From: Tamara Shaffer <SASTLS@mvs.sas.com>
Subject: Re: Sesame Street having "sassy" kids.
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 21:33:00 GMT
Organization: SAS Institute Inc.

>From: nsmith@tms390.micro.ti.com (Neal Smith)
>Message-ID: <1992Dec18.193031.10992@tms390.micro.ti.com>
>
>Tamara> [MIL] ... says SS is bad because it shows
>Tamara> lots of examples of children being sassy, sarcastic, and talking-back.
>Tamara> I am as yet undecided -- I like SS, but that's her opinion and I do
>Tamara> respect her opinion.  What do the rest of you think?
>
>Maureen Busch:
>Maureen> We don't watch SS religiously in our home, but we've seen our share
>Maureen> of episodes over the years, and I do have to ask where are all these
>Maureen> examples of children being sassy, sarcastic, and talking-back??
>
>Tamara> I agree with you Maureen. (...)
>Tamara> ...  I wasn't trying to bash SS myself, just asking
>Tamara> for the net's opinion.  So far, no one (that I've seen) has stood up
>Tamara> and said "That's right!  Those nasty mouthed kids drive my child to
>Tamara> crime!" :)
>Tamara> So, have any of the rest of you seen these sassy, sarcastic,
>Tamara> back-talking kids on SS?
 
Neal wrote:
>I definitely missed that episode....                                   SS when
>.....  The closest I've seen to a "sassy" attitude would be Oscar'     s,
>maybe, and even that's a stretch.  By the way, I think one of the
>redeeming point of Sesame Street is Oscar (or grouches in general).  On
>most kids' shows, everyone is always happy, even perky, and the world
>(of course) isn't like that.  I'm not asking for total realism (I DON'T
>want the voilence of the streets finding it's way into kids' shows),
>but I think it's refreshing to have a character who isn't always (or
>even usually) happy, but is still usually presented as a "good" guy,
>not evil.
 
I agree with your point about Oscar.  The sugary-sweet shows (like
Barney) are so unrealistic in that way.  But like you say, the kids
love Barney, and even I like to sing along (*blush*).
 
>........  Sassy?  What sassy?  Where sassy?  I have to ask myself what
>the educator meant who said this.  Depending on the adult, some
>consider jokes, playing, or even asking questions about what's going on
>to be sassy (i.e., bad behavior); others are more reasonable/lax, and
>don't consider it sassy unless it's very rude or disruptive.  This
>confusion in definition may be what the problem is here.
 
I will try to get more information out of her about it.  I didn't ask
when she said so.  It was stated pretty matter-of-fact so I said "Oh"
and didn't say much else.  I don't know if she has her opinion based
on studies, or her own experience.  She is quite conservative, but so
am I (I think), so I don't believe I would really be more lax regarding
children's behavior than she.
 
>-----------------------------------------------------
>From Neal Smith (nsmith@sassy.micro.ti.com) [No, I'M not sassy, nor am
>I an expert on "sassy", although if I'm an expert on some things, I
>guess right now I'm an expert "on" sassy, well now I'm just confused.]
>Dad to Allen (allne if he spells it), born 1/10/90
 
Hi again Neal.  I guess "sassy" was half a joke since I work at
SAS Institute. :)  Of course, you already (probably) thought I was
sassy since I teased you about your "11 month old" writing his own
name.
 
TAMARA
mommy to Melissa (5/1/91) and ? (due 5/8/93)