Comments on: Free To Be...You and Me -- a retrospective http://boingboing.net/2012/10/23/free-to-be-you-and-me-a-r.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Wed, 22 May 2013 05:40:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: knoxblox http://boingboing.net/2012/10/23/free-to-be-you-and-me-a-r.html#comment-1565022 knoxblox Thu, 25 Oct 2012 01:31:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=189265#comment-1565022 Our secondaries were either The Winter of the Witch (you know, who made blueberry pancakes), and one year, The Selfish Giant, or lastly, the SEX ED film. Our secondaries were either The Winter of the Witch (you know, who made blueberry pancakes), and one year, The Selfish Giant, or lastly, the SEX ED film.

]]> By: OtherMichael http://boingboing.net/2012/10/23/free-to-be-you-and-me-a-r.html#comment-1565021 OtherMichael Thu, 25 Oct 2012 01:29:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=189265#comment-1565021 "And so she was. And mighty tasty, too!" The was my sister and I's [?] favorite line. “And so she was. And mighty tasty, too!”

The was my sister and I’s [?] favorite line.

]]> By: Christopher http://boingboing.net/2012/10/23/free-to-be-you-and-me-a-r.html#comment-1564486 Christopher Wed, 24 Oct 2012 16:48:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=189265#comment-1564486 I saw the television special several times--at least three times at school that I remember (on an old projector), and at least once at church. Sadly I feel like the message of some parts of it, particularly "William Wants A Doll" would be considered too controversial now, even in the relatively liberal Presbyterian church where I was brought up. Then again I haven't been back there in twenty years, so it may not be "relatively liberal" anymore. And I wonder what kind of ruckus would be raised if it were shown in school. I'd rather live in a world where the story of "William Wants A Doll" wouldn't be controversial but also wouldn't make sense because there would be nothing odd about a boy wanting a doll. I saw the television special several times–at least three times at school that I remember (on an old projector), and at least once at church.

Sadly I feel like the message of some parts of it, particularly “William Wants A Doll” would be considered too controversial now, even in the relatively liberal Presbyterian church where I was brought up. Then again I haven’t been back there in twenty years, so it may not be “relatively liberal” anymore. And I wonder what kind of ruckus would be raised if it were shown in school.

I’d rather live in a world where the story of “William Wants A Doll” wouldn’t be controversial but also wouldn’t make sense because there would be nothing odd about a boy wanting a doll.

]]> By: jhhl http://boingboing.net/2012/10/23/free-to-be-you-and-me-a-r.html#comment-1564416 jhhl Wed, 24 Oct 2012 16:09:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=189265#comment-1564416 That's "Paddle to the Sea," visible on the National Film Board of Canada website: http://www.nfb.ca/film/paddle_to_the_sea/ That’s “Paddle to the Sea,” visible on the National Film Board of Canada website: http://www.nfb.ca/film/paddle_to_the_sea/

]]> By: Jonathan Badger http://boingboing.net/2012/10/23/free-to-be-you-and-me-a-r.html#comment-1564348 Jonathan Badger Wed, 24 Oct 2012 15:19:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=189265#comment-1564348 I'm in my early 40s and remember that there were two movies that seemed to be shown in grade school (mid 1970s) every year -- F2B and the one about the carved Indian in a kayak making its way to the sea. I’m in my early 40s and remember that there were two movies that seemed to be shown in grade school (mid 1970s) every year — F2B and the one about the carved Indian in a kayak making its way to the sea.

]]> By: lysdexia http://boingboing.net/2012/10/23/free-to-be-you-and-me-a-r.html#comment-1564251 lysdexia Wed, 24 Oct 2012 13:57:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=189265#comment-1564251 "A doll! A doll! Corey wants a Doll!" “A doll! A doll! Corey wants a Doll!”

]]> By: lysdexia http://boingboing.net/2012/10/23/free-to-be-you-and-me-a-r.html#comment-1564254 lysdexia Wed, 24 Oct 2012 13:57:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=189265#comment-1564254 (Yes, I was raised on it, too ...) (Yes, I was raised on it, too …)

]]> By: Steve White http://boingboing.net/2012/10/23/free-to-be-you-and-me-a-r.html#comment-1564157 Steve White Wed, 24 Oct 2012 11:56:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=189265#comment-1564157 I raised my twins on the DVD re-release.  I have some favorite moments from the TV Special and Rosey Greer singing It's All Right to Cry has to be on of the tops.  And Mel Brooks as a baby puppet.  I raised my twins on the DVD re-release.  I have some favorite moments from the TV Special and Rosey Greer singing It’s All Right to Cry has to be on of the tops.  And Mel Brooks as a baby puppet. 

]]> By: knoxblox http://boingboing.net/2012/10/23/free-to-be-you-and-me-a-r.html#comment-1563995 knoxblox Wed, 24 Oct 2012 04:19:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=189265#comment-1563995 Yeah, I was completely entranced by F2B when I was growing up (I'm now 45). To this day, you could tell me one of the song titles from the TV show, and I could hum the melody, and maybe even get some of the lyrics right. I remember enjoying this so much mainly because I was a big fan of Marlo Thomas as a very young boy, and my parents were fans of Alan Alda. I remember my dad receiving a handwritten letter from Alan Alda in response to his fan mail (at the height of M*A*S*H), and it struck me - what a great guy, who would personally answer a piece of fan mail (I sure hope it wasn't written by an assistant). One of the topics I would have added in the discussion about a new Free to Be would have been tolerance, particularly religious tolerance. Then we could ship a few million copies of the new Free to Be to both the American ultra-conservative-mega-cult-churches and the Taliban. I wonder if that would help things (lol)? Yeah, I was completely entranced by F2B when I was growing up (I’m now 45). To this day, you could tell me one of the song titles from the TV show, and I could hum the melody, and maybe even get some of the lyrics right.

I remember enjoying this so much mainly because I was a big fan of Marlo Thomas as a very young boy, and my parents were fans of Alan Alda. I remember my dad receiving a handwritten letter from Alan Alda in response to his fan mail (at the height of M*A*S*H), and it struck me – what a great guy, who would personally answer a piece of fan mail (I sure hope it wasn’t written by an assistant).

One of the topics I would have added in the discussion about a new Free to Be would have been tolerance, particularly religious tolerance. Then we could ship a few million copies of the new Free to Be to both the American ultra-conservative-mega-cult-churches and the Taliban. I wonder if that would help things (lol)?

]]> By: lorq http://boingboing.net/2012/10/23/free-to-be-you-and-me-a-r.html#comment-1563981 lorq Wed, 24 Oct 2012 03:36:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=189265#comment-1563981 Thanks for this post.  I too was inspired as a kid by F2BY&M. Thanks for this post.  I too was inspired as a kid by F2BY&M.

]]> By: Tavie http://boingboing.net/2012/10/23/free-to-be-you-and-me-a-r.html#comment-1563931 Tavie Wed, 24 Oct 2012 01:26:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=189265#comment-1563931 My sister and I were raised on Free to Be..., too. Great memories there, and it was my first exposure to performers like Alan Alda, Carol Channing, Roberta Flack, Diana Ross... This is still my favorite segment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz7As8XejW0 My sister and I were raised on Free to Be…, too. Great memories there, and it was my first exposure to performers like Alan Alda, Carol Channing, Roberta Flack, Diana Ross…

This is still my favorite segment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz7As8XejW0

]]> By: Shibi_SF http://boingboing.net/2012/10/23/free-to-be-you-and-me-a-r.html#comment-1563926 Shibi_SF Wed, 24 Oct 2012 01:14:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=189265#comment-1563926 Thanks for this trip back to the old days!  I didn't know any of this backstory.  I just grew up idolizing Margo Thomas. I had the Free to Be album and I remember reading the liner notes and wondering what the words all really meant.  I liked the music, too! Thanks for this trip back to the old days!  I didn’t know any of this backstory.  I just grew up idolizing Margo Thomas. I had the Free to Be album and I remember reading the liner notes and wondering what the words all really meant.  I liked the music, too!

]]> By: Antinous / Moderator http://boingboing.net/2012/10/23/free-to-be-you-and-me-a-r.html#comment-1563916 Antinous / Moderator Wed, 24 Oct 2012 00:57:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=189265#comment-1563916 The Seekers were fantastic.  The New Seekers not so much. The Seekers were fantastic.  The New Seekers not so much.

]]> By: Boundegar http://boingboing.net/2012/10/23/free-to-be-you-and-me-a-r.html#comment-1563905 Boundegar Wed, 24 Oct 2012 00:40:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=189265#comment-1563905 God this music is horrible.  I feel dirty. God this music is horrible.  I feel dirty.

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