Do they still make educational kids' shows?

skykiii

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17 de Jun, 2018
Like it or not, most of what kids learn is from media--because I don't have an infinity gauntlet and can't thanos snap all parents into being good parents at a moment's notice--and as I've probably lamented before, today's media for kids seems to be just vacuous bullshit.

Toilets toilets toilets, that's children's media today.

I remember watching the first season of Netflix's Carmen Sandiego, and one thing that offended me is that it was no longer any sort of edutainment series (except in a very subtle way), when Carmen was literally born to educate kids. I found myself remembering the 1990s Fox Kids version, which had several lessons I still remember to this day (most notably its where I learned about Latitude and Longitude) and which actually holds up--even watching as an adult, the character drama and mysteries hold intrigue and I still sometimes learn something I didn't know.

And I think anyone growing up in the eighties or nineties must've had a school computer lab with a copy of Died of Dysentery Simulator. Oh, I guess it was called "The Oregon Trail" in some markets.

That got me thinking if educational media for kids still exists?

The most recent one I'm aware of was this anime-looking show called The Mysteries of Alfred Hedgehog. I only ever saw one episode and the theme seemed to be that some situation would come up and Alfred and his friends would solve it by explaining some science fact (the episode I saw was about this phenomena where water in ponds and lakes would spout upwards at times, I forget what the explanation was).

But even that was in, what, 2012? Maybe earlier?

I imagine "educational media for kids" these days would be a lot like the channel Queer Kids Stuff, IE more about ideological bullshit and less about practical knowledge you can actually put into practice, practically, in a practical sense.
 
Bluey is fantastic. It's not educational in the sense of being predominantly about science or anything. Rather, every episode presents some emotional problem the characters need to work at or support each other through. In terms of emotional intelligence, it knocks out of the park, models humane and thoughtful behaviour at every turn, without being preachy or sappy or boring. Also happens to be one of those "all ages" cartoons that adults can get something out of more often than not, and it's very well animated, voice acted, etc. Pretty sure it's increased Aussie soft power.
 
The last Christmas get together I had saw the kids get control of the TV. I couldn't believe how much gender shit they were pushing on PBS. One of the plot points on the show was whether little Timmy could join the ballet and become a ballerina.

It almost makes me grateful for the AI content slop Indians shovel out on Youtube.
 
I just let my 3 year-old watch the classics. Old Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers, etc.

He's recently started watching the OG Blues Clues, and he loves it. Because of the show, he's recently become obsessed with crayons and drawing in his "handy dandy notebook." I've been waiting for this moment because I vividly remember being a "coloring book" and "arts and crafts" kind of kid, haha.

And while she can be pretty cringe with expressing some of her viewpoints on TikTok and whatnot, Ms. Rachel definitely helped my son start using sign language before he could actually speak. Ms. Rachel helped my son differentiate between shapes and know his ABCs before age 2, too. I would definitely count her as educational.

Most of the YouTube stuff (like Cocomelon) is brain rot for kids. I did my research before having kids and knew to steer clear. When my son watches TV, he wants to watch one of the more educational shows, or he wants to watch something with an actual plot (and he remembers the plot afterwards and tells me about it). I know a few kids my son's age who still only want to watch stuff like Cocomelon and Blippi.

Bluey is fantastic. It's not educational in the sense of being predominantly about science or anything. Rather, every episode presents some emotional problem the characters need to work at or support each other through. In terms of emotional intelligence, it knocks out of the park, models humane and thoughtful behaviour at every turn, without being preachy or sappy or boring. Also happens to be one of those "all ages" cartoons that adults can get something out of more often than not, and it's very well animated, voice acted, etc. Pretty sure it's increased Aussie soft power.
Bluey is a gem of a show. It's just as much for parents as it is for kids.

The Baby Race episode made me cry the first time I saw it. The ending got me. lol. Bluey is a show that captures the moments of parenting (big and small) perfectly.

 
Última edición:
I couldn't believe how much gender shit they were pushing on PBS.
So, before Current Year, the messages of ETV (educational TV) were stuff like "read books", "use your imaginations", "you can be anything you want to be" (as in careers, not "genders"), and "boys are boys and girls are girls" (Mister Rogers). In Current Year, the messages of ETV are: "become woke" and "you can be any gender you want to be"? FFS.
 
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The art style is annoying.
It's derivative of the "CalArts" style associated with Pendleton Ward's work, and it can definitely be divisive, but I'd try and overcome it if you can. Gravity Falls is another one that looks like that and it's worth watching even if you don't have kids. Not "educational," but compellingly characters and story.
Her recent stand for Palestinian/Gazawi children was incredible. I literally didn't even know who she was before that. I was astonished to see someone in the limelight taking such a decisive, uncompromising position in favour of children and against violence. No concern for how it might boomerang back on her or her career. It moved me to see that.
...whether little Timmy could join the ballet and become a ballerina.
Not to come off all woke here, but there are male ballerinas. Is that really all that gender-political? I didn't see the episode, I don't know, maybe it was really heavyhanded and preachy and cringe. But boys absolutely should receive messaging like that, that they don't have to conform to rigid gender stereotypes. Girls get it all the time, like, it's okay for girls to play baseball or pursue a career in STEM or get into Magic: The Gathering or whatever. Boys need that to. It doesn't makes you gay or trans to want to dance or cook or cut hair.
 
Whenever I babysit my cousins, they never want to watch the newer cartoons unless it's the true brain rotting stuff (which their parents do not allow them to watch). They always want to watch OG SpongeBob, The Magic School Bus, Peppa Pig, etc. The only newer show they like is Bluey, and I must admit it's a cute show with IMO good wholesome life lessons and messages without being cringy or annoying. There are adult jokes that go over the kid's heads, so the adults won't get bored watching it.
 
Whenever I babysit my cousins, they never want to watch the newer cartoons unless it's the true brain rotting stuff (which their parents do not allow them to watch). They always want to watch OG SpongeBob, The Magic School Bus, Peppa Pig, etc. The only newer show they like is Bluey, and I must admit it's a cute show with IMO good wholesome life lessons and messages without being cringy or annoying. There are adult jokes that go over the kid's heads, so the adults won't get bored watching it.
can agree on blue deal some new show seen in run time be set to be helpful solacitc deal classics work as well.
 
With newer SpongeBob it seems it's easy to forget it is under the sea.

:thinking:
The new SpongeBob is not funny at all. It's just "HAHA SpongeBob does something REALLY STUPID and makes a REALLY DUMB FACE! And Squidward is REALLY ANGRY AT EVERYTHING!!!"

It's night and day different. OG SpongeBob still makes me laugh out loud.
 
It's night and day different. OG SpongeBob still makes me laugh out loud.
Sounds sorta like The Simpsons.

old Simpsons: "To alcohol! The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems!"

new Simpsons: [THIS IS A JOKE AND HERE IS HOW IT IS FUNNY]

(had to pick just one quote for the first that I like best at the moment)
 
Kids these days need to watch the classics:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=FBaVwwuErmU
Proving the point:

When that thing got to the mention of the "Helvetica Scenario," I had to look up if that was a real thing.

Turns out, this show made that up.... but apparently it led to actual scientific discussion.

Just goes to show how much smarter our media used to be that crap we just made up wound up having ramifications.
 
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