Who loves orange soda?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoq8j6e_084

In this classic scene from the Hey Arnold! episode 24 Hours To Live, Arnold worries for 24 straight hours about his impending doom in having to fight Harold over a disagreement at school. This episode may have worried some parents in the beginning, because in all honesty, what parent is okay with their child getting in a fight at school? None. But by the end, we see that Arnold has outsmarted the fight. Theres no point in fighting if he can just make a fool of himself and ‘go crazy’. He successfully avoids the fight, and this may have given kids watching the show the same idea. Fighting would be pointless. There are ways around it, and they are most likely the better option! :D

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/12/02/spongebobs-big-problem-an-ocean-of-streaming-video/

It has been noted that from September-October alone, Nickelodeon’s ratings have dropped 19%. This is not because Spongebob and Bikini Bottom are no longer popular, nor is it because Fairly Odd Parents have lost their charm, but rather it is that television itself is no longer popular and may slowly be losing it’s charm. Our generation grew up with television being the dominant form of mass media. Waking up early saturday morning to see the adventures of Michaelangelo and the other ninja turtles was part of our childhood. Sitting through the Bop Em Sockers commercials was part of the experience, and waiting 7 days for the next episode was normal. Today, the emphasis for instant gratification is astounding. Internet is instant, cell phones are instant, and messages are instant. It seems that waiting is now a thing of the past. With children today having such open access to the internet, they have a myriad of instant options at the tips of their fingers. They have netflix instant streaming, Youtube instant viewing, and OnDemand instant playing. The episodes start when they want, and stop when they want. Commercials? Nobody sits through those! That’s what the »l (fast forward) button is for! Why waste any time at all to see the next pending episode when  you could simply go online and watch them consecutively. 

It’s not that shows are losing their popularity. TV itself is losing its popularity.

http://www.businessinsider.com/3-life-and-career-lessons-from-90s-tv-shows-2011-12

1. Everyone needs a mentor. Mr. George Feeny from Boy Meets World is the perfect example, as he followed Cory, Eric, Shawn and Topanga through their years in education and life, starting as a teacher, turned mentor and friend. Everybody in the transition from highschool to college, or college to real world job finds that one person that will help you along the way and guide you with the intentions of an expert, but the heart of a friend.

2. Hug or Talk It out. At the end of every Full House episode, with any conflict came a resolution. And not in the form of angry texts, plans of retaliations, but in the form of face to face confrontation and talking it out. This taught kids how to properly solve problems.

3. Sometimes it’s best to ask for help. Sabrina the Teenage Witch was a 90’s classic, and easily relatable for many teens, not because the 90’s  had a particularly high teen witch population, but because Sabrina was a somewhat typical teenager learning to adjust to different aspects of her life like the rest of us. In learning new spells episode to episode, she would frequently get herself into trouble, and by the end of the episode would accept the fact that sometimes its okay to ask for help. Besides, that’s what her aunts, Zelda and Hilda, were there for right? So with any parts of life, when stuck in a pickle, it is okay to ask for help! And kids need to know this and see it by example in the media.

Animaniacs. A genius show written, directed, and produced by the one and only Steven Spielberg. Centered around the 2 Warner brothers, Yakko and Wakko, and of course their sister Dot, it followed their adventures around WB Studios and had a variety of different mini sketches within the show. While this show has amazing humor and wittiness that appealed to both adults and children, the education within it is something that is just lacking in today’s television. Let’s examine just how many educational songs the Animaniacs performed…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNUDDaEOvuY&feature=related

-I am not afraid to admit that I still have this song memorized from elementary school and there’s not a doubt in my mind that it’s a useful song for any student to remember the states and capitals!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvy0wRLD5s8&feature=related

-The presidents and a quirky little description of each of them!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYv3yArIJuc&feature=related

-The Bones in the Body

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg6pXhZxbOI&feature=related

-The Ballad of Magellan, a great way for kids to learn of Magellan’s travels in a basic and funny song!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGMBUzFyVl4&feature=related

-I honestly don’t know how they wrote a song about the Panama Canal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfqB2_ha-WA&feature=related

-Only the Animaniacs could sing a clever song about the senses

That’s just a glimpse at the number of educational and clever songs within this show. Analyze Phineas and Ferb, does it have anything on Animaniacs? No. Today’s show’s lack this, and I’m not saying this because I feel as though every television show needs to be educational, but I feel as though television shows need substance, something that Spielberg made sure Animaniacs  had.