Does it make me old to say Saturday morning? Ain't what it used to be...
40/100

Lord. This is my third attempt at a blog post. My first post was about not being responsible for other people's problems. The second post was about babies - and my feelings about not having one.

I think, however, I am going to write about something I realized this morning when I turned on the tv. I watched the cartoons. Or more accurately? I *tried* to watch the cartoons. I realized that not one of them was interesting to me.

I kinda think that today's kids are missing out on a cultural experience I shared with almost everyone aged 39 - 45. Saturday morning cartoons, Sesame Street and Captain Kangaroo. I know Sesame Street is still on tv, but when I was young? It was *all* that was on tv. I loved watching it, as well as the Muppet Show. (It's time to play the music... it's time to light the lights, it's time to get things started on the Muppet Show Tonight!) I remember John Denver when he'd guest star and waiting every week to see who would be starring. That was back when there were three channels and two 'other' channels on "U" that we didn't always get in. My mom would sit on the couch, dad in his chair and Marge and I would sit on the floor and sing along when we knew the songs on the muppet show. I loved that show. I'm pretty sure I watched Captain Kangaroo? Until I was probably 10 years old, way past when it was still cool to watch it. I was 'too old' for it, but I loved watching it anyhow. My two favorite memories from the Captain were Picture Pages with Bill Cosby and Simon in the land of chalk drawings...(a full episode!) and of course Mr Green Jeans and Mr Moose. The thing is? I can almost bet that people my age know exactly what I am talking about.

Then there were the awesome Saturday morning cartoons. Today the tv was full of so many I couldn't even begin to choose which ones I wanted to watch. I grew up on a few favorites. Bugs Bunny (one of my favorite scenes - Bugs plays beautician to a monster) There was also Land of the Lost (sleestak anyone???), Voltron (which were *best* when they were cats not cars), Speed Racer (the guy who played speed racer looked so much like the guy I had a crush on in middle school *swoon*) and of COURSE Thunder Cats. All the kids I knew watched and we all talked about it. And EVERYONE could sing the School House Rock videos...(Interjections!!!)

What I realize? Is that only having 3 channels created this shared community between myself and people my age. I am sure those who are older than I am have the same sort of shared memories from the 70s. I think that sort of stopped in the 90s when cable became popular and everyone could watch cartoons all the time. There were way more than three channels and Oprah came along and tv stopped showing old reruns after school. I mean after school when I got home I either watched Gilligan's Island, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Big Valley (Heath was cool, Nick? SOOO hot, but I loved Jarrod the most)... or some other tv rerun. Unless it was an 'after school special' show! *lol*

I'm not sure why I feel so drawn tonight down memory lane, except I am taking some comfort in this shared experience.  And maybe I am wrong, maybe people of the next generation who are younger than I am, have the same experience. But having these shows in common? Makes me feel connected to an entire generation of people. I know that kids today have the internet and can reach out and touch a 'friend' in Africa or Argentina in ten seconds. Their world is both incredibly small and larger than I ever could have imagined at their age. I sometimes am amazed at 42!

Do you have favorite tv/Saturday cartoon memories? Is it a generational thing?

Peace

Marykate