Something must be wrong in the land of Muppets. First PBS announced that "Sesame Street" would kick off its 35th season this week with a multiyear story arc about healthy habits. No problem there; childhood obesity rates are soaring. Then I learned of changes that turned my "Sesame Street" world upside-down.
My beloved blue, furry monster who sang "C is for cookie, that's good enough for me" is now advocating eating healthy. There's even a new song "A Cookie Is a Sometimes Food," where Cookie Monster learns there are "anytime" foods and "sometimes" foods.
Has the world gone totally and utterly mad? Here I was thinking that common-sense may have had a hand somewhere but it looks like Political-Correctness has made a knock-out punch in the 9th. My generation grew up with the Cookie Monster and a whole host of other "bad" role models, but I'm not a sugar dependant oompa loompa. We also grew up with Popeye, but he didn't help me like spinach. What about the Coyote, well maybe a bad example because I do happen to hold a deep seated fear about falling off the side of a cliff 60 stories and going splat.
Ratcheting down the Cookie Monster's cravings is like taking away Count Von Count's numbers, like making Oscar be nice or even making Grover get a normal job in a stable working environment. Pepe Le Peu should be up on sexual harassment charges, the Snuffleupagus is obviously a manic depressive and should be given prozac, Bob The Builder rides on the outside of moving machinery and would lose his builder's certificate and Bugs Bunny was cross dresser.
Children aren't stupid. I think they understand that living in a rubbish bin is a bad idea, I also think that without character flaws you can't create comedic counter point. The Cookie Monster has on occasions eaten snow, a taxi, several letters of the alphabet, one one occasion Kermit. When will the madness end?
This post has been brought to you by the letters P & C and by the number 666.
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