Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid…Schoolhouse Rock: Earth!
by Maura FlynnMy daughter cautiously approached me the other day and said plainly, “Mom, I don’t want you to have a heart attack, but there’s something you should know…” She then introduced me to a coming Disney DVD that didn’t actually kill me, but came pretty close: Schoolhouse Rock! Earth (hat tip to Riley).
I’ve yet to meet anyone in my generational sphere who doesn’t have a fondness for and owe a certain mnemonic debt to the old Schoolhouse Rock videos, which aired between Saturday morning cartoons back in the day (1973-1986, and less frequently after that). Honestly, I can’t even think of the preamble to the Constitution without singing it in my head.
Schoolhouse Rock! began as a commercial advertising venture by David McCall. The idea came to McCall when he noticed one of his sons, who was having trouble in school remembering the multiplication tables, knew the lyrics to many current rock songs. The first song recorded was “Three Is a Magic Number,” written by Bob Dorough. It tested well, so a children’s record was compiled and released. Tom Yohe listened to the first song, and began to doodle pictures to go with the lyrics. He told McCall that the songs would make good animation.
The resulting videos were generally brilliant and the series is still one of the most insanely effective uses of pop culture for educational purposes. True to the “Schoolhouse” theme, the videos helped reinforce important facts and lessons about grammar, arithmetic, science and history…what could go wrong?
I must warn you that the following clips are not suitable for children. And I’ll suggest, (as they always do in the great old films, when bad news is on the way), that you sit down, and pour a stiff drink before viewing:
Promo here:
Carbon Footprint here:
Oh, and that’s but a taste.
Personally, I was particularly saddened by what became of Mr. Morton — the lonely man who taught me about predicates. Granted the original video is dated (note the antique typewriter), but it’s possible to modernize without trashing content. I’m all for updating and the Skee-Lo rap version of this tune is smart and catchy. Do listen! But now, thanks to Disney, the already tortured Mr. Morton has lost his mind ENTIRELY, not to mention his charm.
I’m hardly against addressing environmental issues, but bumper-sticker-inspired campfire songs are no substitute for facts. Our society, in which countless children struggle to keep up on the basics, is now making a complete mockery of education. Are the government schools doing such a bang-up job that anyone in a position to educate can waste time instructing children in the fine art of sorting garbage? Disney seems to think so.
What’s evident and terrifying is that this is exactly what passes for education now, both in and out of the classroom. Schoolhouse Rock, indeed!
These videos become available March 31st.
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72 Comments
One wonders just how the parents who are pragmatic, honest and hardworking are handling the constant assault on any value that speaks to individual responsibility and hard work… sloganeering is not education and it seems to be just getting worse. Perhaps the next text will be quotations from Chairman Algore… egads…
i don't care how bad times get, i AM NOT wearing broken glass earrings. indoctrination = quality education to the libs.
Our three year old knows his ABC's, can add and subtract single digits and count up to thirty. He's also suprised us by reading things we haven't taught him yet. Now, while I am his Dad and cant help but brag, truth is most children are capable of this, but I doubt government run schools could do this much. You can be sure my wife and I will continue to home school him for now.
Dear god. They destroyed Mr. Morton. I love Mr. Morton. I also cannot think of the Constitutions preamble without thinking of the melody from School House Rock. I loved the history ones. Though how does some freaked out PC idiot explain Elbow Room to their kids? I mean Manifest Destiny is mentioned. OH THE HORROR!
I don't know what's sadder about the environmental "debate"… that "liberals" have endeavored to frame a scientific issue as belonging ONLY to their side, or that "conservatives" have been so willing to let them do it.
Imagine if we approached OTHER problems the same way? A Democrat senator brings a domestic violence bill to the floor – opining that ONLY he and his fellow Democrats care about the issue – and a Republican stands up and responds: "My esteemed colleague is ABSOLUTELY correct! Not only do we not support his bill, we believe any attempt to curb domestic violence is merely an attempt to harm the profits of the band-aid and concealer-makeup industry! Why, how do we even know said violence is occurring at all? I've never seen any…"
I mean, geez guys… quibbling the finer points is one thing, but do you really see a winning strategy in: "Nah, the air doesn't need to be any cleaner. Water doesn't need to be that drinkable anyhow." ?
My youngest is graduating in 2 months. I'm very relieved our struggles with true and quality education in public education are nearly over. Gads, what a travesty.
How flipping tragic that something that managed, for the most part, to be politically neutral and focus on topics, rather than indoctrination, be warped this way…Al Gore is far more destructive than "Global Warming" the man is helping to destroy SHR! I am now going to go sit in the corner and softly sing "I'm just a bill, yes I'm only a bill" until the weeping stops…
Are we going to see a new generation of Anorexic kids, afraid to buy food for fear of creating a big carbon footprint?
Well Maura, you've met one now. I hated and still hate School House Rock. Saturday morning was meant for the Super Friends, not learnin' junk. "Time For Timer" was another one of those interuptions I hated. "Look! A wagon wheel!" Shut up and get back to the Laugh Olympics you jerks!
I loved Schoolhouse Rock growing up and bought the classic Schoolhouse Rock DVD when my son was born. He's two know and loves watching them – his favorite is Interjections! This new PC version makes me depressed. Is there no end to the indoctrination?
While browsing YouTube for Schoolhouse Rock vids I found several "faux" Schoolhouse Rock videos…there's even one called "Pirates and Emperors" suggesting that our opposition to the Sandinistas was some sort of war of conquest. Ugh. Why must they defile everything decent and good?
Why must they defile everything decent and good?
Because they don't believe that it's decent and good until they've gotten their greasy goddamned fingerprints all over it.
Bob you could be more transparent if you just said you were a leftist. I mean why stop at merely straddling the fence there Scooter. Be the guy you are. It is freeing. You will find out.
Indoctrination in school occurs when parents don't take an interest in what their kids learn. Look at your child's cirriculum and their textbooks. Remember, the public education system is run by the government. The same government that is completely out of touch with reality. They should be relied upon to learn basic skills, but when it comes to history and current events, it's important that parents ensure that the child is getting more than the teacher's ideology on the subject matter.
Jesus Effing Christ…the left has to take SHR too?!? Putting aside the politics, the old SHR taught things like cold, hard facts. You know, the things you kind of needed as you became an adult. These new ones are just…mush. Actually, that's an insult to mush. At least mush is real. These videos are mostly based on fiction. Sure recycling makes us feel good, for example, but for most products it takes more energy to recycle than to create new.
Big thanks to Maura for another excellent post. Keep em coming.
Wow. Just Wow. This story is the newest installment of our Fascism Watch category at foundingbloggers.com because of the potential corporate-statism at play here.
Great Post Maura!
It's not just "Schoolhouse Rock" – so much of kids' programming is as deadly earnest and heavy-handed as a Soviet "Young Pioneers" indoctrination session only now the "Kulaks" aren't "capitalist parasites", they're "environmental despoilers".
I know parenting is supposed to be hard, but it's MUCH more difficult when you have to deal with reversing this brainwashing. How self-important are these people?
Good for you!
I'm homeschooling my five-year-old daughter, too. She's doing great with her math (almost finished a Kindergarten math workbook, and she's doing a great job learning to read, too. The other day she told me she didn't like watching Dora anymore, saying, "She's always thanking me for helping–and I haven't done a thing!"
What bugged me about the old Schoolhouse rock is none of the songs were rock songs. Blues. country, folk even, but no rock.
As for the new stuff, bad animation aside, it's just propaganda now. Not education.
In a head long race (primarily by leftist) to move the USA into the 3rd world, one of their most effective tools are the environment. We as parents and grandparents must teach our kids not to be pigs and good stewards of our world. That being said, “screw this crap.” If we buy into their leftist nonsense we diminish our rights as free Americans. They’ll always use that priceless chestnut, “what man, are you against clean air and water, man.” They’ll then pick up the stick that you’ve just handed them and deliver a beating. The big one that’s coming soon is Cap-n-Trade this is going to be another tax on everyone, sold to us by, “tada… global warming. The funny thing about this one it will entrap the worthless parasitic left as well, now that’ll be funny.
This just reminded me that; every person you can know, and every place that you can go and every thing that you can show, you know they're nouns? A noun's a special kind of word, it's anything you've ever heard. I find it most interest-ing, a noun's a person, place or thing.
Welllll….I took a train, took a train to another state,
the flora and the fauna that….oh. Sorry.
Well, I'll be calling my daughters to warn them about the stealth "education" that this travesty is bringing. Fortunately, they're both very involved in their kids' education, but this is the sneaky stuff that deserves at least a heads-up. Cleaning up, conserving energy, fighting pollution and being creative about re-using items that would otherwise become trash are all great ideas, though not exactly original. We were teaching our own kids exactly that decades ago. So look at the new SHR videos. The proof of the Kool Aid is in the drinking. According to the videos, none of those activities stand as good on their own. First and foremost, we must accept Professor Gore's anthropomorphic global warming/climate change/global cooling (or whatever the current "settled science" is this week).
I'll be looking forward to the episode where the all-new and recycled Mr. Morton gets jiggy with a hip-hop ditty explaining how the kids can teach their parents to stop driving the family car or, in the alternative, purchase carbon offsets. Perhaps a special edition about Al Gore's personal carbon assprint (like Sherwin-Williams paint, it covers the world). Otherwise, we'll all be destroyed by that huge black cloud of smug (apologies to South Park). Skee-Lo wasn't rappin about the predicate, he was committing the predicate felony. As for recycling, I defer to "Penn & Teller's Bulls–t."
DOES ANYONE HAVE AN E-MAIL ADDRESS FOR DISNEY/ABC?
Because I plan on writing them a few nasty lettters. I think I will start small with this one.
Dear Disney/ABC,
Thank you for raping my childhood memories. Why must you screw with everything kind and decent?
I have VHS and DVD copies of the original School House Rock shows, but none of my grandchildren will watch your new pandering bulls#it. Why you felt it was necessary to do this, is beyond me, and to add some skeevy rapper is the limit.
Sincerely,
Disgusted
AMEN! I couldn't post anything at first, I got teased on here a few weeks back for saying I still had the DVD's and VHS tapes of SHR, and they were my own. The first thing I thought was, @#$%^%$#$%^&*!!!!! Oh, nevermind, I am still thinking it. Those @ssholes!!!
Sorry, should have said thanks to Maura for letting us know about this crap. My daughter just called to wish me a happy birthday, and I told her not to buy that trash. She is a supervisor for a day care program, and I told her to tell everyone that came through the door.
I love the second paragraph, priceless! No disrespect to the first, mind you.
We homeschooled for awhile but my daughter got lonely. We took her to a homeschool group almost daily, but there weren't any other kids her age and she asked me to put in the classroom. So far, okay, but I always reserve the right to go back to homeschooling if needed. We live in a largely Republican area though. That keeps some of the lunacy out.
Oh, and let me add, it was my experience as a school teacher (and two years as a substitute) that led me to homeschool. The average classroom is a zoo. But I also know that parental involvement is key. A child can succeed in any classroom if the parents are involved. I saw it all the time. Every teacher I know says the same thing. Parental involvement cannot be underestimated.
Well Bob, it's the fine points that matter. I'd like the air to be cleaner. What if I proposed banning all cars to make that happen? Would you tell those who oppose me that they shouldn't quibble over the finer points?
Good for you. Every little bit helps.
Thanks sgt and Sarah! Yes, my wife taught at a Sylvan learning center prior to becomming mommy and is using those skills with our boy. We're open to putting him in school if he wants it (thankfully we live on the republican side of Michigan and in a suitable school district) but should we do so, you can be very sure we will be watching everything that goes on like hawks and taking part every day.
[...] news reader, it makes the page … (3) Power DVD Rip Studio v1.1.5.20 (0) Portable Analogue Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid…Schoolhouse Rock: Earth! – bighollywood.breitbart.com 03/16/2009 My daughter cautiously approached me the other day and said [...]
My Judo Sensei (6th degree black belt) taught at local high school for over 20 years – started out teaching earth sciences & astronomy and ended his high school teaching career teaching remedial math to surly, unmotivated, and sometimes dangerous youths (his Judo skills came in handy). Both his kids spent no more than a WEEK in public schools. After about three or four years in a parochial school, he homeschooled them himself. His older child, a 16-year-old boy, is an accomplished Judo brown belt and attends one of the more prestigious Catholic high schools (where he wrestles on the varsity) in the south suburbs of Chicago.
I think what you’re trying to say is that they’re going from teaching simple facts into touting activism on pet political projects.
Yes, it’s odious. But it’s typical.
Poor guy. What the predicate says, he does – even if the predicate is "goes spacebug crazy." But this is not an unheard-of move for the venerable Schoolhouse Rock franchise. I remember the terrible "Tax Man Max," trying to weasel the kiddies into enjoying that onerous burden; and Jack Sheldon singing the Energy Blues. (At least that one was somewhat charming, and gave a positive mention to nuclear power.)
I'm going to put on "The Shot Heard 'Round the World" and remember the good old days, when patriotism was still the highest form of patriotism.
Respectfully disagree. If it was fun who cared? Give me Schoolhouse Rock over Scrappy Doo any day of the week, and twice on Saturday.
Well, "Verb: That's What's Happening" and "Sufferin' 'til Sufferage" were fairly rocking in a dated 70's funk style.
Why not name it Schoolhouse Rock – The Al Gore edition?
[...] from the JRCLS Broadcast» RIP Ron Silver, a Hollywood liberal adored by conservatives» Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid…Schoolhouse Rock: Earth!» A “balance between free speech and political speech”?» So you saw Big Love, then [...]
It's interesting that as more and more scientists are coming out against man-made global warming, the enviros have become alarmed enough to take the step of no longer attempting to defend it, or even acknowledge there is another side to the issue. They are simply producing propaganda like this that acts as if it is a given. They don't want anyone–especially kids–to even *know* there is another side, because it might "confuse" them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQBWGo7pef8
True story: After I left the practice of law, I missed the academic environment. So I took a part-time position in the early 90's as an adjunct instructor of constitutional history at a local university. The students were products of the public school system. I got into the subject of how the Supreme Court fits into the scheme of legislation and execution. Blank stares all around. They didn't have a clue how a bill became a law in the first place. Like you, I also had taped SHR for my kids years earlier. The next day, I brought in the SHR tape with the catchy tunes and commonsense explanation of how a bill becomes a law–to college students, for God's sake! Without any sense of irony, several of the students genuinely thanked me for the presentation. Imagine trying to teach these same kids about judicial review. Coward that I am, I gave up and after two years, never taught again. But my grandkids are going to see those tapes, whether they like it or not.
Are they really advocating young children walk the streets to and from scoccer practice without adult supervision? Probably not, but that is what I picked up from the clip.
Good Lord. I'm thankful I grew up with Roadrunner, Bugs Bunny, and Foghorn Leghorn. Give me Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies any day.
I'm just a bill, yes, I'm only a bill, if you don't pass me, the Earth will be killed…
My School House Rock DVDs are on the top of my player so they are always ready when I need a little "way back machine" time. Its good to know we are not alone, isnt it? BTW, I'm humming the theme to the "Bugaloos"….
Now stop that!! lol
I am not sure fear is the response I would have. It is a good chance for a parent to lay the facts out for their kids and let them decide. Kids – adults are confronted with all sorts of material every day. Some junk, some not so much. You could look at it as opportunities. Read you kids' text books and notes from school. THAT will be a real shocker. I FULLY get why parents home school. I spent a year on a sailboat when I was 13. My dad undid all the programming I underwent in CA. When I was 12 I went to an American school in the UAE. Even though it was American – you don't know for programming!
That's setting the bar below the floor! Even I would prefer Schoolhouse Rock to Scrappy Doo (a pox on him!). But when you've got the Legion of Doom stranding the Super Friends in another demention, never to return, who needs ten minutes of commericials telling you to "Exercise you choppers" or explaining the function of a conjunction?
In a way it was a good thing though, frustration always drove me outside to play.
Sorry, that should be dimension.
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Got to admit, I do like me some funk.
[...] Cool. NOT cool. [...]
My neices go to catholic school for the very same reason. My cousin teaches gifted. at public school. She is one of the few Republicans there. These tow kids failed because they goofed around and did not finish there tests. She gave them an "F". When there parent did not come to see her she asked why. Unbeknown to her the kids got a "C". When she asked why it was explained that there was no money to hold kids back so the registrar's office automatically changed all "F"'s to "C"'s
Mind you here in my state if you are in gifted you have tested at 130 plus IQ. I think one of the reasons our economy is going to h@)) is that our kids are becoming less educated in the Progressive school systems. They are not educating scientiests and buinessmen any more, they are indoctrinating proles.
MovieBob,
In my understanding of science one bases it not on who stands up and makes some kind of plea but the actual science. In researching this "issue". I come accross these facts. Of the three experiments leaf studies, greenland ice cores and antarctic ice cores none agree. Supposedly because Antarctica is devoid of volcanic activity (???) this study is the useful one.
Do you know the coldest recorded temparature down there, -88 degrees celcius. What is the temparature at which CO2 which is denser than water ice in solid form condenses to dry ice in normal atmosphere, -78 degrees celcius. How come in all the descriptions of the experiments where they meausre the CO2 dissolved in the upper levels of the ice to get to the 100 parts permillion increase no mention of what effect the fereezing of CO2 down there is made.
Honestly I'd like to know!
MovieBob,
In my understanding of science one bases it not on who stands up and makes some kind of plea but the actual science. In researching this "issue". I come accross these facts. Of the three experiments leaf studies, greenland ice cores and antarctic ice cores none agree. Supposedly because Antarctica is devoid of volcanic activity (???) this study is the useful one.
Do you know the coldest recorded temparature down there, -88 degrees celcius. What is the temparature at which CO2 which is denser than water ice in solid form condenses to dry ice in normal atmosphere, -78 degrees celcius. How come in all the descriptions of the experiments where they meausre the CO2 dissolved in the upper levels of the ice to get to the 100 parts per million increase no mention of what effect the fereezing of CO2 down there is made.
Honestly I'd like to know!
I don't mind if someone wants to have an honest debate but you know what the scientists that did these experiments got government grants. By the way this is not the only area that the "politicization" of science is hurting us. Why can there be no significant money for physicist study something other than string theorty which according to Lee Smolin in the book "The Trouble with Physics" is not a finite theory and the string physicists admit at this point cannot be tested.
Why are we still doing experiments only on Dark Matter when to date no WIMP's have been found and refuse to allow any resourcs to the study of MOND.
The problem as I see it MovieBob is that you liberals have decided you are the "Popes" of the 16th century and all scientific research that is to be funded can only be for those theories you decided in advance are correct.
I dissent! I know now that libs are in powr that is a thought crime but you know what I still dissent.
That was POINT, friend… you SHOULD focus on the finer points, rather than ceding the whole issue to the other side in one big chunk. Environmental protection/health is an issue that is NOT going away, and resisting it as a whole (which IS the policy of most "conservative" politicians as of right now) will only render your side irrelevant.
I AM TRAUMATIZED!!! THIS IS BLASPHEMY!! SCHOOL HOUSE ROCK IS SACRED TO ALL OF US THAT GREW UP IN THE 70'S!!! Would you liberal freaks just leave some things alone?
oh, amen, nightfly. crappy doo was one of the worst things the powers that be ever did to the saturday morning lineup. and i totally loved schoolhouse rock and Time for Timer. I live by the mantra "Don't Drown you Food".
Sorry Bob, you can wrap it in whatever euphimism you want, but I will always resist "as a whole" any attempt to steal my liberty. Environmentalism does not belong in government…just like all the other religions.
Grammar and sentence-structure not withstanding (and a minor point, since this IS the web after all), you're obviously quite bright. So why engage in the silly behavior of referring to someone as "liberal" (or conservative) without any reasonable or factual cause to do so… as though there are only two "sides" and we all MUST be on one or the other. Only idiots genuinely see the world that way, you don't strike me as one of those.
Brave New Schools. Pol Pot would be proud.
Priceless!
After watching the video of carbon footprint, it made you think that the only solution is to kill yourself to save the plant.
Population control is one of the final stages of the 'green' movement
Lets look at the packaging for this DVD set? The plastics used to make the DVD. The chemicals used to produce this DVD. More hypocrisy by the left. Lets see if the producers of this DVD live 'green' and what their 'footprint' (SPIT) is like.
Schoolhouse Rock was always fun, but always factual. There was no agenda, no propaganda, just a way to learn that was also fun. The charming Mr. Martin has turned smug and self-important. Ick.
More propeganda aimed as school kids by evil greens and the NEA its just never ends the way these greens lie to kids i mean theyll soon blame backyard BBQs for this global warming poppycock i mean NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS is spreading these green lies like wildfire
I want this to be just a terrible, terrible joke. Something Adult Swim produced.
I think I'm going to cry now.
[...] And while I’m noting parodies and the like, I wish the eco-green-ified versions of Schoolhouse Rock noted here by my friend Maura Flynn were a joke — but they aren’t. And another piece of my memory and my culture [...]
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