Life Before Elmo - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Smartboy · 01-30-2016, 04:53 PM

In my last two threads, I wrote about how different a place the world is then it was when "Gimme a Break!" was a prime time show. The emergence of Reality TV and the popularity of Elmo from "Sesame Street" are two examples of ways that the world is very different then it was back then. One thing that you have to understand was that I was born the same year that "Sesame Street" made its debut. I was twelve years old when "Gimme a Break!" came out. We were still four years away from the introduction of Elmo on "Sesame Street". At this point, "Sesame Street" was still the ghetto oriented show that I grew up with. We were well over a decade before it was to become the watered down show that it is now. When "Gimme a Break!" finally died its very painful death, we were still close to a decade before the show known as "Sesame Street" would become "Elmo's World" in everything except name. A lot of the people for whom "Gimme a Break!" was age appropriate at the time grew up with "Sesame Street". Because of this, it was mentioned several times throughout the run of the series. It was clear that they wanted to give the audience an idea of something that they were already familiar with. One example that sticks in my mind is from the episode "Samantha's Steals a Squad Car". Fear of her father's belt on her backside causes Samantha to run into the bathroom and lock the door. Officer Simpson tries to help her understand that everything is okay and that she needs to come out and discuss the situation. He says through the bathroom door, "Samantha, this is your friend Kermit the Frog. Me and Mr. Snuffeupagus have got the place surrounded!" He was referencing the show that "Sesame Street" was at the time that this episode was made. In my last thread, I mentioned an episode of "Friends" in which one of the characters made a joke about Elmo. This is a case and point about how, as times were changing, the behavior on sitcoms had to change with them. Social Darwinism at its finest!

Janice · 01-31-2016, 06:10 PM

Elmo has nothing to do with Growing Pains or any other sitcom, no matter how hard you try to associate the shows. I just warned you, and you're right back at it. I don't know what else to do here, short of suspending you. Now please, STOP IT or trust me, I will.

Smartboy · 01-31-2016, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janice

Elmo has nothing to do with Growing Pains or any other sitcom, no matter how hard you try to associate the shows. I just warned you, and you're right back at it. I don't know what else to do here, short of suspending you. Now please, STOP IT or trust me, I will.

In the first place, by the time that you moved my other thread and warned me about it, I had already posted this one. I have no way of undoing what I had already done. On top of that, I never said that Elmo had anything to do with "Gimme a Break!". I said that Elmo was a true sign of how different and watered down a place the world is from the way that it was when shows like "Gimme a Break!" were on the air. Another true sign of the times is the fact that Reality TV is practically on every network all of the time! Less then an hour ago, I started a thread about the fact that a Reality show is on in the time slot that "Gimme a Break!" used to be syndicated. I would love to read your words of wisdom on that one! I am not being sarcastic.

01-30-2016, 04:53 PM	#1
Smartboy Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 06, 2007 Location: South Orange, NJ Posts: 4,231	Life Before Elmo In my last two threads, I wrote about how different a place the world is then it was when "Gimme a Break!" was a prime time show. The emergence of Reality TV and the popularity of Elmo from "Sesame Street" are two examples of ways that the world is very different then it was back then. One thing that you have to understand was that I was born the same year that "Sesame Street" made its debut. I was twelve years old when "Gimme a Break!" came out. We were still four years away from the introduction of Elmo on "Sesame Street". At this point, "Sesame Street" was still the ghetto oriented show that I grew up with. We were well over a decade before it was to become the watered down show that it is now. When "Gimme a Break!" finally died its very painful death, we were still close to a decade before the show known as "Sesame Street" would become "Elmo's World" in everything except name. A lot of the people for whom "Gimme a Break!" was age appropriate at the time grew up with "Sesame Street". Because of this, it was mentioned several times throughout the run of the series. It was clear that they wanted to give the audience an idea of something that they were already familiar with. One example that sticks in my mind is from the episode "Samantha's Steals a Squad Car". Fear of her father's belt on her backside causes Samantha to run into the bathroom and lock the door. Officer Simpson tries to help her understand that everything is okay and that she needs to come out and discuss the situation. He says through the bathroom door, "Samantha, this is your friend Kermit the Frog. Me and Mr. Snuffeupagus have got the place surrounded!" He was referencing the show that "Sesame Street" was at the time that this episode was made. In my last thread, I mentioned an episode of "Friends" in which one of the characters made a joke about Elmo. This is a case and point about how, as times were changing, the behavior on sitcoms had to change with them. Social Darwinism at its finest!

01-31-2016, 06:10 PM	#2
Janice Retired Admin - Hollywood Swingin' Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 03, 2001 Location: Beantown Posts: 36,388	Elmo has nothing to do with Growing Pains or any other sitcom, no matter how hard you try to associate the shows. I just warned you, and you're right back at it. I don't know what else to do here, short of suspending you. Now please, STOP IT or trust me, I will.