The fun police have slapped an "adults only" warning on a new DVD of classic episodes, which featured a world in which children played in the street, a monster gorged on cookies and a bad-tempered puppet lived in a bin.
The episodes, made between 1969 and 1974, have been released in the US with the caution: "These early Sesame Street episodes are intended for grown-ups and may not suit the needs of today's preschool child."
Topping the list of furry villains is the Cookie Monster, whose penchant for devouring cookies and the odd plate or two is no longer deemed appropriate behaviour for modern children.
Back then, Big Bird's bumbling friend Mr Snuffleupagus was still imaginary, which might encourage "delusion behaviour". And trash-loving Oscar the Grouch has been targetted for his blatant bad manners and questionable hygiene.
The Age, Dec 7th, 2007.
Oh, give me strength! Political correctness gone berserk.
...
it's a wonder all we adults approach anywhere near "normal" and "well-adjusted" what with all we went through as children. What are we trying to preserve future generations from with all our rules and worries - life itself?
ReplyDeleteQuite right too, I now know where to lay the blame for my obesity, delusional behaviour, poor personal hygiene and the rest.
ReplyDeleteHang on, I didn't even watch Sesame Street...
I agree, totally ridiculous!
ReplyDeleteI think my dysfunction is a result of reading about Noddy & Bigears, & those naught Gollywogs!
ReplyDeleteThen of course, came the snobbish Famous Five, & Secret Seven. I wonder how i have survived.
I grow up watching Sesame Street (even though I only understood half of the language back then) but I love Cookie Monster for his 'cute' eating habit and love for cookies and I found Grouch funny. That's just that. Kids don't think much actually. The charachters were all a bunch of fun..It seems that we want to pull away the fun now..
ReplyDeleteYes, most of the kiddy programmes I watched when I was growing up here in the UK are seen as being unfit now too.
ReplyDeleteWe will be producing sanitised and weak children at this rate.
We use anti bacterial products, don`t let the kids out to play in case they meet the bogey man, or get germs and we censor their playtimes and reading material.
I enjoyed going out to play and getting dirty and messed up, I thrived on grazed knees, and watching Doctor Who from behind the sofa.
I think we had fun as kids, and we learned fast.We were rarely bored.
We grew up being able to look after ourselves.
Good Grief! How will Snoopy survive this?
ReplyDeleteI didn't believe it when I heard it. Children today watch worse such as cartoons like The Simpson's.
ReplyDeleteinsanity.
ReplyDeletenothing more.
I worry about the future of our coddled, over-scheduled, sanitary children. Then I just figure that in their teens they are going to blow the lid off of their prissy parents, so I settle back to wait for the fun/explosion.
I don't think it is much fun being a kid today.
ReplyDeleteToo clean
too nice
too much like being an adult.
jiminy christmas!
ReplyDeleteme thinks someone should be labeling the junk food kids eat with a big CAUTION!
at least i know what's wrong with me-raised on sesame street and old school looney tunes...sigh
wha..? really? how did they come to judge that it's unfit for children? did they do a survey or something?
ReplyDeleteSesame Street, scarey stuff to be sure. My kids were scared to death of Oscar. haha We lived near the Crystal Court in Irvine, and they had a huge Sesame Street Store, everytime we would go by the trash can my kids would run. But then I don't have normal kids, haha. But I personally think it is far less scarey than the Wizard of Oz.
ReplyDeleteAll of us love Sesame street when we are kids..what a shame for kids nowadays..
ReplyDeleteWhere are tho?
ReplyDeleteoh dear. I had been hoping all this PC crap was an American thing and that one could escape it somewhere. Seems not.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it that we all decry this ridiculous trend to "politcal correctness" - yet it seems to continue and grow?
ReplyDeleteHere in the UK councils are banning Christmas street decorations because of the "danger" incurred in putting them up and the "risk" to the public if they should fall on their heads - God help us!