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I really like this. This made me think about how media like this, and tv and movies, can act as a model for what's supposed to be the 'right' behavior. And when you're a kid without other good models for how to behave, comics and tv might be all you have. Which means creatives who write for kids have a giant responsibility!

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Definitely! We need better representation for our children — the current generation are digital natives; we have to be extra careful with the stuff we put in front because they'll mimic that well into adulthood.

People who create anything for kids to consume definitely need to realize the weight of their responsibility! Those with the power to influence which of these creations get into the hands of children also need to make sure they're not discriminatory or outdated in any way. That's one of the ways we can break the cycle of misinformation and hatred.

Thanks for reading; I'm glad you liked it!

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Jun 21, 2021Liked by Nia

First of all, I was today years old when I learnt it's Enid Blyton and not Enid 'Blynton' (pronounced as like Clinton with a B). I don't think 'dark and edgy' is what made Riverdale so bad, it was just not based on Archie's comics in any substantive way. It just had the characters and twisted each character's trait to the extreme, where the always-nice yet insecure Betty, actually has some seriously wild shit going down in her life. But yes, the show was just too much crazy happening in one town and I could never really associate it with the comics.

Archie's comics were such a big part of our childhood. I am reminded of the story of how my family was introduced to the idea of peanut butter. I was fascinated by these people living lives, eating food which we had never heard of. After days of watching Jughead consume wild quantities of 'exotic' foods, my sister and I convinced my mom to buy us peanut butter back in the early 2000s. We thought it would taste as good as it looks in the comics. The jar just sat in our fridge for over two years. For us 'amul cheese spread' folks, that texture was something absolutely unknown. Its possible that we also internalised a lot of other messed up things. tbh, i feel peanut butter was the biggest thing though :-P

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You're right — Riverdale simply took the names and spaces from the comics and didn't stick to anything from the original books. The comics were proof that there was an audience out there for wholesome, goofy kids and their antics in a small-town where there are no werewolves or time jumps. Ofc, the comics also have their fair share of nonsense, lol.

Whether in Enid Blyton's books or the Archies, the food has definitely been a major attraction — the former made English food sound heavenly and having been there, those descriptions are nothing but beautifully written lies! I've also tried out peanut butter because so many characters (on TV and in books) praised it so much. Not a fan, nope.

TY for reading; I'm glad the post helped you realized what Enid Blyton's surname actually is, heheh.

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