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 5 of 14)
61. . Another case of people out there that have nothing else to do but poke holes in something that never had any.
Another case of people having nothing else to do but find flaws and impose their "adult understanding" on something that children doesnt care about. If you ask me children watch these type of shows because its fun..its fun to see colors and talking muppets...its fun to learn. They dont analyze and criticize like adults do. They dont see Earnie and Bert and think "well they are living together" they must be gay. No they see two best friends sharing an apartment.I watched Sesame street growing up and it was wonderful i turned out justtt fine. In fact my brother is only 1 and i would never deprive him of a classic childhood show.
Candice at 7:53AM on Nov 21st 2007
62. Father John, has it ever occured to you that the reason the schools and their teachers and administrators are the way they are is because of the freak ass parents? It is so hard to be a teacher in a public school, they hate it, parents are controlling our kids education.
JJ at 7:54AM on Nov 21st 2007
63. we now live in a world where 3rd grade kids have to play "shadow tag" because they cant touch each other. That would be sexual harrassment.That is the world that gen x created.....lets go back to the "old days" where kids could play tag and hold hands and maybe if you were lucky little johnny could give you a kiss on the cheek. I love Seseme Street ....can you tell me how to get there?
dorothy at 8:05AM on Nov 21st 2007
64. SESAME STREET?????? I have a step-grandson (a toddler) who LOVES Elmo! And my Step-Daughter NEVER missed it! OK....... I'm conservative, but THIS IS INSANE!!!!
Mark at 8:14AM on Nov 21st 2007
65. Is mr. snuffaluffagus, the supposed imaginary friend of big bird, still around as a matter of fact is big bird still around? I just loooove Mr. snuffa.
snuffy at 8:17AM on Nov 21st 2007
66. Sesame Street has gone to shit since they removed Teeny Little Super Guy. Also, Elmo looks like a used chewed up tampon... Zoe is a flake... Rosita needs to pick one language and stick with it because Spanglish isn't cute... Abby Cadabby needs to die... and Baby Bear is beyond queer.
victorious_dismay at 8:22AM on Nov 21st 2007
67. Can't we leave anything alone anymore! For Christ's sake it's Sesame Street! With half of the cartoons that they put on television today that are NOT appropriate for our children to watch like "The Simpson's" and "Family Guy", we are worried about Sesame Street! The Simpson's encourage rude and obnoxious behavior, while The Family Guy has the mother dressed as a dominatrix performing S&M on her infant son...And people wonder what had happended to our society! As parents we have become to laid back, "not wanting to do as our parents did" MAybe some of what they did wasn't actaully so bad. People get a clue to what should be accepted as appropriate TV for our young today and LEAVE Sesame Street ALONE!
DJ at 8:24AM on Nov 21st 2007
68. *laughs* I certainly remember the old Sesame Street. It was a show for kids to educate and help learn. Hell, even the beginning suggested some front of the possibility that you may learn something by watching it. "This episode is brought to you by the letter, 'P'"
There is nothing on like this anymore. Most of you older posters are correct. Today's kids have fantasy land stuffed down their little throats in hopes that the parent will blithly and blindly go out and buy the endorsed garbage they put out for toys and action figures. Wait.. that's old school. I mean, video games and Ipod music to the theme. Anyone here remember what it was like to actually have to get up off your arse and turn the tv to channel 3 to even watch the show? lol...
geomancor at 8:25AM on Nov 21st 2007
69. As a babyboomer... I have to tell you that I always found the show rather ridiculous... as for contemporizing it... is not rap music and all the attractiveness of the hood and ghettoization of America Sesame Street at its worst...
OldTom at 12:56AM on Nov 24th 2007
70. My kids grew up with Sesame Street and they've turned out just fine. No drug addiction, no depression, and no "unwed pregnancies". They both have great jobs that they love. They love Mom and Dad and have wonderful memories about about growing up. Life isn't perfect, they know this. If we teach our kids that everything is going to go their way and they'll get everything they want how are they going to cope when they go out into the real world?
Donna N at 9:04PM on Nov 21st 2007
71. as a gen xer that grew up watching sesame street i think it is insane that they classify this as mature. it showed me that people are all different and thats ok. that community is important. to talk out your issues. i could count to ten in spanish when i was 3. it has changed so much as we as a country have gotten more and more pc about everything. one word....blah.
lisa at 8:34AM on Nov 21st 2007
72. There are so many more brats these days due to the idiotic politically correctness that has taken over! The are going to be sorely mistaken when they grow up and see in the real world it's cruel and they will not always win. Sesame Street was the best kids show ever. Unfortunately, less and less children watch it because of the new shows that are out.
rtmhammond at 8:54AM on Nov 21st 2007
73. People lets get real here when has anything on tv been about reality never even reality tv is not reality.since the invention of televion reality has been lost.Pick a tv show that was real life i dare you lol.And dont blame tv for what you did to your own kids or what your folks did to you. It was you who told your kids just how great they are, and to be the best or that they are winners no matter what.Well they are not,not yours or mine. Sometimes you win sometimes you lose thats life.
skyy_t at 8:57AM on Nov 21st 2007
74. Tony Messinger, thank you for your refreshing and thoughtful comments on the generational gaps and blatant differences. Im an Xer and, yeah, it sucks. I still struggle with the inter generational differences today. Right down to the most basic things such as spelling, and etiquette. Dying breed already?lol. Go Prozac!!!
Matthew Clauson at 9:00AM on Nov 21st 2007
75. I have one suggestion....HOME SCHOOL! That way you get the choice in how your child learns. I have smart, respectful children that know how to shop, cook, banance a checkbook & they actually care about others, not just their peers.
Speak to a home school teen and you will find them able to interact with all ages comfortably because they have not been herded in to a classroom with only their peers and the opinions of one teacher at the front.
Micki at 8:55AM on Nov 21st 2007