BFM (Best Friend Martha) sent the girls these adorable chef hats! Time to teach them to cook... or perhaps we will first start with baking. Less oily splatter!Maybe it is time for an Easy Bake Oven. Do they still make them, you wonder? Yes!! But now it looks like a microwave. What are we teaching our children??
On another note, a coworker today informed me that Sesame Street is available on DVD (very exciting - I loved that show as a kid). He was out shopping, noticed it, and picked it up to check it out. On the cover was a huge sticker proclaiming the following: that parts of the first two seasons of the show are no longer considered "appropriate" for preschoolers.
Here is the label's text: “These early ‘Sesame Street’ episodes are intended for grown-ups, and may not suit the needs of today’s preschool child.”
Um, seriously?
So now, of course, I can't WAIT to buy them for the girls. Is it that Oscar isn't allowed to be grouchy? That the streets are a bit too rough? That there aren't many white people on the show?My generation of parents seem hell-bent on protecting our kids from things that aren't relevant. Just my .02.
3 comments:
I could not agree more with you. Now, as someone with no children who never watched Sesame Street, I may be the least entitled to comment. But I think you'll forgive me.
In researching the "why", I found the following in a post on Slashdot:
So why are they unsuitable for toddlers in 2007? Well, in the parody 'Monsterpiece Theater,' Alistair Cookie — played by Cookie Monster — used to appear with a pipe, which he later gobbled. 'That modeled the wrong behavior,' explained a Sesame Street executive producer, adding that 'we might not be able to create a character like Oscar [the Grouch] now.'"
and this from a Pittsburgh (Penguins stink) Post-Gazette piece:
Rosemarie Truglio, vice president of education and research for Sesame Workshop, said reasons for the disclaimer were many. She said the changing mores and dangers of today's kids emulating the on-screen children playing in the dump was part of it, but not the primary motivation.
"To kids today watching 'Sesame Street,' this ['Old School' DVD] looks significantly different," she said. "This 'Sesame Street' is not their reality. Kids have no concept of time, so for parents to tell them, 'This is the "Sesame Street" I watched growing up,' would be a disconnect. It has a different Gordon, Oscar is orange, not green. Big Bird looks significantly different."
Truglio said parents should screen the DVD first and use their own judgment about whether to share it with their children.
"We decided to release this for nostalgia purposes for adult viewers who want to go back down memory lane," she said. "The disclaimer is intended so parents, instead of having an impulsive reaction to put it in to watch with their children, will think about it and be prepared. I'm trying to protect the magic of 'Sesame Street' for today's young viewers who don't know it has 37 years of history."
What a great non-answer answer that is. Huh?
I have another friend with thoughts on Sesame Street and overprotection - http://mommyontherocks.blogspot.com/2007/10/rest-in-peace-cookie-monster.html
Hi! This is Jane, Craig's cousin! Love the pics of the kids. My mom shared the Christmas card with me recently as well. Sorry I haven't been in touch. I have 2 boys myself that keep me busy. Might get something going on a blog myself, or Youtube, at some point! Tell Craig I said "Hi!" Doug, my brother, is in Florida these days getting the final paperwork to start an ice cream biz... more to come with that... think liquid nitrogen! Feel free to email... Love, Jane
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