Education Connection jingle revisited and revisited and revisited…

5 Responses to Education Connection jingle revisited and revisited and revisited…

1. Stephen Downes says:

   November 4, 2010 at 4:41 pm

   “Ring-a-ling-a-ling that’s all you do. Putt putt putt it’s St. Hubert’s barbecue.”

   Why do I remember that jingle from my childhood? Because my brothers and I created a puppet show out of it, which we played for our parents.

   What we are seeing here on YouTube is nothing different from what kids have always done (especially kids exposed to mass media).

   But more interesting…

   I still remember my father saying we should come up with something original instead of just imitating what we saw. I’m sure it was expressed with the best of intentions.

   I’m pretty sure that, in time, I would have been capable of something original. But not then, and that advice, rather than spurring on any creativity, was the reason we never did puppet shows again.

   Reply
2. Reverend says:

   November 4, 2010 at 4:55 pm

   Stephen,

   I definitely see what you are saying but we have to admit it’s a little different cause an outsider like me can both see it and comment on it. And what’s more, I’m not their parent. That has to suggest something more than nothing is different. I mean I think we all see the particular hostorical conditions of our moment nd this technology as somewhat different, but not necessarily better or some symbol of progress.

   What’s more—it’s not so much the imitation of jingles that gets me, although on some level it does, but like you I have done that before (and still do sometimes). It’s them mindlessly mouthing “Still I gotta make more cash, more education is what I’m looking at.” They just want to dance and sing, but it the whole thing just seems to nail something, the parroting of our condition in education. The acceptance that that is how it is. I don’t know, I kinda read it like a cultural tell than any hard proof of how anything was or is. It’s not proof, but rather a sign.

   Reply
3. AnxiousP says:

   November 4, 2010 at 5:40 pm

   Here I was suggesting Jim to mock it and Downes comes in with an important point. Watching the debate from a 3rd person’s perspective I can’t help but think how corrupted childhood has gotten from corporate influence; the signifiers of meaning, etc. And it’s so deep that we can’t help but think that we will harm childhood (and child development) by attacking those things that now define what it means to be a child.

   I don’t know perhaps Downes is right, and we should just confine our discourse to the world of adults… and when that world changes, so does the world of kids.

   I am working on a game of sorts that revolves around consumerism. I added “Pez” to the game as a consumable. I couldn’t help but think of all the memories associated with it from my childhood… and so it goes that because of consumerism, significant if not all, parts of our childhood are tied to corporate experiences… whether intentional or not. From cereals, to toys, to food, to music.

   There really isn’t any escaping it. So often creativity is tied to it too, I have a young brother who grew up simply repeating stuff from the Simpsons, continuously… before that it was commercials.

   Now I want to do a post about John Carpenter’s They Live, Bava style.

   Here it is, if anyone hasn’t seen it…
   http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9005367754264973286#

   Reply
4. Tom says:

   November 8, 2010 at 9:19 pm

   Not that I am taking this very seriously, but it’d be fun to parody. I don’t know if the kids should sing it or you.

   Reply
   • Reverend says:

     November 9, 2010 at 6:22 pm

     A parody on this may be a blast, I would have to have you rewrite the song, as usual. Could be fun, and an excuse to get together.

     Reply

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