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Author Topic: Mature Kids  (Read 488 times)

LovingBeagles

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Mature Kids
« on: February 16, 2013, 11:16:20 pm »
Anyone else think that these kids act a bit maturely for their age? I mean, most parents probably wouldn't let their 8-year-old kids bike around a large city on their own. (See "Free Range Children" on TVTropes)

The tough customers act more like teens (TBH, if I ever saw 9 year olds dress like that and act tough as the TCs do, I would think that they were just trying too hard to be "mature")

As for D.W., she has an impressive vocabulary and uses phrases I would never have used when I was 4/5 ("the birds and the trees", as she puts it in "Kiss and Tell", or "Now I know what true power feels like!" in "D.W.'s library card")

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MCCJ

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Re: Mature Kids
« Reply #1 on: February 17, 2013, 12:32:40 am »
Anyone else think that these kids act a bit maturely for their age? I mean, most parents probably wouldn't let their 8-year-old kids bike around a large city on their own. (See "Free Range Children" on TVTropes)

The tough customers act more like teens (TBH, if I ever saw 9 year olds dress like that and act tough as the TCs do, I would think that they were just trying too hard to be "mature")

As for D.W., she has an impressive vocabulary and uses phrases I would never have used when I was 4/5 ("the birds and the trees", as she puts it in "Kiss and Tell", or "Now I know what true power feels like!" in "D.W.'s library card")

It does happen to some. You just never know. Plus it's a cartoon and I don't expect cartoons to be correct all the time.

Snowth Woogle

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Re: Mature Kids
« Reply #2 on: February 17, 2013, 11:36:26 am »
Right.

That's the thing about cartoons, the kids always seem to behave a little more older than they really are, but you also have to keep in mind too, even though they have a specific target audience, they still want older kids and adults to be able to watch too: if the kids act like actual eight-year-olds, or if D.W. acted and spoke like an actual four-year-old, etc. then older people aren't going to want to watch, because then, it really would be a "kiddy" or a "baby" show.

In cases like Arthur, I think too by having the kids act a little older than they really are also helps with the educational value of the show: kids learn by example, and these characters are supposed to set examples, they make mistakes and learn from them, so kids watching are going to be pick up on that a little better.

As for the Tough Customers, I think having them act like teenagers is supposed to help the kids realize they're older kids, and when you're a little kid, older kids often come across as being mean and intimidating; it's really for emphasis, more than anything I believe.

As for Elwood City, it's like the Mayberry of children's entertainment: it's an extremely safe town, a very tight knit community, everybody knows everybody, there's no crime, not to mention the kids usually travel in groups or are under the eye of other trusted adults, and Elwood City really doesn't seem like as big a city as people make it out to be, so I don't see a problem in letting the kids wander around on their own. If it really was a big city like New York or Los Angeles, then yeah, that'd be a different ball game right there...
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MCCJ

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Re: Mature Kids
« Reply #3 on: February 17, 2013, 02:12:43 pm »
Right.

That's the thing about cartoons, the kids always seem to behave a little more older than they really are, but you also have to keep in mind too, even though they have a specific target audience, they still want older kids and adults to be able to watch too: if the kids act like actual eight-year-olds, or if D.W. acted and spoke like an actual four-year-old, etc. then older people aren't going to want to watch, because then, it really would be a "kiddy" or a "baby" show.

In cases like Arthur, I think too by having the kids act a little older than they really are also helps with the educational value of the show: kids learn by example, and these characters are supposed to set examples, they make mistakes and learn from them, so kids watching are going to be pick up on that a little better.

As for the Tough Customers, I think having them act like teenagers is supposed to help the kids realize they're older kids, and when you're a little kid, older kids often come across as being mean and intimidating; it's really for emphasis, more than anything I believe.

As for Elwood City, it's like the Mayberry of children's entertainment: it's an extremely safe town, a very tight knit community, everybody knows everybody, there's no crime, not to mention the kids usually travel in groups or are under the eye of other trusted adults, and Elwood City really doesn't seem like as big a city as people make it out to be, so I don't see a problem in letting the kids wander around on their own. If it really was a big city like New York or Los Angeles, then yeah, that'd be a different ball game right there...

Kids do wander around on their own in New York City in reality. I would know I was there last year and I saw this happen numerous times. I was a bit surprised at that too then I realized New York City is a lot safer then it was back in those days. Can't say much for LA since I have not been there yet, however I do get the gist of what your saying though.

Snowth Woogle

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Re: Mature Kids
« Reply #4 on: February 17, 2013, 02:47:39 pm »
Yeah, you do have a point, NYC is suprisingly high on the list of the safest cities in America... one wouldn't think of big ol' NYC as being safe, but I suppose it is, and probably moreso after 9-11.

Now LA on the other hand, they seem to have a lot of crime there, robberies, high speed chases, among other things (well, Southern California in general), so yeah, probably not the safest town there is.
I stretch like a snake, and I shimmy and shake, and I bounce like a ball, and I say something cute when you give me a squeeze!

MCCJ

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Re: Mature Kids
« Reply #5 on: February 17, 2013, 07:06:48 pm »
Yeah, you do have a point, NYC is suprisingly high on the list of the safest cities in America... one wouldn't think of big ol' NYC as being safe, but I suppose it is, and probably moreso after 9-11.

Now LA on the other hand, they seem to have a lot of crime there, robberies, high speed chases, among other things (well, Southern California in general), so yeah, probably not the safest town there is.

Yeah. Now it's just expensive to live there.

Snowth Woogle

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Re: Mature Kids
« Reply #6 on: February 17, 2013, 08:20:34 pm »
Yeah, that's probably why it's safe.

Like take Knoxville for example, the surrounding areas are pretty dangerous because there's a lot of hoods and ghettos scattered everywhere, but then you get downtown, and it's like leaving the badlands and passing through civilization.
I stretch like a snake, and I shimmy and shake, and I bounce like a ball, and I say something cute when you give me a squeeze!

Roabe

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Re: Mature Kids
« Reply #7 on: February 17, 2013, 10:32:35 pm »
In the town I grew up in (called Lakewood ;D), our parents let us go where ever we wanted as long as we didn't venture too far from home, and stayed away from the railroad tracks that ran through the city (a 9-year-old boy was killed by a train in the early 90s, so naturally every kid's parents were paranoid for a few years). We were allowed to go to the movies or the store by ourselves and hardly ever needed adults or older kids to look after us.

The crime statistics in Lakewood are more or less the same as they were in the 90s, but I honestly would never let my kids (if I had any) venture in those streets on their own. Maybe I'm just more aware of crime now than my parents were, I don't know.
« Last Edit: February 17, 2013, 10:37:59 pm by Roabe »

LovingBeagles

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Re: Mature Kids
« Reply #8 on: February 17, 2013, 10:42:24 pm »
You guys raised some pretty good points. One thing that is worth bringing up again is that, if you think about it, Elwood City doesn't have very many crimes. In fact one of them ended up being a false alarm (when Brain, Prunella, and Rubella were confused for robbers in the Mr. Rogers episode).

LovingBeagles

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Re: Mature Kids
« Reply #9 on: May 12, 2013, 12:49:38 am »
Well I guess I'm just going to revitalize another "dead" topic here :)

I was just thinking about the episode "Elwood City Turns 100" and the fact that they are in 3rd grade and can still pull together that entire play. I mean, they made BUSTER the DIRECTOR! And Brain having to "write the flying saucer out" after it was destroyed? When I was in 3rd grade, the most we ever did in a play was get told what to say and when, any specific body movements to make, etc. But the fact that these kids can make and improvise virtually the entire play really reinforces how much older these kids act.

Not to mention that, if I were to imagine a 3rd grader narrate the play, I would imagine a much higher, "little-kiddier" voice, almost like those kids in those new AT&T "Not Complicated" commercials (who are assumed to be about 1st grade, though), rather than Arthur's more controlled, distinguished voice. Though that is probably the result of the "as you grow older, everyone around you seems a lot younger" effect. Anyway, my point here is that not only are the kids more mature in behavior, but their voices at times also seem a bit unrealistic for their age.
« Last Edit: May 12, 2013, 01:09:14 am by LovingBeagles »

Snowth Woogle

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Re: Mature Kids
« Reply #10 on: May 12, 2013, 01:31:02 am »
Well, in a lot of cases, the parents DID help... or at least, I know George's father helped him with the scenery and the props and such. But yes, that kind of production is something we didn't do till middle school... matter of fact, because production was one of my electives, when I was in Grade 8, we were putting on an end of the year show for the entire school, it was a REALLY big production, all kinds of different musical numbers, different costumes, and such... the production class served as stage crew, and we put in some looooong hours during rehearsals that week... in fact, IIRC, school ended at 3:00, we all stayed after school for rehearsals up till like maybe 6:00 or 7:00. I actually got in trouble one evening during rehearsal, because we had down time, and I REALLY needed to use the bathroom, and when I did, the teachers involved got mad at me because they felt I was goofing off and couldn't handle being on the stage crew. But the show did well, and we all did a good job, and I was a zombie by the end of that week. Stage managing is hard work yo.
I stretch like a snake, and I shimmy and shake, and I bounce like a ball, and I say something cute when you give me a squeeze!