They had an aughfull lot of racist and non PC content back in the day. Wheres the disclaimers on that stuff, or is it just going to stay locked away in the disney vault forever and just pretend like it never happened?
Warning: The content in this episode of the Muppet Show was considered acceptable at time of production, but may be considered as offensive in today's society. Be advised that if you plan to watch this with your children, you should be prepared to talk to them about how things have changed in a remarkably short time period, and make sure they understand the context of this content. If your children are young enough that this would be a difficult topic to discuss, you may wish to skip this episode, and revisit it at a later time when they can understand that this is no longer acceptable content.... then I'd be all for it. But I'm sick and tired of people pretending that what is considered racism and intolerance today, wasn't widely considered, including by minorities, as acceptable (if a bit on the edge of then.
Consider the following comedians: Nipsy Russell, Red Foxx, Sammy Davis Jr., Richard Pryor and *early* Eddie Murphy (when he did stand-up). Watch some of their material. Watch their appearances on the old "Man of the Hour" series or "Friar's Club Roasts". Watch Blazing Saddles, for god's sake.
Times have changed. We can't change the past, only learn from it. Disney seems intent on changing the past, rather than using it as an educational opportunity. I've read Huckleberry Finn, the Adventures of Tom Sawyer, AND seen Song of the South-- and appreciated all in their appropriate context. It's insulting to today's youth to think they're too stupid to understand "Things were different then".
Be advised that if you plan to watch this with your children, you should be prepared to talk to them about how things have changed in a remarkably short time period, and make sure they understand the context of this content. If your children are young enough that this would be a difficult topic to discuss, you may wish to skip this episode, and revisit it at a later time when they can understand that this is no longer acceptable content.
Children that young shouldn't be watching the Muppet Show in the first place. I didn't see much of it, but as I recall, its humor tended to lean quite adult, to the point that young children won't even know what's funny. I'm mostly suggesting very young children shouldn't be watching the Muppet Show because it would be wasted on them. Let them watch it as teens. It'll be hilarious then.
I watched it as a child. Really good shows like Sesame Street, the Muppets, and in the "which one doesn't belong" category, Doctor Who, worked for children because they're fun. They're goofy. Then years later, you watch it again, and realize there was a whole 'nother level of context that had (mostly) flown right past you.
Social commentary and kid's entertainment are not necessarily exclusive-- but writers have gotten lazier over the years, and feel compelled to either produce shows that are effectively
Social commentary and kid's entertainment are not necessarily exclusive-- but writers have gotten lazier over the years, and feel compelled to either produce shows that are effectively half-hour long fart jokes,
Don't be daft. All old fogies say that because they look back on the last, say, 50 years and cherry pick the best stuff that's stood the test of time, and compare it to the current average. There's some cracking kids TV right now, but it's hidden in a mountain of crap and hasn't had decades for that
That was the point of it. It was a broadcast TV show meant to entertain and keep the interest of both adults and children. At a time when there were like 3-4 channels and TV's were fairly rare. The muppets and antics were for the kids. The guests and most of the humor were for the adults.
As kids, like many things, you get to re-watch it with a different perspective and enjoy it all again.
A LOT of Disney movies and media, even ones fromt he 90's are like that. For example Aladdin.
Just my $.02 having been a single dad back in the 90s....
For about the last thirty or so years, much of children's programming has contained content aimed at the parents watching with them. The parents don't need to explain anything to the kids because they're mostly only interested in the bright colors, funny costumes, and rhyming songs. This gets more parents to buy that content as well. I used to watch the Simpsons with my toddler daughter until she got a little older, when she started understanding a
Overflow on /dev/null, please empty the bit bucket.
What about Disney's content (Score:1)
Re:What about Disney's content (Score:5, Insightful)
That's the problem.... if the disclaimer was:
Warning: The content in this episode of the Muppet Show was considered acceptable at time of production, but may be considered as offensive in today's society. Be advised that if you plan to watch this with your children, you should be prepared to talk to them about how things have changed in a remarkably short time period, and make sure they understand the context of this content. If your children are young enough that this would be a difficult topic to discuss, you may wish to skip this episode, and revisit it at a later time when they can understand that this is no longer acceptable content. ... then I'd be all for it. But I'm sick and tired of people pretending that what is considered racism and intolerance today, wasn't widely considered, including by minorities, as acceptable (if a bit on the edge of then.
Consider the following comedians: Nipsy Russell, Red Foxx, Sammy Davis Jr., Richard Pryor and *early* Eddie Murphy (when he did stand-up). Watch some of their material. Watch their appearances on the old "Man of the Hour" series or "Friar's Club Roasts". Watch Blazing Saddles, for god's sake.
Times have changed. We can't change the past, only learn from it. Disney seems intent on changing the past, rather than using it as an educational opportunity. I've read Huckleberry Finn, the Adventures of Tom Sawyer, AND seen Song of the South-- and appreciated all in their appropriate context. It's insulting to today's youth to think they're too stupid to understand "Things were different then".
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Be advised that if you plan to watch this with your children, you should be prepared to talk to them about how things have changed in a remarkably short time period, and make sure they understand the context of this content. If your children are young enough that this would be a difficult topic to discuss, you may wish to skip this episode, and revisit it at a later time when they can understand that this is no longer acceptable content.
Children that young shouldn't be watching the Muppet Show in the first place. I didn't see much of it, but as I recall, its humor tended to lean quite adult, to the point that young children won't even know what's funny. I'm mostly suggesting very young children shouldn't be watching the Muppet Show because it would be wasted on them. Let them watch it as teens. It'll be hilarious then.
Re: (Score:3)
I watched it as a child. Really good shows like Sesame Street, the Muppets, and in the "which one doesn't belong" category, Doctor Who, worked for children because they're fun. They're goofy. Then years later, you watch it again, and realize there was a whole 'nother level of context that had (mostly) flown right past you.
Social commentary and kid's entertainment are not necessarily exclusive-- but writers have gotten lazier over the years, and feel compelled to either produce shows that are effectively
Re: (Score:2)
Social commentary and kid's entertainment are not necessarily exclusive-- but writers have gotten lazier over the years, and feel compelled to either produce shows that are effectively half-hour long fart jokes,
Don't be daft. All old fogies say that because they look back on the last, say, 50 years and cherry pick the best stuff that's stood the test of time, and compare it to the current average. There's some cracking kids TV right now, but it's hidden in a mountain of crap and hasn't had decades for that
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Just my $.02 having been a single dad back in the 90s....
For about the last thirty or so years, much of children's programming has contained content aimed at the parents watching with them. The parents don't need to explain anything to the kids because they're mostly only interested in the bright colors, funny costumes, and rhyming songs. This gets more parents to buy that content as well. I used to watch the Simpsons with my toddler daughter until she got a little older, when she started understanding a