Sense memory overload just bypassed all of my grown-up shields.

[tzikeh]

I just saw a commercial for Target that's using the song "Free To Be You And Me." When people say "burst into tears?" This was a perfect example.

Wow. That hit me right where I live.

"It's All Right To Cry" jokes in the comments in 3... 2... 1....

ETA: I just went to YouTube to find the opening titles, and all of the comments on the video are from people who just saw the commercial and ran to YouTube to find their childhood memory, and how they started singing with the commercial. ♥

EATA: Yes, I know all about Target's politics. Yes, I know where they put their monetary clout. I don't shop there. I'm talking about a song, and everything that Free to Be... was. Period.

Comments

[laurashapiro.livejournal.com]

Oh, jeez, ouch. I'd have been welling up, too.

Also: I hate it when the music of my youth is used to sell unnecessary plastic objects.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

I have the whole thing on vinyl in a box in my parents' basement. I know I've seen it on CD somewhere. MAN I love that score.

[laurashapiro.livejournal.com]

Me too. We had it on vinyl but it's long lost. I still have the book, though. The cover's fallen off but I look at it sometimes.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Yeah - I still have that book too - the sheet music and everything. I might need a FTBYAM icon.

[misspamela.livejournal.com]

It is so funny; you and Mr. MissP are of the exact same generation. (not that I'm THAT much younger, but the difference is most significant in childhood stuff) He came running into the room when that commercial came on and danced around singing the song. He was definitely all emotional over it. I was like, "...and I missed whatever just happened."

It was like the time he didn't speak to me for half a day because I didn't remember Zoom.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

I didn't remember Zoom.

...you're dead to me.

[misspamela.livejournal.com]

I was born in 1976, okay? I was an infant!

I will still never forget you and Mr. MissP both trying to tell me about that stupid Convoy song at the same time, with him singing -- "singing" -- it and you pasting the lyrics on IM.

I AM GENUINELY COOL WITH MISSING MOST OF THE 70'S, OKAY.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

The thing is, Free To Be You and Me was the pinnacle of idealism for our generation (and particularly little girls). Songs and poems and stories about love and tolerance and hope and gender equality and family and shared labor and all that Commie stuff. I think everyone right around my age shares a singular heartbreak that the promise of FTBYAM never came to pass.

You might look into getting a recording for your daughters. It was so cheering to hear about women being just as good and smart and strong as men, and girls being just as good and smart and strong as boys, when the movies and books we had were telling us otherwise.

Funny how nothing has changed.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

There's a book, and a DVD of the movie, and a CD (man, a CD) of the songs and stories sketches and poems.

Performers include: Alan Alda, Harry Belafonte, Mel Brooks, Rita Coolidge, Roberta Flack, Michael Jackson, Kris Kristofferson, Shel Silverstein, Tom Smothers, Marlo Thomas, Dionne Warwick, Cicely Tyson, Carol Channing

[tjonesy.livejournal.com]

Box three-five-oh
Boston Mass
OH two ONE three FOUR
SEND IT TO ZOOM!

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Can you do the elbow-fly-swappy thing? I CAN!

[tjonesy.livejournal.com]

Sadly, no.

Am I dead to you now too?

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

LOL! Not since you have me singing OHHH two ONNNNE three FOOOUUUUR!

[tjonesy.livejournal.com]

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

AHAHAHA

[hubbit.livejournal.com]

OOOHHHH two OOONNNEEE three FOOOOUUUR!

Send it to Zoom!

ETA: MY BAD. I POSTED THIS BEFORE I NOTICED THAT YOU DID THE SAME THING.

As penance, I shall repeat this entire response in Ubby-Dubbi.

UBOH twubo UBONE thrubee FUBOUR!

Subend ubit tubo Zuboom!

MUBY BUBAD. UBI PUBOSTUBED THUBIS BUBEFUBORE UBI NUBOTUBICED THUBAT UBOYU DUBID THUBE SUBAME THUBING.

Ubas pubenubance, Ubi shuball rubepubeat thubis ubentubire rubespubonse ubin Ububbuby-Dububbubi.

(thanks to The ZOOM Ubby-Dubbi Translator, without which this fiasco would not have been possible. :D)

[reginagiraffe]

One of the kids that lived across the street from me growing up was one of the ZOOM kids. (Cate. She was... the clutzy one.)

[falzalot.livejournal.com]

Wow. I have absolutely no memory of that at all.

I know, I know, I'm dead to you. But at least I remember Zoom!!! :->

[carbonel]

Funny -- I remember the book (assuming it was the one where one of the stories had the little girl who always said "ladies first"), but I'm pretty sure I never saw the TV show. An impressive list of stars, in those credits.

Mostly I remember the song from kids trying to sing it at summer camp, and it not going very well.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

The whole piece is here, in case you want to watch it. It's 44 minutes.

[hubbit.livejournal.com]

I had a "burst into tears" moment about a year ago when my 14 year old daughter fell in love with a modern cover, targeted to kids, of a song that pretty much was the anthem of my childhood.

Part of that was realizing that I can never recapture those moments and transmit them, and part of it was being aware that, for my children, that isn't necessary. They have their own.

Look what I found

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

The Free To Be Foundation.

Re: Look what I found

[hubbit.livejournal.com]

Okay, now I *am* seriously tearing up. The Foundation is still active, still vibrant, has a web presence and is fully accessible to the next generation. I haven't listened yet to see if they are full length, but it seems that some of the songs are available for download.

What a beacon. I'm up for that and some "Everything Possible" by Fred Small.

[moonpupy.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Target's cool with Free To Be as long as you're a right-wing conservative. They may put on a public face of supporting diversity, but their PAC is very conservative. And that's where their money goes. Don't forget to read the comments.

http://minnesotaindependent.com/61801/target-targeted-over-pro-emmer-ad

[no-detective.livejournal.com]

They sure have a great marketing team. It's too bad they financially support people like Emmer.

More on that whole mess here. You might want to avoid the comments; they're pretty rabid.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Yes, thank you, I'm know all about Target's politics. I was just talking about the *song*.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

I was talking about the song. I'm well aware of Target's politics and where their money goes, and I don't shop there. I don't need to read the comments, or the article. I can enjoy a commercial without patronizing the business.

[dafna]

Wow, I grew up on the album but I had no idea there was ever a TV special. Though, in retrospect, we didn't have a TV until more like 1977.

My senior year at college (1993) the senior week drama production was a staged version of the album (or so I thought, I guess maybe they were doing the TV show?) and it was HUGELY popular.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

There's actually a play as well. :D Album, tv special, book, and play.

[darthfox.livejournal.com]

I hadn't seen it, but I just did - and I didn't cry, but I got goosebumps.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking of creating a locked post where I might share the tune.