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Sam's Story: Week 86 September 19, 2005
It's been a long couple of weeks lately, and I'm way off on my schedule. Sam, Ger, and I went back to Tulsa to visit my family while my mother recovered from knee replacement surgery. This was great, as my folks hadn't seen Sam since last Thanksgiving and as religiously as they read this site, it's nothing compared to the live act. Sam took a couple of days to warm up to all these weird people, but after she did everything went just fine.
In fact, this trip taught me something new about my daughter: she sleeps like a rock. My parents' house isn't huge, so Ger, Sam, and I all had to share one bedroom. We set Sam's crib up at the foot our own bed and began wringing our hands over how quiet we'd have to be in order not to wake her up. The first night I worried about every time the bed creaked and every time I rolled over for fear that Sam's head would pop up at the base of our bed like a recently woken Jack in the Box. Nothing happened, though, and by the end of the visit Ger and I were stomping around and whispering like she wasn't there.
Sam and Ger also took a jaunt up to St. Louis to visit the other side of Sam's family for a few days. 0nce again, Sam got to know the joys of swimming. I think they visited a park or two and had a play date with cousin-at-some-level Molly.
Pictures!
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While on vacation Sam got less than her usual dose of Sesame Street, but she quickly picked the habit back up upon our return. On the plane ride back, though, I had read a book called The Tipping Point that talks about social epidemics, often in the context of marketing or product development. One chapter was particularly interesting for the way it examined how Sesame Street was a carefully engineered phenomenon (albeit one with good intentions like education and promoting pro-social values). Apparently the show evolved very quickly thanks to extensive testing of what held kids' attention and what didn't.
The other thing, though, that really caught my eye in that chapter was the report on a show called "Blue's Clues" and how it supposedly out-Sesame'd Sesame Street. I was familiar with the show only to the extent that its merchandise had permeated the aisles of my local department store (which was to a great extent indeed), but I knew that it was about this little dog named "Blue" and that it was a kid's show. I decided to check it out.
I hate that little blue dog.
Actually, I don't hate it, but I don't like the show. I think part of Sesame Street's genius is that it appeals to both kids and their parents. I like watching it with Sam because it's full of wit, humor, and in-jokes that are kind of just there for adults. It's also clearly educational, with lessons on reading, counting, and not being a jerk. Blue's Clues, on the other hand, is 100% for kids. It's full of pregnant pauses, overly simplistic storylines, and a dipstick in khakis named "Steve" who is apparently the only person in the room who doesn't know he's acting like some kind of moron. And while the episodes may be easy for kids to follow, there doesn't seem to be lessons associated with them. Of course, Sam loved watching the show so I'll probably keep recording it, but it's definitely going in the "backup" column as something we put on when we need to immobilize Sam without the use of ropes or tranquilizers. It may kill every other show in the ratings, but we'll see if it has the staying power to stick around for 35+ years.
So at least for a little while longer until she learns to work the remote, Sam will stick with the Street.
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Samantha
Tags: Sesame Street, Television
