How Culture Changes Writing … and Sesame Street
Posted on | November 4, 2009 | Comments Off
Here’s a very cool article by CNN’s Katie McLaughlin about Sesame Street that speaks to how cultural shifts and today’s political correctness have changed the way writers approach their characters and storylines. It just so happens that these characters and storylines belong to one of the world’s most beloved children’s TV shows.
Nostalgic, humorous and well written, this touching article is a must read for anyone who’s both a writer and a former (or current) fan of Sesame Street.
Read the complete story here, but below is a snippet:
“Today, Cookie Monster’s diet is much more balanced, as he has adopted the philosophy that cookies are a ‘sometimes food.’ Cookie coincidentally changed his tune in 2006 amidst reports that childhood obesity had reached epidemic proportions.
Early ‘Sesame Street’ had some other elements that would not pass muster today. Oscar the Grouch is just plain nasty, children are seen riding their bikes without helmets, and there’s even a sketch where the human character of Gordon can be seen approaching a little girl on the street. He takes her by the hand and brings her into his house for milk and cookies (again with the cookies!). Clearly, that could be misinterpreted by today’s standards.”
Tags: 40th anniversary > CNN > Cookie Monster > cultural shift > Grouch > political correctness > Sesame Street > writing