New Poverty Puppet on Sesame Street

[NY Disney fan]

C'mon people!

http://news.yahoo.com/hungry-muppet-appear-sesame-street-181611449.html

 

[rchristiansen]

Adults can be made aware of issues and be called to action from what their kids tell them. I think this is a great idea.

 

[jrmasm]

Food insecurity? That's a new one for me.

 

[mrsv98]

I think it is great. There are millions of children who are "food insecure" meaning they often don't know where their next meal is coming from. There was just an article in our township newsletter saying that demand at the food pantry has DOUBLED. We live in a nice middle class area. If people in our area are having difficulty then what about children in poorer regions?

Poverty is very difficult for children to talk about so if this makes it easier and brings the issue to light then good for them!

 

[Acklander]

Food insecurity? That's a new one for me.

A rose by any other name is still a rose.

It's an issue in America. It should promote some really interesting conversations around the dinner table.

 

[Stitchfans]

I think it is a good idea to teach children that there is other children out there just like them that does not have food or other necessaries like them. I always liked and admired Brad Paisley, now I do even more. This a great thing that he is doing along with his wife.

 

[Jennasis]

I thought Oscar was a poverty muppet? he lives in a garbage can doesn;t he?

 

[jrmasm]

I thought Oscar was a poverty muppet? he lives in a garbage can doesn;t he?

Snort!

 

[superme80]

I thought Oscar was a poverty muppet? he lives in a garbage can doesn;t he?

 

[agnes!]

Oscar's a green hobo and also seems to have a hoarding issue...he's always able to find almost anything in that trashcan.

agnes!

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

I wouldn't have been creative enough to think of inventing a new Muppet to raise awareness, but childhood hunger is an issue that is growing like wildfire in America. In not already, everyone soon will know about "food insecurity" and "food deserts". Kudos to Sesame Street for bringing the topic to the forefront.

I live in a decidedly middle class semi-rural community with three elementary schools. Each of them has well over half of their pupils on free or reduced lunches. Most of those take home backpacks full of food for the weekend, without which food would be very scarce over the weekend. I think there is nothing special or exceptional about the situation here as it is replicated in rural, urban, and suburban communities from coast to coast.

 

[bettymae1121]

I think it's a good idea (the muppet). When my nephew was very little, at Christmas time my SIL got a name off the Angel tree at church. One Sunday she brought the presents along to Mass so she could drop them off. Nephew asked what it was all about and SIL explained it was presents for poor children who's parents couldn't afford to get them anything. Nephew then asked "So if we give them the presents, they won't be poor anymore?". My DB and SIL are great parents who do their best to let their kids know how lucky they are, but with pre-school aged kids it's often hard to relate. Having a character on SS is a great way for kids to "see" it better.

Not to mention, a lot of parents watch TV with their kids so it's a great reminder to the parents, too!

 

[Acklander]

I think it's a good idea (the muppet). When my nephew was very little, at Christmas time my SIL got a name off the Angel tree at church. One Sunday she brought the presents along to Mass so she could drop them off. Nephew asked what it was all about and SIL explained it was presents for poor children who's parents couldn't afford to get them anything. Nephew then asked "So if we give them the presents, they won't be poor anymore?". My DB and SIL are great parents who do their best to let their kids know how lucky they are, but with pre-school aged kids it's often hard to relate. Having a character on SS is a great way for kids to "see" it better.

Not to mention, a lot of parents watch TV with their kids so it's a great reminder to the parents, too!

When I was a kid, things like the angel tree, or food drives were used As a teaching moment on how lucky we were and now we are going to share with those who aren't so fortunate. Poverty has become so wide spread that, unless you're living in a bubble your school age kids are well aware of it. I remember a few years ago ds ,who was probably about 8 or 9, and a friend were working a list for a Halloween party. they were ticking off which invites needed to be brought to school vs.mailing or Emailing because some of the boys lived in a shelter and a few lived in a motel. They weren't saying it, like it was a bad thing or those poor kids and aren't we fortunate kind of thing. It was a very matter of fact conversation, sort of like "the sky is blue, grass is green, people live in a house, an apartment, or a shelter. I found the casualness of the conversation very sad.

 

[C.Ann]

Great idea!

There are still too many people in this country that don't believe that this is a real issue - not to mention a growing one..

 

[ShesAPirate]

Count me among the others who think this is a great idea. I, too, hope it will draw attention to a growing problem in our country. Sesame Street has often used Muppets to reflect problems that kids might be facing in real life, hasn't it?

 

[LuvsDragonflies]

Food insecurity? That sounds like a phrase out of a Saturday Night Live skit. For crying out loud, leave the people some dignity. PC jumps the shark again.

 

[happygirl]

I think it's a great idea!!!!

 

[mombrontrent]

Maybe it's different here but I was just reading in the Toronto news paper yesterday that food donations are up latley and food bank users are declining. So that sounds like great news to me.

 

[happygirl]

Maybe it's different here but I was just reading in the Toronto news paper yesterday that food donations are up latley and food bank users are declining. So that sounds like great news to me.

You guys are lucky, that not the case here at all, esp with the holidays approacing

 

[mrsv98]

Food insecurity? That sounds like a phrase out of a Saturday Night Live skit. For crying out loud, leave the people some dignity. PC jumps the shark again.

I am confused about how raising awareness of the issue would detract from someone's dignity.

Granted, "food insecurity" does sound like a sound bite but it has a real meaning. There are children in DD's school who eat two reduced fee/free meals a day at her school and then also receive donations from the food bank. These are kids living in middle class suburbs. They are "food insecure" because they are not sure when or where from their next meal will come.

CTW did a lot of research before creating this puppet so they would be sensitive to the issues while also raising awareness.