So Sesame Street is expanding its diversity cast of Characters to explain race, but they forgot a certain character of the past...

[mbmfrog]

So I am reading articles on how Sesame Street is introducing two new African American style muppets to explore the culture of modern day African Americans. Yet I grew up in the 90’s and recall a specific character on the show that was more wordy than Big Bird and cool. He was an African American muppet for the show back then and yet given all this news on Race and how Sesame Street’s attempts to explore and explain it To modern day audiences...I find this character nowhere to be found In their recollection history.

Now I have a reason or two to why they excluded this character and it is understandable, but is there anyway to make an Easter eggs or two about him ?

The character I am referring to is Kingston Living the third and he was preformed by Kevin Clash. I was wondering if there was anyway to reference the character in an Easter Egg style fashion during this current circumstances that we are in ?

 

[MuppetSpot]

I think they simply forgot about Kingston Living the third and he didn't last that long.

 

[LittleJerry92]

Yeah, I have to admit, while I have no issues with these new characters, I am a little bugged that they’re treating them like they’re the FIRST African-American muppet characters on the show, when that isn’t the case at all as we’ve had Kingston and numerous other Brown muppet characters (regular or small). Not only that, but racism has also been discussed before in 1993 on a season 25 episode with Gina and Savion. It isn’t the first time it’s been brought up.

 

[mbmfrog]

Yeah, I have to admit, while I have no issues with these new characters, I am a little bugged that they’re treating them like they’re the FIRST African-American muppet characters on the show, when that isn’t the case at all as we’ve had Kingston and numerous other Brown muppet characters (regular or small). Not only that, but racism has also been discussed before in 1993 on a season 25 episode with Gina and Savion. It isn’t the first time it’s been brought up.

This is all true, but then the case of racism is more relevant than ever now. I understand trying to keep up with the current events, but they should have acknowledged every bit of the past times they discuss race and their past African American muppets.

 

[D'Snowth]

And let us not forget about Roosevelt Franklin, who ended up having to be dropped from the show over concerns his "rowdy" behavior was a stereotypically negative depiction.

 

[LittleJerry92]

The thing is Roosevelt was performed by a black actor.... who put his heart and soul into the character. The fact that even his own actor’s race couldn’t save him from being a negative stereotype shows just how well the show saw the character.

 

[YellowYahooey]

And let us not forget about Roosevelt Franklin, who ended up having to be dropped from the show over concerns his "rowdy" behavior was a stereotypically negative depiction.

Interestingly enough, the newest African-American muppets share the same muppet color scheme as Roosevelt Franklin and his mother. Is this the first time in well over 20 years that a purple muppet was ever used on a first-run episode?

 

[MuppetSpot]

No, it was Matt Robinson. Plus Northern's mental behavior started in the early 80's way after Roosevelt had been retired.

 

[Muppet Master]

Yeah, I have an issue with the way they're marketing this or at least the way the media is reporting it. I think a lot of people who aren't really familiar with SS aside from the main muppets (big bird, elmo, cookie) think that this is the first time they've had a regular black character on the series. That's obviously as far from the truth as it gets. Sesame Street had more diversity in 1969 than most shows have today.

 

[LittleJerry92]