Childrens Television Making Kids Dumb

[Mockingbird]

I had the joy of watching Dora the Explorer while sitting at the doctors waiting room today and I have to tell you it had to be the stupidist kid show ever. Seriously.:dunce:

Is this really what has become of kids shows? and they wonder why american kids are so far behind in the learning curve

Anyone else notice the idiot factor they feed our kids on the tube?

 

[EscapeVelocity]

A fascinating subject.

Manipulating kids via the TV. Indoctrinating kids. One thing that is interesting about PBS kids programming is that its a kaleidescope of Leftwing indoctrination. Multiculturalism stands out in particular, but environutterism is also prevalent, global fearmongering is all the rage.

One thing that struck me, was that a less than one year, quieted down and was smiling at the Teletubbies. This is ultra slick psycology informed programming.....and its a darn shame that somebody isnt watching the Leftwingers at PBS and their evil plan for the destruction of Western Civilization.....one indoctrinated kid at a time.

 

[bicker]

@Mockingbird: I think your distance from your own time as a toddler perhaps has colored your perceptions of how appropriate or inappropriate something like Dora the Explorer is. It is actually a superlatively appropriate program for the children it is aimed at. It doesn't represent any lower level of intellectual challenge and capability than the programming provided for my wife and I to watched, when we were that age, about a half-century ago.

In some ways, actually, Dora the Explorer is a bit more advanced -- it fosters bilingualism, which is an intellectual challenge that no one would have ever considered presenting to children at that age, back when we were growing up.

@EV: I suspect even the stanchest right-wingers have enough shame to recognize how vacuous opposition to multi-culturalism is. I think it is fantastic that we're now working to help children think positively about living peacefully with others who may be different, rather than fostering within children volumes of hate, the kind of hate I remember seeing in vivid black-and-blue when I was growing up in a more primitive, more despicably hostile and proprietary America.

I also think very few right-wingers are shameless enough to extol the virtues of polluting. The worst offenders have always been businesses, of course, and people here know I'm a big supporter of business, but I would never think to decry protecting the environment. That kind of polluting selfishness has been shown for what it is, and so it is the mainstream who oppose it; it is not at all a "left" perspective.

 

[DTVuser2009]

I don't know, Dora the Explorer has to me the same teaching skills one would use on a Parrot. repetition so often and no random diversions from such repetition makes kids taught on the same scale as teaching a parrot to talk. before too long kids will only learn by what's dancing around in their heads, like a bad commercial jingle, and not knowing the true lesson behind it. just the jingle. like Schoolhouse Rock, one cannot learn on repetition or song alone. otherwise Schoolhouse Rock would be viable teaching in schools, but it's not.

Sid the Science Kid is a lot like Dora, but does take the common diversion from the repetition enough that kids still learn normally and go out and explore themselves. i don't see Dora doing that.

Maya and Miguel teaches multi-lingualism more than Dora, in fact they teach sentences, which Dora can only teach words at a time. like the word for gate or river. and teaches the lessons of getting along with other people of other races or even injuries (like missing limbs) far better and even Dora doesn't go there. and it doesn't have that repetitious word-for-word over and over again teaching style.

But there are worse shows that concern me and i hope others more. take Disney's The wiggles sorry but a bunch of guys and a dancing 'worm' (i think it's something else i cannot say on the forums) is just ick. i don't know if i can say much there, but take about 10 minutes with the show and you will see what i mean.

But then again, a similar show was on in the 1960s, in fact two. H.R. Puff n stuf, and of course, the One-eyed one horned flying purple people eater.

seems we're mimicing the 1960's odd side.

Even Reruns of Square one TV and The Electric Company were far more educational in their time. and still entertaining but not too much of either one. a balance.

 

[Mockingbird]

@Mockingbird: I think your distance from your own time as a toddler perhaps has colored your perceptions of how appropriate or inappropriate something like Dora the Explorer is. It is actually a superlatively appropriate program for the children it is aimed at. It doesn't represent any lower level of intellectual challenge and capability than the programming provided for my wife and I to watched, when we were that age, about a half-century ago.

@Bicker I am not that old, and I have my own children. When my son was young I was very selective what if anything he watched on TV, and I can assure you he would not have watched Dora, the wiggles or half the garbage they have on now. Learning happens when children are challanged, I saw nothing of a learning value on that show. There seems to be a tendency to attempt to lable things as age appropriate, but says who? Reminds me of when my son was in the book reading stage and his teacher said that "Goosebumps" was a better choice then a classic. I bought the kid the classic and he did fine.

Left/right arguement aside isn't it still all about what happens in your home and via your parenting?

I don't know, Dora the Explorer has to me the same teaching skills one would use on a Parrot. repetition so often and no random diversions from such repetition makes kids taught on the same scale as teaching a parrot to talk.

EXACTLY:first: I pity the poor kids plopped infront of the TV sitter. DOOMED.

There was a time when parents cared what things were on TV , especially what kids saw, they would boycott advertisers that supported inappropriate or violent programing. Well evidently stupid programming don't matter. Thank god theres an off switch

 

[Trip]

After reading the "PBS Kids is biased" nonsense, I got to talking in an instant message with a friend about what a "right wing" Sesame Street would look like.

I don't want to stir the pot though, so I won't repeat it here. It was quite offensive.

- Trip

 

[DTVuser2009]

Does that mean Elmo all the time (he already takes up 65% of the show's one-hour airing now) or not? i'm not into all the definitions of left wing this and right wing that; thank goodness i'm not into politics.

Anyone remember the Barney Controversy? i am still surprised they're still making NEW Episodes of that show. i don't know what i dislike most. repetitious programming for kids or odd and gay-ish programming for kids. i'm myself still trying to delete the mental burning of Rainbow Brite out of my head; my sister would scream and cry until i sat through it. there's not one worse show IMO than Rainbow Brite and Strawberry Shortcake!!! the 1980s weren't all happy times either.

 

[DTVuser2009]

Also i will say that the marketing for Dora the Explorer has gone too far. i mean you cannot even walk into a pharmacy without seeing her annoying face and monkey on pill bottles either. heck she's even on underwear!!!! AHHH! make it stop!

 

[EscapeVelocity]

I suspect even the stanchest right-wingers have enough shame to recognize how vacuous opposition to multi-culturalism is. -- bicker

We should start a thread on Multi-culturalism as both you and Trip look like you could use a good discussion on it. I suspect that you are ideologically driven and Trip has just been brainwashed by PBS shows and media and the education system.

I think that the Multi-culturalism topic is one that doesnt get the airing that for instance that even Global Warming skepticism does.

Its a good topic for exploration. Then we can tie it back into the kids programming on PBS....and how that programming is just a larger part of the Leftwing agenda propaganda machine.

 

[O-O]

We should start a thread on Multi-culturalism as both you and Trip look like you could use a good discussion on it. I suspect that you are ideologically driven and Trip has just been brainwashed by PBS shows and media and the education system.

You gather that info from the following post?

After reading the "PBS Kids is biased" nonsense, I got to talking in an instant message with a friend about what a "right wing" Sesame Street would look like.

I don't want to stir the pot though, so I won't repeat it here. It was quite offensive.

- Trip

:eyes:

You come off as biased EV because all you want to do is place labels on people and reject their opinions if their thoughts and ideals differ from yours. Lets discuss, not accuse.

 

[Trip]

Right-wing values are basically the opposite of left-wing values, whatever those are. Thus things like "not breathing in toxic fumes" are something the left likes, so that's something the right opposes.

Note that I said "the right" and not "conservatives." Two different groups of people.

- Trip

 

[bicker]

I don't know, Dora the Explorer has to me the same teaching skills one would use on a Parrot.

I think you're considering Dora the Explorer from the context of children far older than those whom I believe the program is aimed at. They don't say definitively, allowing anyone to watch who wishes to, but for the age I believe the program is aimed at, I believe you're completely off-base with your appraisal.

 

[bicker]

Left/right arguement aside isn't it still all about what happens in your home and via your parenting?

And by that logic, the criticisms, above, are really quite inappropriately presented, since they're making categorical condemnations rather than clearly indicating that they're just stating the decision that they wish to make for their own family, but still respecting other families to make other decisions. As a matter of fact, I believe that sort of thing is one of the lessons that Dora the Explorer tries to teach children.

 

[bicker]

I suspect that you are ideologically driven and Trip has just been brainwashed by PBS shows and media and the education system.

I find your comment about Trip, to be abusively offensive. I'll draw the distinction (which some people either deliberately or carelessly missed in that other thread) between labeling a comment that someone makes as ridiculous, and what you've done here, asserting that someone has been "brainwashed". You should be ashamed of yourself. Your behavior in this case is inexcusable.

 

[bicker]

Right-wing values are basically the opposite of left-wing values, whatever those are. Thus things like "not breathing in toxic fumes" are something the left likes, so that's something the right opposes.

I think that doesn't do either side justice, but is especially unfair to the "right". The left-wing perspective would oppose any pollution that presents any probability of any health risk, whatsoever, while the right-wing perspective would be that all life contains a measure of risk, and it is fair to balance risk and benefit.

 

[EscapeVelocity]

And for the record, the opposition to Multiculturalism is not "teaching hatred to children."

 

[bicker]

Actually, effectively it is. Opposing the concept of living in harmony with people who hold to other perspectives is the same as supporting the concept of not living in harmony with people who hold to other perspectives.

 

[Trip]

I think that doesn't do either side justice, but is especially unfair to the "right". The left-wing perspective would oppose any pollution that presents any probability of any health risk, whatsoever, while the right-wing perspective would be that all life contains a measure of risk, and it is fair to balance risk and benefit.

I had a whole response typed up, and then I remembered that I said I wasn't going to stir the pot. I'm already too involved, so I'm removing myself from the conversation.

I am very opinionated and thus try not to get involved in these things if I can help it.

- Trip

 

[EscapeVelocity]

Right-wing values are basically the opposite of left-wing values, whatever those are. Thus things like "not breathing in toxic fumes" are something the left likes, so that's something the right opposes.

Note that I said "the right" and not "conservatives." Two different groups of people.

- Trip

Actually Trip, Conservative values are not the opposite of Leftwing values.

Western Conservative values are often Leftwing (depending upon where one stands). Especially American Conservative values.

A great example would be wars that the US has fought in defense of liberty and the promotion of democracy. Often opposed by teh Leftist (New Left, Marxist, Neo Marxist) reactionaries.

What it basically boils down to is that the Western Left, the New Left, the Neo Marxists, Communists, etc are anti Western (the West being defined as Conservative culture and values by definition).

They promote the destruction of Western Civilization through a plethora of agendas and tactics. Thus they apologize for Islam and attack Christianity. If you dont believe me or that Im overstating the case....just look at Leftwingers discussing the Christian Right in the US and then discussing Islam. This battle is being waged via immigration now (since the 60s), destroy the Western peoples and their culture by importing new voters and pushing the victimization narrative to keep them voting Left, as they promise special protections, preferences and benefits for them and promote their cultures over the once majority population.

This is the wholesale destruction of Western Civilzation, a full scale full court press war on the West.

These are the enemy group that are the targets of the Western Left and their friends around the world seek to destroy...

Whites, Westerners, Europeans, Christians, Males, Heterosexuals

Any group in opposition to these groups is to be favored over these groups. The above groups have been the subject of sustained organized villification for at least a half a century by the Western Left (since the 60s).

PBS kids shows are merely a reflection of this agenda. Promoting others cultures over the Wests.

 

[EscapeVelocity]

Actually, effectively it is. Opposing the concept of living in harmony with people who hold to other perspectives is the same as supporting the concept of not living in harmony with people who hold to other perspectives.

That is not what multiculturalism is of course. Its about driving the dominant culture to the side and promoting other cultures over it.

If its just about getting along, then I would be all for it. However its not just about getting along. Its about replacing one culture and promoting others over it.