This is my second editorial on my blog. So let's begin.
Remember Barney the Dinosaur? I remember growing up sitting around the TV with my sisters and watching that show. As a kid, I thought I learned everything from Barney about what life had to offer, but not really. I remember finding out in 5th grade that some of what Barney taught me were lies.
As an adult, I realize what Barney has and has NOT taught me. But before we can point out the good and bad stuff about Barney, it's best to talk more about who he is and what he's about.
The show normally starts with a group of kids doing something or WANTING to do something; and they always show Barney as a plush toy, of which Barney transforms into his real-life self and apparently makes the kids' day and solves their problems. Barney would always be accompanied by BJ and Baby Bop, who are his... well, the show doesn't clarify if BJ and Baby Bop are his children or the dinosaur kids that he's babysitting, but we all just assume that he's their babysitter and teacher. Oh, and later on in the series, they add an orange dinosaur named Riff, who somehow has mind-powers (No, really. When he uses his magic, his head lights up like a disco ball.) Nonetheless, Barney would have many activities for him and the kids can do.
So now, where does Barney fall flat? Well, I ask because there has been some criticism about this show for as long as it's been around.
For example, notice how whenever Barney and the gang come across a problem, no one is crying or is getting upset to the point where people are saying "I can't do this anymore" or "I'm going back to my dressing room, because this script is God-awful." No. Everything has to be happy. Like, the show cannot function with negative emotions and feelings. The show is always fixated on positive and happy emotions and feelings. Kind of a mixed message there. Are they trying to say that there are no such thing as good and evil, but only good? If so, then that's where they're wrong, because in today's world, there's talk of child abuse, families going through financial problems, parents divorcing, and peer pressure at school. Now with those issues in mind, the show does little to nothing about solving those problems or coping with them. Although Barney is bringing joy to the kids and giving them unconditional love, he only gives us a one-dimensional insight on the world: in other words, there's no room to recognize the evils in this world- everything has to be happy & every problem has to be solved.
Another thing about this show is that there are a billion plot-holes in every episode. For example, the Imagination Island special. The gang uses their imaginations to sail on a ship. The ship gets caught up in a big storm. The storm makes the ship get stuck in the trees. Barney and friends get on an island in search for somebody that can help them get their ship out of the trees. They meet some toymaker that refuses to share his stuff with anybody, but Barney sets the record straight with him that sharing is caring. Then the toymaker agrees to help them get their ship up and running again... by making it fly, letting everybody go home. Great story, right? Here are the plot-holes:
1. How does Barney get everybody else together to join the adventure? We see him visit the two girls at the beginning. Oh, and by the way, what was the focal point of the special, anyway?
2. How did Professor Tinkerputt end up on that island? Did he get shipwrecked or something? I remember him saying something about how he didn't want the world to get the toys that he made, but... what's the story behind it?
Okay, so that's all my bad stuff. Now, I want to talk about the good stuff. I love the creativity that's being put into this show. The show is so imaginative that sometimes I wish I could live there for one day, because who wouldn't want to get away from stress for a while? The animation may seem cheesy at most times, but when your a Barney fan, you just don't care. As a kid, when the feature-length film came out, I was wanting to watch it again and again (Honestly, I haven't seen Barney's Great Adventure in years, but I'll watch it again so that I can do a review on it. Note to self: gotta give that movie a review).
So... is Barney a good teacher?
Out of all the shows I watched as a kid, this show was the most unforgettable; I mean, the show really stuck to me. The songs were memorable; the creativity was pretty good at the time; and the unconditional love was also memorable. Sure, the show could've been more edgy and would've addressed issues that the world is dealing with right now; but it's also better that it doesn't, because it acts as a stress reliever to kids and adults if life ever gets them down.
I think he could be a teacher, but a great one to the younger viewers, because younger children are just starting to learn about what life has to offer them in a basic sense. I mean, we can't just tell them: "Well, kids, there are dangers in this world, like violence, arguing, and people dying..." That's more like saying, "Screw the kids" than just thinking "Hey, we want our kids to be safe. They're too young to know about the evils of this world. So why not teach them positive things like reading and writing and exploring..."
So Barney the Dinosaur can be a teacher in some ways. Again, the show could've been a little more edgy, but for what it is, it's not so bad. I don't care if the show's got problems; I still like the show.
Amateur Critic
Sources:
Barney and Friends
Barney's Imagination Island
All rights go to the people that made Barney and Friends.
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