Kids Say The Darndest Things

Is anyone old enough to remember the early days of television ?

My friend Maxine told me a story about a conversation she had with her 5 year old grandchild that brought back memories of TV shows from when I was a little girl.  

It was a hot summer's day and my friend Maxine was wearing a short sleeve shirt. Her grandson looked at her arms and asked why her skin on her arms was hanging. She replied that it often happens when one gets older. Her grandson continued to look and then replied. I guess that's what happened under your chin too. Kids often say such funny things innocently!

When I was young, Art Linkletter had a TV show called Kids Say the Darndest Things (1952-1969). 

The show was very entertaining and funny. Art Linkletter was the host and he would have a panel of 4 or 5 school age children that he would ask questions about life. If you have never seen or heard of the show, you can watch one of his original shows on YouTube. I've linked one of his shows below. 

After watching some of the original episodes on Netflix, I realized how much things have changed over the years. Simple behaviors that were acceptable in the 1950's and 1960's would never fly today. 

 I noticed that Art Linkletter kept touching the kids on the shoulders, their thighs, etc. Years ago that seemed very normal and harmless, but not now. He would probably be arrested for touching kids to that extent. 

Another questions addressed getting spanked routinely as if it were normal and accepatable. In the video below his question is. Who do you prefer to spank you, your mom or your dad?  Can you imagine that question today!! 

Attitudes, behaviors, and what's acceptable has really changed from the1950's and 1960's until today. 

Another show I loved and always watched was It's Howdy Doody Time which aired in the 1950's.- I'm showing my age- 

The TV screen in those days was often blank until 4:00 pm when Howdy Doodie would suddenly begin.  Have you ever heard the expressions- no comments from the peanut gallery? The peanut gallery was the large group of kids in the audience on The Howdy Doodie Show.

Kids would line up in front of the TV just waiting for a show. Kid shows also played on Saturday mornings. The remainder of the time, there were no shows or just the news. Eventually when advertising was introduced to television, the time and variety of airing began to expand.

Although television was invented in the late 1920's- it wasn't until the late 1940's that a few thousand people finally owned a TV set. We my parents purchased a TV set in 1954, there were very few shows aired- Much of the time the screen was blank.