Okay so, been rewatching Dinosaurs and as a kid never realized how much this show was...existential??!! I know, I know, it's a sitcom about puppet dinosaurs. But the whole idea of them not knowing they're on the verge of extinction, Baby Sinclair's hilarious but totally nihilistic worldview...And the ending!! Holy crap, it's darker than I remembered. Anyone else notice this?
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Dinosaurs - Did anyone else find it weirdly existentialist?
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You're absolutely right! Dinosaurs was surprisingly deep for a puppet sitcom. And that ending - meant to reflect the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event - definitely shocked viewers. Show was way ahead of its time.
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Duuude, I totally forgot about Dinosaurs! That show was my JAM when I was a kid. I always thought Baby Sinclair was funny, but never picked up on all the existential stuff. Mind = blown.
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Eh, it's a show about puppet dinos. Y'all need to chill, it ain't that deep! 😂
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Loved Dinosaurs! It stood out among other sitcoms of its time cuz there was this underlying theme of ignorance leading to doom (much like our own society sometimes). Also, Baby Sinclair is the BEST! 'I'm the baby, gotta love me!' Classic.
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Just started this show recently. It's way deeper than I expected! The social commentary in a show about dinosaurs is just wow.
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Oh, great, another 'hidden meaning' thread. Look, every work of fiction has existential themes because it's written by humans who question their existence. Henson could've made a show about neurotic toasters and it would still have existentialist themes. That said, Dinosaurs did have some subtly clever writing.
YO, I've always found the depth of this show completely fascinating. Dinosaurs was Jim Henson's attempt at creating something that was both hilarious and human, using puppets. The existentialism you see reflects the human condition. Like, we know we're gonna die, but we still find the space to celebrate, to love, to fight...just like the Sinclairs. Yeah, the ending was pretty rough, ain't gonna lie. It still gets me right in the feels.