Entrance Essay

by Amanda Vanrhyn

          This is the essay. Okay, here goes nothing:

          There are many problems with Barney , but I am going to focus on a single, important one: the use of instant
     gratification. This problem has not been covered as much as some others, but I believe it is as important as any.

          The synopsis of instant gratification is simple; one of the childrenasks for or wants something, and Barney
     gives it to them. For example, in the episode on neighborhoods, a boy wants a telescope so he can explore the
     neighborhood. Presto! Barney gets him a telescope (and a very nice one at that) using his "Barney magic". Instant
     gratification fosters the following confusing or disturbing ideas in young children:

     * "If I want something, I should be able to get it right now." Although the phenomenon is written off as "Barney
     magic" or imagination" in the show, little kids often don't know the difference between fantasy and reality.They
     could easily expect their parents to be able to do what Barney does, and when their parents don't grant their every
     wish, they could become confused and decide that there is something wrong with Mommy and Daddy.

     Also, Barney makes no distinction between stealing and sharing. He has even specifically said that "stealing is okay
     if the person you steal from doesn't mind". Kids can learn that if you really want something, stealing is a perfectly
     acceptable way to get it. This is not something that preschoolers need authority figures to tell them.

     * "If I just have the right thing, I can solve all my problems." Whenever the kids have a problem, Barney gives
     them whatever they need to solve it. The message being sent here is "Don't try to think to solve this! It's too much
     work, and the solution probably wouldn't work anyway. Just use this." Because of this, children could stop
     thinking through things (Barney said it was too much work) and become dependent on the "right" object. (The right
     shoes, the right food, the right computer, the right exercise machine...) This is obviously a good message for the
     Barney marketers, but it's not good for preschoolers.

          Most other kids' television shows teach creative problem solving well, without having to resort to "magic".
     Barney could also have done that but instead decided to use the method that was A) best for the marketers and B)
     took the least time and money for scripts. It's a blatant sellout that shows just how little the Lyons Group actually
     cares about children.