Passing the torch – the one powered by the Electric Company
The Lovely Mrs. Davis – grand poohbah (Boohbah?) of children’s media and pop culture – recently posted about the upcoming anniversary of Sesame Street and asked “What television, music, movie, or book from your childhood are you excited about sharing with your own children?”
I hauled two cartons of my books through seven moves over the course of nine years before they were ever unpacked and placed on a child’s bookshelf. I’m thankful that I did so, because more than half of them are now out of print. If nothing else, I knew I would be able to share those with my children. And even if I never had children, those books were very important to me personally, and I wanted to keep them.
I figured that the Peanuts and Rankin/Bass holiday specials would continue to air each year as scheduled, and I watch 24 Hours of “A Christmas Story” on TNT each year too.
I didn’t expect a revival of Strawberry Poopface, let alone the…uh, OPPORTUNITY…to read about her with my child. What’s next, an updated version of that goofy boy-doll My Buddy? Or worse, the Monchichis?
But what I wasn’t sure would be available in any format were the classics that I loved, but hadn’t achieved the timelessness of syndication. I’m talking about “Free to Be You and Me“, “Schoolhouse Rock“, and “The Electric Company“.
We already own the first two on DVD and watch them regularly. I credit “Schoolhouse Rock” with sparking Tacy’s interest in the human body and how it works, and “Free to Be You and Me” with encouraging her to look beyond the surface of what boys do versus what girls do (although I still contend that Rosey Grier did me no favors by advising that “It’s All Right to Cry”).
When I found out that “The Electric Company” was now out on DVD, I could barely stop myself from rushing out to buy it. The girls already have plenty of viewing material, so I’m waiting for a special occasion.
But soon enough, I’ll get to hear the familiar yell of “Hey you guyyyys!”, watch the Monolith crumble to the music of “2001: A Space Odyssey” and reveal a combination of letters, unscramble phrases with Fargo North Decoder, and sound out new words with the Soft-Shoe Silhouettes.
Sssss. Oooon. SOON. Yeah!
August 14th, 2006 at 9:24 am
“I’m just a bill…sittin here on capital hill”….I LOVE Schoolhouse Rock! I actually bought the dvd for my kids, and they love it.
August 14th, 2006 at 10:17 am
“Conjunction junction, what’s your function?” What a classic.
And who would have thought that a little cartoon could get me so excited about exclamation points! I mean, they are great! Don’t you think?! So elegant! And expressive! Oh my God! I just love them!!!!!
August 14th, 2006 at 10:27 am
Ohhh Myyyy GAwwwdddd what a great post….
I concur Conjunction junction what’s your function,,,
Ohhh Yeah…
Lemme know if it is as goooooood as I remember it…
Along with HR Puffin Stuff…
That was my rockin’ weekend world!!(along with the ole Tarzan and Jane movies)
August 14th, 2006 at 11:35 am
Ahh, all those memories.
Am I the only one here who watched Land of the Lost? I never hear about that show. It rocked!
August 14th, 2006 at 12:10 pm
We love “School House Rock” b/c that was how we learned English when we came here in 1980. We had a black & white TV with like 3 channels so the only decent show was on PBS. I loved all the shows on PBS to this day.
Remember “Dr. Who”?
August 14th, 2006 at 2:10 pm
Big Girl’s taken to reading Beverly Cleary’s “Ramona Quimby” at my suggestion…
I know my parents have boxes of books in the basement. Now, I just have to find them!
August 14th, 2006 at 4:38 pm
Happy Birthday to your Grandma….the things she has seen in 90 years! And I do hope she is feeling better. So many of us struggle with depression.
Books and movies? The Narnia Series, The LIttle House on the Prairie Series, anything by Richard Scary, Roald Dahl. It is so much fun to watch them come to love what we did…Anne
August 14th, 2006 at 5:49 pm
This post has been fun to read!
Schoolhouse rock, definitely! I already bought the CD and I listen to it with my son. I also really dug the Value Tales series of books and cannot wait to sit down with my son to read those.
August 14th, 2006 at 5:58 pm
Oh. My. God. I LOVED the Electric Company. I didn’t know you could get it on video.
We still use Schoolhouse Rock at school and the kids love it. I know it wasn’t educational, but did you ever see The Bugaloos? I also loved Captain Kangaroo.
Great post that brought back lots of memories for me. Thanks!
August 14th, 2006 at 6:11 pm
I did a post for Mrs. Davis too, and the one show that I reminisced about is “The Electric Company”! I so want that DVD.
August 14th, 2006 at 7:12 pm
I lurved The Electric Company too. Also, 321 Contact!
(I was too lazy to do this today. Way to bring it!)
August 14th, 2006 at 7:42 pm
I was just watching old shorts from Electric Company on YouTube the other day. It doesn’t exactly stand the test of time, but boy was it entertaining. I also have the DVD of all the School House Rocks. I’m really looking forward to when my daughter is old enough to appreciate the art that is SHR with me.
August 14th, 2006 at 8:12 pm
I looooooooooooove free to be you and me and bought it for my son. I love the Are you a girl or a boy schtick with marlo thomas and mel brooks and was overjoyed to see my two year old mouthing the words of the dialogue as the CD played that track yet again.
Great post. what great memories.
Lisa
August 14th, 2006 at 8:48 pm
Somehow I missed Schoolhouse Rock until I got to college and heard it first from – I kid you not – a university acapella group. They did a great job with the tunes, but when I hear “I’m just a bill” I’m imagining the Fleet Street Singers, and not the cartoons!
I have Electric Company on my Netflix list. Can’t wait to see those guys again.
August 14th, 2006 at 9:28 pm
I can totally hear Rita Moreno shouting HEY YOU GUUUUUUUUYS now! Also, thanks for mentioning Monchichis. I’m going to be singing that damn song all night.
August 14th, 2006 at 10:02 pm
Yes, THANKS EVERYBODY! Between conjunction junction and the bill on capitol hill, it’ll be two in the morning before all these songs dissipate from my brain. I suppose it could be worse… reading about George Michael picking up trash, I started singing Karma Chameleon for a moment there.
August 14th, 2006 at 10:55 pm
school house rock was the absolute best! electric company was awesome. as was zoom!
do you remember alex & annie?
August 14th, 2006 at 11:41 pm
OH MY GOD. Julie. I loved The EC. I loved it so much. I looooooved it. Remember Spidey? And the whole word-sharing thingy? Sn! Ooze! Snooze! P! Oppies! Poppies! Etc.
But the best — the very, very best — was the girl in the pink pinafore. the cranky, bratty blonde girl. I loved to hate her.
I am now desperate to get them from netflix. yayyyyy!
August 14th, 2006 at 11:42 pm
duh. you mentioned the silhouttes in the last line of your post. please ignore my prior comment-assery. thank you and goodnight.
August 14th, 2006 at 11:44 pm
Free to Be You and Me………..I suddenly want to get ahold of that again.
August 15th, 2006 at 6:16 am
School House Rock, we have them on VHS, but I think it’s time to update. I could personally use Conjunction, Junction and my boys seem to have my punctuation impairment. Like Mayberry I can’t get the Monchichi song out of my head “Oh so soft and cuddly”!
August 15th, 2006 at 7:23 am
God, what a trip down mempry lane. And I commend you for savng those books for so long! What an awesome mom : )
August 15th, 2006 at 9:36 am
It is reading things like this that help remind me of my childhood. I have a few shows and books that I have shared with my children..mainly the holiday shows but there are 2 books that mean alot to me which are the B book and Come Over To My House. I love them!
August 15th, 2006 at 1:03 pm
I forgot to mention… When I buy books for my daughter… I always put a note on the inside cover…about why I bought it… and what my daughter was doing at that time… and what her thoughts were on the book… I figure that I will be able to regive them when my daughter is on her own and thinking of starting her family… A book a year or something like that…
I have a great library for her I tell ya…
August 15th, 2006 at 7:12 pm
My buddy and me like to climb up a tree…
Okay, now I have that, plus every song from Schoolhouse Rock, PLUS all the Tom Lehrer songs from the Electric Company, running through my head all at once.
How will I get myself out of this fix?
Carefully, carefully, careful, L-Y!
August 16th, 2006 at 10:53 am
Thank God someone else remembers the Monchichis!! No one I know has ever heard of them. I was beginning to think they were only in my head. Thanks for the post
August 18th, 2006 at 5:21 pm
I’m waiting for a special occasion to get The Electric Company, too. But I can barely stand the wait much longer, so I’m thinking Labor Day might be a great time to take the plunge.
August 19th, 2006 at 7:01 pm
i worship at the altar of schoolhouse rock, man.
August 28th, 2006 at 3:30 pm
Thanks for submitting this for the Carnival of Family Life! It is perfect. I never expected Strawberry Shortcake and all that to come back either. I had all her stuff in my room as a kid and now my girls want it to. It just feels weird.
Be sure to stop by my blog on Monday for the carnival.
September 7th, 2006 at 1:08 am
I totally remember The Electric Company! It was my favorite show as a kid. I have a feeling that my daughter would not be too interested in it but I think I’d like to get the DVD. I know I would watch it!
Welcome to the Carnival of Family Life!
September 7th, 2006 at 9:49 pm
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