I was a bit of a science geek when I was a kid. One of the first things that sparked it was being in the 3rd grade. I remember coming home with my science book and looking up stuff about volcanoes. It was a picture of red, molten lava flowing from the volcano. One of the first things I thought about was "cool"!! I was too young and ill-formed for that moment to know that volcanoes were often dangerous and killed people. I remember seeing an experiment for a volcano and thinking "I need to get some baking soda, red food coloring,and vinegar". We had it, and would often have it, but it was one of those items that were not always deemed necessary to have.
Another thing sparked the science geek in me(aside from the Weather Channel, and I'll discuss that later). That other thing was a certain TV show on PBS called Bill Nye The Science Guy. A tall, skinny White male in his late 30's, possibly 40, teaching science on TV, and making it fun. He wasn't your typical "wacky scientist". He could have some elements of "wacky scientist", but it wasn't his persona. It could be appreciated because Bill Nye didn't have that same wackiness. It had elements of humor. The show went places, it was dynamic. It wasn't limited to the science lab. One episode, Bill visited a volcano. Another episode he went to the construction sight of the new Seattle Mariners ballpark . In most of the episodes, there was a music video at the end, pertaining to the lesson of the day, always a parody of some song.
There were also little tidbits added in the show. There was always some kind of game show, spoof sitcom, or some segment in the show, like "Big Sweaty Guy", and "Richie Eat Your Crust"(this one had to do with geothermal activity). I loved the part where Richie didn't eat his crust of the bread and then an earthquake happened. Quite ironic considering Seattle is located in an earthquake zone. What some of the segments interesting is that some looked like throwbacks to the 1950's and 60's. It was obviously made in the 90's, but they were made to look much older. Sometimes actual videos from a long time ago(the 50's probably) were added in.
Seeing kids perform some of the experiments was fun. It made me want to perform those experiments. Seeing a young person do that stuff, it said to me "they can do it, and so can you"?
This show pretty much had SEATTLE written all over it. The first episode was "Flight". The song featured was a parody of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana. The name was "Smells Like Air Pressure" by Nyevana. Nirvana was founded in Aberdeen,WA and known throughout the Seattle area. There was another song that was a parody of Jimi Hendrix's(a Seattle resident) Purple Haze called Cellular Haze by Mighty Chondria. The Space Needle was featured in a few episodes. The long gone Kingdome was featured as well. KCTS-TV(in Seattle) produced Bill Nye The Science Guy. Makes perfect sense that Seattle would be featured in one way or another.
Another thing I like about the show was this. Being a young African-American kid, seeing other Black kids on the show made it did help some. There has be a very low representation of African-Americans in the sciences and engineering. Seeing Black kids being interested in science didn't make me feel so strange. I look at it today and I say "Yes!!". I've been subjected to names like "overcooked White boy" "Carlton" and other epithets relating to the fact that I am somehow "not Black enough." I never felt like I wasn't Black enough when I watched those kids do science experiments. I don't speak ebonics. I didn't speak ebonics then and I don't speak it now. The kids on there didn't speak ebonics either. They were just like me.
Bill Nye started in 1993 and ended in 1998. It was in the middle part of the 90s(and I say it was the better part of the 90s). It is one of the kind in my book.
Another thing sparked the science geek in me(aside from the Weather Channel, and I'll discuss that later). That other thing was a certain TV show on PBS called Bill Nye The Science Guy. A tall, skinny White male in his late 30's, possibly 40, teaching science on TV, and making it fun. He wasn't your typical "wacky scientist". He could have some elements of "wacky scientist", but it wasn't his persona. It could be appreciated because Bill Nye didn't have that same wackiness. It had elements of humor. The show went places, it was dynamic. It wasn't limited to the science lab. One episode, Bill visited a volcano. Another episode he went to the construction sight of the new Seattle Mariners ballpark . In most of the episodes, there was a music video at the end, pertaining to the lesson of the day, always a parody of some song.
There were also little tidbits added in the show. There was always some kind of game show, spoof sitcom, or some segment in the show, like "Big Sweaty Guy", and "Richie Eat Your Crust"(this one had to do with geothermal activity). I loved the part where Richie didn't eat his crust of the bread and then an earthquake happened. Quite ironic considering Seattle is located in an earthquake zone. What some of the segments interesting is that some looked like throwbacks to the 1950's and 60's. It was obviously made in the 90's, but they were made to look much older. Sometimes actual videos from a long time ago(the 50's probably) were added in.
Seeing kids perform some of the experiments was fun. It made me want to perform those experiments. Seeing a young person do that stuff, it said to me "they can do it, and so can you"?
This show pretty much had SEATTLE written all over it. The first episode was "Flight". The song featured was a parody of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana. The name was "Smells Like Air Pressure" by Nyevana. Nirvana was founded in Aberdeen,WA and known throughout the Seattle area. There was another song that was a parody of Jimi Hendrix's(a Seattle resident) Purple Haze called Cellular Haze by Mighty Chondria. The Space Needle was featured in a few episodes. The long gone Kingdome was featured as well. KCTS-TV(in Seattle) produced Bill Nye The Science Guy. Makes perfect sense that Seattle would be featured in one way or another.
Another thing I like about the show was this. Being a young African-American kid, seeing other Black kids on the show made it did help some. There has be a very low representation of African-Americans in the sciences and engineering. Seeing Black kids being interested in science didn't make me feel so strange. I look at it today and I say "Yes!!". I've been subjected to names like "overcooked White boy" "Carlton" and other epithets relating to the fact that I am somehow "not Black enough." I never felt like I wasn't Black enough when I watched those kids do science experiments. I don't speak ebonics. I didn't speak ebonics then and I don't speak it now. The kids on there didn't speak ebonics either. They were just like me.
Bill Nye started in 1993 and ended in 1998. It was in the middle part of the 90s(and I say it was the better part of the 90s). It is one of the kind in my book.
No comments:
Post a Comment