Dear PBS, I like your shows

January 26, 2011 9:12 AM

A letter arrived at Atlanta's PBS station yesterday, the recipient posted it to Reddit and within hours, PBS responded.
posted by Maaik (106 comments total)

Uh, so is there a new show or what? that pbskids link doesn't seem to have any content.
posted by yeoz at 9:16 AM on January 26, 2011 [2 favorites]

So awesome on so many levels.
posted by jbickers at 9:17 AM on January 26, 2011

Yeoz, read the small print at the bottom.
posted by jbickers at 9:17 AM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

I (heart) WABE & PBS so much for doing this. I want to buy that on a T-shirt.
posted by deadmessenger at 9:17 AM on January 26, 2011

Does that site just link back to PBSKids and two of the existing PBS kids shows? It's kind of like telling a kid "If you think Chocolate Milk is awesome, try some .... LOW FAT MILK! Woooo!"
posted by filthy light thief at 9:18 AM on January 26, 2011 [20 favorites]

Man, what bullshit. I can't BELIEVE they just made a page promoting the two shows they have that might fit Noah's request. Seriously. Why can't PBS just do the right thing and make an entirely new show? I mean, HE GAVE THEM THE FUNDING FOR IT AND EVERYTHING.
posted by nushustu at 9:20 AM on January 26, 2011 [109 favorites]

I think it's pretty cool that they responded. The fact that they did not create a new tv show within hours is not surprising to me. Who would really expect that?
posted by snofoam at 9:20 AM on January 26, 2011 [3 favorites]

Hell yes.

PBS just plain rocks, and some of their kids shows have been absolute favourites in our house. My five year old daughter loves 'Word World' to the point where her birthday cake last year had to look just like Duck's from the show. It was a pain in the ass to make, but we did it.

Our kids don't watch a lot of TVn abd their TV time is strictly rationed, but we are fine with her watching this one because it's that most rare of 'educational' shows. It's one that actually still educates.
posted by WinnipegDragon at 9:21 AM on January 26, 2011

To be fair, it looks as if the denizens of Reddit are putting together a comic book of some sort to mail back to the kid.
posted by Maaik at 9:22 AM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

Uh, 'TVn abd' should be 'TV, and'.

I need to watch more Word World apparently.
posted by WinnipegDragon at 9:23 AM on January 26, 2011 [3 favorites]

Dear pbskids please make one of the superheroes Axe Cop.


Signed boo, age 35
posted by boo_radley at 9:23 AM on January 26, 2011 [67 favorites]

Dear Noah,

If there's any nation on planet earth that doesn't deserve superheroes anymore, it's America. And anyway, they're not real and they won't solve your problems for you. Grow up and learn to appreciate Charlie Rose.

Respectfully, PBS
posted by philip-random at 9:25 AM on January 26, 2011 [72 favorites]

Seriously though, that's pretty bad-ass. If I was a kid and PBS made me a personalized, custom webpage in response to my letter, I'd be tickled pink. Good for them.
posted by nushustu at 9:25 AM on January 26, 2011 [3 favorites]

That is very, very cute.

I still miss Mr. Rogers.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 9:26 AM on January 26, 2011 [18 favorites]

Dear Noah,

Pay no attention to philip-random. He lost all of his hair when Superman's ship crash-landed in Smallville and hasn't been the same since.

Respectfully, everyone else.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 9:28 AM on January 26, 2011 [44 favorites]

Man, what bullshit. I can't BELIEVE they just made a page promoting the two shows they have that might fit Noah's request. Seriously. Why can't PBS just do the right thing and make an entirely new show? I mean, HE GAVE THEM THE FUNDING FOR IT AND EVERYTHING.

At the rate he's going, he's doing a better job of funding PBS than the federal government is...
posted by schmod at 9:30 AM on January 26, 2011 [6 favorites]

That is completely awesome.

My kids *love* SuperWhy. My son actually asked for (and received) SuperWhy underwear. :)
posted by zarq at 9:31 AM on January 26, 2011

pb skids? I hope he's ok!
posted by fuq at 9:33 AM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

PBS just plain rocks

COUNTERPOINT: FETCH! With Ruff Ruffman has been canceled.
posted by Think_Long at 9:34 AM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

philip-random: " If there's any nation on planet earth that doesn't deserve superheroes anymore, it's America. And anyway, they're not real and they won't solve your problems for you. Grow up and learn to appreciate Charlie Rose."

To fully appreciate a random author Charlie Rose interviews, it would help if the child knew how to READ first, yes? Shows like Sesame Street, SuperWhy and WordGirl aren't a replacement for one-on-one personal instruction. But they can be helpful, engaging tools for parents. Especially those who may not be able to afford to buy a ton of books and educational toys for their kids.
posted by zarq at 9:35 AM on January 26, 2011

Awwwwwwwwwwww.
posted by ocherdraco at 9:35 AM on January 26, 2011

Oscar the Grouch is still a superhero to me
posted by Redhush at 9:36 AM on January 26, 2011 [7 favorites]

I sent them $5 to get Frontline to investigate this dude on Masterpiece but i haven't heard shit from them.
posted by orme at 9:37 AM on January 26, 2011 [2 favorites]

I've been pretty amazed at the quality of the PBS kids shows these days.

I don't have kids, and really only end up watching PBS during the kiddie hours by accident or when I'm hoping to relax a bit without having to fight commercials.

But wow, they have some amazing stuff these days. Between The Lions is great, both SuperWhy and Word Girl are great, even that show where all the nouns are living words made out of their letters is pretty excellent when it comes to its concepts (even if I really can't stand watching it).

I have a great fondness for the shows of my youth, even when they've evolved a lot... Sesame Street and The Electric Company are nearly unrecognizable at times, but at other times they're exactly what my nostalgia center needs. I do feel the lack of 321 Contact and Zoom at times... But on those occasions when I do end up watching the PBS Kids block, I'm always pleased by what I find there. They're really doing great stuff.
posted by hippybear at 9:38 AM on January 26, 2011 [2 favorites]

To be fair, it looks as if the denizens of Reddit are putting together a comic book of some sort to mail back to the kid.

And this is why Reddit is better than PBS.

A goddamn single-page promo website? Come on.
posted by lholladay at 9:38 AM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

Dear Noah: Admiral Ballsack will be sending you a comic book in the mail. Be sure to ask your mom and dad what a ballsack is.

Yours,
PBS
posted by fixedgear at 9:38 AM on January 26, 2011 [11 favorites]

It's cute, but it sort of reminds me of the Eddie Murphy bit about his family not having enough money to go to McDonald's, so his mother makes him a hamburger that's "just as good".
posted by briank at 9:39 AM on January 26, 2011

Last year my wife had an autistic 8th grade student who pretty much fixated on superheros. At some point she wore a Watchmen t-shirt to work, he questioned her relentlessly about it, she eventually divulged that our kid was involved with the movie.

Long story short, student, a few weeks later gave her a sealed envelope, marked private, to mail to our kid.. I didn't open it, sent it on...

Kid called me a few days later, said that he had shared the new movie script with everyone in the company, it was evidently a Marvel vs DC battle royal movie. (I'm surprised that Superman was prioritized over this new script by the kid and Snyder).

Kid then sent a signed Watchmen poster to student.

Student now submits scripts on a regular basis and everyone gets a bit of a nice feeling out of the relationship.

I think it's great when the big person world responds to the small person world in a caring and friendly way... good on PBS
posted by HuronBob at 9:39 AM on January 26, 2011 [47 favorites]

snofoam: I think it's pretty cool that they responded. The fact that they did not create a new tv show within hours is not surprising to me. Who would really expect that?

Sorry for the snark, and it's awesome that they put together a little page that actually replied to the kid by name, but it is only a still image of two existing characters and text with links to existing shows. Apparently he already watches PBS, so I'm guessing he already knows of these shows.

I stand by my milk analogy, with the addendum that the low fat milk is proffered up with a sticker that says "You Rock!" - it was a sticker made just for this box of milk, which is quite a nice gesture. I'm not expecting them to make a new show in hours, but after the first glow of excitement for replying in a personal to a letter from Noah, I'm not getting the excitement.
posted by filthy light thief at 9:40 AM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

B E   S U R E   T O   D R I N K   Y O U R   O V A L T I N E

"Ovaltine? A crummy commercial? Son of a bitch!"
posted by chococat at 9:42 AM on January 26, 2011 [14 favorites]

WHAT THE FUCK? I send them a HUNDRED dollars and all they give ME is a fucking TOTE BAG.
posted by XQUZYPHYR at 9:47 AM on January 26, 2011 [29 favorites]

My kids *love* SuperWhy. My son actually asked for (and received) SuperWhy underwear. :)

You know, sometimes I think adults desperately need themed underwear. I mean, we have underwear with a theme but it is just one theme.
posted by Deathalicious at 9:50 AM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

None of the haters here have watched WordGirl. That show rules so much.

(Or maybe they have watched SuperWhy. That show sucks so much.)

(Although it isn't as bad as the homunculus on Sid the Science Kid. *shudder*)
posted by DU at 9:57 AM on January 26, 2011 [4 favorites]

Even though there's no new show, there was some obvious care that went into the wording of the letter to Noah:

The good news is we have two super hero to the rescue shows that we think you will enjoy, Super Why! and WordGirl. Love, PBS KIDS

If I'm a five-year-old and I read those words, I would be inclined to believe that they made two shows specifically for me, in response to my letter, because they used my exact wording. Also note that they say "we have," not "we already have." I would think Noah considers his campaign a success.
posted by jbickers at 10:01 AM on January 26, 2011 [2 favorites]

You know, sometimes I think adults desperately need themed underwear

At around four my daughter did not know why she was the only one in the house with licensed characters on her underclothes and suggested Law & Order panties for my wife...
posted by shothotbot at 10:02 AM on January 26, 2011 [55 favorites]

DU: " (Or maybe they have watched SuperWhy. That show sucks so much.)"

It's good for a two or three year old. Or at least, for my two year olds. They repeat spoken words, identify letters, sing the alphabet and have words spelled out to them. And they're asking to watch the show because they identify with Princess Presto, AlphaPig and SuperWhy. They don't watch it often, but I do think they're getting something out of it.

I feel the same way about Team Umizoomi on Nick Jr. When they see it, my kids count numbers and identify shapes presented to them by the show.

An older crowd would probably find both shows too simplistic. But they're definitely not worthless, and a hell of a lot better than some of the other options that are out there.
posted by zarq at 10:03 AM on January 26, 2011

COUNTERPOINT: FETCH! With Ruff Ruffman has been canceled.

I read this as indicating that there was a new show featuring Ruff Ruffman entitled COUNTERPOINT: FETCH! which subsequently got cancelled. As in: Ruff Ruffman and guests in a semi-animated lampoon of a PBS panel show discussing the topical issues of our day (cf. SPACE GHOST: COAST TO COAST).

PBS, I will send you a dollar and a hand-written letter to produce the show COUNTERPOINT: FETCH!
posted by eschatfische at 10:03 AM on January 26, 2011 [7 favorites]

Deathalicious: " You know, sometimes I think adults desperately need themed underwear. I mean, we have underwear with a theme but it is just one theme."

Erhem.
posted by zarq at 10:05 AM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

Captain Huggy Face is a super hero to the rescue too!!!
posted by vespabelle at 10:07 AM on January 26, 2011

Bob Vila and the boys of Ask This Old House are all the superhero I need.
posted by buzzkillington at 10:10 AM on January 26, 2011

Metafilter: Best of reddit

It's great that I came here to get away from the sometimes juvenile omphaloskepsis of reddit, only to find a gem from there I previously missed.
posted by viborg at 10:11 AM on January 26, 2011

Wordgirl is pretty awesome!
posted by Mister_A at 10:12 AM on January 26, 2011

Dear PBS,

Please feature more interviews on sets designed by HR Giger.

Sincerely,
Chestburster, age 1
posted by zippy at 10:14 AM on January 26, 2011 [8 favorites]

The good news is that Noah is featured for an entire episode of This American Life.
posted by GuyZero at 10:15 AM on January 26, 2011 [3 favorites]

My kids love Super Why and WordGirl and so do I. Unfortunately they also love Sid the Science Kid and while it doesn't bother me to let them watch it, especially because those three are about the only TV they watch, I twitch and writhe whenever I hear "I'm lookin' for my friends!" come out of that freaky-moving little goofball's mouth. Something about that show disturbs me.

If I was this kid and it was 1982 and PBS made an effort to respond to my letter about Newton's Apple and 3-2-1-Contact, I'd think it was pretty special.
posted by Clinging to the Wreckage at 10:20 AM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

they're asking to watch the show because they identify with Princess Presto, AlphaPig and SuperWhy

But not Wonder Red. She's terrible.
posted by Jugwine at 10:20 AM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

Fetch has been canceled?! Happy thread just got sad...
posted by Ruki at 10:24 AM on January 26, 2011

Random related PBS bits: ten clips of Spiderman on The Electric Company, when he was featured in Spidey Super Stories back in the early 1970s.

And I had no idea Axe Cop got signed for a short run on Dark Horse (printed comics, not animated).
posted by filthy light thief at 10:26 AM on January 26, 2011 [2 favorites]

fixedgear: "Dear Noah: Admiral Ballsack will be sending you a comic book in the mail. Be sure to ask your mom and dad what a ballsack is.

Yours,
PBS"

Good to know that I am not the only one who is disturbed that the person sending responses to PBS kids fanmail is "Admiral Ballsack".
posted by I am the Walrus at 10:28 AM on January 26, 2011

When I was a kid, back in the 70s, I loved my Fisher Price Sesame Street playset. With my mom's help I wrote a letter to the company suggesting they make Muppet Show set. I even made sure to tell them to include "the two men in the balcony" (I didn't know at the time they were named Statler and Waldorf) among other characters.

They wrote back, on official Fisher Price stationary, explaining about intellectual property rights and how the cost to acquire the characters would be way too much. It was a pretty cruel introduction to things like copyright and the fact that shit wasn't free. I remember being disappointed, but mostly I was happy to get a reply.

Now here I am today, about 35 years later, kicking myself for not including a dollar.
posted by bondcliff at 10:28 AM on January 26, 2011 [15 favorites]

Something about that show disturbs me.

Yeah, the motion capture they use to make that show is just disturbing. It's uncanny valley extended to completely non-real looking digital puppets.

I mean, the content is good, but it's best watched while not actually looking at the television.
posted by hippybear at 10:28 AM on January 26, 2011

Sid the Science Kid ... Something about that show disturbs me.

There's some weird uncanny valley stuff happening with the Henson Digital Puppetry. Some shots are mo-capped with actors wearing rigs to represent body parts that are out of human scale, and then their models are scaled down relative to the adult characters, so the kids look strangely human and non-human at the same time. They're not kids ... they're like dwarves, or Munchkins or something.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 10:30 AM on January 26, 2011

Jugwine: " But not Wonder Red. She's terrible."

Heh. Her too. I couldn't remember her name.
posted by zarq at 10:33 AM on January 26, 2011

Here, starting at 1:04, you can see actors in mo-cap costumes with giant hands, feet and hip pieces.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 10:34 AM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

At around four my daughter did not know why she was the only one in the house with licensed characters on her underclothes and suggested Law & Order panties for my wife...

Oh. Wow. Must. Have.
posted by thinkpiece at 10:44 AM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

But not Wonder Red. She's terrible.

Oh my god. Totally. What exactly IS 'word power' as opposed to 'spelling power'? Her character is surplusage with Princess Presto, which I oppose on the grounds of my anti-royalism.

I believe that I can blame this on Canada, as it is co-produced by a Canadian outfit.

(An aside/tangent-- two things have really cracked me up so far on Super Why. One, when they turn the Big Bad Wolf into the Small Good Wolf, and then refer to him as that. "It sure is, Small Good Wolf!" Two, when Alpha Pig is spelling out "C-A-S-T-L-E", and is looking for the letters, he says "There's that S!" Yes, back that "S" up, Pig.)
posted by norm at 10:44 AM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

Now that's how companies should be--responsive, giving what customers ask for, and creative.

PBS must not be a company. If it was the letter would have gone to legal, Noah would have to sign a non-compete, the dollar would be analyzed by the ethics committee to see if it was a bribe or under the allowable "incentive", and SuperHeros would have a big fucking logo vs a character named after the corporation (because that's how you reinforce the brand, duh), and 4 different divisions would have a say in 9 initial meetings.

Oh and don't forget to RFP agencies, hire them, fire them, rehire them, and then ask them to create for a 25 cent budget.

God I need a new job.
posted by stormpooper at 10:46 AM on January 26, 2011

COUNTERPOINT: FETCH! With Ruff Ruffman has been canceled.

Fetch would have been a great program if they'd used half the content or twice the time slot. As is, it was a frenetic mess you couldn't learn a darn thing from.
posted by DU at 10:46 AM on January 26, 2011

What exactly IS 'word power' as opposed to 'spelling power'?

Word families are a means of teaching reading my teaching pattern recognition. Once you know how to read "cat," then words like mat, bat, sat are easier to recognize.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 10:49 AM on January 26, 2011 [2 favorites]

Caillou can suck it!
posted by Brocktoon at 10:50 AM on January 26, 2011 [6 favorites]

On that we all agree, Brocktoon.
posted by Mister_A at 10:51 AM on January 26, 2011 [2 favorites]

With my mom's help I wrote a letter to the company suggesting they make Muppet Show set.

Dear bondcliff:

Here are some Fisher Price Muppet Show figures. Including "the two men in the balcony."


(P.S. a couple of weeks ago my mom was digging through the attic and found the remnants of my beloved Sesame Street Fisher Price playset. She gave the pieces to me -- Little People versions of the characters, and various pieces of furniture.)
posted by Tin Man at 11:05 AM on January 26, 2011 [2 favorites]

Fred Rogers was/is a superhero.
posted by gallois at 11:05 AM on January 26, 2011 [2 favorites]

Bob Vila and the boys of Ask This Old House are all the superhero I need.

I don't think Vila is on TOH even in reruns. As for his being a superhero, maybe if I owned some Sears stock, I would feel differently, but I could never stomach his condescending attitude.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 11:09 AM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

I flipped through this thread really fast and I all I want now is HR Giger underwear.
posted by user92371 at 11:32 AM on January 26, 2011 [6 favorites]

I hate Sid the Science kid. That is all.
posted by zeoslap at 11:41 AM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

>A letter arrived at Atlanta's PBS station yesterday, the recipient posted it to Reddit and within hours, PBS responded.

I'm starting to notice that things happen on Reddit, and Metafilter just reports it (as opposed to things happen on MeFi and Reddit talks about it).

People on MeFi also tend to be more uptight than Reddit...
posted by thermonuclear.jive.turkey at 11:44 AM on January 26, 2011 [2 favorites]

My son loves Super Why. He gets really excited when the interlude songs play.
posted by zizzle at 11:56 AM on January 26, 2011

user92371: "I flipped through this thread really fast and I all I want now is HR Giger underwear."

"Is that a foot-long chestburster in your shorts, or are you just happy to see me?"
posted by zarq at 11:56 AM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

"suggested Law & Order panties for my wife"

"Wow, awesome, Law and Order underwear! Wait, do these say SVU?"
posted by klangklangston at 11:57 AM on January 26, 2011 [5 favorites]

It's great that I came here to get away from the sometimes juvenile omphaloskepsis...
posted by viborg at 6:11 PM on January 26

Because god knows, we never see much of that at Metafilter.
posted by Decani at 12:24 PM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

"suggested Law & Order panties for my wife"

Does it play the doink-doink when you take them off?
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:25 PM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

A kid after my own heart.
posted by cjorgensen at 12:25 PM on January 26, 2011

Is this the thread where I can mention Wonder Pets on Nick Jr? Because it rocks.

"This is se-wious!"
posted by m@f at 12:45 PM on January 26, 2011 [2 favorites]

Bob Vila and the boys of Ask This Old House are all the superhero I need.

I draw the line at Norm Abrams tighty whities though.
posted by bonehead at 12:55 PM on January 26, 2011

m@f: "Is this the thread where I can mention Wonder Pets on Nick Jr? Because it rocks.

"This is se-wious!"

That show is the greatest stealth introduction of opera ever.
posted by ShawnStruck at 1:05 PM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

Of course if PBS rode this publicity and put out a show that was both educational and as funny as Chickenman they'd have to beat away the viewership with a stick. I would bet Super Why! and WordGirl weren't thought of by kids, but by production companies with a seal of approval from focus groups.

I would watch Superheroes to the Rescue. I would not watch frickin' WordGirl...

Instead, 5 year-old Noah gets lip-service. Welcome to the real world early, kid.
posted by CarlRossi at 1:24 PM on January 26, 2011

"suggested Law & Order panties for my wife"

Does it play the doink-doink when you take them off?

Lame doink-doink.

This is the doink-doink one should hear (and feel) when one take's off a woman's Law & Order panties.
posted by Skygazer at 1:24 PM on January 26, 2011

ie: My Doink-Doink is bigger than your Dink-Doink.
posted by Skygazer at 1:28 PM on January 26, 2011 [2 favorites]

Show off.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 1:31 PM on January 26, 2011

omphaloskepsis

I did not know that word. My makeshift knowledge of etymology coupled with my base nature brought "phalo" to the forefront of course. A PBS thread isn't the place for this but I read that word as "meditating about that with skepticism".

...

I do not like Clifford the Big Red Dog. The idea seems like a half-assed creation spawned by the New Ideas committee under the fluorescent lights of meeting room six.

/Oscarfan
posted by vapidave at 1:33 PM on January 26, 2011

I would bet Super Why! and WordGirl weren't thought of by kids, but by production companies with a seal of approval from focus groups.

SuperWhy was created by Angela Santomero, who also created Blue's Clues.

And she's insane. But that's another thread.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 1:34 PM on January 26, 2011

Does PBS still have that interstitial segment between morning shows where an attractive dark-haired lady would sit at a table and slowly sound out words that were printed on cards? I liked that lady.
posted by Atom Eyes at 1:46 PM on January 26, 2011

"Is that a foot-long chestburster in your shorts, or are you just happy to see me?"

Yes.
posted by infinitywaltz at 1:47 PM on January 26, 2011

Lede: buried! I'm surprised this subreddit called To The Rescue wasn't posted here (I think). It's a collective for redditors to make a comic for Noah. LEZ DO IT, Y'ALL!
posted by zardoz at 1:50 PM on January 26, 2011

I wonder how many letters like that they get.
posted by aniola at 1:55 PM on January 26, 2011

I draw the line at Norm Abrams tighty whities though.

Several years ago, okay, we're going back to the early 90s here, I had a small number of "His Name Is Norm Abrams" bumperstickers printed up that I'd carry with me.

I'd stick them on cars in mall parking lots which had a "My Boss Is A Jewish Carpenter" bumperstickers on them.
posted by hippybear at 2:11 PM on January 26, 2011 [7 favorites]

"Wow, awesome, Law and Order underwear! Wait, do these say SVU?"

No, but the Pimp My Ride ones say SUV!

(I'm sorry.)
posted by iamkimiam at 2:15 PM on January 26, 2011

PBS just plain rocks

I, for one, would be willing to donate a dollar so that PBS could finally get some fancy rocks.
posted by chavenet at 2:19 PM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

These are public access rocks, no need to get all fancy.
posted by iamkimiam at 2:22 PM on January 26, 2011

chavenet: " I, for one, would be willing to donate a dollar so that PBS could finally get some fancy rocks."

This morning's Sesame Street starred (I kid you not,) Michael McKean from Spinal Tap wearing long blond hair and a beard, asking the various muppets to help him collect rocks so he could form a rock band.

My kids asked, "Daddy, who's that?"

And I replied "That's David St. Hubbins. Let's see if he spontaneously combusts."

One day, they'll get the joke.
posted by zarq at 2:26 PM on January 26, 2011 [6 favorites]

I always wanted to write to "ZOOM!" when I was little. "Write ZOOM, Z-double-O-M, Box 3-5-0, Boston, Mass 0-2-1-3-4. Send it to ZOOM!"

This kid makes me wish I'd done that.
posted by blucevalo at 2:32 PM on January 26, 2011 [2 favorites]

I always wanted to write to "ZOOM!" when I was little. "Write ZOOM, Z-double-O-M, Box 3-5-0, Boston, Mass 0-2-1-3-4. Send it to ZOOM!"

This kid makes me wish I'd done that.

So what's stopping you? Do it!
posted by mazola at 3:23 PM on January 26, 2011

I always wanted to write to "ZOOM!" when I was little. "Write ZOOM, Z-double-O-M, Box 3-5-0, Boston, Mass 0-2-1-3-4. Send it to ZOOM!"

I wrote to ZOOM when I was a kid. Specifically this era. ("I'm Tishy!")

One thing that sucked about being overrun with American pop culture in Canada was that everything was so fucking complicated; you try and send away for some cheap thing at the back of a comic book or get a Mad Magazine subscription but there's only spaces for STATE and ZIPCODE and by the time you manage to cross things out and squeeze in all the Canadian details, you realize that they don't ship to Canada or "Canadian orders add $50" or a $9 subscription becomes $35 Canadian. To this day I'm cynical about ordering anything from the States.

But ZOOM wrote me back. I don't know how it worked, because you had to "include a SASE!!" and I obviously only had Canadian stamps. But they wrote me back and sent me a newsletter and some big colourful zoom card with instructions on how to make one of those volcanoes with baking soda, food colouring and vinegar.
posted by chococat at 3:42 PM on January 26, 2011 [5 favorites]

At around four my daughter did not know why she was the only one in the house with licensed characters on her underclothes and suggested Law & Order panties for my wife...

I'd be holding out for the True Blood or Glee (now there's a combination) ones...
posted by Snowflake at 4:04 PM on January 26, 2011

Wordgirl is pretty awesome!

This, absolutely. It's made by Soup2Nuts, who are responsible for such gems as Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist; Home Movies; Hey Monie; Science Court; O'Grady; et al. They are incapable of being un-awesome.
posted by Sys Rq at 5:18 PM on January 26, 2011 [3 favorites]

I wish they had Dr Who adult themed undies. Why yes, that is a TARDIS in my trousers.
posted by arcticseal at 6:10 PM on January 26, 2011

Not Law and Order panties, BUT.
posted by sweetkid at 6:39 PM on January 26, 2011

Why yes, that is a TARDIS in my trousers.

He's bigger on the inside!
posted by hippybear at 7:02 PM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

shothotbot: "suggested Law & Order panties for my wife..."

DOINK DOINK
posted by boo_radley at 7:14 PM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

Word families are a means of teaching reading my teaching pattern recognition.

Holy dog shit, I didn't actually expect an answer to my over-dramatic spew. You rock.
posted by norm at 7:21 PM on January 26, 2011

I wish they had Dr Who adult themed undies. Why yes, that is a TARDIS in my trousers.

And it's bigger on the inside, baby.
posted by Wataki at 7:23 PM on January 26, 2011

Oh crap, writing in to ZOOM, that brings back memories of the late 70s and getting really excited because they wrote me back. I can't remember what the hell it was but I was over the fucking moon.
posted by zardoz at 8:56 PM on January 26, 2011

"Hi, this is kprincehouse. I'd like to order two of the ones with Lennie's face right on the crotch. Do you have those available as amicus boxer-briefs?"
posted by kprincehouse at 10:21 PM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

None of the haters here have watched WordGirl. That show rules so much.

(Or maybe they have watched SuperWhy. That show sucks so much.)

SuperWhy is awesome if you're a little kid. My son ADORES it, and I can see why, though it bugs me too.

WordGirl fucking rocks the house at any age. One of the smartest and funniest shows on TV, period. I still think (and laugh) about a scene where she chucks a meteor into a nearby bay that she prevented from destroying her city. In the background, as an afterthought, one can see a giant squid go hurtling into the sky. WordGirl is a rare thing: a parent-friendly kid show, kids' entertainment that doesn't play down to the kids.

Sid the Science Kid? Needs to do an experiment about WHY HE AND HIS FRIENDS ARE SO FUCKING CREEPY.
posted by middleclasstool at 10:22 PM on January 26, 2011

WordGirl is awesome for Chuck the Evil Sandwich-Making Guy and especially for my favorite episode, When Life Gives You Potatoes ... (this is part 2).

A ray that changes gold into potato salad, and then a second ray to change the potato salad into cheese ... genius!
posted by freecellwizard at 10:40 PM on January 26, 2011