Last Update: 2004-11-10. Latest stuff is at the bottom.
(1996) This is getting a little strange.
Most of the rest of the mail was about Barney the Dinosaur. So far it's been about 50-50 for and against Barney. The comments against Barney were along the lines of "Yeah, Barney sucks!" and about that long.
The pro-Barney people tried to explain to me that Barney wasn't that bad, and that I should a) lighten up, b) take a look at what else is on TV (not much) and c) Barney really does teach good values.
I agree that Children's TV pretty much sucks. Occasionally you get good, educational shows, but for the most part it is the mutant good guys vs. the mutant bad guys. Now most of the shows I have seen, like the Power Rangers, I happened to watch for a few minutes, decided that it sucked, and turned away, never to think much about it again.
However, when I first saw the Barney videos being advertised (back in 1992), I was actually struck by how bad and tasteless the show was. It immediately offended my aesthetic sensibility. That's why I have chosen to spend time critizing Barney. That's why I chose to stop pledging to my local PBS station for airing the show.
And as for Barney teaching good values, I don't think so. Aimee Yermish has written an essay: "Barney & Friends" vs. "Sesame Street": A Comparison that discusses what kind of values Barney really teaches. There is some other interesting stuff at The Truth About the Purple Thing site.
To all those people who think that Barney is OK, I have a little challenge for you. Sit down and watch the show for half an hour. Watch the whole thing, and do it without any distractions, like a magazine, the radio, etc. I tried it once, and I only lasted about 10 minutes. Write back to me about your experience if you are still capable of functioning at an adult level.
All this mail has piqued my interest lately, perhaps I'll try again. Maybe, with enough will power, I can last 15 minutes next time.
Of course, it occurs to me that watching Barney is analogous to sticking my hand in a pot of boiling water to see how long I can take it. What would I be trying to prove with that sort of stunt?
(1997) I do find is slightly distressing that no one, no-one has commented on any of my other web pages. Either people so completely agree with me that they feel no need to comment, or more likely, no one has bothered to read them. I guess I feel a little like Sir. Arthur Conan Doyle now.
News Flash (8/20/1997): I have recently received mail on some of the other stuff I've written. There are other people out there that are interested in reading and thinking! Woo Hoo!
(Feb. 1998) I was in a mini-debate with a mother who didn't like Barney herself, but tried to justify letting her child watch the Purple Thing because the child kept quiet during the show. I think it's more a sign of bad parenting skills than anything else. Sheesh. At one point, she made a comparison between Barney and broccoli (that they both may be initially distasteful, but are good for you). I don't think so. Comparing the two is an insult to broccoli, and to vegetables everywhere. If you give your kid a valium, he'll keep quiet for a while too, but I definitely don't recommend that either.
(Nov. 1998) Well, I've received another offer to join an anti-Barney Jihad. While I feel that Barney represents the crassest form of commercialism, and teaches poor values, I don't have much time to devote to trying to destroy the Evil Purple Empire. Sorry.
(March, 1999) Well, still getting some pro-Barney e-mail trickling in. The latest and perhaps scariest is from Karabea who maintains Karabea's Barney & Friends Page! which celebrates the Purple One's past and current purple glory. However, it's not exactly a tribute to HTML coding, and half the images are broken or truncated.
After reading Karabea's e-mail, I am reminded of a scene from that Batman/Judge Dredd crossover comic (came out around 1992, with some fabulous art by Simon Bisley). There was a scene where the Scarecrow gives Death a sniff of his "fear" gas. And what could Death possibly be afraid of? Being suffocated with cuteness. Ew. Not a good way to go. I hope I don't ever meet this Karabea in person, I might ralph on her.
(March 2000) OK, I don't normally stoop to the level of flaming grammar errors, but this one from an AOL'er (name withheld to protect the innocent) was funny. Here it is, reproduced exactly as I received it:
first of all i see nothing wrong with kids watching Barney. i have a two year old that really like Barney and she has learned a lot from him. tell me how many two year old know every song to these videos. also know their ABC's so i see nothing wrong with Barney. yes i have seen it many times and it is not that bad
Yes, your two-year old can learn from watching Barney, but he/she can also learn from other sources. It's just like giving your kids a candy bar when they're hungry: it fills them up, and they stop complaining, but is it really a good idea? Can't you teach your kids yourself to say their ABC's?
(2004) Please take note on the Attitude passage by Charles Swindoll. I have not asked permission to use the quote, but I believe it is short enough to fall under fair use. This is not a legal and/or professional opinion.
And a little info on Charles Swindoll: He is a fairly popular Christian writer. I'm sure you will be able to find his works at your local Christian bookstore. I mean to check out more of his stuff one of these days.
This page is copyright (c) 1996-2004 by: James C. Graves, Jr. / (ansible@xnet.com)