Sesame Street to Introduce HIV-Positive Muppet

[Drtooth]

Unclean sewing needles. Or maybe a bad felt transplant.

I dunno. This is a SERIOUS post!!!

 

[frogboy4]

Even Jerry Fallwell seems to be supporting the character (within the current context). Geez - of all people! And I think that says something! I'm just floored right now. This comes from the interview on Hardball with Chris Mathews on MSNBC/CNBC. Now I don't like Fallwell much (and that is not really the point) I just find it interesting he's on board.

 

[beaker]

good question...a muppet doesnt get HIV or any diseases, so im hoping this doesnt come to us sesame anytime soon. like i said, if they are gonan address the issue, it needs to be an actual example of something living with it.

Hey, speaking of a person on Sesame with AIDS, I saw they just came out with an Elmo's World playset with Mr. Noodle. I think if anything, Mr. Noodle is a great example of someone living with the disease that they could start with.

 

[Phillip]

According to Sesame Workshop in an e-mail I received today:

"There are NO CURRENT PLANS to introduce an HIV Positive Muppet on Sesame Street in the States or anywhere other than in South Africa. This idea came from our South African broadcast partner isolating a major problem for children in that country. We at the workshop have been innundated by press calls about this, all because of a misquote of Dr. Schneider in the original story."

 

[MuppetQuilter]

Okay, if Fallwell isn't offended by this it really must be tame.

Seriously, this is what I see happening--

someone's cousin comes to visit (Zoe's or Gabby's-- whatever) and that cousin is HIV+ (remember-- no one is suggesting Sesame Street introduce a character with AIDS, just an HIV+ character and there is a big difference there). So we get a scene where the 'kids' (Big Bird, Elmo, Zoe, Telly...) are playing with the cousin. Maybe they're playing tag, whatever, it is an active game. The cousin gets tired or dizzy or an upset stomach-- nothing major but enough that cousin has to go sit down at a picnic table next to Hooper's. So a couple of Muppets go over, I'm thinking Zoe and Big Bird, maybe Elmo. They ask cousin what's wrong. Cousin explains that cousin has to take medicine and sometimes the medicine makes cousin a little sick or tired. Zoe asks if the cousin is sick and that is why cousin takes the medicine. Cousin says no, the medicine to keep cousin from getting sick because cousin can get sick more easily than most people. Zoe says okay. Then Elmo or Big Bird says something like, 'when I'm tired sometimes I like to color. Would you like to color?' They can all get crayons and start coloring pictures instead of running around.

A little later we can get a scene on the street where some people are looking at cousin, whispering and staying away from cousin. Zoe sees this and asks Maria what is up. Maria says that some people don't understand about cousin and they think they could get sick just from being near cousin. Zoe can then say 'they should ask cousin about it. Asking questions is a good way of finding something out.' Maria can say yes, if they talked to cousin they would find out they don't need to worry and they would find out what a nice person cousin is.

Maybe cousin would visit on Sesame Street for a couple more episodes before going home, but nothing else about HIV or AIDS would come up.

 

[monkeymuppet]

if you have aol, there is a message board you can go to about this. i dont know the address of it, but its called Sesame Street Opens Door to HIV Muppet.

Adios,
~Megan~

 

[Luke]

Re: Luke

Yup the hospital setting was an entirely seperate issue, that was the whole point. Personally, i'm not afraid of kids learning anything, i'm just realising that at 4 years old a parent should have a lil' something to do with what their kids watch and be in on the discussion. I want them to be able to know when to switch off and back on again, so that the press uproar that it caused wouldn't encourage certain parents to switch off forever. I do agree that it would probably go over the heads of kids too young to understand - you certainly have a point there, but a parent still needs to be involved in the 'access' issue.

I know it (even though Phil has already pointed out this whole issue is a misquote) would be dealt with in good taste by the Sesame people, but some folks seem to talk round here like it should be thrust upon the kids whether the parents like it or not. Thats definitely not the way - i mean some parents might want their kids to learn about the human body but having Bert and Ernie doing a striptease would not be in everybody's tastes !!!!!!!

I actually tend to agree with Jessica that at least in the USA, it would be a lot more useful dealing with this at a slightly older age when the kids can begin to understand it and take it in properly rather than seeing some ambiguous reference just because a kids show wants to be groundbreaking.

I actually have my suspisions about South Africa anyhow - this was all the centrepiece of an Aids conference and they seem to have got the press they wanted out of it - i think maybe Sesame Workshop has been used as a 'puppet' by the goverment in this case.

 

[trekkie1701E]

THIS IS GREAT!

I saw a few news stories yesterday concerning the new muppet and think adding an HIV positive character to Jim Henson's muppets is a great move!
I am physically disabled. While growing up, Sesame Street was a huge part of my life. I have a very soft spot in my heart for Jim Henson & all that he created. And As a disabled individual, I have a rather more sensitive perspective on this issue.
I don't know if the original creator of Sesame Street would have objected to a muppet with HIV. But, I "do" know that young kids from all walks of life have played on that street. This includes the physically handicapped.
"What?" you say. "Oh my God, 'disabled' people were on Sesame Street?" Well, yes. As a matter of fact they still are. In fact -- Hold onto your seat -- legendary "blind" singer Ray Charles once payed a visit!
My point? Just because a person has an "abnormality" doesn't mean he/she should be "innapropriate." Sesame Street has, for over thirty years, invited disabled people into their neighborhood. Has it caused harm? Not in the least. If anything, having disabled kids & adults on the show has helped in teaching young children to respect one another. It also shows them that disabled individuals have as much talent as you or I & that they are capable of so many things. Ray Charles can play the piano & sing very well. Who knew?
Why should an HIV positive muppet be any different? Many people have HIV anyway. The mesage of HIV is already transmitted to young children through television, school, etc. So Who better then Sesame Street -- An acclaimed educational program that has always dealt with sensitive issues in a very loving & fun manner -- to teach them to respect, say, an HIV positive classmate? The show would explain to them that nobody is less important and everybody should be treated the same.
Just as Sesame Street has always done.

Daniel

 

[Special_Ed]

I don't think that this is a good idea to have an HIV infected Muppet on Sesame Street because this will open the door for a great deal of subject matter that little kids have no business getting into. It also worries me that this character could give the children the messages that "it's okay to contract HIV" and that defeats the entire prpose of the character.

Where will this end? Will there be gay role model muppets and sex education muppets? Why can't we just let kids be kids and not try to force the world's problems on them at such a tender young age? This sort of thing is up to the parents, not entertainers. People in this forum seem to thing that it's the other way around, but since when is TV a replacement for good parenting? I think that it's sad that some people seem to think oterwise.

- Ed

 

[furryfella]

ITA trekkie!! they Just had a report on www.foxnews.com about the hiv muppet!! IMO i think IT's great that they are explorering something different!!