Sesame Street explains the army

[AndyWan Kenobi]

But we don't know exactly what the father's position in the troops is. It could be non violent related. Also, it is not as if SS is promoting violence in any way. It could be a draft. That happens sometimes where innocent citizens get drafted whether they like it or not. It isn't by choice. That's the scary part and hopefully Sesame Street will help address and comfort these issues. Again there are several families who will be able to relate to this. There are a lot of children whose Fathers, brothers, sisters, etc. are over seas in serious danger. Who better to help comfort them than Elmo, Big Bird and Grover in my opinion.

No, no, I completely agree. It's just something that gives me pause, just a little, but I trust Sesame Street to handle it in a way that feels right. It's just a concern, but I think that the good this will do certainly outweighs it.

 

[Censored]

I do hope that Sesame Street is not biting off more than it can chew with this topic. In the past, Sesame Street has kept away from directly addressing modern social problems such as child abuse, divorce, etc. because: a) They recognized that they could not solve all of the world's issues and b) Such topics could prove to be too traumatic for children who are watching. Even when 9-11 happened, they chose to address that issue indirectly by having a hurricane hit Sesame Street (of course, that episode wound up addressing a direct topic after Katrina and Rita took place).

It should also be remembered that Sesame Street was created during the height of the Vietnam War, yet they saw no need to explain the army back then. Has war become such a constant and the world gotten so violent that Sesame Workshop feels that doses of reality have to be included on Sesame Street? Is it now too naive to have an hour of escape for kids into a fantasy world where war is not even an issue? It seems like that is the philosophy Sesame Workshop is going with on this one and I think it's very misguided.

No, maybe Elmo, Big Bird and Grover are not the best ones to comfort children about war, since the very mention of war from these characters takes something away from their innocence. Maybe education about war is essential for kids, but I think it should be somewhere other than Sesame Street. But, we shall see what the episode is actually like.

 

[AndyWan Kenobi]

Is this even going to be an episode? I was under the impression that it was a direct-to-dvd thing, to be sent out to military families with children. That makes a difference, I think.

 

[mikebennidict]

I do hope that Sesame Street is not biting off more than it can chew with this topic. In the past, Sesame Street has kept away from directly addressing modern social problems such as child abuse, divorce, etc. because: a) They recognized that they could not solve all of the world's issues and b) Such topics could prove to be too traumatic for children who are watching. Even when 9-11 happened, they chose to address that issue indirectly by having a hurricane hit Sesame Street (of course, that episode wound up addressing a direct topic after Katrina and Rita took place).

It should also be remembered that Sesame Street was created during the height of the Vietnam War, yet they saw no need to explain the army back then. Has war become such a constant and the world gotten so violent that Sesame Workshop feels that doses of reality have to be included on Sesame Street? Is it now too naive to have an hour of escape for kids into a fantasy world where war is not even an issue? It seems like that is the philosophy Sesame Workshop is going with on this one and I think it's very misguided.

No, maybe Elmo, Big Bird and Grover are not the best ones to comfort children about war, since the very mention of war from these characters takes something away from their innocence. Maybe education about war is essential for kids, but I think it should be somewhere other than Sesame Street. But, we shall see what the episode is actually like.

I seem to get the feeling that SS may not be the best to do these topics especially with the muppets being the focus of it but we'll just have to see what the general public thinks. I've often thought Fred Rogers was best suited for such topics but he ain't around anymore.

 

[Ilikemuppets]

I think Sesame Street can do anything!

 

[CensoredAlso]

It sounds like the video wouldn't be talking about war specifically, just how children can deal with one of their parents going away for a long time.

I agree kid's shows like Sesame Street should sometimes serve as an escape from the real world. But Sesame Street addressed the death of Mr. Hooper because they knew death does happen in the real world. They could pretend it doesn't happen on Sesame Street, and run the risk of being yet another unrealistic happy kiddie show where the people are perfect and you can't relate to them. Or they could raise the issue and offer they're audience some understanding and ways to deal with it.

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

By NANCY ZUCKERBROD, Associated Press Writer
Thu Jul 13, 2:56 PM ET



WASHINGTON - You know the deal: Your kid asks a question on a touchy subject. You squirm and dodge the issue.

With a little help from Elmo, Sesame Street is urging parents to level with their little ones — especially those in military families trying to deal with Mom or Dad's lengthy deployment overseas.

"Our goal is to really get military families with young children ... to talk about the different stages of deployment with their children, not only talk about it but prepare them for it," said Jeanette Betancourt, vice president of content design at Sesame Workshop, which produces Sesame Street.

Sesame Workshop has produced a DVD, in both English and Spanish, that will be distributed free to military families next month. CEO Gary Knell was to announce details Friday in Houston, joined by officials of Wal-Mart, which has committed $1.5 million to the project.

Karla Sketch, the family readiness coordinator at Fort Campbell, an Army base on the Kentucky-Tennessee line, says parents often request coloring books, pamphlets or any materials that will help them discuss a soldier's absence on a kid's level.

Many parents, she said, are afraid of saying the wrong thing and frightening their children. "Are they going to tell their kids too much? Are they going to tell them enough? Some parents are new to the military. They don't even understand it themselves," Sketch said.

The DVD shows Elmo and his parents preparing for Elmo's dad to be deployed, though it doesn't say where he's going.

The characters discuss their feelings, exchange keepsakes and review the reasons why Elmo can't go, too. They promise to think about one another often, and keep up their regular practice of saying goodnight to the moon.

"Elmo, you know, no matter where I am, I'll still be able to see the moon, just like you," his dad says.

The DVD also addresses the mixed feelings that sometimes come unexpectedly with reunions. Elmo describes feeling "excited in a funny way" on reunion day. He goes on to say his tummy is doing flip-flops.

Sketch says that kind of dialogue is critical and often overlooked.

"A lot of times, after a year, you have to get to know that person again. Reunion is a process you have to get through," she said. "It's going to be great the first day, but it is a process, and it's not just going to be back to business as usual as soon as that soldier comes home."

Some half a million children of active duty personnel are newborn to 5 years old, said Leslye Arsht, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy.

Arsht said Sesame Street accurately and sensitively depicts what their lives are like by using show characters like Elmo, Telly and Rosita interspersed with interviews with real-life families throughout the DVD.

Joanna Lopez and her family were among those featured in the interviews. Her husband, Ernesto, is an infantryman based at Fort Bragg in North Carolina who has been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Lopez, who has a 9-year-old and 5-year-old and is expecting her third child, predicted the DVD would be helpful to families like hers.

"Some parents don't know how to deal with children when there is a deployment," she said. "Other kids in school will say, 'My daddy is away killing bad guys.' This prepares the mom or dad to prepare the kids with better things to say."

Moses Rogers, a Navy reservist and father of two, also near Fort Bragg, was another participant in the program. He said being part of the DVD project made him think about deployments in a new light.

"I think the lesson that I got personally was, separating from your family is really hard, but if you communicate that is good," he said.

If he were to offer advice to other families now, Rogers said that he would say, "Talk to your children. Let them know what's going on. Let them know that you're going somewhere to help somebody."

Yeah. I saw the ad for that on You Tube. I'd write more, but my parents are driving me crazy.

 

[mikebennidict]

What do you mean by that?

 

[Cherrymoon]

More info

http://www.purdueexponent.org/index.php/module/Issue/action/Article/article_id/4278