Re: Oompa-Loompas on TV
rick and deborah farrington
i can attest to the truth of that poem. our tv died and we were with out
one for over 3 years. actually we had one but didnt hook up to the antenna so it
was only videos. but me kids are varacious readers and sometimes read so pickin'
much i get tired of it!! now dh slipped back into the tv mode but only at night
and we watch pbs alot.
anyway i have have always loved that poem.
Bonknit@... wrote:
one for over 3 years. actually we had one but didnt hook up to the antenna so it
was only videos. but me kids are varacious readers and sometimes read so pickin'
much i get tired of it!! now dh slipped back into the tv mode but only at night
and we watch pbs alot.
anyway i have have always loved that poem.
Bonknit@... wrote:
> From: Bonknit@...
>
> In a message dated 10/16/99 12:22:39 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
> andersen@... writes:
>
> << Here is a song by the Oompa Loompas from the book:
> >>
>
> I loved this. I can't wait until my printer is fixed to hang it on the
> fridge.
> We have cut back on our children's television viewing considerably.I have
> found that if they watch TV in the morning before we start our day they will
> argue and fight most of the afternoon. It doesn't seem to matter what they
> are watching either. I have no explanation for this I only know it's so.
> Also since we have cut back they are actually asking me to read instead
> of TV on their own. However this did not happen over night. We started almost
> a yr. ago.
>
> Laura
>
> > Check it out!
> http://www.unschooling.com
John O. Andersen
We're reading "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl. Our two
children love it. Here is a song by the Oompa Loompas from the book:
John Andersen
"The most important thing we've learned,
So far as children are concerned,
Is never, never, NEVER let
Them near your television set--
Or better still, just don't install
The idiotic thing at all.
In almost every house we've been,
We've watched them gaping at the screen.
They loll and slop and lounge about,
And stare until their eyes pop out.
(Last week in someone's place we saw
A dozen eyeballs on the floor.)
They sit and stare and stare and sit
Until they're hypnotised by it,
Until they're absolutely drunk
With all that shocking ghastly junk.
Oh yes, we know it keeps them still,
They don't climb out the window sill,
They never fight or kick or punch,
They leave you free to cook the lunch
And wash the dishes in the sink--
But did you ever stop to think,
To wonder just exactly what
This does to your beloved tot?
IT ROTS THE SENSES IN THE HEAD!
IT KILLS IMAGINATION DEAD!
IT CLOGS AND CLUTTERS UP THE MIND!
IT MAKES A CHILD SO DULL AND BLIND
HE CAN NO LONGER UNDERSTAND
A FANTASY, A FAIRYLAND!
HIS BRAIN BECOMES AS SOFT AS CHEESE!
HIS POWERS OF THINKING RUST AND FREEZE!
HE CANNOT THINK--HE ONLY SEES!
'All right!' you'll cry. 'All right!' you'll say,
'But if we take the set away,
What shall we do to entertain
Our darling children? Please explain!'
We'll answer this by asking you,
'What used the darling ones to do?
'How used they keep themselves contented
Before this monster was invented?'
Have you forgotten? Don't you know?
We'll say it very loud and slow:
THEY...USED...TO...READ! They'd READ and READ,
AND READ and READ, AND then proceed
To READ some more. Great Scott! Gadzooks!
One half their lives was reading books!
The nursery shelves held books galore!
Books cluttered up the nursery floor!
And in the bedroom, by the bed,
More books were waiting to be read!
Such wondrous, fine, fantastic tales
Of dragons, gypsies, queens, and whales
And treasure isles, and distant shores
Where smugglers rowed with muffled oars,
And pirates weaving purple pants,
And sailing ships and elephants,
And cannibals crouching 'round the pot,
Stirring away at something hot.
(It smells so good, what can it be?
Good gracious, it's Penelope.)
The younger ones had Beatrix Potter
With Mr. Tod, the dirty rotter,
And Squirrel Nutkin, Pigling Bland,
And Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and--
Just How the Camel Got His Hump,
And How The Monkey Lost His Rump,
And Mr. Tod, and bless my soul,
There's Mr. Rat and Mr. Mole--
Oh, books, what books they used to know,
Those children living long ago!
So please, oh please, we beg, we pray,
Go throw your TV set away,
And in its place you can install
A lovely bookshelf on the wall.
Then fill the shelves with lots of books,
Ignoring all the dirty looks,
The screams and yells, the bites and kicks,
And children hitting you with sticks--
Fear not, because we promise you
That, in about a week or two
Of having nothing else to do,
They'll now begin to feel the need
Of having something good to read.
And once they start--oh boy, oh boy!
You watch the slowly growing joy
That fills their hearts. They'll grow so keen
They'll wonder what they'd ever seen
In that ridiculous machine,
That nauseating, foul, unclean,
Repulsive television screen!
And later, each and every kid
Will love you more for what you did....
John
http://members.xoom.com/joandersen
children love it. Here is a song by the Oompa Loompas from the book:
John Andersen
"The most important thing we've learned,
So far as children are concerned,
Is never, never, NEVER let
Them near your television set--
Or better still, just don't install
The idiotic thing at all.
In almost every house we've been,
We've watched them gaping at the screen.
They loll and slop and lounge about,
And stare until their eyes pop out.
(Last week in someone's place we saw
A dozen eyeballs on the floor.)
They sit and stare and stare and sit
Until they're hypnotised by it,
Until they're absolutely drunk
With all that shocking ghastly junk.
Oh yes, we know it keeps them still,
They don't climb out the window sill,
They never fight or kick or punch,
They leave you free to cook the lunch
And wash the dishes in the sink--
But did you ever stop to think,
To wonder just exactly what
This does to your beloved tot?
IT ROTS THE SENSES IN THE HEAD!
IT KILLS IMAGINATION DEAD!
IT CLOGS AND CLUTTERS UP THE MIND!
IT MAKES A CHILD SO DULL AND BLIND
HE CAN NO LONGER UNDERSTAND
A FANTASY, A FAIRYLAND!
HIS BRAIN BECOMES AS SOFT AS CHEESE!
HIS POWERS OF THINKING RUST AND FREEZE!
HE CANNOT THINK--HE ONLY SEES!
'All right!' you'll cry. 'All right!' you'll say,
'But if we take the set away,
What shall we do to entertain
Our darling children? Please explain!'
We'll answer this by asking you,
'What used the darling ones to do?
'How used they keep themselves contented
Before this monster was invented?'
Have you forgotten? Don't you know?
We'll say it very loud and slow:
THEY...USED...TO...READ! They'd READ and READ,
AND READ and READ, AND then proceed
To READ some more. Great Scott! Gadzooks!
One half their lives was reading books!
The nursery shelves held books galore!
Books cluttered up the nursery floor!
And in the bedroom, by the bed,
More books were waiting to be read!
Such wondrous, fine, fantastic tales
Of dragons, gypsies, queens, and whales
And treasure isles, and distant shores
Where smugglers rowed with muffled oars,
And pirates weaving purple pants,
And sailing ships and elephants,
And cannibals crouching 'round the pot,
Stirring away at something hot.
(It smells so good, what can it be?
Good gracious, it's Penelope.)
The younger ones had Beatrix Potter
With Mr. Tod, the dirty rotter,
And Squirrel Nutkin, Pigling Bland,
And Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and--
Just How the Camel Got His Hump,
And How The Monkey Lost His Rump,
And Mr. Tod, and bless my soul,
There's Mr. Rat and Mr. Mole--
Oh, books, what books they used to know,
Those children living long ago!
So please, oh please, we beg, we pray,
Go throw your TV set away,
And in its place you can install
A lovely bookshelf on the wall.
Then fill the shelves with lots of books,
Ignoring all the dirty looks,
The screams and yells, the bites and kicks,
And children hitting you with sticks--
Fear not, because we promise you
That, in about a week or two
Of having nothing else to do,
They'll now begin to feel the need
Of having something good to read.
And once they start--oh boy, oh boy!
You watch the slowly growing joy
That fills their hearts. They'll grow so keen
They'll wonder what they'd ever seen
In that ridiculous machine,
That nauseating, foul, unclean,
Repulsive television screen!
And later, each and every kid
Will love you more for what you did....
John
http://members.xoom.com/joandersen
[email protected]
In a message dated 10/16/99 12:22:39 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
andersen@... writes:
<< Here is a song by the Oompa Loompas from the book:
fridge.
We have cut back on our children's television viewing considerably.I have
found that if they watch TV in the morning before we start our day they will
argue and fight most of the afternoon. It doesn't seem to matter what they
are watching either. I have no explanation for this I only know it's so.
Also since we have cut back they are actually asking me to read instead
of TV on their own. However this did not happen over night. We started almost
a yr. ago.
Laura
andersen@... writes:
<< Here is a song by the Oompa Loompas from the book:
>>I loved this. I can't wait until my printer is fixed to hang it on the
fridge.
We have cut back on our children's television viewing considerably.I have
found that if they watch TV in the morning before we start our day they will
argue and fight most of the afternoon. It doesn't seem to matter what they
are watching either. I have no explanation for this I only know it's so.
Also since we have cut back they are actually asking me to read instead
of TV on their own. However this did not happen over night. We started almost
a yr. ago.
Laura
[email protected]
I love that poem! I know a lot of it by heart, but my kids' favorite line is
of course, "It smells so good, what can it be? Good gracious, it's Penelope!"
I get that a lot of nights as I'm cooking <g>
Priss
of course, "It smells so good, what can it be? Good gracious, it's Penelope!"
I get that a lot of nights as I'm cooking <g>
Priss