Adults-Only Sesame Street?

“These early ‘Sesame Street’ episodes are intended for grown-ups, and may not suit the needs of today’s preschool child.”

I realize I have been on a media-suitable-for-Brevin-kick but this is one I would have blogged about even if I wasn't a new dad. As reported by the New York Times, the first volume of Sesame Street is "intended for grown-ups". (You can read the complete article here.)

What?

Yes this is the same Sesame Street that had Big Bird, Cookie Monster, and Bert and Ernie. I know that the Muppet Show was initially more popular with adults due to it's guest stars and humor that only adults would appreciate (not adults only humor either). But this is Sesame Street! You know, the program that was brought to you by the letter "M" and by the number "8". The one where we sing a song about cookie starting with the letter "C". The same one where the two headed monster sounds out "truck". And even the same Sesame Street where we got to learn that "one of these things is not like the other". That Sesame Street is not suitable for "today's preschool child".

Hmmm...ok. So what about the original episodes of Sesame Street is "not suitable"? Here are some answers according to Carol-Lynn Parente, the executive producer of “Sesame Street”.

Oscar the Grouch:

• He is "chronically mood-disordered." “We might not be able to create a character like Oscar now”.

Monsterpiece Theater:

• Alistair Cookie and the parody “Monsterpiece Theater.” Alistair Cookie, played by Cookie Monster, used to appear with a pipe, which he later gobbled. “That modeled the wrong behavior” — smoking, eating pipes — “so we reshot those scenes without the pipe, and then we dropped the parody altogether.”

Snuffleupagus:

• Only Big Bird could see him until 1985. "Big Bird’s old protestations that he was not hallucinating came to seem a little creepy."

Cookie Monster:

• "...in the early seasons he comes across a Child’s First Addict."

...and finally...


Rural Environments:

• In spite of the show’s devotion to its “target child,” the “4-year-old inner-city black youngster”, the first episodes join kids cavorting in amber waves of grain — black children, mostly, who must be pressed into service as the face of America’s farms uniquely on “Sesame Street.”

In looking for this warning label, I checked out a couple websites to hopefully see a picture of it. When I got to Wal•Mart's website, I was surprised to see that you have to be at least 17 years or older to purchase Volume 1! You would think a DVD they are selling in the "Preschool" section of their website, Wal•Mart would know it wasn't selling "Mature" content.


Wow. I'm glad I found out about this before subjecting Brevin to this kind of tomfoolery. I wonder if I suffered any lasting, oppressive repercussions from having been force fed that show? Hmmm...oh well. I guess I'll never know. ;)

—b

By the way, this post was brought to you by the letter "E" and by the number "4". And because I feel sorry for Cookie Monster due to his bad rap, here he his singing "C" is for Cookie! (Kids, get your parents permission before pushing "play".)