| I
recently watched a program on cable television whose subject was
Sesame Street. Sesame Street is the foundation on which public
television’s popularity was built.
The
message of Sesame Street and its philosophy of education is supposed
to be one of urban unity in diversity. As a parent, an educator
and student of psychology, I was surprised at the message of the
show as it is today.
The
subliminal message is vicious. The message I received while I
watched Big Bird pull a yard of children across the street was
“Kill the children of color.” I am sure that this
is not the message that the creator of the show, Jim Henson, intended.
I
did see adults of color working cooperatively for the good of
the community and the children. I didn’t see any white color
adults contributing to the good of the community.
Back
to the subliminal programming. Any useful information that the
children are to receive happens when they are filthy as trashcans.
Children
don’t like to be dirty; especially when they can see that
powerful people, respected people, are very, very clean. The children
in that segment were visibly upset.
I
also saw accredited and learned white color women were nodding
their heads, yes, in affirmation to the programming.
My
answer? Get rid of Big Bird, or, create a new public television
program with a new attitude. Or, go retro, back to the way it
was, originally, on a new show.
Gregorie
Kay Hedgley-Garber
San
Diego
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