Sometime last Spring I heard tell that Sesame Street was changing the name of Cookie Monster to "Veggie Monster" in response to criticism that the hairy blue guy was chowing down on too many unhealthy choices. A little research revealed, much to my relief, that this was merely a rumor born in the media when Sesame Street Workshop declared their intention to diversify Cookie's diet to include more dairy, fruits, and vegetables (along with the occasional piano, block of wood, etc.)
So you can imagine my skepticism when I recently heard that classic Sesame Street videos were being released with a disclaimer stating that they were "for adults only." Apparently, Oscar is too grouchy, play spaces are unsafe, and Cookie's sweet tooth is too sweet.
Another example of media mix-ups? I'm afraid not...
As a society, we have truly gone over the deep end. (I blame the dingbat who sued because she wasn't warned that her hot coffee was....um... HOT!) We are a litigation-crazed society running scared.
Personally, I think this particular disclaimer is insulting to both children and parents. We shouldn't need to be warned...
But watch this video and let me know what YOU think.
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2 comments:
I agree with you whole-heartedly. We are the generation that grew up watching the original Sesame Street shows. As with every generation, despite whatever influences that may or may not be experienced, some people end up living life with a different perspective than others. SO WHAT??? We too readily place blame for the negative aspects of life on other sources rather than on ourselves. As a parent, I will choose what is or is not appropriate for my child to experience. I do not need an outside source telling me what to do. Watch Sesame Street, Electric Company, everything from the 70's - laugh, enjoy, and shut if off if you don't think it is okay! But I think looking at our past WITH our children can be a great experience. At least I can hopefully explain something that may be confusing and the information will come from me, not someone else.
Kerri: Good on you for doing some research before freaking out. Most people take the media's reports at face value and immediately start ranting.
Still, I think people have made too big a deal about the disclaimer issue. Here's a link to an article about it that I wrote for the Muppet fansite Tough Pigs:
http://toughpigs.com/2007/11/voice-of-reason.html
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