I’m More Worried about the PC Monster
OK, it’s bad enough that politicians and pseudo-religious figures are claiming that various cartoon and children’s characters are gay or promoting acceptance of homosexuality (Bert and Ernie, Telletubbies, SpongeBob, Baxter). But now the politically correct police are making Cookie Monster treat cookies as “a sometimes food” !?!?!?!?!?!?!?
Now, I was never a fan of children’s television (even as a kid I’d rather watch Three’s Company over Sesame Street), but this is just going over the top. This is a puppet that likes cookies…that’s his shtick. Hell, that’s his name: COOKIE Monster. And now he’s going to nibble on carrots?
Do these people think we’re that stupid that just because a character does something on TV we’re going to mimic its behavior? (in this case, use its puppet hands and cause cookies to fall all over the place…he never actually eats any). I mean, I watched Bugs Bunny: I’ve never dropped an anvil on my enemy. I’ve never painted a fake road onto a big boulder so that my enemy runs into it. I watched the Three Stooges: I’ve never poked another person’s eye or slapped the back of his head (unless he asked, of course).
I know there’s an obesity problem in this country. But Cookie Monster existed decades before our country got fat. If anybody is to blame, it’s the parents, the school lunch programs and junk food lobbyists (remember ketchup being considered a vegetable in the Regan years?).
This country’s turning to shit…and I hope somebody soon will flush the PC Police down the drain.
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Maybe we could get the Snuffleupagus to sit on the PC Police?
I can’t believe this. I just can’t. This is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard. Will Oscar be next? Will he have to move out of his garbage can so children don’t think dumpsters are houses?
dont you guys think that there may be SOMETHING to the idea that there is a correlation between TV and Video Games and what these things teach our children?…maybe Ozzy and Metallica dont MAKE people kill each other a la Columbine…but with the constant bombardment that kids (and their parents) face every day with the likes of every fast food and snack company out there advertising that it is fast and convenient to patronize their restaurants, i do think that PBS is taking the responsible stand on teaching children to eat responsibly. and, so Cookie Monster has to NOT eat cookies all the time, isnt that a good thing?
No…it sucks.
Actually, I do believe there is a correlation between all of the violence that the MPAA and sensors allow on TV and in movies and actual violence. Absolutely. And I’ve always found it odd that the (mostly male) sensors block any male frontal nudity…yet female frontal nudity warrnats a PG-13. Why is sex (a natural act) so controversial yet violence is not?
But at 3-7 years old, I don’t think a kid watching a puppet fumble with cookies is going to make him obese. I think the mother/father taking the kid to McD’s and BK every night and packing his lunch bag with Doritos is doing a disservice. And the lazy school system that takes the “physical” out of phys. ed. and just does lame team sports instead of actual calisthenics (spelling?) is doing a disservice. Animation and puppetry is not.
Same with violence. A parent who buys their child a violent video game is an irresponsible parent. That doesn’t mean such games shouldn’t exist…parents need to take responsibility for their kidsl.
I think it’s silly; a little too little too late. For heaven’s sake, he’s not Heroin Monster or 8-Ball Monster or Jack Daniels Monster; he’s bloody Cookie Monster and that’s ok. If the PC police want to get their collective head out of their collective ass, they might think about having, YIKES, a fat muppet, or a muppet with a yarmulke or something like that, to include all demographics in the “accept and love everyone the way they are, it’s ok to be different” approach. He likes cookies. Maria has had the same freaking hairstyle for 30 years. Luis’ daughter has some weird orthodonture issue going on – her mouth looks like she has hives, Mr. Hooper DIED, Baby Bear speaks with a speech impediment that drives me up the GODDAMN wall because I’m sorry, that just invites other children to talk like him (baby bay-aw cannot pwoh nounce his OZ – I’m sorry, I had a difficult time with my son’s speech and I don’t need this miscreant bear screwing with my efforts), Big Bird is a whiny ass freak and I saw a little vignette the other day where this cartoon girl repeatedly used the word “hate” and didn’t say thank you when her brother shared his orange. Now you might think I spend too much time watching Sesame Street but it is the one hour I have where both children will watch the same show in relative peace, so watch we will. The point is, the PC Police don’t like to scratch the surface too hard and see how to take it a step further in a genuine sense; they only want to err on the politically correct side of political correctness. Do you know what I mean? Anything related to “obesity” is the last refuge of acceptable discrimination. Pick on anyone else for being ugly or short or bald or brown or whathaveyou, and the world shakes its fist at you: For shame, for shame, you unenlightened pig! But fat people, food that might make you fat someday if you aren’t careful or lucky, THAT’S the real abomination! Watch out kids! Watch out world! Fat attack! Cookie Monster will be our undoing! Why didn’t we see it sooner??? Whatever. Let Cookie keep his cookies, fuckers.
Very interesting blog!