Biden: ‘Make sure you have the record player on’ so children hear more words

Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) drew online chuckles and some confusion when he said parents should turn on record players for children at night during the third Democratic primary debate Thursday. 

Biden said there is “institutional segregation in this country” while addressing racially based gaps in education, housing and other issues during the debate, suggesting programs to bring social workers into homes to address inequalities. 

“We bring social workers into homes with parents to help them deal with how to raise their children. It’s not that they don’t want to help. They don’t know quite what to do — play the radio, make sure the television, excuse me, make sure you have the record player on at night,” Biden said. 

{mosads} “A kid coming from a very poor school, a very poor background, will hear 4 million words fewer spoken by the time they get there,” Biden said.

.@JoeBiden: “Make sure you have the record player on at night” pic.twitter.com/A0EGxorodm

— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) September 13, 2019

Greg Schultz, Biden’s campaign manager, was quick to support the candidate, tweeting an article about the popularity of records and sharing “Just so everyone knows – record players are really popular (we have one at home!)” 

Just so everyone knows – record players are really popular (we have one at home!) https://t.co/ky9ZajXLlF

— Greg Schultz (@schultzohio) September 13, 2019

But some Twitter users went online looking for answers on the former vice president’s comments.

Was Biden’s answer to inequality in education that he would turn the record player on? #DemDebate

— Jap-Nanak Makkar (@jmakr) September 13, 2019

did joe biden just talk about a record player pic.twitter.com/TsWvcHVmVA

— Kevin Maisto (@kevinmaisto) September 13, 2019

Others added their own jokes about Biden’s suggestion.

I’d like to thank the brave @JoeBiden for standing up against big record player tonight. #DemDebate #DemocraticDebate

— Secular Talk (@KyleKulinski) September 13, 2019

Guys, Joe Biden is advising parents to turn their “record player” on so the poor kids can hear what’s playing

— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) September 13, 2019

Not a record player, Joe.
A transistor radio under the pillow.
Get it together.#DemDebate

— Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) September 13, 2019