Sesame Street - Conditioning children for (with) parents in jail

Sesame Street unveils first Muppet with parent in jail

I did a search so I apologize if posted already. Sesame Street has launched a new character for its children's show. I am sure most of us have either grown up with the show in our lives or the lives of our children. So we are all familiar.

And while I can see the argument to include certain things about real life into children's programming, I am a little concerned in this case.

I remember Captain Planet in the 80s as much of many of you might. It was based around evil polluters and the venerable Captain Planet, a super being dedicated to stop toxic pollution with his rag tag group of "planeteers".

While it seems a valiant effort to try and instil some qualities like appreciation of the environment, Captain Planet was a week attempt to make a boring issue seem cool. Also, to seem to try and make the cause of our environmental pollution the act of some evil doer with the lust to destroy the rainforest.

In actuality, a show could have been made just as easily about normal consumption.



In any case, do you feel Sesame Street has crossed the line? Are they catering to confused children who have lost a parent to the state, or are they simply conditioning children to be more accepting when their parents are picked up on acts of disobedience?? I suppose that's the important question here.

When Alex opens his orange mouth to speak, his voice comes out in a half-gasp.
“My dad is…” he says, before pausing to collect himself. “My dad’s in jail,” he says, his eyes locked on the ground.
Meet Alex, the first Muppet to have a parent in prison.


Read more: www.ctvnews.ca...

reply to post by boncho

Wow. I'm not sure how I feel about this one.

On one hand, I can see it being useful to the kids with parents in jail. But on the other hand, all kinds of programming flags were going off.

This video:


At about 20 seconds in - the lady explains that "Incarceration" is when someone breaks the law, a grown-up rule, and then they have to go to jail or prison.

So how many kids are going to start thinking if they break a rule they will be taken away from their families?

Just don't know how I feel about it.

I saw this on a news program the other day. I really don't know about "conditioning" or what have you. But I think they are handling it in a good way. The little boy puppet talks about being picked on in school, and let's face it, kids do that to each other. I think that if it helps kids adjust, or feel like they are not alone, it's a good idea.

I really don't think it's going to hurt anyone.

Coming soon cookie monsters cousin, crack monster moves into the garbage can next to Oscar...

its a tough subject for little ones to understand, and i think this is a good idea. Sesame street has always been there to try to help kids understand things hard to talk about, like death, 9/11, things like that
This has to be looked at as a good thing

reply to post by boncho
Well if you think about it who watches Sesame Street the most? Children from poor families most often because let's face it: if they could afford cable TV they probably wouldn't be watching PBS. Children from poor families are more likely to have a parent or other family member in jail or prison and are most affected by it. Sesame Street has tackled some very difficult issues over the years, helping children learn to cope in a very delicate manner.

Let's face it- kids can be cruel. If talking about the subject on Sesame Street helps a few little ones learn to cope and know that they are not alone I think it's a good thing.

Originally posted by chiefsmom
I saw this on a news program the other day. I really don't know about "conditioning" or what have you. But I think they are handling it in a good way. The little boy puppet talks about being picked on in school, and let's face it, kids do that to each other. I think that if it helps kids adjust, or feel like they are not alone, it's a good idea.

I really don't think it's going to hurt anyone.

Perhaps not now... maybe wait 30 years, when the next generation of parents think it's entirely normal for people to be simply thrown away or tossed aside.

'Todays show has been bought to you by the letter P. P for predictive programming.'

Does it say why they're doing hard pokey stir? Any reason given?

Children are not simply miniature adults, able to absorb and properly sort context or perspective to all they are exposed to. Not *EVERY* topic needs to be on a kids entertainment/educational show, in my view, What's next? Sex Ed? Venereal Disease? School Shootings with a few muppets getting blow over railings to illustrate the point? All educational...but c'mon. Time and Place, not to mention age, IMO.

reply to post by boncho


Well, I would think for them to grow up thinking that, this little boy would have to be on every episode don't you think? And from everything I read so far, that doesn't seem to be how they are handling this, but I could be wrong.

I guess I should be thankful that I didn't grow up thinking vampires were real and birds could talk.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


But that is the whole point. On the show I was watching, where they were talking about this episode, they also showed a young man, early 20's, raising his 3-4 siblings, because his mother was in prison. They were discussing how he did not know how to explain things to his siblings. One of the younger ones actually spoke of being picked on. So this is reality for some kids unfortunately.

Originally posted by chiefsmom
reply to post by boncho

 

Well, I would think for them to grow up thinking that, this little boy would have to be on every episode don't you think? And from everything I read so far, that doesn't seem to be how they are handling this, but I could be wrong.

I guess I should be thankful that I didn't grow up thinking vampires were real and birds could talk.

It's fantasy. TV shows are fantasy.

Maybe there's more too that than I'm inferring with the OP.

In any case..

This wouldn't even be an issue if, we were not seeing increasing legislation criminalizing everything coupled with mandatory sentencing. Just so that the States can make sure they have their quota of prisoners for their friends in the prison industry. Sesame Street typically has been at the forefront when addressing topics children deal with everyday. Usually they get it right, and do it with great care.

I saw this on MSNBC and almost spit out my coffee,

Everyday,. I am amazed how society is degrading so rapidly
and what Crap is accepted as a valid promotion.

This is one of those subjects that another adult should talk to a child about...not a puppet. If the kid has more questions can he count on Seasame Street answering? Or will they just be left more confused?

Peace, NRE.

This is just to get the little slaves ready when they haul the awake adults off on a one way trip to the camps.

Connect the dots people.

32 million cameras in one city alone to spy on people-
Plus wiretapping every spoken word-
Plus so many laws that everyone is a criminal-

Welcome to the meat grinder.

reply to post by VforVendettea


This may sound sarcastic - but it's not.

Sesame Street used to be very good - does it still teach the alphabet, numbers, and some phonics? I haven't seen it for years, but I grew up on it - I'll be 50 years old this year.

If we're talking about ghetto blacks - I sure hope the kids are learning to read - because you can bet "daddy" in jail - can't. And the kids aren't going to either -attending ghetto schools.

I work at the state mental health (it should be called illness) hospital in WI, and these "baby fathers" have been out of institutions long enough to get some girl in heat pregnant - and that's as far as "fatherhood" goes for them.

When you can spend your childhood in schools and public institutions, but you can't read? There are soooo many more problems.

To be honest I find this to be weird. Yes, America does have a large prison population. But does that mean it needs to be shown to children on television. The only way I can think of jail or prison being on a kids program is that they would tell children to stay away. As not to commit crimes and do good in their lives.

reply to post by Phoenix267


Large doesn't even begin to cover it. There are totalitarian countries with a smaller prison population than ours. This is what happens when you have a system designed to reward those doing the convicting and incarcerating.

When my local news station reported on this they said it would be an online only episode, not broadcast on PBS. So really, it will be up to the parent on whether or not this episode will be shown to their child.

As far as this not being age appropriate for kids, if they have a parent in prison then it becomes age appropriate to that child I believe. They are living it, but they can't watch a Sesame Street episode to help explain it? I don't think so. I see this as only a good thing.