Okay, I'm not going to complain about the weather again. What I really wanted to say was a big "Happy Birthday!" to "Sesame Street." This week, Sesame Workshop began airing its fortieth season! My heart is absolutely warmed, knowing that some people can still identify quality programming.
Notice how I sneakily avoided the classification of "child" programming? That's because it's really not. Although geared toward children, it is a program that the whole family can sit down and enjoy together. In fact, that has always been a huge part of the show's mission. Its earliest creators had done the reasearch. They knew that children took away the most from television programming when their parents were watching it with them. They also knew that irritating characters and grating songs could encourage parents to poke their own eyes out rather than keep them in the room. Hence, the hysterical sketches like "Letter B" sung by the Beetles and the more recent "Special Letters Unit" a la "Law and Order." As an adult, I can now undestand why my parents eagerly reminded me when it was "Sesame Street time!" They needed their fix, too.
Not only was I raised on "Sesame Street" but a few years ago, I tried my darnedest to get a job at the Sesame Workshop. In fact, that's partly why I ended up in New York City. After working in the depressing trenches of social work, I decided that I wanted to work for children in a more creative setting. I wanted to have some fun in the process. And the idea of working for an organization that I felt really good about seemed like a dream come true.
So I knocked on the Workshop's door more than once. Many kind people took time from their busy schedules to talk with me and show me around. They saw that I had skills to contribute to their organization but alas, there just wasn't any room for me. The past year was especially devastating for them with a huge cut in funding which led to massive layoffs. Good, creative, kid lovin' folks without jobs? How does this even happen?
But before I digress into some diatribe about how people need to get their priorities aligned and support educational programming, I will instead say this: Check out Babble.com's "Top 50 'Sesame Street' Moments." I cannot begin to count all of my favorites but number eight is definitely a high ranker.
Anyway, congratulations to you, "Sesame Street"....excuse me, "Sesamstrasse". I toast you with (what else?) a cookie!
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