Should Sesame Street be discussing the topic of divorce?

[BadMoon]

Again I mostly agree, but if the TV show prompts parents to do it themselves becuase they want to teach them their way then I only see that as good.



Ha! Sounds about right. 2nd grade is when we all started telling dirty jokes where I grew up and I think we all forget how fast we grow up.

I think I was kicked off the bus kindergarten through 3rd grade due to my vocabulary skills. My parents were not impressed.

 

[thenammagazine]

I don't think helping kids cope with divorce necessarily shows pro-marriage, or anti single parent, or anti-this or anti-that stance. But I can see how some may take it to that level. Is sesame street a left leaning show or right? Are they anti gay? or just Pro straight? Are they pro-****ies? I don't know. Maybe we're taking this too far. Maybe everyone is so cynical now-a-days that we think everything has got a negative agenda...even sesame street. Or maybe...just maybe...sesame street just wants to help a kid out who's going through some tough times. Who knows...

I just don't think it's smart. Given how they tiptoed around the electoral trolling regarding Big Bird, and how hastily they separated Burt and Earnie because of the "gay" accusations, I'd be surprised they'd even approach this issue given the consequences if it's received poorly.

 

[Shatterer of Dreams]

I think I was kicked off the bus kindergarten through 3rd grade due to my vocabulary skills. My parents were not impressed.

my friends used to compare me to the little blonde haired kid on bad news bears who swore like sailor because I did the same thing.

 

[thenammagazine]

Again I mostly agree, but if the TV show prompts parents to do it themselves becuase they want to teach them their way then I only see that as good.

It'd no doubt be a helpful tool for the child going through a divorce, but the worry would be how it's received by those who don't come from a married household. It's a sad day though when a children's show needs to instigate a topic parents should be taking up with their kids when it's first discussed among adults.

 

[Shatterer of Dreams]

Yeah I get it......

 

[DPrime]

People shouldn't rely on a television show to parent their own children.

A separate issue, I think.

Related, sure - but not a reason why the CTW shouldn't or wouldn't tackle an issue.

 

[BadMoon]

my friends used to compare me to the little blonde haired kid on bad news bears who swore like sailor because I did the same thing.

I would sneak in the middle of the night and watch good family shows. Thats where I learned to speak.

I had to check to see what Mr. Rogers had to say. I thought he tackled this subject before. I'm sure Sesame street wouldn't go any further than what he did.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boKCx7auB8k[/ame]

 

[Solidus]

Oh please.

They've tackled DEATH, for f's sake. This is just alarmist.

Believe me, it wasn't my intention to sound alarmist - I could really care less where this is concerned. However, since PBS has even discussed "death" (like you mentioned) but held their foot on something like "divorce", it just reaffirms my point that divorce is a topic that they'd rather avoid, for whatever reasons.

 

[thenammagazine]

A separate issue, I think.

Related, sure - but not a reason why the CTW shouldn't or wouldn't tackle an issue.

The question would be, where does it stop. Why stop at divorce? Why not discuss sexuality, religion, etc? I think given today's world, a show on religious tolerance would be leaps and bounds more helpful than a show about divorce, but equally inappropriate for Sesame Street.

 

[devilof76]

Children who have no one to help them deal with ideas that are beyond their ken should reject offers from the television to help. They should go to their parents who have neglected to help them through it and explain to them what their proper role as adults with children is. That way, no parent would ever fail to properly raise their child.

 

[BadMoon]

Children who have no one to help them deal with ideas that are beyond their ken should reject offers from the television to help. They should go to their parents who have neglected to help them through it and explain to them what their proper role as adults with children is. That way, no parent would ever fail to properly raise their child.

LOL! This is funny. It also reminds me of a big mistake I once made. My father "Who the hell do you think you are?" My reply "I think I'm Keith."

That went over about as well as a person trying to consume a telephone pole.

 

[thenammagazine]

I would sneak in the middle of the night and watch good family shows. Thats where I learned to speak.

I had to check to see what Mr. Rogers had to say. I thought he tackled this subject before. I'm sure Sesame street wouldn't go any further than what he did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boKCx7auB8k

Yeah, I don't think that would've helped much.

 

[Kamandi]

The real problem isn't "what should we be teaching kids on Sesame Street because their parent suck?". The problem is the parents.

One thing that I learned and take seriously is that parenting involves responsibility. A parent isn't supposed to just let the clock tick until the kid is all grown up, there are things to be taught and character to be built. My wife and I waited several years after getting married before starting a family because we wanted to have some level of stability established before having children. There's too many kids with kids today.

Unfortunately a generation of children who had crappy parents are now adults and becoming crappy parents. Sesame Street isn't going to solve that.

 

[BadMoon]

Yeah, I don't think that would've helped much.

Are you a three year old kid? You have no way of knowing that. It may have, it may not. My point was, it was hardly controversial. If Sesame Street handles it the same way I don't have a huge problem with it.

 

[devilof76]

LOL! This is funny. It also reminds me of a big mistake I once made. My father "Who the hell do you think you are?" My reply "I think I'm Keith."

That went over about as well as a person trying to consume a telephone pole.

Seriously, if a little kid with no one to turn to can't count on Sesame Street, what can they count on? The slippery slope hysteria is exactly that, although giving an indication of why their dad is suddenly not with mom, but the milkman, is probably really not a big ****ing deal either.

 

[thenammagazine]

Are you a three year old kid? You have no way of knowing that. It may have, it may not. My point was, it was hardly controversial.

That show aired when I was 8 (1981 if Wiki is correct). I don't even think at that time it would've helped a 3 year old. Honestly, telling a child "they're grown-up problems" doesn't do any better at addressing the issues. As a matter of fact, it isolates the child even further basically implying "it's not your problem" which ignores the fact that the kid is still directly affected by the situation.

 

[jstep13]

Sesame Street should be about ABC's and 123's not topics like divorces. I think kids should be able to retain their innocence as long as possible as they will be exposed to serious issues soon enough at school and the news. Sesame Street shouldn't be the one parenting my kid and deciding how they want to address a topic. What next, are they going to teach little children about terrorism, unwanted pregnancies and fiscal cliffs? It's a slippery slope.

I wonder how many of these pro-Sesame Street hot topic people actually have children and understand the impact of having to explain serious issues to an inquiring six-year-old?

 

[devilof76]

What if they're already being exposed to serious issues and they have no one to explain it to them? Should they ask the nice lady on the corner in the fishnets? How about the nice man with the pocket full of little baggies?

 

[thenammagazine]

"Big Bird, my uncle touched me in a special place and threatened to kill my parents if I tell anybody. What should I do?" Yup, Sesame Street should take on every serious issue a child has if there's nobody to go to. Hell, the US government should just raise everybody's child. It's not like we don't have the resources to do it with everybody's hard earned tax dollars.

 

[jstep13]

What if they're already being exposed to serious issues and they have no one to explain it to them? Should they ask the nice lady on the corner in the fishnets? How about the nice man with the pocket full of little baggies?

When you say "no one" you mean they are homeless and have absolutely no one to explain it to them? I find it sad that, according to you, they have to turn to TV to have life's issues answered for them. I guess Teen Mom will be a good introduction to the topic of underage pregnancy, huh?

"Big Bird, my uncle touched me in a special place and threatened to kill my parents if I tell anybody. What should I do?" Yup, Sesame Street should take on every serious issue a child has if there's nobody to go to. Hell, the US government should just raise everybody's child. It's not like we don't have the resources to do it with everybody's hard earned tax dollars.

Everyone knows those kinds of issues are best reserved for snofolofogus....