While conservatives believe that the Pledge of Allegiance “drives Liberals crazy,” Sesame Street seems to have the same effect on them. Conservatives are outraged by what they view as a dissing from Oscar the Grouch and an unnamed muppet who referred to a network called “Pox News” in a dismissive way.
On the show, it is clear that the Grouch in fact watches GNN — the Grouchy News Network. However, GNN (a reference to CNN) is turning off by the other muppet who announces “I am changing the channel. From now on I am watching ‘Pox’ News. Now there is a trashy news show.”
One critic complains “The message is clear, I can’t even sit my kids in front of “Sesame Street” without having to worry about the Left attempting to undermine my authority. And don’t tell me, ‘If you don’t like it change the channel.’ There are no channels left! It’s everywhere.”
The absence of any muppet audience for MSNBC may require some attention by the network and review of their business plan. Of course, Glenn Beck is believed to be an actual muppet, which should give Fox an advantage:
There may also be an advantage to open pandering to the muppet demographic:
For the full story, click here.
Mika A.–
I have to admit I do take pleasure in penning some of my political verses.
Buddha–
Thanks for the gold star and the A+. If you were here with me now, you’d see that I’m blushing…because I’m so bashoful
John–
I think it unlikely that hell will freeze over–especially because of global warming. The freezing of the netherworld would be a terrible thing anyway. Where would all of us secular humanists, agnostics, liberals, socialists, atheists, progressives, etc., go to “toast” one another at the end of our lives?
Jeeves, get me my battery-operated fan and a pitcher of mojitos–I’m heading for Hades!
His war against Fox News is absolutely stupid. For this reason (and several more), I certainly will not vote for President Obama again. Make no mistake, only if Hell freezes over.
Elaine,
Truly that was art. Concise and with vivid imagery, even Basho would applaud.
You get the A+ and a gold star.
Elaine, LMAO. Limbaugh in 13 words.
“… they [corporations] don’t want a free market, just to be left alone to carry on their hideous con game.”
It would be one thing if corporations were content to be left alone. Instead, they use the power of government to create advantages (like taxes and regulation), that favor them. ADM / ethanol mandates. Banks / fractional reserve lending. Pharmaceuticals / FDA barriers to entry. This is not the role of government, and it is not a free market. It’s corporatism.
“[Commercial children’s programming] commercializes, homogenizing and rotting children’s minds. See how disney, for instance, now presents Winnie the Pooh. This doesn’t even speak to the fact that children’s commercial programming exists to sell the kids through subtle and not so subtle propaganda.”
I checked with The Count, and he notes that Sesame Street’s 2007 licensing and merchandising revenue was $137M and growing. My guess is that overall commercial sales of Sesame Street products (like Tickle-Me-Elmo), exceed $1B annually. Sounds like commercialism to me.
PBS has actively used its subsidized network channels to seek even more tax dollars! In times when the legislature sought to limit PBS funding, the network actively aired ads to “save public broadcasting!” with legislative contact information.
If taxpayer-subsidized content has such critical value to society, shouldn’t the government begin to buy up other media? Newspapers? Websites? Movie studios?
TX Dem–
Thanks for the Dobbs suggestion. I didn’t have him on my list of subjects to “skewer” with verse. He’s had a touch of Beckamania of late.
Mike A.–
I’m glad you’re enjoying my verses. It was Sarah Palin who first inspired my poetic vitriol last fall. I called my poems about her Palinoems. After the election, I stopped writing political light verses for a while until I saw Tom DeLay’s face on the television screen one evening in late February. He got me revved up to wax poetic once again.
I’ll have to leave you with one of my Limbaughrhymes. It’s a terse verse.
A Couplet about Rush Limbaugh
A pompous, porcine bag of gas.
I tell myself—this, too, shall pass.
I am amused by the concerns of those who truly believe that their “authority” over their children can be undermined by an institution like Sesame Street. In fact, through all of their growing up years, I repeatedly urged my three kids to challenge authority, to distrust the official line and to rethink what their elders have insisted to be the “truth.” And the result of my efforts to instill the lessons learned in the ’60s? One anarchist libertarian, one completely apolitical conformist and one staunch Republican who subscribes only to the Wall Street Journal and wonders at my seeming lack of acquisitiveness. Glenn Beck and his minions are afraid of their own shadows.
“Sunny days … sweepin’ the clouds away ….”
I always knew there was a reason why I liked Oscar the Grouch!
Elaine, I just want to let you know that I’ve been getting a real kick out of your poems. You have the rare ability to skewer ideas and personalities with spare and clever phrasing.
“A show with the audience of Sesame Street is clearly commercially viable. Why do we need to subsidize it through PBS? Is the educational programming on Nickelodeon subsidized? Noggin?”
Having Grandchildre now I’ve had a chance to look at commercial programming for children. It is putrid and puerile. Besides that rather than develop an appreciation of literature and learning, it commercializes, homogenizing and rotting children’s minds. See how disney, for instance, now presents Winnie the Pooh. This doesn’t even speak to the fact that children’s commercial programming exists to sell the kids through subtle and not so subtle propaganda. Part of the dumbing down and fattening up of America stems directly from children’s programming.
Secondly, some of the best adult programming on television is broadcast on PBS. Compare any of the historical documentaries produced by Ken Burns, to the crap on the so-called history channel. A non-commercial broadcast system is essential to the production of programming that uplifts us all, rather than simply being another source of commercial propaganda that is helping to destroy this country. GE for inatance “Brings good Things to Life” sometimes and other times produces the weaponry of death. conservatives must begin to understand that Corporatism is not in the Constitution, nor is commercialism.
That path is the straightest line to tryranny, oppression and loss of freedom.
There ain’t no free market, never was and the belief in it has not only caused much tragedy, but also represents corporate hypocrisy, because they don’t want a free market, just to be left alone to carry on their hideous con game.
Taxpayers should not subsidize television programming.
A show with the audience of Sesame Street is clearly commercially viable. Why do we need to subsidize it through PBS? Is the educational programming on Nickelodeon subsidized? Noggin?
More broadly, government financing of a network channel invites interference in public affairs programming, including programming on the government itself. PBS content should be privatized, and not promoted by government.
Taxpayers should not subsidize religion through the tax system.
A business offering salvation and canned morality is clearly commercially viable. Why do we need to subsidize it through 501(c)(3) tax exemptions? Is the joy of worshipping sports idols subsidized? Hollywood celebrities?
More broadly, government financing of religion invites interference in public policy, as we have experienced with faith based initiatives and abstinence education. Religion should be treated like any other business, and not promoted by government.
To answer Nal;
Children who question authority leads to more…liberals.
Elaine;
Clever poem! I look forward to a future one about CNN’s resident lunatic, Lou Dobbs.
… a network called “Pox News” … LOL!
I’d say POX News would be a more appropriate name for that cable news(?) network.
Don’t you just love the rantings of the human muppet Glenn Beck? That fellow has gone way past crazy. Here’s a little poem I wrote about him several months ago:
Dead Beckoning: A Poem about Glenn Beck
He’s nuttier than a fruitcake.
He’s as crazy as a loon.
He’s got bats up in his belfry—
And he howls at the moon.
He’s a little low on neurons
And his brain’s stuck in first gear.
This nincompoop Neanderthal
Takes joy spreading fear.
He cries for love of country…
While pondering its doom
With other “prescient” experts
In his fantasized War Room.
He talks about disasters
That might befall our nation
At some dates in the future.
It’s just right wing titillation.
His ratings keep on soaring
And his TV show’s a hit.
Some folks are fascinated
By the rantings of this twit!
He praises folks like Cheney.
Our President? He knocks.
His comrades at the channel—
Chris and Bill O.—think he rocks.
You can watch Beck blaze on cable.
He’s the bright new star at FOX.
Here’s one of Beck’s War Room segments:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rDhW096Og8&hl=en&fs=1&]
If kids “get” the joke, then their parents may have already exposed them to fatal levels of the FOX Fraud & Fantasy Folks.
Any effort to expand children’s minds is a threat to today’s faux conservatives and fundamentalists. They see intelligence and a questioning authority as subversion. A docile child, parroting Mom and Dad’s viewpoints is the ideal. Look what it’s done for William Kristol.
lol Well played, nal.
We certainly don’t want children questioning authority. That’s a slippery slope that could lead to …
I’ll have to get back to you on that.