MSNBC: Old School Sesame DVD's not for kids

[beaker]

I thought this article today on MSNBC.com was pretty funny:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15105377/

It's about the old school Sesame release. Ive only seen the first episode from 1969 awhile back, and thought it was great.

The article at first confused me, as I thought "what could he mean from the title". I mean, Land of Gorch, soooo not for kids or even teens. But Sesame?
In the Dutch Sesame Street there was full frontal adult nudity during bathing
short segments which definately wouldnt fly today, but aside from the over politically correct "cookie now has to eat healthy stuff" thing I am not sure what he means.

[mikebennidict]

There maybe differences on the old SS but I don't think it's nessecary to warn parents who most lily watched the original SS years ago. Think the SW is being who silly and overprotective and need not worry about this and leave this up to the parents.

[mikebennidict]

There maybe differences on the old SS but I don't think it's nessecary to warn parents who most lily watched the original SS years ago. Think the SW is being who silly and overprotective and need not worry about this and leave this up to the parents.
Don't know how I managed to miss my misspellings. Meant to say to too overprotective and not who overprotective.

[minor muppetz]

It's interesting that it mentions Roscoe Orman appearing on Sex and the City. I have read soemwhere that said that the contracts for human cast members only restricts them from appearing on-screen in live action kids shows, out of fear that kids would be confused by them having different names and personalities. Also, Roscoe Orman played an abusive pimp on a soap opera at the same time that he started playign Gordon, and eventually chose to just play Gordon.

I have noticed that Old School and The World Accordign to Sesame Street, the two recent DVDs aimed at adults, seem to be having trouble being sold in retail stores. I searched every store in town that would sell them, and I only found one copy of Old School at Suncoast, and I only found The World According to Sesame Street at both local Targets, and it seems to be the same way with other users (though some have mentioned finding Old School in other stores as well).

[Daffyfan2003]

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.

[travellingpat]

Come on...this is sesame street we're talking about...not for kids? huh?

[Erine81981]

It's silly I think. I've shown my nieces few old episodes of Sesame Street from airing on Noggin. There proubley worried that kids would say where's Elmo and not having him on there.

[Ilikemuppets]

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.Sure there might have been more adult humor back then but it's like when you whach old loonet toons and you here a bunch od pop culture refrences form back then and have no idea what therte talking about.

As far at it not being for today children, I have no Idea what to think about that.

[D'Snowth]

Bull.

[Ilikemuppets]

Bull.That sums it up.

[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.

[heralde]

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]

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.

[heralde]

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.:halo:

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.

[heralde]

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.:halo:

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?

[Drtooth]

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.

Society is screwed up more because of these activists. I mean, one kid in the middle of nowhere in a trailer park sets his house on fire because they saw Bevis and Butthead do it. Now all the sudden, the large sweep of "Blame everyone but ourselves" ensues. Now look at the health food craze! These people want to abolish junk food and junk food advertisements because they don't want their kids getting fat, or at the very least, acting up at the store. It has nothing to do with anyone else being fat. These people want to ruin everything because they don't know how to raise their own kids. If you can't raise your own dang children, what gives you the right to raise everyone else's? I've been on this pulpit for a long time, and it scares me more than cancer that I have to deal with people like this someday.

I mean, this is clearly like all those stupid Amazon.com reviews for Born to Add or something that says, "I bought this for my 11 month old son, and he isn't interrested in it!" Well... if you want to entertain an 11 month old child, stuff a sock with other socks, dangle it from a stick, and put it above his head, just out of reach. You can mystify him for HOURS.

What worked for children of the past may not work as well for children of today, but I think that's pretty much B.S. plain and simple.

[heralde]

I saw an review somewhere of a parent who bought a DVD for a one-year-old and complained the kid didn't seem interested. One-year-old really is too young!

Maybe older entertainment doesn't always work for today's kids. But I think that's our fault, not the entertainment. Decent entertainment shouldn't be the one to change.

[Drtooth]

I saw an review somewhere of a parent who bought a DVD for a one-year-old and complained the kid didn't seem interested. One-year-old really is too young!

I know first time parenting has its foibles and mishaps... but a one year old not being interrested in TV may be a good thing. I can't wait for the Baby Einstien generation to grow up being extreemly stupid and fat and lazy to prove the wannabe parents of overachievers wrong.

I mean, a one year old kid won't be interrested in things, because one year olds want to run around and explore their world. That's why they invented playpens. For the time that parents can't be with the child due to chores or a phone call.

I can remeber one review that said one sketch was outdated because of the clothes. uh. I guess this was ment to distinguish people who are familiar with Sesame Street from random parents that don't care, and think it's a form of Baby entertainment.

[heralde]

Yeah, there are people who see Sesame Street and just think "Oh kiddie stuff!"

I think the clothes thing is just thinking too much, kids aren't going to notice if clothes are out of style. :rolleyes: While Sesame Street can reach all ages, some parents should realize these things are for the kids, not them.

[Drtooth]

I just had a revelation... maybe that'swhy they say it's not for kids. So some first time parent doesn't buy the set to sit their kids down in front of, so they can complain their 5 month old isn't interrested.

Maybe the warning isn't: This isn't appropriate for kids.

maybe it's : This wasn't intended for kids. Buy the Elmo's World ones. they lvoe those.

[heralde]

Well, kids would love Sesame Street the way it used to be too. Many already do. I don't know why the company seems so determined to hide it.

And again, you'll never see me buying an Elmo's World DVD for my children. If I did, well, my kids might be popular with their friends, but they would be missing out on a lot.

Having said that, I'm going to stop complaining for awhile and just look foward to seeing the DVD. :)

[Drtooth]

Well, kids would love Sesame Street the way it used to be too. Many already do. I don't know why the company seems so determined to hide it.

As I've stated, the reason is that, while there are many people out there that know what SS is about, most first time parents just throw their pre-toddlers in front of the TV, and complain if they don't sit mezmerized for an hour. I mean... babies and toddlers run around a lot. They aren't interrested in staring at any talking glowing box for more than 5 minutes.

I mean, they are trying to distinguish the collectors and adult fan bases, allong with their parents that show their 4 and 5 year old classic SS, from people who just associate it with Baby entertainment.

I hate that mindset, especially since they lump the other Muppets into that category.