The cure to children watching television.

[bazooka]

LONDON (Reuters) - A Marmite commercial that parodied 1950's science fiction film "The Blob" has been banned from all children's' programs in Britain after leaving kids too scared to watch television, the advertising watchdog said.

The rest of the story is here

[lordsmurf]

Everybody is a wuss these days.

[Cobra]

A few kids had nightmares. The parents blame the advert, instead of reassuring the kids that it is only TV...

[yoda313]

Hello,

I thought reality tv shows were all that you needed to keep them away???

I mean wouldn't seeing an overweight guy in his 40's nearly naked on a beach be enough to scare them for life????

Kevin

[AlecWest]

A few kids had nightmares. The parents blame the advert, instead of reassuring the kids that it is only TV...

Not enough "creative" parenting out there. But, I can imagine how the ad company feels having been in their position (snicker).

Years ago when my kid was in kindergarten, I'd just finished watching "The Birds" on TV when my kid came to me with a problem. The next day at school, all the kids were supposed to do something for "show & tell" and my kid didn't know what to do. So, using the melody of the song sung by the kids in the movie (before they left the schoolhouse to be attacked by the birds), I created my own lyrics and taught them to my son ... suggesting he sing the song for show & tell. The next day, I got an angry call from his teacher. Apparently, the song scared a number of the children and left one or two of them crying ... and I was told never to teach my kid a song like that again. The lyrics?

The birds are comin' to bite your cheeks,
Bippity boppity now-now-now.
And peck you with their pointy beaks,
Bippity boppity now-now-now.

They'll eat you from your head to your toes,
Bippity boppity now-now-now.
Your head by ravens, your toes by crows,
Bippity boppity now-now-now.

Heck, my kid thought it was funny, too. Guess you can't please some kids.

[Edit - I just realized I misspelled one of the words in the song. 3/21/05]

[bazooka]

I mean wouldn't seeing an overweight guy in his 40's nearly naked on a beach be enough to scare them for life????

I wouldn't know.

I would rather have all my teeth yanked out with pliers than watch Survivor.

[AlecWest]

I mean wouldn't seeing an overweight guy in his 40's nearly naked on a beach be enough to scare them for life????

Kevin

http://www.mcduffy-edwards.com/Anymore.mp3

[Kunta Kinte]

A few kids had nightmares. The parents blame the advert, instead of reassuring the kids that it is only TV...

Not enough "creative" parenting out there. But, I can imagine how the ad company feels having been in their position (snicker).

Years ago when my kid was in kindergarten, I'd just finished watching "The Birds" on TV when my kid came to me with a problem. The next day at school, all the kids were supposed to do something for "show & tell" and my kid didn't know what to do. So, using the melody of the song sung by the kids in the movie (before they left the schoolhouse to be attacked by the birds), I created my own lyrics and taught them to my son ... suggesting he sing the song for show & tell. The next day, I got an angry call from his teacher. Apparently, the song scared a number of the children and left one or two of them crying ... and I was told never to teach my kid a song like that again. The lyrics?

The birds are comin' to bit your cheeks,
Bippity boppity now-now-now.
And peck you with their pointy beaks,
Bippity boppity now-now-now.

They'll eat you from your head to your toes,
Bippity boppity now-now-now.
Your head by ravens, your toes by crows,
Bippity boppity now-now-now.

Heck, my kid thought it was funny, too. Guess you can't please some kids.

I guess teaching him a song about loving your fellow man would have been out of the question? If anything, it would have been more constructive.

[AlecWest]

I guess teaching him a song about loving your fellow man would have been out of the question?

No ... it just didn't occur to me at the moment. But, I admit I don't go around all day thinking touchy-feely politically correct thoughts. BTW, I didn't have to teach him a song at all. He just wanted something to do for show-n-tell. I could have taught him to make a really neat paper airplane. But that didn't occur to me at the moment, either. However, my son later taught me an important lesson in parenting ... to not let him rely on mommy and daddy so much to do his thinking for him. In his teen years, he'd often go around moping saying, "I'm bored, I'm bored." And after my ex and I went to a parenting class, I learned how to respond to those moods. I'd tell him, "It sounds like a personal problem to me ... and I'm not your entertainment director. If you think hard enough, you'll come up with something to do and won't be bored anymore." It worked.

P.S. Later that day when my kid came home from school, he told me that most kids in his class laughed at the song (which was the desired effect) ... that only a small number of kids and his teacher were upset. It's too darn bad that the tolerant majority have to keep cowtowing to the weakest links in the DNA chain ... in my kid's case, and in the case of the ad company that had to pull their "Blob" ad. One problem in our schools is that they're more inclined to preach "sensitivity" than they are to preach "developing a thick skin" ... the latter, of which, would serve kids better as they step out into the cold cruel world.

[ViRaL1]

If the parents were smart, they'd have told the children that the blob was real and if they didn't do their chores it would get them.

Dumbasses.

[Kunta Kinte]

"...that only a small number of kids and his teacher were upset. It's too darn bad that the tolerant majority have to keep cowtowing to the weakest links in the DNA chain." If those are the ones who think your song was in bad taste, I'm one of them. And what you think is touchy-feeley sentiment, we call simple human decency. Please add me to that list as well. I never been so proud of my "weak" DNA before in my life!

[AlecWest]

And what you think is touchy-feeley sentiment, we call simple human decency.

I call it a minority opinion ... which you're certainly entitled to have. The majority of kids in my son's class thought the song was funny. Only the teacher and a handful of students saw things differently. I don't think laughing at the song made that majority of kids either inhuman or indecent, just tolerant. And emotional "eggshells" are far from "simple." They're actually quite complex. The offices of psychologists and psychiatrists are filled with people who have them.

What was it about that song that prompted fear in the minority of kids? Fear isn't innate, it's something we're taught. And being afraid of a song's lyrics implies that something irrational is being taught. In any case, I suspect the kids who laughed at the song will grow up to be normal human beings ... and the kids who were terrified will grow up with their emotions tied in knots ... knots that can trace their origins back to before they heard the song.

[AlecWest]

If the parents were smart, they'd have told the children that the blob was real and if they didn't do their chores it would get them.

Dumbasses.

Hehehe. Once, my kid when through a "monster in the closet" phase, asking to leave his light on at night. Finally one night, I went into his room and he told me about the monster. I walked over to the closet, opened it up and said, "By golly, you're right! (pointing to a corner in the closet) There he is right there. But, he just told me that he really doesn't want to get anybody tonight. He's tired and just wants to get some sleep. And, he can't get to sleep as long as that light's on." Out went the light and away went the monster, hehe.

P.S. BTW, during my parenting days, I learned the great secret to a problem that every travelling parent has faced ... the problem of kids in the back seat asking, "Are we there yet?" My solution?

Son - Are we there yet?
Me - Yes.

[Kunta Kinte]

"I call it a minority opinion..."Now that's what worries the living crap out of me. Good thing there was one mature, clear-thinking, educated adult in the room with them. It's disturbing that you don't realize why the teacher had issue with that sick song.

[ViRaL1]

I guess teaching him a song about loving your fellow man would have been out of the question? If anything, it would have been more constructive.

That always calms my nerves when I'm worried about being attacked by wild animals.

[VCDHunter]

"I call it a minority opinion..."Now that's what worries the living crap out of me. Good thing there was one mature, clear-thinking, educated adult in the room with them. It's disturbing that you don't realize why the teacher had issue with that sick song.

What I find disturbing is that you haven't found the quote button yet.

I take you have issues with Humptey Dumptey too ?

[ViRaL1]

"I call it a minority opinion..."Now that's what worries the living crap out of me. Good thing there was one mature, clear-thinking, educated adult in the room with them. It's disturbing that you don't realize why the teacher had issue with that sick song.

What I find disturbing is that you haven't found the quote button yet.

I take you have issues with Humptey Dumptey too ?

...or 3 Blind Mice, or Ring around the Rosies or countless other 'children's songs.'

WARNING!!!

Horrific tale below...

http://www.kididdles.com/mouseum/s008.html

[AlecWest]

"I call it a minority opinion..."

Now that's what worries the living crap out of me. Good thing there was one mature, clear-thinking, educated adult in the room with them. It's disturbing that you don't realize why the teacher had issue with that sick song.

Jesus. I wouldn't even begin to describe an "adult" who openly caters to the pre-existing phobias of children as "mature" or "clear thinking" ... and even the term "educated adult" disturbs me. Had I been the teacher, I'd not have called the parent of the child who sang the song. I'd have called the parents of the terrified kids to try to ascertain the origins of their phobias. THAT would have been the mature, clear thinking, and educated adult approach to the problem.

[AlecWest]

http://www.kididdles.com/mouseum/s008.html

It's interesting to note the lyric excerpt:

When down came a blackbird
Who snapped off her nose!

And the director's instruction for children playing that scene out:

(Children in center flutter to, and run around,
those in the circle, one bird to one child, each snapping
off a nose. Those in the circle kneel and the birds each
hold up one finger to represent the nose.)

Tsk, tsk, tsk. Too bad the director isn't a mature, clear thinking, educated adult. Imagine!!! Birds actually biting off noses!!! It's just a good thing my phone number has changed. If my kid's kindergarten teacher sees the site, she might think I wrote this song as well (shudder).

[Kunta Kinte]

If you think you think as Alfred Hitchcock does, you get no arguments from me. More power to you, just don't believe everyone thinks the same as you.

[AlecWest]

...just don't believe everyone thinks the same as you.

Ditto.

[Kunta Kinte]

Now, your amazing economy of words really bitch-slapped me in my place.

[Ma_Jie]

edit

[flaninacupboard]

Now, your amazing economy of words really bitch-slapped me in my place.

Yes, yes it did.

Best not tell the kids about Red Riding Hood either, the nasty wolfie eated up all the little kiddy widdies.

Like a blob of Marmite is scary anyway. Stupid English kids....

[glockjs]

probably the same kids that are doomed to lose their lunch money every day

[Kunta Kinte]

Now, your amazing economy of words really bitch-slapped me in my place.

Yes, yes it did.

Best not tell the kids about Red Riding Hood either, the nasty wolfie eated up all the little kiddy widdies.

Like a blob of Marmite is scary anyway. Stupid English kids....

And the worst part is you can reproduce. The horror. THE HORROR.

[flaninacupboard]

Now, your amazing economy of words really bitch-slapped me in my place.

Yes, yes it did.

Best not tell the kids about Red Riding Hood either, the nasty wolfie eated up all the little kiddy widdies.

Like a blob of Marmite is scary anyway. Stupid English kids....

And the worst part is you can reproduce. The horror. THE HORROR.

Yeah, i imagine you do find sex quite horrifying.

[Kunta Kinte]

I'm not so sure he was created by sex. Sex is beautiful. Teaching children to sing sick songs isn't.

[VCDHunter]

I'm not so sure he was created by sex. Sex is beautiful. Teaching children to sing sick songs isn't.

Surely these inate ramblings are better served at alt.stupidly.oversensitive.

[vitualis]

@ Kunta Kinte: grow up. Perhaps you haven't noticed that the world is full of things that can kill people. Fear is a natural protective mechanism against "people killing things and situations". However, that should be measured and reasonable. Pandering to the unreasonable fears of children is not reasonable.

@ Everybody else: this thread is quickly becoming pointless and is on the verge of being locked.

Regards.