Actually...
Looking back, everything went to shit when Chump's kindergarten teachers got sick and tired of his face for 8 years straight and pushed him into the first grade...
Agreed! I freaking love Schoolhouse Rock! So much good info packed into easy-to-remember soundbites. It should be required for incoming elected officials. Maybe we would have some that acted like they know something! (My mom was known for telling us kids, “Act like you know something!” 😂)
I don't know, Shauna, it seems awfully WOKE for its time. I mean correct grammar ("conjunctions" just can't be a good thing), civics (following procedure to get laws passed) & a female astronaut (Interplanet Janet)???? Nothing good can come such Leftist, Socialist messaging to our kids like that!
I'll go you 14 years earlier in 1987 ... when Reagan repealed the Fairness Doctrine, allowing FOX to spew right wing BS with no feedback from the common sense left.
As my eldest maintains, No Child Left Behind dragged education to the lowest common denominator and a lot of important information became less important than that needed to pass standardized tests.
Subbing 3rd grade, a Black History Month video link didn’t work, so I pulled up the Schoolhouse Rock Verb video and explained how Verb was the first animated African American superhero, relating it to something we were doing with verbs in ELA. Whenever my wife asks what’s happening, I say Verb.
I couldn't agree more!!!! I used to play the CDs in my car for my 2 grandsons on the way to/from school from 2015 to 2020. Gramma's Rules of music in the car: MY RULES!!
Nah. Nixon and Reagan both happened while that was still rocking.
The real change was when Michael Jackson died. How is it connected? Beats me. But the timelines match up.
I'm convinced that when #Disney plussed Small World to include a Salute to America and cartoon characters, we stopped having the conversations with kids that America was made up of all the people they just saw.
Mary Blair knew what she was doing with her original vision.
As millenial, getting into AP Government and Politics in High School was a competition, and I don't remember it as being particularly effective. No one else had to take a civics or government course that I remember.
I got that from my mom and dad, sailors and generally politically attentive folks. Then earned a BA in Poli Sci. Now I run policy for a NPO and just got into a MS Environmental Policy and Management program. Odd to me how folks see government as mystical and impenetrable when its mundane to me.
Love it!!! I’m a teacher in an elementary school. And I still show those videos. “I’m just a bill up on Capitol Hill”. Definitely a great way to reinforce teaching about how a bill becomes a law and a good introduction to the 3 branches of government
We often ignore the fact that two generations, Millennials and Gen Z, are too young to remember when our legislature worked. They have spent their entire adult lives watching dysfunctional houses where the priority is obstruction. They truly don't understand the big deal about saving democracy.
I am a millennial and the government has been basically nonfunctional all my life. But that doesn't mean I am unwilling to fight to save democracy. The old system was sclerotic, if we survive this we will have to build back something better.
I remember it being Reagan's election and 'trickle down' (or Voodoo economics as George Bush called it), as the decisive downfall. One of my earliest memories is watching Nixon wave as he was whisked off the White House lawn for the last time.
And that was exactly when Reagan “reformed” the “intrinsic value” out of FCC licensing rules regarding children television. That is when Saturday morning cartoons became infomercials for toys and other products.
I teach a citizenship class for people seeking naturalization and used this to discuss the roles of the executive and legislative branch the other day. I felt nothing but sadness and betrayal as it played.
That’s true. The dumbing down of America. Since then churches have become the educators and education has been for geeks and losers (and rich). This takeover has been in motion from the far right since the late ‘70’s or before.
nah - was more like late 80s+ - dawning of too many lawyers and ensuing frivolous lawsuits - end of owning one’s issues and beginning of blaming someone else for them - schoolhouse rock was still the bomb tho
When George bush jr got elected my Civics teacher got fired and they removed the class from schools in NC! We have a giant military base and low test scores now 🤦🏽♂️🤦🏼♂️
Subtle integration of civics and ethics in kids’ programming is a super effective way to plant good seeds.
Some might see it as “woke” brainwashing, but I’ll take “I’m just a bill” over Joe Rogan any day.
I used to use School House Rock in my Kiwi classroom. My Canadian wife pointed me in the right direction.
Cathy, simple and effective.
Loved the Bazillions too.
Silent E should have been No. 1!
I found that YOUTUBE has all the seasons. They charge .49 an eppie.
I'm going to buy them for my Millennials. I did my best to make sure they were engaged and had to teach Civics at home (their "Social Studies" classes were not enough).
Thanks for reminding me!
Agree!That’s why it was removed as an instructional aid in public schools.Wouldn’t want kids to actually become curious about the way the world works! #thedumbingdownofAmerica
Agreed. Who knew it was the beginning of the fascist takeover. I’m not being sarcastic. It was incremental from the beginning. This has been happening since the’70’s. Russian manipulation of our government. They were very clever. Us, not so much.
I remember I had a hyperfocus on this show half a year ago after watching that SchoolHouse Rock! episode ranking video
For some reason I kept thinking about the idea of making a tier list for power scaling the characters from the songs like they were a fighting game roster
I'm just saying, we don't know if the stronger alien character is Interplanet Janet or Little Twelve-Toes, I mean one can go inside the Sun itself and fly all the way to Neptune in seconds, and the other can solve math problems in the duodecimal system and clone and transform himself. Pretty stacked
This Boomer can, too. Schoolhouse Rock has rocked for a LONG time. Those of us lucky enough to remember it are smarter and more free because of it.
MAGA must not have ever been exposed to it. SMDH.
You guys are at least TRYING, unlike the generation before. Your right about the assholes, but there's definitely a noticeable difference in the effort to be better than that.
If you could also remind them that my generation is mostly adults now, many thanks in advance.
I think they should make 2 episodes now. I want one for congress to explain how to do their job and what their job is. The other one I want for 47 to explain the difference between a president and a dictator and that we have a president here.
I wish I could agree as a fellow GenXer, but GenX politicians are some of the worst: Cruz, DeSantis, Mike Lee, etc. Even Elon is GenX, but he probably doesn’t count as it’s unlikely Schoolhouse Rock aired in Apartheid South Africa. And an awful lot of our cohort voted for Orange Voldemort.
I dunno. I know that's what the taste makers want us to believe, but Alex P. Keaton on Family Ties was a very different person than his Boomer parents. Thursday Nite Comedies on NBC wouldn't lie to us.
Gen X here. I have to confess that I’ve worried since the 80s that many of my generation would grow up to mess things up royally. Unfortunately, many are going beyond even my worst fears. This is what unironically embracing “greed is good” as a mantra will get you.
Many hung a ralph. But I still can't understand how ANY voter is okay with them taking a chainsaw to Fed workers. The ENTIRE payroll is only 3% of the budget. Well, it's because they need to eliminate anyone who can hold the wealthy accountable after they cut their taxes yet again! So much for punk
Yeah, but those guys are the exact type of yuppie scum that inspired chants of "DIE YUPPIE SCUM!" back in the day. They turned out exactly as expected.
I have the VHS tapes lol That's how my son learned multiplication. And everything about the bill, conjunction junction, interplanet Janet, knowing all the planets! You are correct
That also may explain why so many social media posters have lousy grammar. Knowing the function of a conjunction and what Lolly taught us about adverbs are guides to civil discussion.
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Looking back, everything went to shit when Chump's kindergarten teachers got sick and tired of his face for 8 years straight and pushed him into the first grade...
My Mom gave it to me. I was so thrilled when I opened her gift.
I’ve shown it to zero children.
It’s MINE! They can get their own copies.
Seriously, my previous DVD was stolen by a now ex to show his niece & never returned (I did make him pay for it). Now I guard my DVD very carefully.
By Executive Order.
It's like outhouse rock started up on Fox at the same time Schoolhouse Rock died.
And our textbooks come from Texas.
Brexit, Trump 1, Ukraine, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Trump 2
Yup...
https://youtu.be/pKSGyiT-o3o?si=8ejIzoPJ8Irt7FGk
NOT ONE
The real change was when Michael Jackson died. How is it connected? Beats me. But the timelines match up.
also people would know what conjunctions are
https://youtu.be/8_NzZvdsbWI?feature=shared
Mary Blair knew what she was doing with her original vision.
They shived
Caligula
and sunk his boats
Problem solved
@pbs.org
Who doesn't love I'm Just A Bill?
https://youtu.be/IrfZCvTe-Ko?feature=shared
If so, that ties everything together.
Being serious here.
https://youtu.be/wBTd2jSB2mM?feature=shared
Some might see it as “woke” brainwashing, but I’ll take “I’m just a bill” over Joe Rogan any day.
Cathy, simple and effective.
Loved the Bazillions too.
Silent E should have been No. 1!
I'm going to buy them for my Millennials. I did my best to make sure they were engaged and had to teach Civics at home (their "Social Studies" classes were not enough).
Thanks for reminding me!
For some reason I kept thinking about the idea of making a tier list for power scaling the characters from the songs like they were a fighting game roster
MAGA must not have ever been exposed to it. SMDH.
Also you have acquired the Sword of Truth. Use it wisely.
"Welcome to my Civics class."
With her book of recipes
And the finest one she's got
The Great American melting pot
If you could also remind them that my generation is mostly adults now, many thanks in advance.
Many fellow GenXers are hugely disappointing.
That just made my day!
If only this had a broader reach at the time….
I mean, it never covered Calculus, and I've never used it in daily life.
:)
Excellent way to educate. Need to bring it back.
I can say with some degree of confidence that he would be his own version of furious with this bullshit that's happening right now.