Barney: the Baby-Sitter

        Each morning in the state of Washington, a toddler wakes up and 
greets his parents.  This young boy doesn't start the day with a 
friendly, "Hi, Mom," or "Hi, Dad."  Instead, he greets them eagerly with, 
"Hi, watch Barney!" [1]  This toddler is just one of the millions of 
children that have become spell-bound by the bouncing, purple 
Tyrannosaurus Rex commonly known as Barney.

        With today's world of television inundated with violence, many 
parents view "Barney and Friends" as a safe show.  However, not only does 
it teach some rather hazardous lessons, this show also heralds the birth 
of a new era in children's television, an era that not only puts aside 
the educational aspect of children's television, but also focuses solely 
on utilizing the television as a baby-sitter.

        Heralded by supporters as a modern-day "Sesame Street", "Barney 
and Friends" was really only created to serve as a baby-sitter for 
today's busy parents.  Mom or Dad can now set Junior in front of the TV 
and leave the room, secure in the knowledge that their young son/daughter 
is held entranced by the dancing dinosaur on the screen.  One example of 
this behavior can be found in New York City.  In one Upper West Side 
apartment, a psychiatrist (and father) regularly uses the show to 
"immobolize" his four-year-old son - so he can conduct a half-hour 
telephone session in a nearby room. [2]

        Unfortunately, while convenient, today such practices can be 
rather hazardous to children's well-being.  Shortly after the show's 
debut, an episode aired focusing on the theme, "A Stranger is a Friend, 
You Haven't Met."  While seemingly harmless, the show's producers soon 
found that it could also be extremely dangerous for young children.  In 
fact, several young Barney-lovers from across the U.S. fell victim to 
pedophiles, who were using the show's friendly message to lure children 
away from their parents.  The episode has since been pulled, but the 
damage had been done.  Innocent mistakes in programming, like this one, 
clearly show why parents need to watch television WITH their children.

        Barney and Friends, however, is not only a show created for the 
child alone, its purpose is to give parents a break from parenting.  From 
its very conception, the show was meant to be neither educational nor 
something for families to do together.  Rather, the idea sprang from a 
mother's desire to find a videeo to hold her two-year-old son's 
attention.  In fact, every aspect of the show is "carefully calculated to 
keep a two-year-old transfixed." [1]  As one grandfather (and Connecticut 
Public Television Executive put it, "The kids shut up for thirty minutes 
and it works out good!" [2]
        The scary thing is that it *does* work and parents condone it.  They 
may complain about the dopey voice or the annoying songs, but they still 
tune in to the show every morning, they still purchase Barney plushes, 
books, and videos, and they still visit him in shopping malls.  In doing 
so, they not only support Barney, but they also support the idea of using 
the television as a baby-sitter.

And that's something that everybody should recognize as wrong.
________
Written by Alex Bellinghausen.
July, 1997.