Sesame Street Anounces Layoffs

[StreetScenes]

Is there some reason why we're talking this thread off topic?

this thread isn't off topic--it was always a thread about a sesame workshop decision and worry over the workshop's future. there are many ways this can be addressed, from discussing past sw decisions and their consequences to discussing things we might do to help. this would be a pretty boring forum if there were fourteen million threads that were defined so narrowly as to be just an announcement of a news item followed by four people saying "oh, that's too bad." it's much more interesting to actually have a conversation.

 

[beaker]

Disrespect? How!

He's a living legend! Who would treat a man such as Mr. Spinney this way? It's really unfair.

THEY'RE HURTING BIG BIRD! :::CRY:::

Let's just say, not is always as the fans here may think...and it just goes to show you the ugly true nature of politics and business, even with something like Sesame Street.

As far as Im concerned, Big Bird, not Elmo is the true face of Sesame Street.

 

[CensoredAlso]

It has always been a double edge sword how art has to be mixed with business in order to be seen.

 

[Drtooth]

Well I guess that sounds better than what I was reading.
I think they should have had Oscar explain that Rosita and Elmo's dad almost got killed fighting for Haliburton, Unocal, and Mobil corporation.

You also forgot Bush's daddy issues.... something I felt was the BIG reason why we were forced to go in... dork was threatening to invade during his 2000 debate speech. Considering his Daddy pretty much let things happen the way they did over there, he thought cleaning up that mess would erase the years of debauchery and make daddy proud.

I say, they should have made Elmo's Dad a fire fighter or Rosita's Dad a cop. Both jobs are extremely dangerous, and can convey the same message.

The reason this doesn't sit right with me, is because Sesame Workshop now gets heavy defense department funding, but LOOK
what our own government is using Sesame Street music for in Iraq for "interrogation"
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28144557/
Sesame should sue the US government, not take handouts from the Pentagon, RAND and the other war profiteers

And the same politicians who were trying to vote to end PBS financing are the same guys who were voting to finance these wars.

Something I think is utterly despicable. These songs are supposed to spread happiness and joy and fun, not hate, stupidity, superiority, and all that evil stuff Jim and Joe are probably spinning in their graves for. Bareny at least makes some sort of sense.

I still vehemently disagree with that disclaimer, it was completely unnecessary and needlessly degrading.

Child psychologists, man.... Our society has to put warning labels saying that stuff that's hot is hot. I really want to see a disclaimer that reads:

"The DVD product(s) you are considering for purchased may not fill the ultra pampered, watered down, frankly ridiculously rigid curriculum of your pre-pre-preschool child who are too young to benefit from television anyway. Do not purchase and post angry rant on Amazon.com about how Elmo doesn't pop up every 2 seconds, and how you're 2 month old baby can't seem to take any interest. Studies have shown that watching Sesame Street at that age has the rough effect of sitting them next to a strobe light. This product was intended to appease a fanbase disappointed with the show's new nature, not someone likely to chew on the box it came in. By reading this disclaimer loudly on television as a 'news story' you have officially given us unpaid publicity, defeating any reason to pay to advertise this product as a commercial."

(or this Disclaimer "Please excuse missing sequences where the song 'Happy Birthday' once stood. We're anxiously waiting for that copyright those nasty, rich old biddies are clinging to to expire.")

 

[StreetScenes]

This product was intended to appease a fanbase disappointed with the show's new nature, not someone likely to chew on the box it came in.

you presume these groups are mutually exclusive *munch munch* "Old School packaging delicious, but Follow That Bird box with Elmo on cover give me heartburn. ohhhhh"

 

[StreetScenes]

all of this raises the issue about the different types of projects the workshop does. the "learn along with sesame street" series that the military stuff is part of is quite different from the content of the show itself. more direct and overtly message-driven. it's taken me a while to get used to the style of these. the first bits i saw of this were the songs "Lead Police" and "Blood Test" that someone put on youtube & my jaw just dropped--it was like sesame street was parodying itself, to have monsters happily dancing and singing a rock 'n' roll number about a blood test while getting stuck with a needle.

but these efforts have a different purpose and a different audience from the show itself. on the show, the humans are parental figures for the muppets--elmo's and rosita's dads don't really play a part in the storylines of the street. the workshop has different goals and different standards for these shows. and they still integrate some humor (the muppet dialogue over the end credits in the two Happy, Healthy, Ready for School ones is hilarious!). but they do keep the way of addressing these topics in the Learn Along videos quite separate from the ways they present them in the broadcast show. and all of that is different again from how they present the video content on their website. i guess i just mean that funding sources can be tricky, but they know stuff like that compromises their whole mission and i think they're still doing a good job balancing the need to address the tough issues for preschoolers with the need to maintain control of the content of their show.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I say, they should have made Elmo's Dad a fire fighter or Rosita's Dad a cop. Both jobs are extremely dangerous, and can convey the same message.

I do think children of military parents needed some kind of comfort, they shouldn't be ignored. But yeah, in this particular war, I would trend very carefully.

"The DVD product(s) you are considering for purchased may not fill the ultra pampered, watered down, frankly ridiculously rigid curriculum of your pre-pre-preschool child who are too young to benefit from television anyway. Do not purchase and post angry rant on Amazon.com about how Elmo doesn't pop up every 2 seconds, and how you're 2 month old baby can't seem to take any interest.

In my opinion, excellently put!

 

[CensoredAlso]

Well, heh, crew people are also vital to the workings of a show. And it was more than just a couple of crew people. And anyone getting laid off is bad news.

 

[antsamthompson9]

Well, heh, crew people are also vital to the workings of a show. And it was more than just a couple of crew people. And anyone getting laid off is bad news.

I know. I'm just glad the preformers are still with the show.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Yeah I get you, actors usually have it harder than most and with the recession it's only worse.