… that bother me.
#1 – Sesame Street (old version) rated unfit for children
There’s something about this that really just doesn’t sit right with me. Apparently, someone thinks that the early characters of Sesame Street are bad role models for their children. A bright blue googly-eyed impulsive monster who demolishes cookies and a cantankerous and scruffy old man with green fur who lives in a garbage can with his garbage. Come on people! These are probably the most beloved characters from Sesame Street’s Golden Age!
Can these studio executives, adults and parents be this obtuse and pudding-headed? We, and I’m speaking literally because I was one of the early generation who grew up with Sesame Street when Mr. Hooper manned the store – we loved those characters because of their faults.
What’s next will they deem Grover unfit for young viewers because he’s a classic ADHD case? Or will Big Bird be out because he’s addle-headed and slow?
#2 Ad spies in the blogosphere
I cannot really approve any comments unless I see that the commenter has a ‘real blog.’ Yes, I mean a real blog that doesn’t have a bunch of random gobblygook mashed together or a blog that doesn’t ‘smell’ like it’s being powered by a search generator or programmed spider. I’m thinking about those old Hammer movies from the sixties and seventies and the old beliefs about vampires. You should never invite them into your house… otherwise.
So if you’ve left a comment and were a real person and not an internet vampire and I didn’t approve it, I apologize but I cannot do so without prove that you’re not from the underworld of advertisement.
Vampire Circus
Design for Learning 
Natalie,
I so agree with you about both topics. I mean they just killed off Bert a few years ago and all I can ask is why? I mean I love classic Sesame Street. I loved the stories as a kid but now they’ve changed the opening song and so much that it’s not even the same. ahh… nostalgia.
It’s interesting you’d talk about ad spies because recently I posted to my blog and actually took it down because someone made a comment that wasn’t appreciated, etc. So, I think I’m destine to do some sort of approval for people to post on my blog as well. How unfortunate..but then, so it goes.
I heard they’re labeling the old Warner Brother Cartoons that way too. What’s this world coming to?
I got a set of Ernie and Bert sheets for Christmas…once. Why they never attacked the Odd Couple the same way E & B were vilified. Shameful.
My 1 year old is watching Cookie Monster as I write this. And he’s giggling. So, I figure if he can learn his letters and (eventually) be tolerant to all types of people, I’m doing a good job as a mom.
I love Sesame Street. They have addressed many issues that other children’s shows never seem to get to. Some subjects that I can think of off the top of my head are: Mr. Hooper’s death, Big Bird’s nest being blown away by a hurricane (answering questions about Katrina-like catastrophes), Baby Bear’s new sister, and Rosita and her bilingual family.
Oh, and Grover is one of my favorite monsters. The fact that he’s a spaz attack makes him even more loveable.
One of the first books I learned to read was about Grover’s trip to the museum. Terrific stuff.
Yup, April, you’re right S.S. did do a good job of talking about difficult topics. I think these are topics we shouldn’t hide-away from children, but we should be able to gather up the strength and thoughfulness it takes to address them the right way with kids. Sesame Street made some of these topics accessible and also addressed childrens’ needs for comfort and a place to feel safe.
I know too that Sesame Street has many different off shoots in different countries… there’s Plaza Sesamo for Spanish speaking countries, and when I was in the Philippines a couple of years back I remember there being a version in Tagalog.
Dave does a great impression of Grover doing “Near” and “Far.” We both remember reading The Monster at the End of This Book and loving it growing up.
The Muppet Wiki has the transcript of the explanation of Mr. Hooper’s death on Sesame Street. I am so sappy that I teared up just reading it and remembering that episode. That was a wonderful treatment of a challenging subject.
Hi there…
I have seen a demo version of Sesame street and simply loved it.. I feel Sesame Street has been creatively done and any kid cannot help loving it.
As far as accepting comments in my blog is concerned, I accept comments that are relevant to Instructional Designing and the topic of discussion in my posts…. Rest I ignore 🙂
Thanks for the comments Christy and Rupa. Christy thanks for providing the link to the Muppet Wiki. I have a bunch of friends who would appreciate the fact that this exists very much. I grew up with the Muppet Show TV Soundtrack. Which I of course have loaded onto my ipod. The Muppet version of the song “Lydia” has been one of my all-time favorite songs next to the rendition by Groucho Marx.
I had “Lydia” playing in my car during a trip once, and I saw the sign for Kankakee right as that line came up. Maybe I’m just easily amused, but I thought it was very cool.
My sister and I played our copied tapes of the Muppet Show album so many times that we wore out several of them. I had such a good time watching the first season of the Muppets on DVD and seeing the sketches to go with all the songs, some of which I don’t think I’d ever seen before. The 25th Anniversary CD is also good, although some of that overlaps with the original album.
When my sister briefly did a blog for a course, she called it “Somewhere else instead.” She asked people to identify where the reference came from. Since you listen to that album, do you know?
I think that “Somewhere Else Instead” comes from the song sung by Kermit’s nephew Robin. It’s based on a poem from A.A. Milne. Now this is coming from my childhood memory so I could be wrong 🙂
P.S. Our Muppet Show Soundtrack was on 8-Track. :). We didn’t have an 8-Track in the normal car so we could only listen to it in the camper on long trips… Over and over again, to the chagrin of my parents.