different ways. We're getting both fanatical secular and fanatical religious. From my point of view, it's best to side with neither group and think for ourselves, hehe. Everything in moderation.

I love both fanatical groups. They both help to make everyone one either side look like morons. But Most of my anger is the conservative politicians, and their religious groups. God hates X and X is not a true religion get me steamed up. That is not what Christ (or Mohammed, or anyone else) was talking about and they know it. but fear helps to control people, and gets them to vote for whomever they want them to vote for. I know people all have opinions, but sometimes it's best to keep them to themselves and find a way to compromise.

But that said, I just can't help thinking that the entire push the true problems away is the true reason why SS isn't as relevant. I mean, I see them do great things from time to time, like rerunning the hurricane episode, and then releasing it to DVD when Katrina hit (more than the government did, but I'm not going into that). And then the episode with Big Bird's racist (or species-ist) friend visits, and tells him not to hang out with anyone but Birds.

Heck, even the one where Elmo falls in love with Gina had a pretty powerful message behind it. But I see that less and less, because of that, and the fact they have to keep shoving in everything else they feel they need to teach.

That's why I refuse to say it's dumbed down, BTW. Dumbed down means taking things out. They're putting so many things in, it's getting cluttered, and everything's running together. They have to teach world culture, nutrition, Letters, numbers, social interactions, reading and writing, different languages, and more and still have 10-15 minutes of Elmo talking about feet (insert foot fetish joke here). In a 50 minute show (the show is technically 50 minutes now, not an hour) to have all these things bookended in makes it too cluttered to begin with, and with nutricion and reading so far, they shopwed that they have to be anything but subtle with the subject matter, meaning less room for the other things. And who wants to bet season 39 will deal with environmental problems? So, add to that, way too much.

If only they went back to the old days of one episode focusing on X subject and not to the, lets see how much we can cram into about 35 minutes.

 

[wwfpooh]

Agreed. But alas, as long as the powers that be say that X should be the way things should go, then SS will sadly conform and act as if X is the only way to go.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Here's out I define the political problem. Repulicans politicans pretend to have morals. Democrat politians say they don't need any. Talk about "every way you look at this you lose!" Lol

And yes, I do get angry when politians use religion to get votes, it's very wrong. It's just that I'm also mad at politians who claim to be for tolerance, but then attack and try to remove people's beliefs from the society completely. Either way, there's a lot of hypocrisy here.

Bottom line thought, yes there are problems with both religious and secular groups. It's just important to remember not to stereotype and put everyone in the same box. Sesame Street has always said the same.

I agree that Sesame Street still occasionally focuses on important issues, like natural disasters, racism and love. But in my opinion, had they been done years ago, they would have been written multi layered, deep and sophisticated. Nowadays, the lessons that are taught are done very on the surface and simple.

 

[wwfpooh]

But sadly, they're simple, because that's what the company that keeps it alive wants, most likely.

 

[PinballStewie]

Plus, he's just so darn litteral.

I think this part, above all aspects about Grover, reminds me of Asperger's syndrome. People with the syndrome (I'm one) don't take things literally ALL the time, but they do so enough times that it sure can seem that way.

 

[wwfpooh]

And a lot of soccer moms seem to be that way, too, hence why shows are watered-down and whatever, it seems.

 

[Drtooth]

I think this part, above all aspects about Grover, reminds me of Asperger's syndrome. People with the syndrome (I'm one) don't take things literally ALL the time, but they do so enough times that it sure can seem that way.

Yeah, but I always just lump that in with the great comedians of Yesteryear. That's what Bert and Ernie are to me, and Grover isn't any different. I see a lot of Marx Brothers/Laurel and Hardy/ Abbot and Costello riffs in old gags like that.

Anyway, I just bought this set last night. I cannot wait to find a group of 4 year olds to corrupt, turning them into demon soldiers so I can try to TAKE OVER THE WORLD! YE-E-E-E-ES!

 

[CensoredAlso]

Well I've just started watching Old School DVD Volume 2, and I think it's even better than Volume 1 (and I don't often say that!). Though I did have an interesting thing happen to me the other day, lol. I told a few of my friends that I was watching it, and their reaction was pretty much, "Uh...WHY?...isn't that for kids?....aren't they just teaching you the alphabet? Lol"

Well, I did try to explain that the show used to more humor that adults could appreciate. Plus I've always been a bit fan of nostalgia.

But I find it interesting. Sesame Workshop says this DVD set is not meant for today's kids. And then my friends tell me the set's not meant for today's grown ups! Exactly who is this set meant for? Lol

In the end, I find it's best to think for yourself.

 

[Drtooth]

Well I've just started watching Old School DVD Volume 2, and I think it's even better than Volume 1 (and I don't often say that!). Though I did have an interesting thing happen to me the other day, lol. I told a few of my friends that I was watching it, and their reaction was pretty much, "Uh...WHY?...isn't that for kids?....aren't they just teaching you the alphabet? Lol"

Well, to me, if anything... you know how they said what they said about Don Music and Roosevelt Franklin? That and the fact that the Joe Raposo song about touching stuff (the Petting Zoo film) could be taken wildly out of context by some idiot (ala I want a Monster to be my Friend) is the only thing even slightly objectionable.

Other than that, I think the only problem is that kids today have to all be treated like they have mental disabilities or something when it comes to education. Sort of like how they always give trophies to the worst kid in the class, just so that kid won't feel left out. It's just spoiling the kids. They just want another generation of kids that expect to have everything handed to them. And the people who run companies were raised like this, so you can see where that leads.