Disgusting Muppet illustration - Make your thoughts known

[Thog]

I guess no one here ever saw this
http://www.theonion.com/onion3218/gaymuppet.html

 

[mango]

Regarding the Concerned Women of America site (www.cwfa.org), - as much as I may think their viewpoint and satirical cartoon may be in poor taste or wrong, they do have the right to say what they feel.

Speaking of FOX NEWS... I was watching the Kermit interview last week (yes, I do get it on cable over here in Australia), where one of the 'plank-of-wood' reporters were interviewing Kermit about the NASCAR race sponsorship events, and the reporter, out of nowhere, sprang the HIV+ muppet line of questioning on Kermit (which was the first instance I had heard about it).

It took Kermit by surprise and he did his face change thing - from a smile to a glum look but I think Kermit should've done that screwed-up face *wince* look the way this reporter was carrying on about it.

You could tell the reporter was 'gearing his material' to the religious right viewers that frequent FOX NEWS.

Personally I think kids should be introduced to all kinds of different people, characters & muppets so there's less chance of them growing up to be jaded, warped, prejudiced and hate-filled beings like many, many adults in the world.

Cheers,

mango

 

[Luke]

Originally posted by mango
Regarding the Concerned Women of America site (www.cwfa.org), - as much as I may think their viewpoint and satirical cartoon may be in poor taste or wrong, they do have the right to say what they feel.

I totally agree Mango - it's satire pure and simple. It's a free country and people are entitled to air their opinions however they like. It may not be particularly 'nice' but then they didn't make you view the website.

It's probably not against copyright - for one the characters aren't close enough to sesame ones, and secondly, there are certain laws in the USA that make exceptions for Parody.

I'm sure that Sesame were prepared for this backlash and knew full well what they were getting into before they went anywhere near this subject.

 

[Jennifer Beth]

I'm all for hearing multiple viewpoints, and while I would argue till I drop about free speech and everyone being entitled to an opinion, I still don't think the cartoon falls under the category of satire. In my mind, satire is generally done with respect and with a general feeling of fun. Someone else posted a link to The Onion. I'd say that was satire. I'd say the Bert is Evil pictures that were circulating on websites last year were satirical. This is just mean. It is intended to perpetuate ignorance, something Sesame Street has always worked against.

Someone posted that the Sesame Workshop people were probably prepared for a backlash. I hope so. It seems no one can do anything these days without someone getting upset. It's sad that in a society as "advanced" as ours, people still cling to outdated puritanical philosophies. I brought up the topic at lunch today with some ladies I work with, and one of them immediately said that she just hopes "they" don't try to "promote the homosexual lifestyle on the show." I tried to explain that educating children in an area with extrordinary rates of HIV infection has nothing to do with homosexualty, but she tuned me out.

 

[grail]

well, i got the site address sent off to someone i know who is a PA on Sesame Street (how cool is she?!), and she said she forwarded it on to the legal department. she wasn't optimistic about getting anything done because it probably does fit under that umbrella of "satire" but here's to hoping. she didn't say much else, but apparantly they have known for several months that this character was going to happen, so i'm sure they're all prepared for the worst...

the real shame is that's probably exactly what they're going to get...

 

[Buck-Beaver]

"Sesame" is a cultural icon - it's as ripe for spoofing as "Star Wars" but as we've all said, the upset people ARE IN THE WRONG COUNTRY! That aside, it's not even a very well done editorial cartoon.

Free speech is such a bad thing in the wrong hands (sigh).

 

[Luke]

Sesame would never do something about this - they would just get more trouble with the press for trying to censor a womens group. It would be a bad move for them because it would stir things up again.

 

[Ernie101]

is that muppet roger really comin? they said that lady announced it

 

[radionate]

Originally posted by Ernie101
is that muppet roger really comin? they said that lady announced it

The "newspaper" that article and picture about "Roger" came from is a parody paper. I'm a big fan of the Onion at times. Very funny stuff sometimes (and somethme not, just like most comedy). Anyway, tongue in cheek stuff like the Onion is tolerable (I thought Bert is Evil was also very funny), but this political cartoon, as stated multiple times already in this thread is just tacky and more propaganda.

Thanks Smig for the link to the Onion, I had never caught that story. Do you think he's a releative of Zoe? (There's always one in every family you know)

 

[Ernie101]

Well i dont find it very amusing at all.