New Poverty Puppet on Sesame Street

[Magic Mom]

C'mon people!

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

Seseme Street has always dealt with social issues that affect kids. This seems to fit in with that. I think it would be better as just an ongoing character on the series instead of a special for adults though.

 

[SideshowBob]

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!

Too funny on the hoarding comment!

 

[LuvsDragonflies]

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.

Sensitive is fine, helping people who don't have food, great. "Food Insecurity" just makes me

 

[horseshowmom]

Seseme Street has always dealt with social issues that affect kids. This seems to fit in with that. I think it would be better as just an ongoing character on the series instead of a special for adults though.

It's interesting how we all see it differently. My thought was exactly the opposite. When I first read the post, I wasn't too sure about it (thinking it was going to be a regular character), but after reading the article, I thought the special was a good way to introduce the subject.

 

[Magic Mom]

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

No, his can has marble countertops and crown moulding.

 

[Wall-E1]

I like that they are doing this. It will give people food for thought.

 

[AlwaysMoving]

Did they ever address Cookie Monster's compulsive/binge eating disorder?

 

[eliza61]

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.

what's undignified about that? Sadly there are millions of kids who go to sleep without knowing whether or not they will be able to eat the next morning. that's food insecurity. How do you make hunger dignified?

 

[mickeyM00SE]

Great so they take away the cookie monster (which was a friggin joke) and replace him with a poverty monster.

No better time to fear monger our children like today folks!

 

[ShesAPirate]

Great so they take away the cookie monster (which was a friggin joke) and replace him with a poverty monster.

No better time to fear monger our children like today folks!

Cookie Monster still exists...
http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/veggie.asp

 

[bettymae1121]

Sensitive is fine, helping people who don't have food, great. "Food Insecurity" just makes me

What else would you call it?

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

I personally think its great. My daughter's school raised money last year for safe drinking water in Uganda, which of course had her asking me questions (how could people not have water? what will they do? etc.). She is now aware of the situation and wanted to help. Over the summer the school nurse went to Uganda to help a school there in which the money was donated to help them obtain cleaner water, a man from the school in Uganda actually came to her school 2 weeks ago to talk about their life and to thank the school and the nurse. I think its important for kids to know what life is like outside their little bubble, in their little towns and to see the big picture as to what really is going on in the world. After she told me the whole story she said "we helped because we care about other people too". I think its a good message.

 

[LuvsDragonflies]

What else would you call it?

I'm not sure...it just brings to mind, "visually challenged" "horizontally challenged" I mean, are overweight people going to be "weight impaired"? bald people "hair deficient"?

It just sounds like a trite label they decided to slap on it. It reminds me of a phobia condition.

People around the world have been starving for years and they just called it "hungry". I'm not feeling the love for the term. If it helps, good. It just sounds too forced to me.

 

[jrmasm]

I'm not sure...it just brings to mind, "visually challenged" "horizontally challenged" I mean, are overweight people going to be "weight impaired"? bald people "hair deficient"?

It just sounds like a trite label they decided to slap on it. It reminds me of a phobia condition.People around the world have been starving for years and they just called it "hungry". I'm not feeling the love for the term. If it helps, good. It just sounds too forced to me.

Or an eating disorder.

 

[Uncle Remus]

I'm not sure...it just brings to mind, "visually challenged" "horizontally challenged" I mean, are overweight people going to be "weight impaired"? bald people "hair deficient"?

It just sounds like a trite label they decided to slap on it. It reminds me of a phobia condition.

People around the world have been starving for years and they just called it "hungry". I'm not feeling the love for the term. If it helps, good. It just sounds too forced to me.

I agree with ya, why can't they just say this muppet is hungry 'n her family doesn't have food?

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

I'm not sure...it just brings to mind, "visually challenged" "horizontally challenged" I mean, are overweight people going to be "weight impaired"? bald people "hair deficient"?

It just sounds like a trite label they decided to slap on it. It reminds me of a phobia condition.

People around the world have been starving for years and they just called it "hungry". I'm not feeling the love for the term. If it helps, good. It just sounds too forced to me.

I think that food insecurity and hunger are two different things.

Someone is food insecure if they don't have a consistent source of food, even if they are successful in obtaining food that day.

So, if you have a child who, today, got breakfast and lunch at school, and an afternoon snack because it was someone's birthday and they brought cupcakes, and dinner at the soup kitchen at their church, they aren't hungry TODAY, but if staying home sick, or a snowstorm, or lack of busfare to church would have been enough to jeopardize that, because the family had no other means of getting food, then they're food insecure.

I actually think that food insecurity and obesity can overlap. Kids who don't know when they'll eat next have a tendency to binge eat, and families who worry about feeding their kids tomorrow may choose more high calorie foods/highly processed food when they get a chance.

Food issues in the U.S. looks different than the starvation we see in the Sudan, for example.

 

[mpls_mm]

I think that food insecurity and hunger are two different things.

Someone is food insecure if they don't have a consistent source of food, even if they are successful in obtaining food that day.

So, if you have a child who, today, got breakfast and lunch at school, and an afternoon snack because it was someone's birthday and they brought cupcakes, and dinner at the soup kitchen at their church, they aren't hungry TODAY, but if staying home sick, or a snowstorm, or lack of busfare to church would have been enough to jeopardize that, because the family had no other means of getting food, then they're food insecure.

I actually think that food insecurity and obesity can overlap. Kids who don't know when they'll eat next have a tendency to binge eat, and families who worry about feeding their kids tomorrow may choose more high calorie foods/highly processed food when they get a chance.

Food issues in the U.S. looks different than the starvation we see in the Sudan, for example.

I have friends that adopted a malnourished toddler and he will gorge himself if given the chance now and he is in 1st grade. Kids don't always outgrow those insecurities even after becoming well fed and having access to food.

 

[ShesAPirate]

Is it CTW/Sesame Street using the term 'food insecurity', or was it just what the writer of the article used?

 

[Art 1]

I hope the network uses the puppet to show children how to overcome poverty and that it can done, what not to do to continue the cycle.

 

[jrmasm]

Is it CTW/Sesame Street using the term 'food insecurity', or was it just what the writer of the article used?

I pulled it from the article. I have no idea what words Sesame Street will use.