Conjunction Junction, What Are These Neck Wrinkles Function? ‘Schoolhouse Rock’ Turns 40

01/25/2013 1:00 pm by

Schoolhouse Rock Conjunction Junction, What Are These Neck Wrinkles Function? Schoolhouse Rock Turns 40

Remember when watching cartoons was a Saturday morning-only treat? When there weren’t 36 channels offering nothing but animated programming 24 hours a day? Remember when we couldn’t wait for school to end on Fridays  because the next morning we could have Count Chocula for breakfast and watch cartoons for as long as it took our mom to roll her cigarettes for the whole week?

Ah…I miss the seventies.

This year marks the 40th birthday of one of the 1970′s biggest contributions to our generation, and I’m not talking about halter tops or the macrame owl wall-hangings we’re going to find cleaning our parent’s attics when they move to Florida in a few years. That “thing” is ABC‘s Schoolhouse Rock, only the best kid’s show/informative device/ear-worm/commercial programming EVER. Who among us in the 30+ set doesn’t use their fingers to multiply by nines, just like School Rock crew taught?

Now our kids have things like “calculators” and “parents who care about self-esteem” to help them with their homework. We didn’t. We didn’t need them, ‘cuz we had THE ROCK.

But that was a long time ago, friends. Sadly, our own kids won’t know what it’s like to have to wait to watch a show. They don’t have to wait because “something” is always on. (Well, at least until the Zombie Apocalypse; then we’ll all have to wait our turn to watch salvaged “Dave’s World” DVDs on a hand-crank player, but there’s like, months before that happens.)

Daves World DVD Conjunction Junction, What Are These Neck Wrinkles Function? Schoolhouse Rock Turns 40

He’s got his hands raised in the “What can you do?” position! IT’S BOUND TO BE HYSTERICAL!

Some of the best programming of our youth came from the powerhouse known as Schoolhouse Rock. Admit it – there’s no shame in confessing that every time someone mentions the electoral college your internal response is:

“E! C! E! L! TOR! AL!
Electoral College! We’ve got a tale to tell!”

Or that perennial sad-sack, “I’m Just a Bill,” who’s likely “just gonna die in committee.”

So join us in wishing Schoolhouse Rock a wonderful 40th birthday. I hope she gets drunk and makes crank phone calls to all of the “Superfriends.” My neck also turns 40 this year, but I think we’ll all agree that Schoolhouse Rock is the far more celebratory aspect of 2013.

How did Schoolhouse Rock help you? (Advice on neck wrinkles is also appreciated.)

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About Jeni Marinucci

Jeni is a freelance writer with two children, countless dead hamsters, and a questionable home-haircut. She blogs at Highly Irritable and can be found on Twitter at @highlyirritable

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  • http://twitter.com/mapleleaftattoo Melissa

    Feeling old now. “You know they’re nouns….”. I think I can still sing this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfnXUWJz0sE

    • http://twitter.com/highlyirritable Jeni M

      Oh, thanks for this one Melissa! I have a grade three boy I think may find this helpful. :)

  • NTE

    I’m feeling cheerier now, thanks. (Of course, my housemates may not enjoy all of the “conjunction junction” singing, but too bad for them.) Also: Three is a magic number, you know: http://youtu.be/aU4pyiB-kq0

    • http://twitter.com/highlyirritable Jeni M

      I swear “Schoolhouse Rock” got me through elementary school. And have fun with that earworm; it’s been my internal soundtrack since I wrote the article.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Becki-Thompson/1387917270 Becki Thompson

    Thanks so much. LOVE Schoolhouse rock and bought the dvd for my nieces . . .Remember how poignant and sad the “figure 8″ song was???????????? Makes me wistful even now.

    • http://twitter.com/highlyirritable Jeni M

      I rememebr that! I love how in the 70′s educators weren’t afraid to make kids sad and pensive for the sake of learning.

  • Jay

    I actually re-watched the history-themed ones before taking a teaching certification test. Because I did, I knew who Elias Howe was and what he invented.

    • http://twitter.com/highlyirritable Jeni M

      See? They’re awesome, right? I learned so much about history for tests from “Schoolhouse Rock.” The problem is that I’m Canadian, so my teachers were like, “WTF is she talking about?”

  • KatiGardner

    I taught theater to middle school students and the very first musical we ever did was School House Rocks, Live! I had the BEST time teaching my kids the songs and coming up with choreography for them (and reliving some of my favorite moments of childhood). Of course, Interplanet Janet had to be explained because none of my students remembered when Pluto was a planet. And all of my kids passed their science test on the heart thanks to Do the Circulation.

  • http://twitter.com/ryenerman ryenerman

    When my son (now 10) was about 4 we got the whole set on DVD. Man did he love them. Plus he already knew all of his multiples of 3 when it came time to learn multiplication. More importantly, he knows what all of the parts of speech are for properly doing Mad Libs. Priorites!

  • DianaCLT

    I’ll be 40 this year, too! What’s mid-way between you and me? We need to meet there and celebrate our neck wrinkles!

    • http://twitter.com/highlyirritable Jeni M

      There really should be some kind of annual neck wrinkle celebration day.

      • DianaCLT

        I can teach you how to knit…neck-wrinkle camo, FTW! Of course, anti-aging cocktails must be involved….and invented.

  • Veronica1022

    I actually bought the whole set of Schoolhouse Rock DVD’s and regularly torment my children with them. Now if I could just get the Saturday Morning Special Movie “Scruffy” my life would be complete.

    I just wonder how old they have to be before its safe to show them the Teen Witch “Top That” rap segment.

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  • Hollypainyo

    I loved that they continued to have Schoolhouse Rock into the 80s, when I got to enjoy/learn from it. I love Schoolhouse Rock so much, I even still have the mid-90s compilation cover album on regular rotation in my iPod.

    • http://twitter.com/highlyirritable Jeni M

      You, my friend, are a true SHR fan. :)

  • DeniDee

    Remember “Mr. Morton”, which taught subject & predicate? “Mr. Morton walks down the street….Mr. Morton WALKS….”

    • http://twitter.com/highlyirritable Jeni M

      Hmm. I’m looking him up on YouTube. Thanks!