I had a profound realization this morning as I was waking up and checking the news on CNN.com. there was a link to this article about how Sesame Street has cleaned up its act over the years. I highly recommend reading it.
But what struck me for the first time in my entire life was the fact that all of us had grown up with a beloved street person in our lives: Oscar the Grouch. He made his home in a garbage can that was, admittedly, a veritable oasis on the inside (though we never in my memory saw it). However, Oscar was indeed the closest thing to homelessness I can recall encountering before the Christmastime charity work of middle school.
He was certainly grouchy (it is his name). He was crude (at least by the standards of children's television). He lived in a pile of garbage (which has apparently been cleaned up on the show...way to go green Sesame Street). Yet we loved him, and so did the characters on the show. They were always kind to him, and they always (at least in my memory) showed him respect for his life decisions.
I know that this may seem overly analytical for a show meant for children, but amidst all the new television shows for kids that are simply piles of brainrot and reinforce stereotypes (Spongebob Squarepants, Chowder, Total Drama Island, Yo Gabba Gabba, etc), it is refreshing to know that there is a show that seeks to provide positive reinforcement of differences.
After all, Sesame Street has made the move into 140 countries and has been around for 40 years. In these countries they adapt their look and the way they present their message. However, the message remains the same. They have a four-fold initiative that encompasses health & wellness, respect & understanding, literacy & numeracy, and emotional wellbeing. While we may laugh at Family Guy spoofs of our beloved childhood show (due to our ever increasing cynicism...pointing the finger at myself here too), I hope that we don't forget that Sesame Street taught us that no matter what people look like, what language they speak, what their lifestyle is, or myriad other factors that define who people are, we all belong to this bundle of life. We all have the ability to love and be loved.
Happy 40th season Sesame Street. And thank you for helping build the foundation of my beliefs about the world that I am just now beginning to understand.
But what struck me for the first time in my entire life was the fact that all of us had grown up with a beloved street person in our lives: Oscar the Grouch. He made his home in a garbage can that was, admittedly, a veritable oasis on the inside (though we never in my memory saw it). However, Oscar was indeed the closest thing to homelessness I can recall encountering before the Christmastime charity work of middle school.
He was certainly grouchy (it is his name). He was crude (at least by the standards of children's television). He lived in a pile of garbage (which has apparently been cleaned up on the show...way to go green Sesame Street). Yet we loved him, and so did the characters on the show. They were always kind to him, and they always (at least in my memory) showed him respect for his life decisions.
I know that this may seem overly analytical for a show meant for children, but amidst all the new television shows for kids that are simply piles of brainrot and reinforce stereotypes (Spongebob Squarepants, Chowder, Total Drama Island, Yo Gabba Gabba, etc), it is refreshing to know that there is a show that seeks to provide positive reinforcement of differences.
After all, Sesame Street has made the move into 140 countries and has been around for 40 years. In these countries they adapt their look and the way they present their message. However, the message remains the same. They have a four-fold initiative that encompasses health & wellness, respect & understanding, literacy & numeracy, and emotional wellbeing. While we may laugh at Family Guy spoofs of our beloved childhood show (due to our ever increasing cynicism...pointing the finger at myself here too), I hope that we don't forget that Sesame Street taught us that no matter what people look like, what language they speak, what their lifestyle is, or myriad other factors that define who people are, we all belong to this bundle of life. We all have the ability to love and be loved.
Happy 40th season Sesame Street. And thank you for helping build the foundation of my beliefs about the world that I am just now beginning to understand.
