This blog is based upon "Children's TV," MEDST 322W, at Queens College/CUNY, Fall 2013. Comments here are provided by the students and professor, Dr. Joy Fuqua. The class examines the history of and contemporary media produced by and for children and teens in the US.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Hello Class,
Please post your responses to Seiter and Toys R Us here. Still having some technical difficulties with out blog but hope to get it all fixed very soon! Thanks for your patience!
Toy Story 3 gives us a unique perspective that we as viewers and critical scholars did not have in the first 2 iterations of the franchise. In toy Story 3, Andy is no longer a developing young boy, but rather he is almost an adult and ready to leave for college. This is important in relation to our reading from last week because the first 2 Toy Stories contained more relevant points such as young Andy's selection of toys and the impact it had on his childhood (Ex: sheriff Woody vs a newfangled space enforcer named Buzz Lightyear. Or how Andy as an innocent child plays with cowboy action figures and the seemingly evil Sid plays with dark and scary figures that he mutilates himself). Now that the viewer can see a reflection back into Andy's youth in flashbacks during TS3, we can also see the relevance to last week's reading. Apparently, Andy turned out just fine with the "mainstream" toys that he was given, and even despite getting very attached to his toys on an emotional level these plebeian playthings did not diminish his development, nor did they have any more impact on him than an expensive wooden heirloom puzzle would have. We see through flashbacks that Andy's toys were an incredibly useful tool to his development: he used them to flex his imagination; the presence of the toys taught him lessons about loyalty and friendship; and he eventually grows into the kindhearted soul who seeks to help others benefit from things that he no longer has a need for.
An interesting concept about Toy Story that is reflected in our reading from last week is how nearly every toy in the movie (and by "toy" i mean a character with a life-force and not a "childs play-thing" as Woody would call it) is a mass produced plastic product whose country of origin probably is not Germany. While we have no reference point of how the rich kids at the end of Andy's cul-de-sac turned out with their expensive heirloom toys (TS3 makes no mention of where the other neighborhood kids are going to college), it is apparent that even with the immense value placed on the impact of these toys on a person's life and childhood development (this is after all a trilogy about toys), it's not necessarily a matter of which toys are used. What matters is that each child learns the value of imagination and other positive lessons that come with play-time: we see through a montage how Andy learns about good and evil through playing with a Sheriff doll and learns about friendship and loyalty by setting up imaginary relationships between the toys (these relationships turn out to be not-so-imaginary after all).
In Toy Story 3 we see Andy as a 17 years old boy who is about to go to college. With all the flashbacks that occur in the beginning of the movie we see how many different toys and the large amount of toys Andy had while growing up. When the movie cuts back to the present day and we see how small his collection of toys has become. It is interesting to see which toys it is that have lasted the years. The toys that have lasted are the ones child Andy is shown playing with the most and using as the main characters (good or bad) in his adventures. Every kid has that one toy that is always the one that brings back the most memories of childhood, for Andy that is Woody. To me this is obvious as when it comes down to packing time Woody is the only toy Andy packs to take to college.
One interesting thing was that although Woody was a doll created as merchandise from an old tv show, he became something of worth because of how he was made. This didn't matter to Andy, to him Woody was a childhood friend and toy. Most of the other toys are plastic or plush toys, whereas Woody and the others from his set (Jessie and Bullseye) are made from wood and stuff material. and if I remember correctly they were hand-sewn and painted. This means that they were manufactured at a different level to that of the plastic toys and could be of a greater prestige. I think this shows that kids don't care where toys are made, what they are made from... they can still play with them, create with them and get the same enjoyment out of them regardless of price.
Toy Story 3 is a movie that essentially all teenagers can relate to in relation to having toys that remind them of their youth. I'm sure all of us have had a toy or a group of toys we used to play with that haven't been touched or thought of in years. But we still remember them or keep them in a safe place because we had a deep connection to that toy or group of toys. Andy is no exception. Even though the toys are stuffed in a toy box in the corner of the room, they're still there because he still has an emotional bond over them; Woody in particular. He made the initiative to take Woody with him when he went off to college while the others were intended to be put in the attic. If Andy didn't have a deep connection with them, he would have thrown them away years ago.
Toy Story 3 challenges Seiter's essay. On page 211, Seiter states that she "overheard a lot of working-class parents sternly lecturing their children on wasteful spending...Other parents just feel cheated: 'Remember when we bought you X and you enver played with it?' they scold." Seiter suggests that parents feel that toys are a waste of time and money because they assume that their children are gonna kick and scream about wanting a particular toy, but then end up forgetting about it. Toy Story 3 challenges this because Andy loves every toy he's ever had and developed a deep emotional bond with all of them. If he got a new Toy, he just simply added them to his collection of toys and loved them all equally. If he still didn't have a deep connection to the toys, they would have ended up in the garbage.When the time finally came to move to college, he ends up giving his toys away to the lonely little girl next door, knowing that his toys will be in a safe and happy home.
Toys R Us has always been a great part of my life. I say life because I can't deny that if I'm around one I still get excited to go in even if it is just to browse. Growing up Toys R Us was a must every Sunday after Church. As Seiter points out my experience with Toys R Us was just like she explained in the article. This was my time, my domain, and nobody was going to tell me how to browse or shop when I was in that store. Before that, though, my parents were in charge. I would go to church and all the while endure since I knew afterwards it was Toys R Us time. I usually went to the one on Metropolitan Ave. in Middle Village. It was next to a K-Mart so as my parents went there I would go to Toys R Us; K-Mart is no place for a child! As Seiter wrote, "Parents and children come just to look as a form of entertainment in itself" was very true. I would not always get a toy or an item when I went to Toys R Us but just being there was satisfaction enough. Regardless there were always toys to play with and video game systems to try out while I waited for my parents to be done in K Mart. Since there were almost no employees there was more freedom to grab a ball and throw it around or grab a bike and give it a test run. Even as a teen in h.s. I would walk or bike like a mile or two to a Toys R Us to play Guitar Hero for hours. No one ever bothered me (employee wise) and that was awesome. Seiter hit the nail on the head by pointing out the scarcity of employees and its role as a "self-service" store. No one scolded me to settle down as a kid and no one told me to get lost as a teen. There's no better feeling.
In Toy Story 3, the fictional character Andy is a 17 year old who is preparing to go away to college. He has a various array of toys that he has collected throughout his childhood which have brought him great pleasure. Andy's favorite toy 'Woody" is a toy based on a character of the same name from a 1950's children's show "Woody's Roundup". This particular toy he has had through his whole childhood. According to Seiter's view there are two classes of toys. There are the "Yuppy Toys" which are made of non-toxic materials such as wood; they are not mass produced and are usually educational. There are also the Mass produced Toys that are carried by stores like "Toys R Us" & Disney. They are categorized as being cheap, plastic, not unique and usually made out of the U.S in countries like China. Woody could be classified as one of the "mass produced" toys; however the relationship that Andy has with this particular toy is unique and special. His feelings about Woody place a special value on him that is priceless. I believe that many of us can relate to Andy in some way. Most of us have had toys that for some reason stood out in our memories for whatever reason. It is those memories that are attached to and associated with a particular toy that makes the toy meaningful and gives the toy value.
"Toys incite in parents strong feelings that are a tangle of nostalgia and generational and class values." Seiter, Pg.193
I believe that there is a conflict that exists for parents when purchasing a toy for their child/children. On the one hand you try to reflect on your own childhood and what you liked and were exposed to; it can be an influence and be a factor in terms of what you might purchase. There does exist the need to buy something educational for your child. I think that certain ideas and values have been embedded throughout generations. Many parents try to steer away from buying the popular action hero, doll/toy of the year. I believe it is because parents want a toy that serves a more useful purpose other than just sheer entertainment for their child. I remember as a child loving to go to Toys R Us. I would see the commercials for Toys R Us with Geoffrey the giraffe. I would go up and down every single aisle in the store hoping that I would see him. I remember feeling overwhelmed with all of the different toy options that were presented. I could never choose because I wanted it all, so many times I would leave with nothing because as much as my parents wanted to see me happy, they certainly were not going to buy every single thing that I wanted. I definitely steered away from anything remotely educational or that consisted of art. I wanted Barbies, cabbage patch kids, baby dolls, bouncing horses and bikes but never anything related to education or art. My parents on the other hand try to introduce educational toys and arts & krafts kits to me but they usually caved in at Christmas time or on birthdays and gave me what I really wanted. I believe that kids are looking for fun in a toy, while parents are looking for a purpose.
Toy Story 3 presents Andy as having a lot of nostalgia for his childhood toys- toys that are physical playthings. While this is consistent with the world it created with the first Toy Story film in 1995, I think it overlooks something that is now a staple of society: digital playthings. While I had toys such as GI Joes and Lego when I was a kid, I also spent a lot of time playing N64. Trips to Toys R' Us often had the purpose of finding a new Gameboy game, rather than getting a new action figure. Modern day nostalgia brings back memories of Pokemon, Mario, and the Legend of Zelda. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that these things hold more childhood significance than a toy or doll. If I remember correctly, the video game section in Toys R' Us was positioned towards the back of the store. In order to get to the video games, one had to journey through the aisles of regular toys. The video game section was like the holy grail of the toy store. Today, even formerly physical toys have taken the form of digital recreations. Lego has been producing Lego versions of popular franchises and turning it into console-based video games such as Lego Batman, Lego Star Wars, and Lego Marvel Heroes. Where a child would once sit on a floor surrounded by thousands of bricks that probably end up getting jammed into the underside of their parents feet, they now sit in front of a TV or Gameboy doing their building and creating on a screen. Were Toy Story to give a slightly more accurate portrayal of modern nostalgia, Andy would probably be dusting off his old N64 cartridges and going through the now-defunct ritual of blowing on the underside to clear out debris. A trip to Toys R' Us very likely includes a chance to demo a new video game system that a child's parents have yet to purchase. This is not to say that the traditional toy is now totally defunct, but it is important not to overlook the digital toy, which now holds equal or possibly greater weight than its physical predecessor.
Toy Story 3 gives us a unique perspective that we as viewers and critical scholars did not have in the first 2 iterations of the franchise. In toy Story 3, Andy is no longer a developing young boy, but rather he is almost an adult and ready to leave for college. This is important in relation to our reading from last week because the first 2 Toy Stories contained more relevant points such as young Andy's selection of toys and the impact it had on his childhood (Ex: sheriff Woody vs a newfangled space enforcer named Buzz Lightyear. Or how Andy as an innocent child plays with cowboy action figures and the seemingly evil Sid plays with dark and scary figures that he mutilates himself). Now that the viewer can see a reflection back into Andy's youth in flashbacks during TS3, we can also see the relevance to last week's reading. Apparently, Andy turned out just fine with the "mainstream" toys that he was given, and even despite getting very attached to his toys on an emotional level these plebeian playthings did not diminish his development, nor did they have any more impact on him than an expensive wooden heirloom puzzle would have. We see through flashbacks that Andy's toys were an incredibly useful tool to his development: he used them to flex his imagination; the presence of the toys taught him lessons about loyalty and friendship; and he eventually grows into the kindhearted soul who seeks to help others benefit from things that he no longer has a need for.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting concept about Toy Story that is reflected in our reading from last week is how nearly every toy in the movie (and by "toy" i mean a character with a life-force and not a "childs play-thing" as Woody would call it) is a mass produced plastic product whose country of origin probably is not Germany. While we have no reference point of how the rich kids at the end of Andy's cul-de-sac turned out with their expensive heirloom toys (TS3 makes no mention of where the other neighborhood kids are going to college), it is apparent that even with the immense value placed on the impact of these toys on a person's life and childhood development (this is after all a trilogy about toys), it's not necessarily a matter of which toys are used. What matters is that each child learns the value of imagination and other positive lessons that come with play-time: we see through a montage how Andy learns about good and evil through playing with a Sheriff doll and learns about friendship and loyalty by setting up imaginary relationships between the toys (these relationships turn out to be not-so-imaginary after all).
In Toy Story 3 we see Andy as a 17 years old boy who is about to go to college. With all the flashbacks that occur in the beginning of the movie we see how many different toys and the large amount of toys Andy had while growing up. When the movie cuts back to the present day and we see how small his collection of toys has become. It is interesting to see which toys it is that have lasted the years. The toys that have lasted are the ones child Andy is shown playing with the most and using as the main characters (good or bad) in his adventures. Every kid has that one toy that is always the one that brings back the most memories of childhood, for Andy that is Woody. To me this is obvious as when it comes down to packing time Woody is the only toy Andy packs to take to college.
ReplyDeleteOne interesting thing was that although Woody was a doll created as merchandise from an old tv show, he became something of worth because of how he was made. This didn't matter to Andy, to him Woody was a childhood friend and toy. Most of the other toys are plastic or plush toys, whereas Woody and the others from his set (Jessie and Bullseye) are made from wood and stuff material. and if I remember correctly they were hand-sewn and painted. This means that they were manufactured at a different level to that of the plastic toys and could be of a greater prestige. I think this shows that kids don't care where toys are made, what they are made from... they can still play with them, create with them and get the same enjoyment out of them regardless of price.
Toy Story 3 is a movie that essentially all teenagers can relate to in relation to having toys that remind them of their youth. I'm sure all of us have had a toy or a group of toys we used to play with that haven't been touched or thought of in years. But we still remember them or keep them in a safe place because we had a deep connection to that toy or group of toys. Andy is no exception. Even though the toys are stuffed in a toy box in the corner of the room, they're still there because he still has an emotional bond over them; Woody in particular. He made the initiative to take Woody with him when he went off to college while the others were intended to be put in the attic. If Andy didn't have a deep connection with them, he would have thrown them away years ago.
ReplyDeleteToy Story 3 challenges Seiter's essay. On page 211, Seiter states that she "overheard a lot of working-class parents sternly lecturing their children on wasteful spending...Other parents just feel cheated: 'Remember when we bought you X and you enver played with it?' they scold." Seiter suggests that parents feel that toys are a waste of time and money because they assume that their children are gonna kick and scream about wanting a particular toy, but then end up forgetting about it. Toy Story 3 challenges this because Andy loves every toy he's ever had and developed a deep emotional bond with all of them. If he got a new Toy, he just simply added them to his collection of toys and loved them all equally. If he still didn't have a deep connection to the toys, they would have ended up in the garbage.When the time finally came to move to college, he ends up giving his toys away to the lonely little girl next door, knowing that his toys will be in a safe and happy home.
I think people keep their old toys because there are certain memories attached to these toys. It is a form of nostalgia.
DeleteToys R Us has always been a great part of my life. I say life because I can't deny that if I'm around one I still get excited to go in even if it is just to browse. Growing up Toys R Us was a must every Sunday after Church. As Seiter points out my experience with Toys R Us was just like she explained in the article. This was my time, my domain, and nobody was going to tell me how to browse or shop when I was in that store. Before that, though, my parents were in charge. I would go to church and all the while endure since I knew afterwards it was Toys R Us time. I usually went to the one on Metropolitan Ave. in Middle Village. It was next to a K-Mart so as my parents went there I would go to Toys R Us; K-Mart is no place for a child! As Seiter wrote, "Parents and children come just to look as a form of entertainment in itself" was very true. I would not always get a toy or an item when I went to Toys R Us but just being there was satisfaction enough. Regardless there were always toys to play with and video game systems to try out while I waited for my parents to be done in K Mart. Since there were almost no employees there was more freedom to grab a ball and throw it around or grab a bike and give it a test run. Even as a teen in h.s. I would walk or bike like a mile or two to a Toys R Us to play Guitar Hero for hours. No one ever bothered me (employee wise) and that was awesome. Seiter hit the nail on the head by pointing out the scarcity of employees and its role as a "self-service" store. No one scolded me to settle down as a kid and no one told me to get lost as a teen. There's no better feeling.
ReplyDeleteIn Toy Story 3, the fictional character Andy is a 17 year old who is preparing to go away to college. He has a various array of toys that he has collected throughout his childhood which have brought him great pleasure. Andy's favorite toy 'Woody" is a toy based on a character of the same name from a 1950's children's show "Woody's Roundup". This particular toy he has had through his whole childhood. According to Seiter's view there are two classes of toys. There are the "Yuppy Toys" which are made of non-toxic materials such as wood; they are not mass produced and are usually educational. There are also the Mass produced Toys that are carried by stores like "Toys R Us" & Disney. They are categorized as being cheap, plastic, not unique and usually made out of the U.S in countries like China. Woody could be classified as one of the "mass produced" toys; however the relationship that Andy has with this particular toy is unique and special. His feelings about Woody place a special value on him that is priceless. I believe that many of us can relate to Andy in some way. Most of us have had toys that for some reason stood out in our memories for whatever reason. It is those memories that are attached to and associated with a particular toy that makes the toy meaningful and gives the toy value.
ReplyDelete"Toys incite in parents strong feelings that are a tangle of nostalgia and generational and class values." Seiter, Pg.193
ReplyDeleteI believe that there is a conflict that exists for parents when purchasing a toy for their child/children. On the one hand you try to reflect on your own childhood and what you liked and were exposed to; it can be an influence and be a factor in terms of what you might purchase. There does exist the need to buy something educational for your child. I think that certain ideas and values have been embedded throughout generations. Many parents try to steer away from buying the popular action hero, doll/toy of the year. I believe it is because parents want a toy that serves a more useful purpose other than just sheer entertainment for their child. I remember as a child loving to go to Toys R Us. I would see the commercials for Toys R Us with Geoffrey the giraffe. I would go up and down every single aisle in the store hoping that I would see him. I remember feeling overwhelmed with all of the different toy options that were presented. I could never choose because I wanted it all, so many times I would leave with nothing because as much as my parents wanted to see me happy, they certainly were not going to buy every single thing that I wanted. I definitely steered away from anything remotely educational or that consisted of art. I wanted Barbies, cabbage patch kids, baby dolls, bouncing horses and bikes but never anything related to education or art. My parents on the other hand try to introduce educational toys and arts & krafts kits to me but they usually caved in at Christmas time or on birthdays and gave me what I really wanted. I believe that kids are looking for fun in a toy, while parents are looking for a purpose.
Toy Story 3 presents Andy as having a lot of nostalgia for his childhood toys- toys that are physical playthings. While this is consistent with the world it created with the first Toy Story film in 1995, I think it overlooks something that is now a staple of society: digital playthings. While I had toys such as GI Joes and Lego when I was a kid, I also spent a lot of time playing N64. Trips to Toys R' Us often had the purpose of finding a new Gameboy game, rather than getting a new action figure. Modern day nostalgia brings back memories of Pokemon, Mario, and the Legend of Zelda. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that these things hold more childhood significance than a toy or doll. If I remember correctly, the video game section in Toys R' Us was positioned towards the back of the store. In order to get to the video games, one had to journey through the aisles of regular toys. The video game section was like the holy grail of the toy store. Today, even formerly physical toys have taken the form of digital recreations. Lego has been producing Lego versions of popular franchises and turning it into console-based video games such as Lego Batman, Lego Star Wars, and Lego Marvel Heroes. Where a child would once sit on a floor surrounded by thousands of bricks that probably end up getting jammed into the underside of their parents feet, they now sit in front of a TV or Gameboy doing their building and creating on a screen. Were Toy Story to give a slightly more accurate portrayal of modern nostalgia, Andy would probably be dusting off his old N64 cartridges and going through the now-defunct ritual of blowing on the underside to clear out debris. A trip to Toys R' Us very likely includes a chance to demo a new video game system that a child's parents have yet to purchase. This is not to say that the traditional toy is now totally defunct, but it is important not to overlook the digital toy, which now holds equal or possibly greater weight than its physical predecessor.
ReplyDelete-Ben Friedman