Dinosaurs Tackle the Meaning of Life March 13, 2010

Dinosaurs Tackle the Meaning of Life

By Guest Contributor
March 13, 2010

I forgot how much I *loved* this show as a kid. Somehow, this episode went completely under my radar when it first aired. Probably because I was 11.

Yay, Dinosaurs! They figured it all out in the end…

The Baby kicked ass.

(via Atheist Media Blog)

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  • Jasel

    lol I forgot all about that show. Nice. I used to love watching it on TGIF

  • “NOT THE MAMA!”
    {clang}

  • bd

    The DVDs are totally worth watching again as an adult. Very subversive.

  • NewEnglandBob

    I had watched this show for a while but got tired of it quickly. This episode is funny.

  • Dianne Love

    I don’t get it. Is it some sort of vague metaphor?

  • I loved this show as a child too. I wonder what my extremely religious parents thought of this episode. I mean, I wasn’t even allowed to watch ‘The Simpsons’ growing up, so I am sure this episode peeved my folks.

  • Philbert

    I remember the Simpsons parody of this show. Bart and others are watching TV.

    Dinosaur: Don’t have a stegosaurus, dad!

    Bart Simpson: It’s like they looked right into our lives, and put it on TV!

  • Who did the voice of the woman on TV? It sounds just like Betty Bower, the world’s Best Christian.

  • WetMogwai

    I’ve been watching this show from the beginning. I got the idea that every episode is meant to make people think about nearly every part of modern society and the way they do things. The making of video confirmed that. They used dinosaurs for two reasons. They were trying to expose “dinosaur” thinking and they couldn’t get away with that kind of thing with humans.

  • muggle

    My grandson saw the paused clip on my screen and immediately wanted to watch. Unfortunately, it’s as he was getting ready to go to his father’s and I had to promise him he could watch it when he gets back. Don’t worry I’ll remind him even though he said he’d remind me.

    Sigh. New stepmother is having a cow even at his watching “American Chopper” for Chrissake’. His Mom wrote a note saying we allow the show at home because he’s been complaining that Daddy doesn’t let him watch it on weekends. I explained when I gave him the note from my daughter (she’s got a class before they get here Saturdays) and she was just don’t they swear on that show? Paul Sr and Jr might swear at each other a bit? What are you kidding me? These same people allow “Star Wars” and “Transformers”. Swearing’s too harsh for a six year old but fighting with sabers and guns; well, that’s quite all right. And Daddy anyway is Atheist.

    I don’t know if she is or not. We’re getting the impression now that she got a ring on his finger after three years of “being fun” (yes, that’s his description of her when they first started dating) she’s going all proper. Rock and roll party girl to Mom all depends on a wedding ring. How stupid is that? Never mind she’s a grandmother my age! (My meaning on that last: she should have grown the fuck up a long time ago — like when she had her own kids.) Now, all of a sudden, his kid shouldn’t hear swearing. And I’ll be amazed and consider him totally whipped if I find out he isn’t swearing in front of grandson or her grandkids. His mouth is the same as ours. Jebus. Thanks for letting me vent.

  • muggle,
    I strongly recommend listening to last week’s episode of NPR’s “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me.”
    Paula Poundstone goes into an extemporaneous rant against California’s “swear free week” law.

  • Epistaxis

    And this was shown on TV? In America?

  • Heidi

    LOL. That was great.

  • Carlie

    I forgot how much I *loved* this show as a kid.[…]Probably because I was 11.

    I suddenly feel so old. I think I need to go lie down for a bit. Get offa my lawn while I’m gone.

  • JB Tait

    They got the starch wrong. I am sure he would have accepted rule by pasta.

    [FSM]

  • That. Is. Beautiful.

  • TheLoneIguana

    One of the darkest series endings for a show ever. Especially a kids show.

  • My favorite part of the episode: “Don’t you realize what will happen to our society if we stop asking questions and rely on that book to rule our live?”

    No wonder I enjoyed this show so much when I was a kid (though I don’t remember this episode).

  • Miko

    Wow. It’s essentially everything I believe, compressed into ten minutes.

    Note this is only the second half of the show. Luckily the site at Hemant’s “via” has links to a free-market version of the whole episode.

  • Kris

    That show was *awesome*. I remember that episode, and it definitely didn’t go over my head, and I was only eight or nine. But, then, I wasn’t religious.

    Also good, the episode where the baby grows a horn…

  • Tom

    Heh, it’s good, but it’s for the kids.

  • I’d almost forgotten about this show. My brother was OBSESSED with it and I spent weeks hearing nothing but “not the mama” being screamed by a 5 year old.

  • Angie

    Loved it! Thanks for posting this.

    I watched this show as a youngster and forgot just how subversive it was. I need to go back and take in some old episodes.

  • mike dave

    Sad thing is most religios people would look at this and never apply it to thier own religion. They would be more likely to take it as “look what happens if you worship false gods”

  • Ashley Moltzan

    Very true, Mike Dave

  • Loved this show. I’m glad we have the same childhood memories

  • Wow I had no idea. Flew under my radar too!

  • Ben

    I love how he keeps saying “jeeze”

  • Emily

    I have the first season of this show on DVD, because one can never have too much “Dinosaurs”. This episode definitely went way over my head when I was young, but then again, so did a lot of stuff. It reminds me of the Muppet Show – there’s the layer kids are supposed to get (“Asking questions is a good thing!”) and the layer adults are supposed to get (“Take a look at what you believe. Is it logical?”)

  • “Are there any churches out there that would let me speak to their congregation for at least 30 minutes?”

    Show this video first and you won’t have to speak as long.

  • Amy G

    I totally loved this show as a kid too. Maybe I should watch it again via Netflix…

  • muggle

    Vincent, CA has a no swear week!? Tell me you’re not serious. Or at least that it’s not official and you don’t seriously get fined for it or something. If it is, someone needs to test this in court.

    I’ll look for the NPR bit.

  • Alice

    O_o that’s a kid’s show? I believe I remember my somewhat religious parents forbidding me to watch it, but it must have been re-runs because I’m not old. Funny.

  • Evinfuilt

    Have to second the recommendation for the series finale. It was originally not allowed to run at all, to “controversial”, but a couple years later it did finally broadcast.

    The whole series was great, and really pushed entertainment and free thought. Other recommended episodes include the extinction episode and drug episode (where they beg you to stop doing drugs so they can stop making episodes like this.)

  • B.X. Hanratty

    Vincent – The voice of Fran was Jessica Walter who also played Lucille on Arrested Development, another subversive show

  • Noam’s Daddy

    Maybe it’s just me, but one of the government agents looks just like John McCain…

  • Griff

    Best. Show. Ever.

  • ohmygoodness! what a blast from the past!

  • Kevin

    Do you think ABC would play something this “anti-religious” now? Not a chance. This clip has depressed me thinking how far we have regressed.