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- Thread starter The Ancient Mariner
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Doesn’t Sesame Street predate these by a long time? I think the ship has sailed on that one.
Besides, for a children’s TV show there’s a pretty stark difference in quality from the others mentioned.
I wouldn't be able to tell you, I think I last saw an episode of Sesame Street in 1994, maybe? And if I ever regularly watched it, it can only have been before 1990. As for Barney the Dinosaur, I don't think I ever watched a full episode to begin with.
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
Maybe because I don’t like the idea of giving up my childhood completely? I don’t care what’s cool or not, I run by my own code and live my own life and don’t give a fuck about opinions that run counter to it. If I stopped to think about what everyone thinks of me behind my back I would have killed myself a long time ago.
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That comes to the core of what I don't understand. When I was 18, I couldn't wait to leave my childhood behind and to get out of my parents' home. My mind was set on girls, drinking, metal, girls, hoping I'd pass my final exams, girls, thinking of what to do with my future, drinking, metal and girls. I actually sold off a great deal of my toys when I left home and it felt like a great burden being lifted from me. I moved to a major town that was as far away from home as possible, and one that I didn't know anything about. Not everything went well, but I'm glad for the experiences I made. Some years later, I saw an episode of what was my favourite tv show as a kid (Ghostbusters) and thought it was incredibly lame. I still like a few things I did as a child, but these are things like Star Trek which were made to appeal both to kids and adults.
Now, I'm not saying this is how you should do it or what you should do. I'm not judging you for liking Thomas the Tank Engine. I'm just comparing my experience with this, and I'm completely bewildered. I don't understand it. And why this irks me so much is because I know there are a lot of kids your age who are just like that. It actually is cool to like Thomas or something similar at the age of 18 today, and I don't understand why. Why is it?
Black Wizard
Pleb Hunter
And I'm proud of them.
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
I honestly have no clue when it comes to society / kids today as a whole. For me personally, I feel a lot of what you felt at the time (getting out ASAP and stuff) but also my fear of death and life being too short is part of what makes me not try to rush away from it TOO fast. Also, watching stuff like Thomas brings up feelings I can’t get from anything else. Chalk that up to nostalgia and stuff.
Like I said though, I haven’t seen any Thomas thing in about a year. Most of my free time these days is spent on music.
EDIT: I’ve also made some really good friends thanks to mutual interests in Thomas the Tank Engine. After we chatted and moved past the kid stuff we found many more interests and this managed to keep a hold of each other even in times where Thomas didn’t draw us in so much.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately that I’m on my way out of the fandom anyway because Thomas doesn’t draw me in quite so much these days. But like I said, there’s something magical and putting in my old VHS tapes and watching the stuff I grew up with. The best quality of early Thomas is its timelessness, which can reach out to you even when you get older. The Railway Series stories too.
Collin
Chasing Ponce De Leon's Phantoms
As a twenty year old, I disagree. I'm with Perun on this one, girls and metal!!
I can definitely understand attachment to aspects of childhood. In many ways Iron Maiden is a relic of my childhood. I’ve found that a lot of things I go back to from when I was a kid can still appeal to adults. A lot of 90s Nickelodeon cartoons for example. While I don’t actively seek them out they can still be fun to watch when a sibling has them on or whatever. Video games are along similar lines.
I have a hard time relating to the fascination around early childhood/“edutainment” shows though. A lot of them are cheaply made and the messaging tends to be really murky and, at worst, problematic (as Cailou and Thomas teaches us). A lot of that is because of how these shows are funded. They’re paid for by advertisers and are often meant to sell toys. Thomas in particular is a marketing behemoth. I remember when I was a kid the Thomas section of Toys R Us was by far the biggest in the store. So while they’re marketed as shows that assist with childhood development, the end result is more of a manipulation tool. It’s hard to see much artistic or entertainment value in that. I singled out Sesame Street out of the shows mentioned because at least when I was a kid it was publicly funded. I think it has a lot more educational value and, of the shows mentioned, it’s the only one I would show to my hypothetical kids.
Another element missing in this discussion is the relatively new concept of fandom. It’s always existed for certain properties (Star Trek comes to mind), but with the current Internet culture you can find fandoms for anything, including something as empty as Thomas the Train.
I have a hard time relating to the fascination around early childhood/“edutainment” shows though. A lot of them are cheaply made and the messaging tends to be really murky and, at worst, problematic (as Cailou and Thomas teaches us). A lot of that is because of how these shows are funded. They’re paid for by advertisers and are often meant to sell toys. Thomas in particular is a marketing behemoth. I remember when I was a kid the Thomas section of Toys R Us was by far the biggest in the store. So while they’re marketed as shows that assist with childhood development, the end result is more of a manipulation tool. It’s hard to see much artistic or entertainment value in that. I singled out Sesame Street out of the shows mentioned because at least when I was a kid it was publicly funded. I think it has a lot more educational value and, of the shows mentioned, it’s the only one I would show to my hypothetical kids.
Another element missing in this discussion is the relatively new concept of fandom. It’s always existed for certain properties (Star Trek comes to mind), but with the current Internet culture you can find fandoms for anything, including something as empty as Thomas the Train.
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
I mean, there's a handful of shows I liked as a kid that are still watchable. Like three, maybe four. Shining Time Station isn't one of them.
Black Wizard
Pleb Hunter
Well that’s kinda my point. It’s an online forum. Before that sort of thing existed you connected with fans via things like conventions, magazines, and pen pals. To actually create a fan community around something took a lot more effort and resources. Even within the history of the internet, the concept of fandom is a lot different now than ten years ago.
Magnus
Pica Serdica
With him sitting next to you, that would be extremely unpleasant I suppose.