1 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:12,320 Speaker 1: There, hey, thank you, thank you very much. Would you 2 00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:14,880 Speaker 1: wonderful singers all take a deep breath in with me 3 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:22,680 Speaker 1: like this and let it out the year's night. Ronald 4 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:26,119 Speaker 1: Reagan is president. Shows like Miami, Vice and Lifestyles of 5 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:29,480 Speaker 1: the Rich and Famous debut, We devour self help books 6 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:33,640 Speaker 1: and play Madonna's material Girl on a loop once again. 7 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:39,080 Speaker 1: Let's all take a deep breath in together and quiet. 8 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 1: That's the eighties are overflowing with extravagance and excess power suits, 9 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:50,720 Speaker 1: mcmansion's and Wall Street brokers, with slick back hair and 10 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:54,120 Speaker 1: cell phones the size of a dictionary. I want you 11 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:56,880 Speaker 1: to sit back in your chairs for this next song, 12 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 1: and all of you close your eyes and you can 13 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:07,640 Speaker 1: just hear my voice singing this song for you. I'll 14 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:11,640 Speaker 1: wait till all of you are ready. And Raffie, he's 15 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:15,760 Speaker 1: in his thirties. He's become the sought after children's musician 16 00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:22,319 Speaker 1: Thanks so Long. His first three albums were huge hits. 17 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:26,119 Speaker 1: He has a national distribution deal his own record label, 18 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:30,679 Speaker 1: and he's packing out concert halls thanks for the clouds. 19 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 1: So he's making real money. He buys a comfortable house 20 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 1: with a big yard for his dog bundles fancy restaurants 21 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 1: and fine wine become part of his daily life. Raffie 22 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:56,240 Speaker 1: has it all. Thanks so Lord, ands for all, Thanks 23 00:01:56,440 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 1: for all come. So why does he feel like something's missing? 24 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 1: I'm Chris Garcia and this is Finding Raffie, a ten 25 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: part series from My Heart Radio and Fatherly in partnership 26 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:25,680 Speaker 1: with Rococo Punch about the life, philosophy, and the work 27 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 1: of Raffie, the man behind the music. I was brought 28 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:34,120 Speaker 1: to a place of wonderment. I mean I had everything 29 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:37,679 Speaker 1: I've ever wanted in life, including being married to the 30 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 1: the cheerleader from Arrival High School. I had a successful 31 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 1: career now. Ralphie wrote Thanks a Lot in ninety at 32 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 1: a time when he and his wife deb were literally 33 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:57,519 Speaker 1: living the dream. And listening to the song, you can 34 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:03,079 Speaker 1: hear so many emotions. Rafie is reflective and vulnerable, maybe 35 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 1: even a little sad. I didn't want to just keep 36 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:09,799 Speaker 1: doing more of the same, because I'm not that kind 37 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 1: of person. I'm not a well, let's do more of 38 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:14,920 Speaker 1: the same now. I'm not like that. I'm a person 39 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:18,800 Speaker 1: who grows with experience and then wonders what's next. So 40 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 1: I remember in meditation, praying to the divine saying, You've 41 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:25,799 Speaker 1: given me everything I've ever wanted. What can I do 42 00:03:25,919 --> 00:03:29,639 Speaker 1: for you? How might I proceed in a way that 43 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 1: feels like service? I remember that moment and then, as 44 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:38,520 Speaker 1: if in an answer, I was guided towards writing a 45 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 1: little song about a wee white whale on the goal 46 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 1: and all the goodness that came from that song and 47 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 1: that album, And I still listen to that album on 48 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:58,360 Speaker 1: occasion I'm blown away, how beautiful. I'd like to sing, 49 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:03,160 Speaker 1: Davy bluego with you, hump bam ba ba ba ba 50 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 1: ba ba baaa, Baby Baluga in the deep blue sea, 51 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:15,400 Speaker 1: you swim so wild, and you swim so free heaven 52 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:19,960 Speaker 1: above and see below, and a little white whale along 53 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 1: the gold, Baby Blue got Oh, Baby Baluga is the water. 54 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 1: Baby Belugat was an overnight sensation. It's still one of 55 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:37,719 Speaker 1: Raphae's most famous songs. He wrote it as a tribute 56 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:40,800 Speaker 1: to Cavna, a beluga whale he'd seen at the Vancouver 57 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:46,200 Speaker 1: Public Aquarium. I remember doing a my first cross Canada 58 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 1: promotion tour of an album. Was was for Baby Blue Gut. 59 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:53,840 Speaker 1: I remember being in Edmonton, Alberta uh and I had 60 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:57,080 Speaker 1: eight interviews and one day that was whoa. That was 61 00:04:57,120 --> 00:05:00,520 Speaker 1: a lot. So I have sensed that there was something special, 62 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:03,479 Speaker 1: but you couldn't know until the years passed how big 63 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:05,960 Speaker 1: it was going to be. You couldn't imagine. Then you 64 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:11,799 Speaker 1: curl up, snug in your water, b the moon is shine. 65 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:16,640 Speaker 1: That song fast forwarded Raffie stardom. It connected with parents 66 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:20,680 Speaker 1: and their kids, an audience who was craving really good music. 67 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 1: Suddenly everyone wanted a piece of Raffie, and advertisers wanted 68 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:29,400 Speaker 1: a piece of his fans and a little white way 69 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:33,680 Speaker 1: along the gold. You're just a little white way along 70 00:05:33,839 --> 00:05:43,680 Speaker 1: the gold. Ralphie says. He was asked to play some 71 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:48,159 Speaker 1: famous venues, places like Madison Square Garden. It was a 72 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 1: sign he'd hit the big time. But rather than join 73 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:54,760 Speaker 1: the likes of Bruce Springsteen and the Rolling Stones, Ralphie 74 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:59,960 Speaker 1: said no because the audience would be full of very 75 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:03,920 Speaker 1: very young children in a very huge environment, not the 76 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 1: best environment for them, let alone me as a performer 77 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:11,080 Speaker 1: trying to reach them. Rapie couldn't stomach the fact that 78 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:14,840 Speaker 1: his face would be projected on massive screens just so 79 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:18,960 Speaker 1: kids sitting in the nosebleeds could catch a glimpse of him. Well, 80 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:23,159 Speaker 1: I'm talking about a musical performance in a hockey rink 81 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 1: in front of twenty people. Come on, I guess who 82 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:30,720 Speaker 1: was like, it's not my idea of a good time. Yeah, 83 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:32,720 Speaker 1: especially I feel like with a crowd that young, it 84 00:06:32,800 --> 00:06:37,160 Speaker 1: might be it might be difficult for everyone. That's exactly. 85 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 1: And Chris, it's not even a concert hall. I don't 86 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:42,200 Speaker 1: even have a good acoustics. Come on, you know everything 87 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:45,280 Speaker 1: about it would be a challenge. Why would I throw 88 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:49,919 Speaker 1: myself into that? To me, my music for children and 89 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:55,599 Speaker 1: families has always been about the music, about the feelings, 90 00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:01,560 Speaker 1: qualities and the songs that play in the minds and 91 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:06,080 Speaker 1: hearts of the very young. Raphie always put his fans first, 92 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:09,720 Speaker 1: and as his audience grew, he found that he needed 93 00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:14,320 Speaker 1: to protect them even more. This is the rugged New 94 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:20,600 Speaker 1: g I Joe Adventure Team, Dane Joy Danger, Hide the 95 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:24,080 Speaker 1: Way Out. Here comes a Mathematics the Car with a Brain. 96 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:27,400 Speaker 1: Now make a much night? No. I remember they used 97 00:07:27,440 --> 00:07:33,080 Speaker 1: to be television shows on Saturday morning for kids. They're 98 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 1: often cartoon shows or other you know, and often you 99 00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:43,840 Speaker 1: couldn't tell the commercial from the show itself. Highly exploitative 100 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:47,840 Speaker 1: of the young child who is not old enough to 101 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:58,240 Speaker 1: know the pitch aimed at their innocent minds. The primary 102 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:03,960 Speaker 1: goal of advertising and marketing is to train kids to 103 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:11,040 Speaker 1: become consumers. Basically, the corporate world discovered children as not 104 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:15,600 Speaker 1: just a viable market, but a really big market. Susan 105 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:19,440 Speaker 1: Lynn knows all about this. She teaches psychiatry at Harvard 106 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:22,960 Speaker 1: Medical School, and she spent her career researching the harmful 107 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:27,320 Speaker 1: effects marketing has on kids. Marketing to children is a 108 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:31,280 Speaker 1: factor in so many of the problems facing children today, 109 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:37,839 Speaker 1: childhood obesity, eating disorders for coach, sexuality, youth violence, family stress. 110 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:42,560 Speaker 1: Susan says children have always been marketed to through their televisions, 111 00:08:42,880 --> 00:08:46,360 Speaker 1: but before the eighties, there were federal guidelines prohibiting how 112 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:49,920 Speaker 1: kids were targeted with ads. They were considered too young 113 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:54,760 Speaker 1: to understand the difference between commercials and entertainment. But as 114 00:08:54,840 --> 00:09:00,199 Speaker 1: Raphae was reaching peak success, that all changed. The GET 115 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:05,360 Speaker 1: administration deregulated children's television, and according to Susan, all hell 116 00:09:05,480 --> 00:09:09,959 Speaker 1: broke loose and it became fine to create a program 117 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:12,720 Speaker 1: for the sole purpose of selling toys. So that just 118 00:09:12,960 --> 00:09:17,120 Speaker 1: changed everything. That's how we got shows like g I. 119 00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:21,200 Speaker 1: Joe and My Little pony half hour infomercials masquerading as 120 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:25,760 Speaker 1: children's entertainment. Raphie had an audience of young kids, and 121 00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:29,680 Speaker 1: he couldn't stand marketing to them that way. When we 122 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:34,600 Speaker 1: think of a young child's impressionable mind, respecting that young 123 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:41,800 Speaker 1: child for the whole person that young children are, why 124 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:47,000 Speaker 1: would anyone who cares about this young audience, who treats 125 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:51,760 Speaker 1: them with respect, who holds them with respect for their dignity, 126 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:56,559 Speaker 1: Why would anyone seek to exploit their innocence, their naivete 127 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:01,240 Speaker 1: These were the beginning seeds of Ralphie would later call 128 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:05,680 Speaker 1: child honoring, a philosophy he would fully embrace years later. 129 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:09,760 Speaker 1: He felt that kids should be respected as whole human 130 00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:13,480 Speaker 1: beings and that they shouldn't be marketed to. You know, 131 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:17,280 Speaker 1: we who want to give young children our best in 132 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:23,520 Speaker 1: all our interactions, in all our capacities, are relationships with them. 133 00:10:23,640 --> 00:10:27,000 Speaker 1: Our job is to do that with respect. It's just 134 00:10:27,120 --> 00:10:31,360 Speaker 1: that simple. You would no longer exploit your own children 135 00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:35,480 Speaker 1: from monetary gain than you what somebody else's. Isn't that right? 136 00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:39,880 Speaker 1: In essence, the childhood years should be full of creativity 137 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:43,640 Speaker 1: and exploration. Ralphie would later go on to author a 138 00:10:43,679 --> 00:10:47,480 Speaker 1: book about this philosophy. It included a chapter written by Susan. 139 00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:50,360 Speaker 1: This is gonna sound simplistic, but I believe the children 140 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:55,920 Speaker 1: are people, and they're not teeny tiny adults and little bodies. 141 00:10:56,000 --> 00:11:01,319 Speaker 1: Their minds are growing and developing. They're deserving of dignity, 142 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:06,000 Speaker 1: and they're deserving of kindness. They're deserving of opportunities for 143 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:12,120 Speaker 1: self expression. And Raphi shares those beliefs, and consumerism ran 144 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:16,199 Speaker 1: head on into those beliefs. Children are inundated, Our lives 145 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:20,120 Speaker 1: are intundated with commercials. We know that. But to try 146 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:24,199 Speaker 1: and take the most basic steps to minimize that exposure 147 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:28,920 Speaker 1: to commercial brands is a good thing. And we can 148 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:32,520 Speaker 1: all do it, especially those of us who are successful. Right, 149 00:11:33,280 --> 00:11:40,800 Speaker 1: especially us, we're making enough money. If we don't say no, 150 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:43,960 Speaker 1: who will? I mean, really, all of us should. We 151 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:47,959 Speaker 1: shouldn't be in it for to to earn an income 152 00:11:48,080 --> 00:11:56,240 Speaker 1: via exploitation. That is not okay, But soon Ralphie would 153 00:11:56,280 --> 00:12:02,680 Speaker 1: have to put his philosophy to work. Before him, children's 154 00:12:02,760 --> 00:12:06,480 Speaker 1: music wasn't really seen as its own distinct genre. Ralphie 155 00:12:06,520 --> 00:12:09,800 Speaker 1: felt like kids weren't taken seriously, and what passed for 156 00:12:09,880 --> 00:12:17,760 Speaker 1: children's entertainment was just a bunch of noise. Children's entertainment 157 00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:21,400 Speaker 1: in some circles used to be viewed as a magician 158 00:12:21,760 --> 00:12:24,360 Speaker 1: who put on a magic show. And he would say, 159 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:26,679 Speaker 1: I'm going to count to three and you're gonna say 160 00:12:26,679 --> 00:12:29,880 Speaker 1: aberca dabra, And he'd go one to three and then 161 00:12:29,920 --> 00:12:32,920 Speaker 1: people go abricadabra. He'd say louder, and then they'd say 162 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:36,280 Speaker 1: louder louder. Kind of said to myself, what the heck 163 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:39,640 Speaker 1: is that? I'm not doing that? You know? So, if 164 00:12:39,679 --> 00:12:42,640 Speaker 1: I'm not doing that, what am I doing? Okay? I'm 165 00:12:42,679 --> 00:12:46,520 Speaker 1: singing songs? Which songs? Am I singing songs that children 166 00:12:46,559 --> 00:12:49,079 Speaker 1: can make their own that they can join me in? 167 00:12:50,559 --> 00:12:53,880 Speaker 1: Ralphie stood out. His success put a spotlight on his 168 00:12:53,960 --> 00:12:57,280 Speaker 1: young audience, new listeners who were hungry for good music, 169 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:03,400 Speaker 1: and advertisers were paying attention. As Ralphie's fame grew, he 170 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:08,280 Speaker 1: held fast onto his values, even if there was a cost. Sure, 171 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:10,680 Speaker 1: I knew I was probably saying goodbye to millions of 172 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:14,400 Speaker 1: dollars of potential revenue, but so what, That's not what 173 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:43,319 Speaker 1: my music makings about. Rafie had a big Hollywood moment. 174 00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:46,640 Speaker 1: His song Raining Like Magic was featured in the movie 175 00:13:46,679 --> 00:13:52,079 Speaker 1: fern Gully, The Last Rainforest. It was an animated film 176 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:55,679 Speaker 1: starring Tim Curry and Robin Williams. The story is about 177 00:13:55,679 --> 00:13:58,600 Speaker 1: a fairy who tries to save a rainforest from laggers. 178 00:13:59,679 --> 00:14:03,600 Speaker 1: It was Raffi's first time singing in a film. The 179 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:07,320 Speaker 1: movie spoke to Raffie. He thought anyone who saw the 180 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:11,360 Speaker 1: film would demand that rainforests be protected. It was a 181 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:14,600 Speaker 1: cause he'd grow to care about deeply. It felt like 182 00:14:14,640 --> 00:14:21,280 Speaker 1: a no brainer. A few years later, Raffie says he 183 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:25,240 Speaker 1: got another call from Hollywood. This time the offer was 184 00:14:25,640 --> 00:14:29,720 Speaker 1: more complicated. Dream Works, the powerhouse known for Shrek and 185 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:33,160 Speaker 1: Kung Fu Panda, had an idea. They wanted to make 186 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:37,720 Speaker 1: an animated movie about Baby Beluga, raff He's hit song. 187 00:14:38,680 --> 00:14:41,400 Speaker 1: It was the kind of deal that would splash Raffie's 188 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:44,800 Speaker 1: beloved whale on screens all over the world. It had 189 00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:48,160 Speaker 1: the potential to turn him into an international star and 190 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:58,560 Speaker 1: make Raffie crazy rich. We asked two questions. Would the 191 00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:03,600 Speaker 1: film be directly advertised two kids via fast food outlets 192 00:15:03,600 --> 00:15:07,440 Speaker 1: in every other form of direct advertising? Well, the answer 193 00:15:07,520 --> 00:15:11,480 Speaker 1: was yes. And would would there be a whole host 194 00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:17,080 Speaker 1: of cheap plastic made characters from the show sold probably 195 00:15:17,120 --> 00:15:20,600 Speaker 1: through fast food outlets. Again, yes, well, that's all we 196 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:25,480 Speaker 1: needed to hear. Turning down an offer of a Baby 197 00:15:25,520 --> 00:15:31,120 Speaker 1: Bluegot film from the makers of Shrek was easy. It 198 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:34,360 Speaker 1: took no time. But you said yes to the Fern 199 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:38,720 Speaker 1: Gully movie. How are those different? Well, only my song 200 00:15:39,120 --> 00:15:43,280 Speaker 1: Reigning like Magic is in the Fern Gully movie. That's 201 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:48,000 Speaker 1: what I said yes to, So that's understandable. Um, the 202 00:15:48,080 --> 00:15:51,840 Speaker 1: Baby Blue movie is entirely different in that that's that 203 00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:56,040 Speaker 1: would be a film inspired by a song that I wrote. 204 00:15:57,480 --> 00:16:02,200 Speaker 1: And when I learned that the way the film would 205 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:07,840 Speaker 1: be marketed would be exploitative of young children and their families, 206 00:16:08,320 --> 00:16:12,240 Speaker 1: I said no. Trying to understand what it means, um 207 00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:14,960 Speaker 1: for you to exploit your audience for commercial gain, Like, 208 00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:17,400 Speaker 1: what where is the line I don't do it for you? 209 00:16:17,440 --> 00:16:19,560 Speaker 1: I don't. I don't do it. You don't do it never? 210 00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:22,440 Speaker 1: How can you even ask that? Of course, I don't, 211 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:25,240 Speaker 1: I don't. I've never done it. I wasn't accusing you 212 00:16:25,280 --> 00:16:28,040 Speaker 1: of it at all. Ever, you know, No, No, I don't, 213 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:31,200 Speaker 1: I don't do it. I've never done it. I don't. 214 00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:35,120 Speaker 1: That's not what I'm about. I can't and I will 215 00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:39,880 Speaker 1: not participate in ventures that would do that. But you 216 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:42,840 Speaker 1: felt comfortable with providing a song to friend Gully that 217 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:47,760 Speaker 1: was okay, Well, yeah, why wouldn't it be, well you 218 00:16:48,160 --> 00:16:50,400 Speaker 1: you wrote a great song for it. But and at 219 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:54,040 Speaker 1: the same time it was fern Gully was marketed directly 220 00:16:54,080 --> 00:16:58,400 Speaker 1: to kids and had a pizza hut meal. Um, you know, 221 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:03,000 Speaker 1: no not. I wasn't aware of any of that at 222 00:17:03,080 --> 00:17:06,360 Speaker 1: the time. In fact, if you look at what year 223 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:10,359 Speaker 1: it was, I think you know that there wasn't even 224 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:16,600 Speaker 1: a conversation. So you know, if my understanding these things 225 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:21,600 Speaker 1: grew along the decades, then good for me. But no, no, 226 00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:26,800 Speaker 1: those things weren't even discussed at the time. At the time, 227 00:17:26,840 --> 00:17:31,560 Speaker 1: I was happy to be contributing a song to a 228 00:17:31,640 --> 00:17:35,560 Speaker 1: film that was, you know, looking at the devastation of 229 00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:42,400 Speaker 1: um forest ecologies and so on, and and if indeed 230 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:46,600 Speaker 1: it was marketed in ways that were not what I 231 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:50,200 Speaker 1: would choose, I'm sorry about that. But I wasn't even 232 00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:57,840 Speaker 1: aware of some of that at the time. Maybe it's 233 00:17:57,840 --> 00:18:00,280 Speaker 1: hard to look back and have to dissect why you 234 00:18:00,320 --> 00:18:04,680 Speaker 1: made the decisions you did, And I get it. I'm 235 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:08,720 Speaker 1: an entertainer. It's impossible to understand the ripple effects of 236 00:18:08,840 --> 00:18:13,560 Speaker 1: every decision you make, and yet every decision you make 237 00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:18,280 Speaker 1: is scrutinized by the public. But to the people around Raffie, 238 00:18:18,800 --> 00:18:25,639 Speaker 1: he did live what he preached. Michael Kreeber is a 239 00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:30,359 Speaker 1: musician and composer and a longtime collaborator with Raffie. To 240 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:35,040 Speaker 1: you can say, it's integrity, you know, his message, what 241 00:18:35,119 --> 00:18:38,919 Speaker 1: he believes in is what he does, and that's the 242 00:18:38,960 --> 00:18:41,159 Speaker 1: best word for it. I can I can find he 243 00:18:41,240 --> 00:18:44,719 Speaker 1: has integrity and he comes from a profound caring, you know, 244 00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:49,359 Speaker 1: for kids and for the planet and the issues that 245 00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:55,399 Speaker 1: are close to his heart. Psychologists Susan Lynn was also 246 00:18:55,480 --> 00:19:00,000 Speaker 1: paying attention to Raffie's decisions. Taking a stand against commercialism 247 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:04,320 Speaker 1: was actually it might have been in the best interests 248 00:19:04,359 --> 00:19:06,719 Speaker 1: of his soul, but it wasn't in the best interest 249 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:10,000 Speaker 1: of his pocketbook. That's impressive to me. You know, he 250 00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:13,280 Speaker 1: could have made a lot more money if he had, 251 00:19:13,320 --> 00:19:16,040 Speaker 1: you know, done the Baby Bluga movie and commercialized it. 252 00:19:16,760 --> 00:19:20,440 Speaker 1: There aren't a lot of artists who have done that. 253 00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:24,320 Speaker 1: Raphie was trying to change the world by turning down 254 00:19:24,359 --> 00:19:27,600 Speaker 1: one movie or endorsement deal at a time. But it 255 00:19:27,680 --> 00:19:31,480 Speaker 1: was kind of like David against Goliath because the advertising 256 00:19:31,480 --> 00:19:35,000 Speaker 1: industry was busy teaching kids how to nag their parents 257 00:19:35,119 --> 00:19:39,760 Speaker 1: more effectively. It's called pastor power. They found that it 258 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:44,440 Speaker 1: was helpful if kids had reasons why they wanted something, 259 00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:47,920 Speaker 1: like one example they use is g Mom, I really 260 00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:51,159 Speaker 1: want Barbie's dream house because Barbie and Ken want to 261 00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:55,560 Speaker 1: get married and raise the family. And then they identified 262 00:19:55,640 --> 00:20:00,359 Speaker 1: persistence nagging, which is gimme, gimme, gimme, gim to give me. 263 00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:07,000 Speaker 1: And one of an organization that worked around consumption did 264 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:08,880 Speaker 1: a study and found that there were ten and eleven 265 00:20:08,960 --> 00:20:13,359 Speaker 1: year old kids who are nagging fifty times for one thing, 266 00:20:13,920 --> 00:20:18,000 Speaker 1: and nagging is exhausting. All your parents listening right now, 267 00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:22,080 Speaker 1: you know exactly what Susan is talking about. And Susan says, 268 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:26,520 Speaker 1: nagging effects how kids develop, undermining their critical thinking and 269 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:31,000 Speaker 1: emotional stability. Starting a baby off when their brains are 270 00:20:31,160 --> 00:20:35,640 Speaker 1: just beginning to make connections, and when we know that 271 00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:40,199 Speaker 1: habits and behaviors can be formed in early childhood, and 272 00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:44,479 Speaker 1: to start them off, turning to screens for stimulation and 273 00:20:44,520 --> 00:20:48,919 Speaker 1: for soothing instead of learning how to self soothe or 274 00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:53,200 Speaker 1: to turn to other people or or the the outside 275 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:58,160 Speaker 1: world for a stimulation and for soothing. That works very 276 00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:03,399 Speaker 1: well for the corporation, the toy industry, the media industry, 277 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:07,800 Speaker 1: and today the tech industry, but not so well for 278 00:21:07,800 --> 00:21:12,560 Speaker 1: for babies and young children. It's the opposite of Raffi song, 279 00:21:12,760 --> 00:21:19,880 Speaker 1: Thanks a lot, Thanks so long, Thanks for the sun 280 00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:24,080 Speaker 1: and sky. That's a celebration of nature and the world 281 00:21:24,119 --> 00:21:28,640 Speaker 1: around us. It's about gratitude and wonderment. But Susan says, 282 00:21:28,720 --> 00:21:33,200 Speaker 1: advertising not only interrupts children's development, but it also takes 283 00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:39,000 Speaker 1: advantage of our human flaws, and marketers count on selfishness. 284 00:21:39,119 --> 00:21:43,480 Speaker 1: They count on me first, they count on taking care 285 00:21:43,520 --> 00:21:46,760 Speaker 1: of yourself, and then they count on being able to 286 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:50,679 Speaker 1: convince people that they need whatever product in order to 287 00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:57,240 Speaker 1: take care of themselves. Altruism is not part of commercial culture. Thanks, 288 00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:10,760 Speaker 1: thanks for them night, Thanks a lot, Thanks for the stars. 289 00:22:10,840 --> 00:22:17,040 Speaker 1: So what you're presenting when you present music or art 290 00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:21,040 Speaker 1: to any audience is about the art. It's about the 291 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:27,880 Speaker 1: music and it's not to be confused or muddied by 292 00:22:27,960 --> 00:22:31,840 Speaker 1: something else that you have no business associating with. It 293 00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:37,040 Speaker 1: right for any audience of any age, especially for young children, 294 00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:41,080 Speaker 1: because they're learning about how the world works, how the 295 00:22:41,080 --> 00:22:46,399 Speaker 1: adults in their lives are conducting themselves. Thanks for the 296 00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:59,840 Speaker 1: people everywhere, Thanks a lot, Thanks for all and for 297 00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:22,400 Speaker 1: One of Raffie's most beloved events was the International Children's 298 00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:26,840 Speaker 1: Festival in Vancouver. It's the longest running kids arts festival 299 00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:31,160 Speaker 1: in the world. At its height, nine children and their 300 00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:35,399 Speaker 1: parents gathered for music, theater, and puppetry that highlighted kids 301 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:40,280 Speaker 1: creativity and exploration, and for years, Raffie was the headliner 302 00:23:40,359 --> 00:23:46,040 Speaker 1: of the event. They used to keep increasing the size 303 00:23:46,080 --> 00:23:48,640 Speaker 1: of the tent that I would perform in the Raffi Tent, 304 00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:52,040 Speaker 1: as they called it, because of the demand for shows. 305 00:23:52,080 --> 00:23:55,080 Speaker 1: It was just amazing. I would do like eight shows 306 00:23:55,280 --> 00:23:59,000 Speaker 1: in one week or ten sometimes. But all that changed 307 00:23:59,119 --> 00:24:02,480 Speaker 1: in two thousands. Out of the blue, suddenly I was 308 00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:07,520 Speaker 1: informed that oh yeah, uh, a car company was gonna 309 00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:10,920 Speaker 1: have its cars on the lock of the festival. I thought, 310 00:24:11,119 --> 00:24:15,159 Speaker 1: what the heck is this? I pulled out so fast. 311 00:24:15,680 --> 00:24:20,080 Speaker 1: I was really stunned and shocked, and well, I felt hurt. 312 00:24:20,320 --> 00:24:27,120 Speaker 1: I felt personally hurt that they do this. He didn't 313 00:24:27,119 --> 00:24:28,840 Speaker 1: want anything to do with that, so he wanted the 314 00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:31,440 Speaker 1: music to speak for yourself and the messages to come 315 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:35,800 Speaker 1: through on their own without you know, commercialism attached to it. 316 00:24:36,480 --> 00:24:40,080 Speaker 1: Musician Michael Creeper says he never saw Raffie waver from 317 00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:43,320 Speaker 1: his beliefs, and together they played some impressive gigs like 318 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:47,159 Speaker 1: Broadway and Radio City Music Hall. Yeah, Broadway, it was 319 00:24:47,200 --> 00:24:50,880 Speaker 1: a big deal. That was thrilling. And to play all 320 00:24:50,880 --> 00:24:53,879 Speaker 1: that beautiful music with these kids. He had a great choir, 321 00:24:54,640 --> 00:24:58,400 Speaker 1: and the choir was assembled from the children of all 322 00:24:58,440 --> 00:25:02,119 Speaker 1: these luminaries around New York like people he contacted. Everybody 323 00:25:02,160 --> 00:25:06,119 Speaker 1: is super friendly. This was a pretty heavy time. They 324 00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:09,560 Speaker 1: teamed up with Phil Ramone, a legendary producer who'd work 325 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:13,720 Speaker 1: with Billy Joel, Paul Simon, and Elton John. But even 326 00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:17,160 Speaker 1: with all the attention the Hollywood stars, the media, spotlight, 327 00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:20,200 Speaker 1: and the pressures that come with it, Michael says, Rafie 328 00:25:20,359 --> 00:25:24,200 Speaker 1: was never tempted to commercialize his music. He's shown that 329 00:25:24,240 --> 00:25:28,800 Speaker 1: there's a respectful way to treat that audience. That's really 330 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:31,040 Speaker 1: the key word, you know, It's a respectful way. We're 331 00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:33,400 Speaker 1: not trying to take advantage you to make them buy stuff. 332 00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:35,840 Speaker 1: He's a man of principle that to me is a 333 00:25:35,920 --> 00:25:38,400 Speaker 1: very high principle. And when he talked about it. He's 334 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:40,440 Speaker 1: very passionate about it, and he says, you know, I 335 00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:45,040 Speaker 1: just reaching not believed marketing two kids. It's not gonna 336 00:25:45,040 --> 00:25:49,320 Speaker 1: happen with my stuff because it's you know, it's not fair. 337 00:25:50,359 --> 00:25:53,800 Speaker 1: They're they're too vulnerable that they were exposed to millions 338 00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:55,719 Speaker 1: of images as we know of day and night, day 339 00:25:55,760 --> 00:25:59,120 Speaker 1: and night, most of it very shallow and commercial. It's 340 00:25:59,160 --> 00:26:02,440 Speaker 1: people are selling you stuff, right, so why why give 341 00:26:02,480 --> 00:26:05,520 Speaker 1: them more um and call it something to do with Rappi. 342 00:26:05,560 --> 00:26:09,360 Speaker 1: He didn't want anything to do with that. Michael admits 343 00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:13,120 Speaker 1: that walking away from lucrative gigs, and especially ones that 344 00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:16,800 Speaker 1: really mean something to you is not so simple. Of course, 345 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:19,879 Speaker 1: it's hard, and I think the entertainment energy is gigantic. 346 00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:21,800 Speaker 1: You know, if people are going to offer you money 347 00:26:21,880 --> 00:26:24,360 Speaker 1: to endorse their product, or they're going to say we'll 348 00:26:24,359 --> 00:26:26,639 Speaker 1: put on a big concert, it's just that our logal 349 00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:29,640 Speaker 1: will be there. It makes it harder, right, for sure, 350 00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:33,399 Speaker 1: it's harder. But maybe this is where Ralph he had 351 00:26:33,440 --> 00:26:37,240 Speaker 1: an advantage. Michael says Rafi had built a loyal following 352 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:41,080 Speaker 1: before powerful advertisers came calling, and he gambled that his 353 00:26:41,160 --> 00:26:43,680 Speaker 1: fans would show up at his concerts and buy his albums, 354 00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:47,880 Speaker 1: even if he didn't commercialize his name. No, I don't 355 00:26:47,880 --> 00:26:50,439 Speaker 1: know if those traces were easy for him, but he 356 00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:54,399 Speaker 1: would know that I can sell records from their merit. 357 00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:57,760 Speaker 1: I can do concerts because I'm a great entertainer. They 358 00:26:57,760 --> 00:27:00,399 Speaker 1: will come, you know. So I think he knew that 359 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:07,639 Speaker 1: and therefore was able to resist some of the commercialism. 360 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:11,000 Speaker 1: I understood that I had to protect this music. I 361 00:27:11,080 --> 00:27:14,960 Speaker 1: did what I needed to do to protect the artistic integrity, 362 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:17,919 Speaker 1: which basically meant that I was going to be in 363 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:21,520 Speaker 1: charge of how that album got sold and how it 364 00:27:21,560 --> 00:27:25,159 Speaker 1: got advertised. It would never be advertised to kids, and 365 00:27:25,240 --> 00:27:29,400 Speaker 1: it never was. As the promo posted that I designed 366 00:27:29,400 --> 00:27:35,560 Speaker 1: said a delightful new children's recording. That's all that's said 367 00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:40,840 Speaker 1: in the front cover. All I Really Need is a 368 00:27:41,080 --> 00:27:51,440 Speaker 1: song in my heart. If you listen to enough of 369 00:27:51,560 --> 00:27:55,520 Speaker 1: Raffie's music, you start to hear the messages the seeds 370 00:27:55,600 --> 00:27:59,840 Speaker 1: Raffi was planting. Take Raffi song All I Really Need 371 00:28:01,880 --> 00:28:13,000 Speaker 1: creen were drinking. Ralphie wrote it at a time when 372 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:15,919 Speaker 1: he had the big house in the flush bank account, 373 00:28:15,920 --> 00:28:18,520 Speaker 1: a time when he was feeling uneasy with the pressure 374 00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:20,800 Speaker 1: to make money off his audience by serving them up 375 00:28:20,840 --> 00:28:30,480 Speaker 1: to advertisers. This was Ralphie's protest song, his way of 376 00:28:30,520 --> 00:28:35,160 Speaker 1: pushing back against greed and commercialism. As Michael Creeper says, 377 00:28:35,760 --> 00:28:38,800 Speaker 1: Ralphie's music is sort of like an onion. Peel back 378 00:28:38,800 --> 00:28:43,760 Speaker 1: each layer and you find deeper meaning. The song sounds simple, 379 00:28:44,240 --> 00:28:47,960 Speaker 1: but the message is pretty um. They're very universal messages 380 00:28:48,040 --> 00:28:50,400 Speaker 1: and they're they're actually very profound messages when you think 381 00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:53,360 Speaker 1: about it. All I really need is well, what is it? 382 00:28:53,560 --> 00:28:56,120 Speaker 1: You know? Okay, well I need to eat and I 383 00:28:56,200 --> 00:29:00,760 Speaker 1: need I needed love. Kind of a paragon of integrity 384 00:29:00,800 --> 00:29:03,680 Speaker 1: to do what he does, because if you slip up 385 00:29:03,680 --> 00:29:06,760 Speaker 1: and it's sort of, well, probs, just another commercial guy, 386 00:29:07,080 --> 00:29:09,560 Speaker 1: but he's not. He cares about what he's talking about, 387 00:29:09,600 --> 00:29:12,120 Speaker 1: what he's thinking about. Not everybody that has that kind 388 00:29:12,120 --> 00:29:14,640 Speaker 1: of guts to do it. It's quite a bit of 389 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:18,080 Speaker 1: weight in your shoulders. You know. All of this is 390 00:29:18,120 --> 00:29:23,479 Speaker 1: just an expression of love, respectful love. That's all it is, 391 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:28,400 Speaker 1: respectful love and action. We can all do it. Raphie's 392 00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:31,560 Speaker 1: refusal to market two Kids was his first big awakening, 393 00:29:32,280 --> 00:29:35,640 Speaker 1: but what came next would make him stop performing altogether. 394 00:29:56,320 --> 00:30:01,520 Speaker 1: Next time. On Finding Raffie, we did our first program 395 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:08,440 Speaker 1: for television on global warming. I realized that global warming, 396 00:30:08,680 --> 00:30:12,680 Speaker 1: we called it then, was a real threat. I called 397 00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:16,840 Speaker 1: it in my script a slow motion catastrophe. I knew 398 00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:20,360 Speaker 1: that we had to get going on it immediately. And 399 00:30:20,400 --> 00:30:23,920 Speaker 1: we heard about this meeting and thought, wow, you know 400 00:30:24,040 --> 00:30:27,760 Speaker 1: there's going to be all of these old men sitting 401 00:30:27,800 --> 00:30:33,120 Speaker 1: around talking about our future. Somebody should be there to 402 00:30:33,200 --> 00:30:50,120 Speaker 1: represent what's truly at stake. Finding Raffie is a production 403 00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:53,840 Speaker 1: in My Heart Radio and Fatherly, in partnership with Rococo Punch. 404 00:30:54,760 --> 00:30:58,920 Speaker 1: It's produced by Katherine Finalosa, Meredith Hannig, and James Trout. 405 00:30:59,280 --> 00:31:03,520 Speaker 1: Productionists since from Charlotte Livingston. Alex French is our story consultant. 406 00:31:03,840 --> 00:31:08,200 Speaker 1: Our senior producer is Andrea swahe Emily Foreman is our editor. 407 00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:13,440 Speaker 1: Fact checking by Andrea Lopez Crusado. Raphae's music is courtesy 408 00:31:13,480 --> 00:31:16,800 Speaker 1: of Troubadour Music Special thanks to Kim Layton at Troubadour. 409 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:21,960 Speaker 1: Our executive producers are Jessica Albert and John Parotti at 410 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:25,800 Speaker 1: Rococo Punch, Ty Trimble, Mike Rothman and Jeff Eisenman at 411 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:29,479 Speaker 1: Fatherly and Me Chris Garcia, thank you for listening.