According to a very funny article by New York Times TV writer Virginia Heffernan, there is a warning on the new "Sesame Street: Old School" DVD that reads, "These early 'Sesame Street' episodes are intended for grown-ups, and may not suit the needs of today's preschool child." Baffled, Heffernan writes: At a recent all-ages home screening, a hush fell over the room. "What did they do to us?" asked one Gen-X mother of two, finally. The show rolled, and the sweet trauma came flooding back. What they did to us was hard-core. Man, was that scene rough. The masonry on the dingy brownstone at 123 Sesame Street, where the closeted Ernie and Bert shared a dismal basement apartment, was deteriorating. Cookie Monster was on a fast track to diabetes. Oscar's depression was untreated. Prozacky Elmo didn't exist.
It brings up an interesting question: Were those of us who grew up in a time before organic snacks and mandatory car seats and Abby Cadabby really at a disadvantage?
Heffernan suggests that over-protected kids today could learn a little something from old-school Sesame Street:
The harshness of existence was a given, and no one was proposing that numbers and letters would lead you "out" of your inner city to Elysian suburbs. Instead, "Sesame Street" suggested that learning might merely make our days more bearable, more interesting, funnier.
We're with her. Kids today are often presented by kids' programming with a misleading "everyone wins!" version of reality. They could stand a little more misanthropic Oscar, a little less "Prozacky Elmo."
Reader Comments ( Page 3 of 14)
31. Heffernan's article is very funny but I think she's being a little disingenuous. I have a feeling that the warning is more about the fact that these early Sesame Street episodes are very dated. I own the DVDs and, while my husband and I love the nostalgia, my toddler just doesn't find them very entertaining. Somehow I doubt that the current executive producer of the show, Carol-Lynn Parente, finds the *subject matter* of the early shows objectionable. Heffernan provides only two short quotes from her -- it'd be interesting to read a real interview with her.
Stephany at 7:05PM on Nov 20th 2007
32. if the newer version of sesame street isnt your cup tea, rent or buy the old shows on dvd. show those old tapes to your younger kids . the ones not old enough to say i want elmo or barney ect. ok i admit the older version is some what out of date. just maybe they will like oscar and the gang . and theres always the muppet show with kemit and co.
jennifer at 7:31PM on Nov 20th 2007
33. Mr. Rogers polluted the minds of millions of generation Xer's. It was Sesame Street who tried setting them straight again.
EvilMrRogers at 7:48PM on Nov 20th 2007
34. Early on mu kids tried to be the cookie monster at the supper table. After that, sesame street was banned. We were not happy with what it was teaching kids.
Gary at 7:49PM on Nov 20th 2007
35. You have got to be kidding me. I grew up in the 70's-80's. To say that Sesame Street is not appropriate for today's children is ridiculous. Being an educator, I see and hear what children are accustomed to watching on t.v. and computers today. It would curl the toes of most if you realized what most see. I personally would much rather my children watch Sesame Street than for them to watch "Family Guy", "The Simpsons", or "King of the Hill".
sharsm at 8:02PM on Nov 20th 2007
36. I loved Sesame Street and I was watching in the early 70s. Elmo really gets on my nerves.Elmo's World takes up the last 15 minutes of the show.He's featured in almost every scene outside of Elmo's World. I loved the old days and the clever schemes that helped us learn.I'd love to see more Grover, Oscar,and Kermit. Considering that I grew up in "Mr. Robinson's "neighborhood, Sesame Street was a positive force. It gave me hope that a clean safe learning environment was out there.My little girls that are 1 and 2 love Elmo. But, I know that they could grow to love ALL the other characters if they'd feature them.Let's see more interaction with Maria, Bob, Luis, Gordon, Ruth, and any one else that is a part of this show.Sometimes the old ways are the best ways.
mrsfabulous at 8:42PM on Nov 20th 2007
37. Ya know.. I watched Sesame Street, Bugs Bunny/Road Runner, ZOOM, The Electric Company, etc. I never tried to drop an ACME anvil off a cliff to exterminate a friend or classmate, nor did I ever shoot anyone in the face with a shotgun just because someone said ".. duck season, FIRE!" I never wondered if Bert and Ernie were gay or if Maria was an illegal. Oscar was grouchy because he's a grouch! Morgan Freeman was just as cool on The Electric Company as he is today. AND, if it weren't for ZOOM I'd never have known what a S.A.S.E. was. (It's a self-addressed stamped envelope by the way) or how to speak that jiberish that sounded like 'pig latin'! What does today's "children's programing" offer? Fart jokes, booger picking and other such nonsense. I was appalled the first time I saw Ed, Edd and Eddy. It was disgusting and not even entertaining. So, I went and bought old Sesame St./Looney Tunes/Our Gang videos. People please don't let anyone tell you that these old shows were damaging in any way. They were informative and fun to watch without resorting to cheap site gags or gross behavior. Tell the ultra-liberal, "We are the world'ers" that they know JACK about what kids respond to and what they learn from. Hmmm, what a concept... "childrens" programing that actually teaches kids useful information AND manages to entertain them at the same time!
Christopher at 8:58PM on Nov 20th 2007
38. well thats gay im 14 and yes im in highschool but i remember watching that show and loving evry bit of it i still do it brings up good aspects u can use in life i mean it relates the real world to something that kids can understand i think we should have more kids saying 'what would Elmo do?'
softballchicka at 9:58PM on Nov 20th 2007
39. I work at an inter-city school.
Things are not like they used to be when I was a kid. Back in the 60's you never challenged your teacher or parents. There was a great respect for both and that is gone. Today, kids can lie and say a teahcer has pinched/hit/verbal them and it goes to extremes. These kids are not dumb they have learned how to play the system.
Unfortunatley, many amount to less than their capabilities. Regadless of their sourroundings...it's been proven that many arise above their conditions.
kreals at 10:21PM on Nov 20th 2007
40. It's called the 'wussification' of America. Everything has to be 'bright and wonderful' all of the time. We have to be HAPPY and you can't climb on playground equipment, can't play dodge ball and omg, don't even THINK about 'choosing sides' for a game of kickball.
Carolyn at 10:24PM on Nov 20th 2007
41. I am surprised the article nor the comments mention Mr. Rogers. I think the older shows are far better than the newer ones, and I am sad that Mr Rogers is gone. I would rather see his re-runs talking about real feelings and how to deal with them, than the garbage on television today for children that seems to swing between syrupy sweet and graphically violent.
Ronii at 10:54PM on Nov 20th 2007
42. I am so sorry that ANY generation would find Sesame Stree offensive and feel that it is not supportive of our young people. What a shame. And what lack of vision. Children are in need of seeing the "real world". How to cope with loss thru the death of a fried has been portrayed on Sesame Street, how to deal with diversity thru the experiences of gay, cultural and ethnic issues have been discussed along with how to love thy neighbor. What is happening to us - where are we going? Our children are our most valuable asset - let's prepare them to share, weep, and work toward a future for them that is caring and sharing.
Sally at 11:38PM on Nov 20th 2007
43. School had street cred, Sesame street cred. This PC, don't hurt anybody 's feelings we're all the same nonsense is ruining kids today. Wake up, there's winners and losers, people are different, we shouldn't all be the same. More Oscar and Cookie Monster is about cookies damn not health food. B real.
Bob Uranus at 12:34AM on Nov 21st 2007
44. Kids learn what they're taught and its not up to the TV, even Sesame Street to do what we're suppose to be doing. Yeah, our kids need a reality check but a lot of us do too.
katty at 1:36AM on Nov 21st 2007
45. I raised 3 children who watch the early episodes of Sesame Street. My oldest child was very young when episode 1 appeared on all the public channels. She watched every episode, from 1 on, at least 3 times a day and began reading at age 2. Anyone who voted that they believed that these episodes harmed children has to have a very severe mental problem. The Electric Company which appeared about 2 or 3 years later was an excellent follow up to Sesame Street and children learned to read from this program.
blockfrom3062 at 1:46AM on Nov 21st 2007