Sesame Street on Discipline & Manners

[Mister Fred]

Why doesn't Sesame Street go into more on discipline & good manners?
Cookie Monster should demonstrate good manners & not eat like he does stuffing things in his mouth. Kids that eat like this could face tough discipline from there parents. I think Sesame Street should go more into discipline not just the "time out" doing but being grounded, toys taken away, and spankings. I know Sesame Street has never been afraid to talk about sensitive subjects such as death, but this could be addressed.
What do you think?

 

[Drtooth]

Dude, you need to lay off the caffeene. This kind of thinking got rid of Don Music, you know. We shouldn't introduce some disiplinarian that comes over and spanks Ernie for eating too much of Bert's Licorice, or forces Cookie to eat only vegitables with a knife and fork. You do know that Parenting is needed in these situations. You can't learn everything from TV you know. If these cahracters were as tame as you wanted, no one would watch, Sesame Street would be just a forgotten kid's show from the 70's, like New Zoo revue and crap like that!

Cookie Monster is wild. Kids should know it's just a character. Oscar is standoffish to people. They should know it's just a character.

I mean, we can't homoginize classic characters into a mumbling bunch of Barney-oid ultra respectful lumps of foam. They need to be wild and crazy... they don't exist! Parents should distinguish the difference between reality and fantasy, not the characters themselves.

I mean, the reason SS has an adult fanbase is because they are outrageous characters. Cookie can eat whatever the heck he darn well pleases. Grover can annoy people by trying to please them without asking what they truely want. And Ernie has to con and aggravate Bert. if not, he's just an orange guy with a toy duck that sounds like Kermit.

I do not want to see Lobotomized versions of these classic characters who smash through brick walls, eat game show hosts, and disassemble TV's and Wrestle W's, just because Parent's won't take matters into their own hands.

 

[Smy Guiley]

You do know that Parenting is needed in these situations. You can't learn everything from TV you know.

I do not want to see Lobotomized versions of these classic characters who smash through brick walls, eat game show hosts, and disassemble TV's and Wrestle W's, just because Parent's won't take matters into their own hands.

Hear, hear!

heh, heh....PC Street! I can't imagine!

later
eric

 

[Censored]

The truth is that Sesame Street has ALWAYS taught manners and discipline, but in a much subtler way than was originally suggested in this thread.

 

[Drtooth]

Yes... the subtlety... that's why it was fun to learn... with numbers and letters they came out front and did songs and stuff about, but the real messages were subliminally planted in the show. Look at the racial diversity... everyone gets along (except ) with each other. We have Gordon, Bob, Maria, and Monsters, frogs, and Birds of all kinds living as one.

They don't need to sing all these revolting songs about how kids should behave unlike New Zoo revue, where the song is 90 % of the show, and revolting to the core.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I used to eat like that and the worst thing I got out of it was indigestion.

I don't think there should be spankings or trouble made at all on SS ebcause of character behavior.

If they did something like that, I could see a small scolding like, "Why did you do a thing like that?" and then the character feels bad about whatever they did, and ultimately apologizes and says, "I promise I'll never do anything like that again." Adult, "I hope not. I'm very disappointed, but I love you anyways." Then there's the hug.

Parents forget to let their kids know that they love them even though they're angry with them or scolding them, and a hug helps know it's okay. It would be educational on both the parents and kids to see something like that.

I used to know a guy who would spank his kids, then tell them he loved them and didn't like to do that because it made him feel bad, too; and then he'd hug them and send them to their room for a little bit.

 

[Censored]

I used to eat like that and the worst thing I got out of it was indigestion.

I don't think there should be spankings or trouble made at all on SS ebcause of character behavior.

If they did something like that, I could see a small scolding like, "Why did you do a thing like that?" and then the character feels bad about whatever they did, and ultimately apologizes and says, "I promise I'll never do anything like that again." Adult, "I hope not. I'm very disappointed, but I love you anyways." Then there's the hug.

Parents forget to let their kids know that they love them even though they're angry with them or scolding them, and a hug helps know it's okay. It would be educational on both the parents and kids to see something like that.

I used to know a guy who would spank his kids, then tell them he loved them and didn't like to do that because it made him feel bad, too; and then he'd hug them and send them to their room for a little bit.

And since all parents don't believe in spanking, it would be too controversial. It would be like trying to impose certain cultural or religious values on everyone.

 

[Censored]

They don't need to sing all these revolting songs about how kids should behave unlike New Zoo revue, where the song is 90 % of the show, and revolting to the core.

I have to respectfully disagree with you there. I am a big fan of the New Zoo Review and wish it was shown more. Even that show tried to get children to internalize values rather than scaring them straight. I don't recall ever seeing Doug or Emmy Jo smack the animals in the mouth to teach them a lesson. Besides, some things that work on one show may not work on another. I mean, it would be pretty boring if every TV show was the same. JMO

 

[Muppet1985]

yeah,the Charaters should not do those Things
In Speaking of Spanking, is there Sesame Street Episodes that have Spanking in it(in the 70s and the 80s)/Any in the International Versions?

 

[Hays]

If you go to the Sesame Workshop website and click on the "parents" link, you will find that there is a particular philosophy about child-rearing involved that is reflected in the show. This philosophy seems to be particularly against physical discipline. You can also subscribe to their newsletter (which I have) that gives all kinds of parenting advice, leaning towards a gentle teaching approach that allows kids to be themselves.

http://www.sesameworkshop.com/parents/

One thing that does bother me a bit about SS, though, is that the kids and muppets are almost totally unsupervised all of the time. Of course, it's a plot device, but I think it sends some parents the wrong message. I wonder if there's any way around it...