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What Danes consider healthy children’s television

economist.com

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Re: What Danes consider healthy children’s television

#101

Post by tigerBL00D »

intoverflow2 wrote: post #98
david-given wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Go look up some old British children's television. It was made in an era when... um... let's just say that it wasn't focus grouped. Chorlton and the Wheelies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6Ng7VMqet0 Noggin the Nog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bKAYH3Sl8s The Trapdoor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eEXyg1lsZc Bod: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfFoj-gFP2M Bagpuss: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9beAp3TG…

> It was made in an era when... um... let's just say that it was focus grouped. If you're implying drugs were involved I think it's a tad insulting to the creativity and artistry of the people behind these wonderful shows.

If you are implying that those using drugs to stimulate their creativity are somehow inferior to those who are not that would be a tad insulting to many creative individuals who use drugs. Just saying ;)

Re: What Danes consider healthy children’s television

#102

Post by pluma »

yread wrote: post #84
tclancy wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am old enough (40) with a daughter who is almost 3, to be a little horrified by kids' TV. It's not that there isn't a ton of "good" stuff for her, it's that there is only "good" stuff. There isn't anything not geared toward teaching her math, reading or morals. When I was a kid, that was PBS and a handful of other shows and the rest of it was people whacking the crap out of each other to make me bug my parents to b…

I would suggest Krtecek (Little Mole) http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3ay8ya_krecik-33-krecik-i-... It's sweet, fun, no violence, no words (almost). Used to be quite popular (outside anglophonic countries I guess)

The Mole is fairly popular in Germany. Clips were included in the children's show "Sendung mit der Maus" which many have jokingly pointed out as being more popular with parents than children. The show also included clips explaining how everyday things work or are made[0].

The subtitle of the show was (is?) "Lach- und Sachgeschichten" (roughly "stories to laugh about and stories to learn from") hinting at the format: some clips were pure entertainment and some were educational. The show is still running though the format has changed a bit over the decades I think.

[0]: See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PNRrOGJqUI for an example of a 1990s explanation of how the Internet works (with live action re-enactments of DNS resolution and data transfer).

Re: What Danes consider healthy children’s television

#103

Post by DanBC »

david-given wrote: post #96
DanBC wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I love Bagpus. There's also Mister Ben (not sure this stands the test of time) and Ivor the Engine. (And I have fond memories of Danger Mouse, but I'm not sure that's any good either).

Well, you can't go wrong with Oliver Postgate, who I now notice made nearly half of the programs in my (completely randomly selected) list... Also I appear to have remembered a fairly small selection of the 'children's television on drugs' genre. See also: Banamaman, Jamie and the Magic Torch, Roobarb and Custard, Captain Pugwash... While talking about children's television: it's not British, and it's slightly later,…

I have no idea if it was British, but Ludwig (the cartoon about a musical mechanical egg) was great.

Re: What Danes consider healthy children’s television

#105

Post by pluma »

nsxwolf wrote: post #68
arethuza wrote: post #5

"Supreme Being is not only imaginary" I was immensely proud when my son at 4 years old decided to stand up in his pre-school class and point this out to everyone.

Can your 4 year old refute Aquinas? It's a little condescending to say he "pointed it out" to everyone, as though it's some trivial subject.

Everyone can refute Aquinas.

Re: What Danes consider healthy children’s television

#106

Post by nsxwolf »

Retra wrote: post #90
nsxwolf wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can your 4 year old refute Aquinas? It's a little condescending to say he "pointed it out" to everyone, as though it's some trivial subject.

It is a trivial subject.

Nietzsche sure didn't think so.

Re: What Danes consider healthy children’s television

#107

Post by reitanqild »

rralian wrote: post #92
tclancy wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am old enough (40) with a daughter who is almost 3, to be a little horrified by kids' TV. It's not that there isn't a ton of "good" stuff for her, it's that there is only "good" stuff. There isn't anything not geared toward teaching her math, reading or morals. When I was a kid, that was PBS and a handful of other shows and the rest of it was people whacking the crap out of each other to make me bug my parents to b…

When she gets older, if you let her watch Cartoon Network, there's quite a bit of content with zero educational or moral value. In fact, the latest incarnation of Teen Titans seems to be written by people my age (40) _for_ people my age. With tons of references to 80s culture that the kids would never get.

Shaun the Sheep is wonderful sometimes. It is a mix of things kids enjoy as well as references only grown ups will get.

My kids will come and tell me when it shows up in between all the braindead stuff because they know I'll sit together with them. Same goes for Tom&Jerry (eh, the part about me sitting down to watch TV, not the part about hidden references.)

Edit: oh, and I found the Winnie the Pooh audiobook from before Disney bought it and turned it into another educational timewaster. Kids have learned to like it as well.

Re: What Danes consider healthy children’s television

#108

Post by ganzuul »

nitrogen wrote: post #26
dagw wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why? Should he also be telling them that Santa Clause and the tooth fairy are imaginary? Why can't kids be kids and believe in whatever makes them happy? They'll have plenty of time later to be old and cynical.

Because false beliefs that are later dashed make kids cynical? Being prepared to distinguish reality from fanatasy is an essential skill needed to rise above the whims of crowds. However, if I had a kid in a similar situation as the OP, I might have tried to teach them about the dangers of confronting other kids' parents when those kids stop believing in Santa at four instead of whatever age they'd hoped.

The premise is unfalsifiable, so claims of falsehood are unscientific. Doing this is just as bad as preaching from a book if you care about truth.

Re: What Danes consider healthy children’s television

#109

Post by jacobsenscott »

tclancy wrote: post #14
skrebbel wrote: post #8

Kaj and Andreea is fantastic! I'm Dutch but my wife is Danish. She does her utmost best confronting our kids with Danish TV (we live in Holland), so I understand a bit of what the author is on about. I was initially surprised as well. Truth is, it _is_ entertaining! But most importantly, once you get past the absolutely amateuristic way things are shot (hey, the kids don't care, why should you?), there's a lot of dep…

I am old enough (40) with a daughter who is almost 3, to be a little horrified by kids' TV. It's not that there isn't a ton of "good" stuff for her, it's that there is only "good" stuff. There isn't anything not geared toward teaching her math, reading or morals. When I was a kid, that was PBS and a handful of other shows and the rest of it was people whacking the crap out of each other to make me bug my parents to b…

Those adults playing with kids toys youtube videos are soooo creepy. That's one thing I don't let my kid watch.

Re: What Danes consider healthy children’s television

#110

Post by david-given »

intoverflow2 wrote: post #98
david-given wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Go look up some old British children's television. It was made in an era when... um... let's just say that it wasn't focus grouped. Chorlton and the Wheelies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6Ng7VMqet0 Noggin the Nog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bKAYH3Sl8s The Trapdoor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eEXyg1lsZc Bod: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfFoj-gFP2M Bagpuss: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9beAp3TG…

> It was made in an era when... um... let's just say that it was focus grouped. If you're implying drugs were involved I think it's a tad insulting to the creativity and artistry of the people behind these wonderful shows.

Actually, I meant to say that it wasn't focus grouped, but tyoped.

Original post edited --- ta.

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