“There’s a fiendish plot on Sesame Street!“ … Or so says a sour right-wing blogger! According to blogger “Stage Right,” a recent episode featured journalist Oscar the Grouch of the Grouch News Network (GNN … get it!) offending a TV viewer. She, in turn, exclaims loudly “From now on. I am watching Pox News. Now there’s a trashy news show!”
And that peeved “Stage Right,” who wrote, “If Mom and Dad watch cable news, it’s better than 50/50 they watch “POX News.” So what gives? PBS — a network partially funded with my tax dollars — has the right to tell my kids that their parents watch “trashy” news? The message is clear, I can’t even sit my kids in front of “Sesame Street” without having to worry about the Left attempting to undermine my authority.” … Well, now I know why my four-year-old smiles when Al Gore’s on the TV screen and scowls at Dick Cheney!
But that’s not the funniest part. The PBS ombudsman agrees with “Stage Right!” He wrote,” … this was one of those parodies that was too good to resist. But it should have been resisted.” It makes me think I’m living on Sesame Street. You can read more about the silliness and see the dread “Pox News” clip here
There’s an irony here, though: I’m a Fox News viewer, and I like that it’s a little bit trashier. In fact, one reason I tune into the O’Reilly Factor five nights a week is the hope they’ll be another glimpse at the “Hot for Words” woman — she’s almost a regular! Check her out below:
Steve Stones
on Nov 10th, 2009
@ 4:55 pm:
Doug, how come it’s not okay for CNN to “fact check” remarks made about President Obama in a Saturday Night Live skit, yet it’s such a big deal to you when a fictional character on a children’s program makes a satirical comment about Fox News? Since when did Fox News become such an infallible network that it is not open to ridicule and satirical commentary by those in our popular culture? I’m confused here Doug. Please clarify for me.
Preston
on Nov 10th, 2009
@ 5:02 pm:
Doug, just because grownups can filter this stuff out or laugh at it, doesn’t mean it isn’t wrong to slip subtleties like this to our kids.
Doug Gibson
on Nov 10th, 2009
@ 5:02 pm:
Well Steve, I guess I’m too subtle in my attempts at humorous irony … it’s not a big deal to me. I thought the whole trifling matter to be ridiculous. Of course, I may be missing your irony … who knows. It’s all so ironic.
Doug Gibson
on Nov 10th, 2009
@ 5:05 pm:
Preston, I do think it’s time for Sesame Street to go after MSNBC. Keith Olbermann reminds me of long-retired muppet Harvey Kneeslapper
laytonian
on Nov 10th, 2009
@ 7:10 pm:
At least “Sesame Street” didn’t mention O’Reilly and falafels. (I think a few here will get that one!)
Sandra Gibson
on Nov 10th, 2009
@ 11:45 pm:
Happy 40th Birthday to Sesame Street. If the program had been around before I started first grade I may not have been an “Early Bird.” (ha!)
Catherine Burt
on Nov 11th, 2009
@ 6:57 pm:
TV is notorious for brainwashing children. Some of it to the left, some of it to the right. I think the reference on Sesame Street was pretty innocuous compared to some of the tripe I grew up with watching Schoolhouse Rock
Tom Eiffel
on Nov 16th, 2009
@ 2:56 pm:
I wonder about Sesame Street. A bunch of strange ones. A thief (cookie), a commie (the count), a couple of gay friends (Bert and Ernie), and someone who has a fowl mouth (big bird).