Hey guys welcome to my blog! I have always loved the idea that television, especially in its programming, constantly changes. A great representation could be found in the evolution of kid's programming. In this blog I will be exploring the world of popular shows for children. I grew up in the 90s where television was really coming into its own. We had shows like “Hey Dude,” “All That,” “Boy Meets World,” “Doug,” and more. I always felt like there was something age appropriate that I could watch at all times, or at least until it was my bedtime. However, these days there are very few age appropriate television shows out there. There are only four major children’s networks: Disney Channel, Nickelodeon (Noggin), Cartoon Network, and Sprout. There are a couple of channels that are for the whole family like ABC Family or the Hallmark Channel, but again, not a lot. In my blog, I am going to dive into the minds of kids, asking actual kids why they watch what they do, talk with parents, even watch some of these programs so I can figure out the appeal that some shows possess. I also want to try and understand why there are less and less kid’s programming available.
Now, some of you may be asking; “Why do you even care?” Well, I guess it comes from my own personal experience working with kids and pre-teens on a daily basis. I am a theatre major with an emphasis in acting, but I have always loved working with children. I teach for an after school theater program where kids are challenged to become something they are not. My favorite moments are when they transform into their favorite animals. You would be amazed at how well they imitate every, and I mean EVERY movement a cat, dog, rabbit, or even turtle make. They have the most creative imaginations. I have always enjoyed watching them discover something new and interesting about themselves and the world around them. I am finding that more and more kids are drawn to what is out there on television, film, and the internet. They are influenced by popular culture and have stopped really thinking for themselves. Theater is an outlet that allows them to be as imaginative as possible, but recently, it is becoming harder to get them to expand their thinking. So I just say, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!"
Yes, there are educational shows that still exist for younger audiences, but they are only on at certain times in the morning and on certain stations that not all kids have access to. Even Noggin turns into "The N" at 5pm, with shows that deal with more adult situations. Some of my blogs will question the changes in programming content for most of the major kids’ shows as well as the addition of popular culture like rock and pop music and hip hop dancing. Gone are the days of simple animation and fun sounds and bright lights. Instead, kids these days want fast action, larger than life characters, REAL PEOPLE, and the ability to relate to what is happening in the show to their own lives.
I guess you could say that I am an advocate for better children’s programming. I want to understand the appeal of some of these shows and discuss reasons why they have changed or evolved into something new. I am going to question the dominance of real actors over animated cartoons, and I will unravel the reasoning behind adding new and more popular music and dance to most if not all major tv programs. This will be a blog that speaks for kids, brings us older folks back to the days of our youth, and enhances the knowledge of the world of kid shows for parents. I hope you enjoy!
Kids Incorporated (Profile post)
After writing my first post, I realized that there may be more people out there who feel the 
same way that I do, or at least have some opinions on the subject of children’s programming. I came across an interesting blog through The Writer’s Guild Blog called “Kids’ Character in Search of a Slot.” This British cartoon bunny wants to join BBC, but discovers there are very few places where he fits. Each post deals with the ups and downs of children’s’ shows and how it affects his chances of getting on “the telly.” Even though his blog has only lasted through ten postings, my favorite one of Kids’ Character (or KC as he likes to be called) is "But I don't want to go to bed yet 7-9pm.” He talks about watching television after dinner but realizes that there are not enough “homegrown children’s programs” for primetime. I truly enjoy his storytelling. He addresses the issues of primetime television by telling his story of trying to impersonate a police officer to gain access to a major network television show. He sneaks in and “decides to be a super sleuthy type of detective and do a lot of sneaking and tiptoeing.” When he gains access to the studio, the director tosses a hooded sweatshirt at him assuming he is a pre-teen extra for the next episode. KC tries to tell him that “not every young person wears a hoody,” but he is unsuccessful and goes to set. KC soon discovers that many major tv shows stereotype kids as either juvenile delinquents or boy scouts. KC goes off on the director and expresses his feelings about watching his tv show,
“No one cares about us kids, not on telly not nowhere. If they did, we’d have places to play and we’d have telly that not only talked to us in our way but showed what we’re really like to the rest of the world too.”
KC makes a good point in a creative way. Kids want to watch shows that display a proper representation of who they are. I really enjoyed reading his posts and was sadden by the fact of how unpopular it was. No one ever commented on any of his fun posts, but don't let that stop you from checking out Kids’ Character’s adventures! I was especially glad I came across his blog because he is supported by another blog through The Writer’s Guild Blog called Save Kids TV . It is so nice to find another site that supports what I speak about in my blog. KC ‘s blog and more don’t just advocate for more age-appropriate television, but also question the changing times that affect the evolution of multiple shows. The only true difference between my blog and theirs is that I am focusing all my energy on American television because that is what I know, while they are British and have those experiences. Also, my alias name might be Dora but I'm not really animated haha. This KC was an animated character created to be the true speaker in each blog posting. I still think that this will help feed my work by gathering more supporters that have interests in this area. Come to think of it, I might be the first kid’s tv advocate for the United States…well, I’m probably not, but I’m still excited about what’s in store. 
Everything has a voice...(Voice critique post)
Hm...now let's see... I've been thinking about all the posts I have done thus far and 
wonder...what's my voice? Do I even have one? Do my posts represent who I am? Well, I don't know yet, but I thought I would do some research on personal voice. So I stumbled upon another blogger who had an interesting take on educational television for children. Publisher dscdscd sdcds (an alias I assume because I couldn't find his actual name), tone of voice in his posts is very converstational. He understands his audience is mostly middle class. He uses very basic english and simple sentences to relate to his audience. The publisher adds different punctuations to each sentence but his favorite is the exclamation mark(!) After reading all his postings, I realize that this choice says to me, "If you didn't get how important this statement was, here's an exclamation mark!" One of my favorite examples is when he talks about the children's program, Reading Rainbow, where he says:
"This one really is because it introduced kids to all sorts of books! Your child will beg for you to take them to the library after they have seen this show!"
This is just a small taste of how often he uses his favorite (!). In another post that relates to television and children, he can't get enough of them. I figure that since this was an early posting, he has toned it down a bit since then. I think he draws in his crowd by following each statement with a question and then answering that question right away; usually ending with an exclamation mark. He also is very strong in his opinions, but you aren't annoyed by his attitude because you can hear the actual concern he has for what he is writing about. Here is another example of his interesting writing style:
"TV is very appealing to children. This is one reason that TV can be a problem for them. Young children can even be attracted to TV because of the colors and noises on children's shows. Also, children are used to TV. Many times, parents will turn on the TV so that it can preoccupy their child instead of them. Should this always be the solution? No, it should not. There are other things that your children can do quietly that do not involve TV. What kinds of things are there? Playing outside is one of the best things!"
After reading both posts, I realized that this is his own personal style. When I read his words, I feel like I hear him giving a lecture but trying hard to make sure his students stay interested by adding questions and funny one-liners:
"There is even an entire channel devoted to infants to "enhance" their learning."
The use of quotation marks around the word "enhance" involves the reader in his inside jokes. He is stating that this might not be the most appropriate word choice but it is what the television show critics use to describe it. So what have I learned from all this? I have learned that I need to write from my point of view. If I have a strong opinion about something, I shouldn't be worried or anxious about posting it as long as I state my fact and possibly follow it up with something a little more light-hearted and easy-going. The more blogs I read, the more excited I get about embarking on my own blog. I think I want to tackle the true benefit of some of these kid shows next...
