11/08/2009
Sesame Street is celebrating its 40th anniversary this week on November 10th. Generations have grown up with Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster and the rest of the neighbors.
■Class discussion: The coverage points out that early Sesame Street segments wouldn't meet today's standards for programming. "Cookie Monster can be seen in his Monsterpiece Theatre segment smoking a pipe; Oscar the Grouch is just plain nasty; children are seen riding their bikes without helmets, and there's even a sketch where the human character of Gordon can be seen approaching a little girl on the street."
Do you think previous generations were harmed by what they saw on Sesame Street? Were the wrong messages delivered? If not, why would the early episodes require a video disclaimer warning parents that the programs may not be suitable for preschool children?