Does anybody think you're weird for watching Sesame Street?

[Ilikemuppets]

There have been times where I've told people then they end up encouraging the habit anyway, LOL!

 

[frogboy4]

Also, just name me some stars that have worked with more famous people than the Sesame Street cast or the Muppets? There's no need to go to TMZ to get the dirt on celebrities when you can watch them sing a song about dirt with Oscar the Grouch!

 

[Larxene]

Ugh.. the Biggest Loser, Survivor, Big Brother.. these shows encourage humiliation for big prizes. I can forgive Jerry Springer (I'm actually a fan) because he knows it's all a big farce and his show is nothing but fun trash these days. These crap reality shows that masquerade as something worthy or inspirational tick me off. There's only so much of my mom whining about the 'fat freaks' on Biggest Loser or 'that witch' on Big Brother that I can stand (yet she watches every week). I don't complain that harshly even about Elmo!

I guess many folks think a Sesame Street fan can't be serious or grown up? I have no idea why finding children's programming entertaining is such a sin, it was intended that way to begin with. Parents and kids are suppose to watch together, I know my mother could not wait until it was time for Sesame Street when I was a kid. It was an excuse to watch it for herself! She also put Fraggle Rock on for me in the mornings on the Canadian channel. I never really liked it but she sure did!

 

[CensoredAlso]

Ugh.. the Biggest Loser, Survivor, Big Brother.. these shows encourage humiliation for big prizes. I can forgive Jerry Springer (I'm actually a fan) because he knows it's all a big farce and his show is nothing but fun trash these days. These crap reality shows that masquerade as something worthy or inspirational tick me off. There's only so much of my mom whining about the 'fat freaks' on Biggest Loser or 'that witch' on Big Brother that I can stand (yet she watches every week). I don't complain that harshly even about Elmo!

Absolutely, I don't entirely agree with people who say these shows are inspirational and wonderful. They claim to have a message, but they really just embarrass and humiliate vulnerable people for entertainment. The so called moral message is just to make the show look presentable but it's not genuine, at least not to me. That's the big trend now, create a show or other form of entertainment, make up a random message so it looks good, and then proceed to humiliate and degrade. It's like the message is just an afterthought they "have to" stick on. Unfortunately, I've felt that way even about certain recent Muppet projects.

That being said, I actually did learn a lot about the workplace etc from career contest shows like Project Runway (which I do enjoy). Nothing is completely useless, hehe.

 

[frogboy4]

Absolutely, I don't entirely agree with people who say these shows are inspirational and wonderful. They claim to have a message, but they really just embarrass and humiliate vulnerable people for entertainment. The so called moral message is just to make the show look presentable but it's not genuine, at least not to me. That's the big trend now, create a show or other form of entertainment, make up a random message so it looks good, and then proceed to humiliate and degrade. It's like the message is just an afterthought they "have to" stick on. Unfortunately, I've felt that way even about certain recent Muppet projects.

That being said, I actually did learn a lot about the workplace etc from career contest shows like Project Runway (which I do enjoy). Nothing is completely useless, hehe.

Whether it's the Biggest Loser - pretending to encourage health and weight loss, but actually about laughing at overweight people, Survivor - pretending to be a strategy game, but really about malicious scantily clad people debasing themselves and each other, or again hour long dramas like Grey's Anatomy - pretending to be a highbrow, feel-good medical program, but actually about pretty people having indiscriminate sex, it would just be better for these programs to be honest about their content and motives. Many groups were up in arms about MTV's Jacka**, but you know - it said it all up front - stupid people doing stupid things exploiting themselves for entertainment. I don't necessarily admire that canceled show or its participants, but I do admire the honesty in advertising.

I honestly loath those three programs. I believe they bring out the worst in people, but I'm not judging others for watching them. I am however calling their true intent into question. To be completely honest I think ABC's Extreme Home Makeover (that the Muppets have appeared on) is intrusive and exploitive. It does some very good things, but for many wrong reasons. Don’t get me wrong, it has good reasons too. But altogether the ends do not justify the means in my morality. I just hope their philanthropy provides longterm good after the the spotlight cools.

We all know the benefits of Sesame Street!

 

[Convincing John]

To be completely honest I think ABC's Extreme Home Makeover (that the Muppets have appeared on) is intrusive and exploitive. It does some very good things, but for many wrong reasons. Don’t get me wrong, it has good reasons too. But altogether the ends do not justify the means in my morality. I just hope their philanthropy provides longterm good after the the spotlight cools.

We all know the benefits of Sesame Street!

To be honest, the only time I ever watched Extreme Makeover was when the Muppets were on it. Same for Paula Deen, Jimmy Kimmel, etc.

Mikebenedict said that it's not just pop culture that influences what is mature and immature. That's true to a point.

Sadly, though, here in the US pop culture sure seems like the MAIN influence. Like I said before, Hollywood crams it down everyone's throats with an extra helping of McCelebrities.

There are elements to pop culture (or the satire thereof) which are insightful. The Muppets, obviously, do this with a talented team. Even in the often labeled "crude" South Park there are ovbious messages to the ridiculous aspects of life and how others overreact. The trick is to see an episode through (usually) Stan's eyes. From a different approach, (through Hank's eyes) "King of the Hill" does this too.

As in reference to popular culture, think about what Kyle said once about disfigured people on talk shows: "This is terrible, dude! Maury Povich parades these poor people around on his show like carnival freaks! And then gives them prizes at the end after they joked about it!"

Anymore, I'd much rather watch the satire-based animated programs than ones starring real actors onscreen that are one dimensional. So many sitcoms have an overused, blasting laughtrack accompanying a group of people that must get all their material Ms. Bitterman's exectutive. Trim your tree...oil your chair..heh heh heh...innuendo...

But back to Sesame. Yes, it has so many benefits! Remember, these benefits are not just for American kids but for people in other cultures as well. Harry Belafonte mentioned that kids in 3rd world countries who would never get a chance for an education, 17 people to a hut, benefitted from seeing Sesame Street. It gave them an appetite to learn and a reson to smile.

Instead of Sesame Street, what would those kids think if they saw "The Biggest Loser" and the like? Yeah...remember what Daniel told Kermit? "Because he was never born, 90% of network TV is reality shows." If Jim hadn't picked up that green coat in 1955, how true could Daniel's statement be?

People give you weird looks because you believe there's more content, philosophy and talent in this rather than this? Let 'em laugh. We know better.

Convincing John

 

[Drtooth]

Personally, I'd feel offended if people didn't wind up embracing "Blood porn." Yeah. The human body is full of blood and organs. We get it. We don't need 50 SAW movies to tell us that.

Though I will say, the only real problems I've ever got was saying I liked Ultimate Muscle. I got more slack about that than Sesame, indefinately.

 

[ISNorden]

For what it's worth, the few non-Henson shows I watch regularly are animated satires like the ones other fans have brought up: King of the Hill, Futurama, and South Park to name a few. Give me intelligent humor any day, no matter what the "official" target audience is supposed to be like: I couldn't care less about what the media tells me I ought to enjoy.

 

[Redsonga]

For what it's worth, the few non-Henson shows I watch regularly are animated satires like the ones other fans have brought up: King of the Hill, Futurama, and South Park to name a few. Give me intelligent humor any day, no matter what the "official" target audience is supposed to be like: I couldn't care less about what the media tells me I ought to enjoy.

Actually those are the few shows today that most people won't make fun of you for watching, since they are aimed at the everyday adult for the most part, even if they are animated
On the other hand, if you hate them like I do you get no end of people thinking you are weird for not liking something so 'adult' and 'edgy'. Honestly, IMHO a show can be intelligent without any of that swearing, or todays newest hot button topic
To me, shows like Sesame Street and the muppets are the root of all topics in their pure basic forms: emotion before swearing, pure love without a high rating, and comedy without blood

 

[CensoredAlso]

Actually, lol, I get criticized because I do enjoy South Park. And I actually hated it originally until I watched a couple of episodes by accident. For the most part I don't like swearing humor because it's done with no thought or real wit. But SP knows how to use it to actually make it shocking and funny. But more than that, they do address important social topics that literally no one else is touching, in an intelligent manner.

So you know, I think the question of what's quality and what isn't, and what's objectionable and what isn't, is a very complicated issue.