SNL’s opening sketch has been making the rounds over the weekend (see above). It lampoons the President’s executive order granting amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants. It occurred to me that there are probably countless viewers who don’t get the joke because they are too young to remember the source material for this skit. For those of you who fall in that category, this post is for you.
Back in the 1970’s, ABC began a series of educational animated shorts called “Schoolhouse Rocks.” They ran during the weekly Saturday morning cartoons, which were a staple for children across the country in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. “Schoolhouse Rocks” covered social studies, history, civics, English, and a range of other topics. One of the more popular shorts taught children how a bill becomes a law. That particular cartoon is the source material for the SNL skit. You can watch it below.
5 Comments
John Brown
Schoolhouse “Rock,” not “Rocks.”
Ian Shaw
Yep, those of us who are on the older side of the Gen-Y spectrum remember these.
~Sigh~
Kenneth Abbott
Or on the boomer-buster cusp. We got them the first time around.
Kenneth Abbott
And not quite as far back as the 60’s. These shorts began airing in 1973.
Although by the time they appeared I had mastered my multiplication tables long since, these witty and catchy little tunes proved highly useful. To this day, I can recite from memory the Preamble to the US Constitution because of this series. And who doesn’t love “Interjection!”
CPS
I was always more of a “Conjunction Junction” man myself.