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Two of these things are not like(d by) the others…

By Brian | September 23, 2010 | Share on Facebook

This story is strange on a wide variety of levels.

But first, the facts: Pop singer, Katy Perry, recorded a segment for Sesame Street, in which she sang a (child-friendly) version of her hit song, Hot N Cold, with everybody’s favorite montser, Elmo. The segment was posted on Sesame Street’s YouTube channel as a “sneak peek” at the show’s season premiere. After more than one million views, the folks at the Sesame Workshop received a number of complaints that Ms. Perry’s outfit was too revealing, making it inappropriate for a TV show aimed at preschoolers. The Sesame Street folks decided not to air the segment on television and removed it from the Sesame Street YouTube channel, although they did allow it to remain on other YouTube channels and websites, including Katy Perry’s own YouTube channel and katyperry.com.

Oh, strange story, let me count the ways…

1) Sesame Street pre-releases clips of its shows on YouTube? Is this really such hotly anticipated content that we can’t wait for the actual show to air?

2) Parents actually watch pre-release clips of Sesame Street on the Internet? Are there folks out there who really want to pre-screen Sesame Street on a regular basis?

3) To Sesame Street’s target demographic, cleavage doesn’t suggest anything naughty – it suggests lunch!

To be honest, I don’t very much care that they didn’t air it on television. One of the great things about the times we live in is that television isn’t our only source of media content. Anyone who wants to see Katy Perry sing with Elmo (or just ogle her cleavage) can do so on the Internet just as easily (or, some would argue, more easily) than on television. And if your two-year old is a big Katy Perry fan, you’re free to sit him/her down in front of the computer and let him/her watch. So the TV show becomes the “extremely safe zone.” That used to matter a lot, because the decisions of a select few affected the choices of the masses. Today, not so much.

For those who are curious, here’s the video. But be forewarned – if you click on it, you have to stop claiming that you read my blog just for the articles…

Topics: Primetime TV, Words about Music | 1 Comment »

One Response to “Two of these things are not like(d by) the others…”

  1. jason says at September 23rd, 2010 at 11:49 pm :
    I don’t care about Katy Perry (I’m only dimly aware of who she is, to be honest) or Elmo, and as you say, it’s not like this video has been expunged from the culture for those who do care to see it, but it bothers me that the Ned Flanders Brigade continues to wield that much influence in our culture. I didn’t see anything in that video that I personally find objectionable; kids are fully aware that women have boobs, and if they’re paying attention, they see young ladies dressed like that everywhere they go… except, of course, Sesame Street‘s target demo probably isn’t paying that much attention. It’s their uptight parents who are worried about it. I long for a day when people grow the hell up, let go of some prudery, and stop thinking the world is coming to an end because somebody might actually feel a little tingle once in a while!

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