virus: Why we need a CoV Saturday morning cartoon

Tim Rhodes (proftim@speakeasy.org)
Fri, 14 Nov 1997 13:30:36 -0800 (PST)


Okay, so whatever we want out of CoV (what was the outcome of Reed's
question anyway?) it seems obvious that ruling the world with our vastly
superior memes is going to be a part of it.

So, what better route for mass infection than children's programming? Even
small (heavily repeated) spots would form the memetic building blocks of a
future movement. (Example: Conjunction junction, what's your _______? A
silly example? Maybe, but I've picked out tunes from old Schoolhouse Rock
cartoons used as hooks in three different pop music songs in the last
three days. All three of these songs are getting huge amounts of
airplay.)

"Zoikes! It's the Monster!!!"
"That's no monster, David. It's just a costume, look!"
"Lets just see whose under the mask then, Reed"
"Gasp!"
"Jinkies, Wade, the Old Minister was really the Monster all along!"
"And I would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for you
meddlesome kids!!!"

Onward to the future-
-Prof. Tim