Reading Rainbow (1983-2009)

It says something that public TV wants to go with programming that teaches reading rather than fosters a love of it, like Reading Rainbow’s goal was, and that something is kind of bad.

You poor, benighted children. Electric Company ruled.

@nojo: WTF happened to my Captain Kangaroo???

@SanFranLefty: His career was ruined after he was caught in a three-way with Mr. Green Jeans and Dancing Bear.

@SanFranLefty: He gave the commencement speech at my college graduation. For some reason I felt cheated until I learned the alternative was Ed Meese.

@nojo: But see, I only got into that when my little brother was coming up and I was what they now call a “tween”. Same with Sesame Street and Master Rogers. Now “Davey and Goliath”, that was some character fucking building television.

@The Nabisco Quiver: We’ll always have Teletubbies.

@Benedick: Word. That shit worked miracles on the kiddies. And for those who thought the ‘tubbies were subversive and/or druggy, you need to see Poobah. Even the plush toys were freaky, kind of like technicolor uncircumcised, um, “cheneys”.

@SanFranLefty: When I was in college and participating in the Model UN in NYC (yes, yes, poli sci geek), I was in a bar with a couple of girlfriends. Capt Kangaroo was at the next table with a large party, drunk as a skunk, and he started hitting on one of my friends (who looked like a young Elizabeth Taylor). She was completely traumatized, as you can imagine. (Younger stinquers, it was like Big Bird coming on to you.) I’ve never been able to think of him as anything but a dirty old man since. Oh and BTW: he had the worst toupee ever.

@Benedick: Which just remind of the tragedy of Iris Murdoch.

Media-related, but marginally offtopic:

http://tinyurl.com/nuaebj

In short, Rupert Murdoch’s son (in charge of News Corp in Europe and Asia) is complaining that the BBC might “threaten” independent journalism. Funny, I thought ideologically-motivated garbage like the typical output of News Corp. was a threat to independent journalism!

Alternatively, maybe they mean “independent” differently; more like “energy independence”, and they’re referring to the fact that effective journalism makes it a lot harder to give your viewers their own set of facts…

i never liked the captain and i was his target demo.
someone want to explain the point of Dancing Bear?

gene london’s cartoon corner?!.. now that had everything.

and pixanne was an idiot. her oggy owl, tolerable.

@Mistress Cynica:
I hope he didn’t offer to do it in his kangaroo suit. That would have upped the creepy factor just a, well, a lot.

@Mistress Cynica: Eew.
@al2o3cr: Darlin, there’s no such thing as off-topic at the Stinque salon. No need to apologize.

@al2o3cr: Sounds similar to the argument they’re making against Berlusconi’s Italian stations.

@The Nabisco Quiver: I had a brief Boohbah Zone fixation. But I prefer my drugs organic.

@al2o3cr: I got a big laugh out of that headline. Pot complains about kettle.

@The Nabisco Quiver: Technically, yes — we are too old for Electric Company. But in those Dark Ages before MTV, VHS and videogames, we had to settle.

For years, I thought Electric Company was The Forgotten Reference, since it didn’t last as long as its counterparts. But then a recent series of South Park promos played off the Silhouette Heads, and joy was heard in the streets outside Casa Nojo.

Never saw it in my life. I’m a Noddy and Big Ears man myself. Not forgetting Little Weed.

@ManchuCandidate: I hope Mr. Rogers wasn’t with him.

@Dodgerblue:
Please keep kids away…

It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood
A beautiful day to screw a neighbor
Would you be mine
Could you be mine

It’s a neighborly day to have some serious wood
A neighborly day for a beauty
Would you be MINE
Could you be MINE

I’ve always wanted to HAVE a neighbor just like you
I’ve always wanted to fuck in a neighborhood with you

So, let’s make the most of this beautiful day
Since we’re together we might as well say
Would you be mine, could you be mine
Won’t you BE my “neighbor”
Won’t you please, won’t you please
Please won’t you BE my “neighbor”

Notes: It didn’t take much to make Mr Rogers into Mr Rogered.

@Dodgerblue: Welcome back – how’s the smoke in El Ay? Some crazy photos on LAT.

@ManchuCandidate: Now I’m all creeped out.

@ManchuCandidate: Serious wood / Is always good.

@SanFranLefty: I drove back over the Grapevine today and my first view of the LA Basin looked like a scene from a nuclear attack movie, after the attack.

@Dodgerblue: Gross. Any photos for a jam? BTW, catching up tip, since you’ve been in the woods for a week, check out the posting on the World’s Most Annoying Couple. And the links that FCS provides. Hours of horrified amusement. But no snark about The Farm, or JNOV and Chicago Bureau and I will have to come after your Bruin ass…

@nojo: Easy Reader, yo. Rita Moreno. Fargo North, Decoder.

@SanFranLefty: Jim Carrey went there first.

@nojo: You must be using the royal “we”. I grew up on Electric Company, and Zoom. My favorite Zoom episode was something where they taught you how to build a pirate radio from a toilet paper roll, wax, and copper wire.

Though I can’t recall any other specific characters or situations. Because those hippie teevee shows predisposed me to take lots of LSD in my later years (I swear, it wasn’t H.R. Puffinstuff).

@Pedonator: Well smack me with a bloater! I never got that pun in the title before, Witchiepoo.