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Post by motormouf on Aug 15, 2009 12:21:02 GMT -5
Is it just me or is anyone annoyed at how dumbed down this show got over the last few years. I don't watch it usually but i get a glimpse from time to time. During the 70-90's this show was great, it was educational AND smartly written enough that adults could watch and have a little laugh too. Some of the stuff actually parodied current events or celebrities- The Cookie Monster shaft skit is still hilarious.That's why i was so successful and manged to last so long. But now its just plain stupidly written-Points 1) They no longer count to 40, just 20. Cant kids nowadays handle the concept of going to 40? ? 2) Alot of the classic characters Mumferd, Herry etc got removed in place of annoyingly dumb ones-e.g Elmo gets too much screen time (but hes a cash cow so u cant blame them 3) Oscar is not as hardcore as b4. Onetime this guy was the man he was mean rude unfriendly and malicious 9 he got Big bird to go on the roof at Christmas to freeze to death. Not hes been neutered- sorta like how Cena is compared to how he was during his rap days. 4) Many of the real life issues weren't dealt with anymore eg remember those pregnancy and death episodes? 5) We no longer get to see all of those classic episodes of Ernie messing up Bert. They were timeless Its a dumb rant, but hey I'm bored. Anyone else notice this??
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Post by forgottensinpwf on Aug 15, 2009 12:23:45 GMT -5
Well, i haven't actually watched an entire episode in years, but with those reasons, i don't see a point in ever doing so.
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Post by Long A, Short A on Aug 15, 2009 17:41:14 GMT -5
"1) They no longer count to 40, just 20. Cant kids nowadays handle the concept of going to 40? ?" In this day and age where more kids are going to school at 3 and 4? I'm not happy about how Sesame Street has changed either. This thread is not dumb.
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Post by Paul Servo on Aug 15, 2009 18:08:01 GMT -5
"1) They no longer count to 40, just 20. Cant kids nowadays handle the concept of going to 40? ?" When I was the target demographic, they never went higher than 10. But yeah. I was watching the show with my nephew a couple years ago, the fact they now devot half the show to Elmo makes me mad. Do a full hour of traditional SEASAME STREET, then do a seperate show about Elmo
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Post by Ravishing One on Aug 15, 2009 18:12:49 GMT -5
I refuse to let my nephew watch it when I babysit. I instead pop in Sesame Street - Old School Vol. 1. He loves it and I get to watch classic Sesame Street minus the weird looks from my roommates.
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Dave at the Movies
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
VINTAGE D-DAY DAVE! Always cranking dat thing.
Posts: 18,224
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Post by Dave at the Movies on Aug 15, 2009 19:17:18 GMT -5
Bert and Ernie aren't on it anymore............i don't believe that.
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Post by Drillbit Taylor on Aug 15, 2009 22:38:54 GMT -5
4) Many of the real life issues weren't dealt with anymore eg remember those pregnancy and death episodes? They did a hurricane and fire(9-11) epps.
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Post by Milkman Norm on Aug 15, 2009 22:48:32 GMT -5
Part of what has happened is that the target audience for Sesame Street has gotten younger. Remember when the show was in development in the late 60's there was a large number of 5-6 who didn't go to kindergarten, because a program might not exist in their area. Now nearly all 5 year olds are in school and many 2-4 year olds are in pre-school/ day care. So the target age range has gotten younger and younger.
The rest of the stuff the OP complains about flows from that. Remember that Sesame Street was developed by the Children's Television Workshop and they used Educational professionals to gage the ability of the kids to react to characters. The older kids (4-6) could "get" on a limited level that Oscar was a grouch who did mean things and was just mean in general but when he went to far he felt bad about it (as in Christmas Eve on Sesame Street). The younger kids just felt he was mean.
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MolotovMocktail
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Post by MolotovMocktail on Aug 16, 2009 0:51:34 GMT -5
Re: current events: isn't Elmo's father supposed to be in Iraq or something? I heard they came up with a story like this to help kids with parents in the service.
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Post by wildojinx on Aug 16, 2009 19:27:17 GMT -5
Do any of the following characters still show up?: The giant red and white dog (dont know its name) Forgetful Jones Snuffleuffagus Harry Monster Those two-headed horned monster things Slimey (oscar's pet worm)
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Post by Paul Servo on Aug 16, 2009 20:16:15 GMT -5
Do any of the following characters still show up?: The giant red and white dog (dont know its name) Forgetful Jones Snuffleuffagus Harry Monster Those two-headed horned monster things Slimey (oscar's pet worm) Slimy appears at the end in bed
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Jay Peas 42
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Post by Jay Peas 42 on Aug 16, 2009 20:36:39 GMT -5
Best use of Elmo, ever.
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mattperiolat
King Koopa
Thank you, Brodie... for everything.
Posts: 11,445
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Post by mattperiolat on Aug 16, 2009 22:40:18 GMT -5
Do any of the following characters still show up?: The giant red and white dog (dont know its name) Barkley. Know what's frightening? I haven't watched the show in forever and I just knew that. It was mentioned upthread a bit, but for anyone interested, there are two Sesame Street Old School DVDs out there, plus a 40th Anniversary set out in November. Also highly recommend the book Street Gang about the creation of the show. Oh and for other classic kids education shows, Electric Company and Zoom are on DVD as well.
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Post by Drillbit Taylor on Aug 17, 2009 0:01:29 GMT -5
Do any of the following characters still show up?: The giant red and white dog (dont know its name) Barkley. Know what's frightening? I haven't watched the show in forever and I just knew that. It was mentioned upthread a bit, but for anyone interested, there are two Sesame Street Old School DVDs out there, plus a 40th Anniversary set out in November. Also highly recommend the book Street Gang about the creation of the show. Oh and for other classic kids education shows, Electric Company and Zoom are on DVD as well. The downside to ' Street Gang' is gets soooo boring in some parts.
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mattperiolat
King Koopa
Thank you, Brodie... for everything.
Posts: 11,445
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Post by mattperiolat on Aug 17, 2009 0:05:07 GMT -5
Barkley. Know what's frightening? I haven't watched the show in forever and I just knew that. It was mentioned upthread a bit, but for anyone interested, there are two Sesame Street Old School DVDs out there, plus a 40th Anniversary set out in November. Also highly recommend the book Street Gang about the creation of the show. Oh and for other classic kids education shows, Electric Company and Zoom are on DVD as well. The downside to ' Street Gang' is gets soooo boring in some parts. True, it can be a bit tedious, I suppose. I tend to be a detail oriented person, so I ate it up hook, line and sinker. But you are right, not for all tastes. Was a Valentine's Day present from my fiance, she thought I'd hate it. Ended up devouring it in one sitting. Plus, needed something to keep me up since she became violently sick from a bad Valentine's Day meal, so I was up with her all night anyway. TMI? Sorry.
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Post by >(straightedgepunk)< on Aug 17, 2009 0:17:48 GMT -5
Bert and Ernie aren't on it anymore............i don't believe that. WAIT WHAT? They aren't on it.... at all? First Cookie Monster becomes the Veggie Monster and now THIS? HAS THIS WORLD GONE MAD?!
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Post by willywonka666 on Aug 17, 2009 7:11:52 GMT -5
I never thought that Sesame Street would wind up going after an even YOUNGER audience.
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Post by Sir Woodrow on Aug 17, 2009 7:23:13 GMT -5
Elmo holding down the real talent
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Post by Clash, Never a Meter Maid on Aug 17, 2009 11:25:57 GMT -5
WAIT WHAT? They aren't on it.... at all? First Cookie Monster becomes the Veggie Monster and now THIS? HAS THIS WORLD GONE MAD?! That never happened. The producers just decided to let him occasionally eat other things besides cookies.
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Post by wildojinx on Aug 17, 2009 11:34:48 GMT -5
I'd buy the EC dvds but unfortunately they dont have the spider-man segments. They should have made a deal with Marvel to get those segments (or at least get marvel to publish an essentials volume for spidey super stories).
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