Why they don't show old Muppet sketches anymore

[Mark The Shark]

Well, it certainly wasn't my intention to turn this into a political or racial discussion. My position is not really coming from the left or the right, but rather simple common sense that both sides used to have. Everyone ultimately should accept personal responsibility for their actions, and even if one does believe society is partially to blame, to think that vintage Sesame Street could have ever been an evil catalyst is absurd. As for minority groups, one of the reasons that I've always respected Sesame Street so much was because it promoted racial harmony, not by preaching, but simply by example as in showing blacks and whites living together peacefully in an urban community. A large part of my complaint about Sesame Street today is that the producers seem to have almost completely turned their backs on the original population that they were trying to reach, impoverished inner city children who needed to smile and believe in the future. What really goes wrong is when PC standards start to run amuck and Roosevelt Franklin is considered "racist" simply because he had a "cultural identity" to him. Before you know it, everything is looked at under a microscope and labeled "bad" by some overzealous "professional" who just doesn't understand the concept of moderation and balance.

I essentially agree with you. Certainly, "society" does contribute to the development of the individual (as do the media) by providing examples and selling the message that you *must* be a certain height, weight, appearance, follow contemporary fashion, etc. All of that discourages individual choice and use of one's own mind to make one's own choices.

However, no one is a slave to the media, not *really.* It really sickens me when, for instance, someone feels compelled to sue a heavy metal musician and songwriter because their kid committed suicide and the parents want to blame the music. First and foremost, I can sympathize with the loss someone must feel when they lose someone they love, especially in such a senseless way. And grief can affect one's ability to reason. But parents have the responsibility to instill in their children the basic skills of personal choice and perception of reality. In other words, Ozzy Osbourne didn't kill the kid, and the kid had *a lot* of problems which needed to be addressed, and I seriously doubt if they had been honest with themselves, the suicide would have come as a complete surprise. Not that it makes things any less tragic. Unfortunately, our society has been encouraging people to sue corporations (like the woman who sued McDonald's after she spilled hot coffee on herself) and it continues because *it works* and these people get rewarded for it.

SS has done an incredible job of teaching and entertaining, and those things are done best by talented and capable people who trust their instincts and aren't made to second-guess themselves. Their track record speaks for itself.

 

[Mark The Shark]

One other thing I meant to mention above: Prejudice is a learned behavior. People aren't born with it. I grew up in a middle class suburban town and didn't have a whole lot of exposure to racial and ethnic diversity until I was in college. To relate this to SS, I must have been aware that Gordon and Susan were black (now African-American) and that Luis, Maria and other characters were Hispanic, etc. But it didn't make any difference to me. I never thought of Gordon and Susan as "the black couple." They were Gordon and Susan. That was a great thing to see: in fact, if you look at the way that show was put together, a lot of the elements were similar to a lot of children's television shows which had been produced over the years. Like "Howdy Doody," for example: You had Buffalo Bob Smith, and you had the shopkeeper (J. Cornelius Cobb), etc. Well, SS adapted Corny Cobb into Mr. Hooper. And instead of cops, firefighters, clowns, etc., they cast some of their characters as teachers. It was such a simple concept, yet so clever. To have a racially diverse cast, yet to not wave a flag about it, and to show them interacting with one another as *human beings* was very refreshing then and still is today. I believe people should spend more time emphasizing the things they have in common with one another, rather than emphasizing their differences.

 

[Lone Wolf]

(like the woman who sued McDonald's after she spilled hot coffee on herself) and it continues because *it works* and these people get rewarded for it.

And don't even get me started on those people who are suing McDonald's for "causing" their weight/health problems.