Your Thoughts: Street Gang – The Complete History of Sesame Street

[Ilikemuppets]

I need to get this book! I don't understand how such a SWAT team of executives rises to such a level. This does explain how things changed.

Yeah, I that's exactly what I was thinking that it was finally making sense out of all that happened in the nineties. But I thought Friendly and not so friendly the part in the book about the rivalry between Jeff Moss and Joe Raposo was a really fun part of the book. It was a rivalry in a Harvard-Princeton rivalry sort of manor.

Another part I found quite interesting was how how Micheal Eisner, after his relentless suit after the sesame street characters, on day come in with army of lawyers and raided and launched a full scale assault for a hostage takeover to gain ownership ship and control of the Sesame Street Characters in a final show down between him and Cooney. And it was amazing how and just plain old dumb luck and the right connection and the right place at the right time and She won and Disney backed off. They were were really lucky. But he ended up really lucky. But it ended with him screwing over The Henson Company in the end.

But it all just comes together so well in the end and it really ends on such a beautiful note. I just love the ending. It's like justice for Jim or as as if Jim had some how help things to work out from a far morally in the end.

Also thought was interesting were all the bouts in the early days that they had with the feminist and how CTW made sense about how trivial is was and to come after an easy target like a kids show when there a a lot worse linages out there on commercial the commercial television landscape that are being targeted at children of all things. In other words, there were a lot more deeper, important, pressings matters for them to fight...

And it also delves into their concerns being a lot of the reason Zoe was made. But not only that, but she was created for all the wrong reasons and was the first puppet to completely change the way that characters were developed from that point on. It was the total opposite and I have to say rather disgusting which Fran Brill really hit on the note about. And the way they did it and dumped it all of her was cold and disturbing as well.

I'm glad she pulled back after a point and too the time do develop the nurture the character and make it her own and one that people can actually care about. It almost seemed worse then what went into the creation of Abby and it was the start of it.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I don't understand how such a SWAT team of executives rises to such a level.

Pretty typical, unfortunately.

But John argued that that it wasn't so much that they were resistant to all change, but they they "were resistant to ill-conceived, unreached, damaging change."

That's exactly what disatisfied Muppet fans are often trying to say.

It's sad that a pioneering show had to suddenly overall itself simply because a new kid on the block gained popularity. I'm even more convinced I should show my kids the DVDs that lean towards the older material.

 

[The Shoe Fairy]

And it also delves into their concerns being a lot of the reason Zoe was made. But not only that, but she was created for all the wrong reasons and was the first puppet to completely change the way that characters were developed from that point on. It was the total opposite and I have to say rather disgusting which Fran Brill really hit on the note about. And the way they did it and dumped it all of her was cold and disturbing as well.

Sorry, but I only get half of this post, cause it seems rushed and the spelling and grammar is bad, and I'm confused by this. No offense or anything. Just how drastic were the character creation changes brought about by the creation of Zoe, a monster who seems to have been brought in for good reasons (A female lead), and then went through many visible changes in mannerism, dress etc. until settling down in the first few years of her existence.

Just finished reading it! I would highly recommend it! I would have to say after reading this book that I can say with confidence that I would attribute the show demise to the creation of Zoe... Trust me when I say that is the turning point. I guess I didn't think about it because I never knew? But I am glad to know that Fran eventually turned things around with her character.

What exactly do you mean by "Demise" in this sense? A reduction in something? A lack of funding? A loss of ratings?
But I do agree that Fran did send an initially confusing new character down the right path

I do find it really interesting and a bit shocking how Abby Cadabby was John Ganz Cooney brain child of all things.

Well, there was a need on 'The street' for a female character that would exhibit qualities needed in the world today, adressing the issue that men and women are equal, and that there is a need for a self empowered female character, who is just as likely to play with trucks as she is dolls, and boys just as much as girls.


Just to round off this post, I do think that everything is/has/will turn out OK for Sesame Street in the end. I mean, Season 39 was shot in HD, and that is a modernisation and an advancement in technology, and those sorts of things tend to get expensive, so SS must be getting better and moving further into "The modern age".
Phew. Glad that got outa my system. We really do need a sigh Smiley.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Advancements in technology are indeed great, as long as the content is still doing its job. Of that I'm still concerned. I am definitely interested in reading what Street Gang had to say about all this.

 

[Ilikemuppets]

Sorry, but I only get half of this post, cause it seems rushed and the spelling and grammar is bad, and I'm confused by this. No offense or anything. Just how drastic were the character creation changes brought about by the creation of Zoe, a monster who seems to have been brought in for good reasons (A female lead), and then went through many visible changes in mannerism, dress etc. until settling down in the first few years of her existence.

You know I'm sorry about the grammar. Somtimes I go over things and read read them and spell check them and them and it still comes out wrong... Plus it didn't help the fact that I was completely tired and didn't really gotten any sleep at the point. either. It sort of complicated, but it was the amount of research that went into her plus she was just made and created from only a marketing stand point to sell dolls. She was created she only to have talking points form the public relations department that were clearly purely on the bases of selling merchandise. They just kind of slapped her on Fran before she even knew what hit her and say to "make her a star the little girls would relate to and that the product team can bank on." That had all these unreasonable expectations for her performer. Where it usually took time, trial and patients to develop a character, this time that had a model that favored one cable networks. Where before developing a character was done as a collaboration with producers and writers this time it was all done by marketing specialist, and product developers and research. The book says that she was and carefully considered tested in focous groups for appeal and that this was basically was made to be a plush toy and not a character. The book goes on to say that every aspect of development was considerer and strategic. It goes on to say that her color choice was deliberate to contrast with other characterizing the TV screen and to stand out on store shelves where Barney dolls were being sold. He was considered The answer Muppet and was was touted out to feminist groups before she even as such before she even first appeared on the show... She was kind of put out beforehand as this breakout star with what people describes as "the First female Supernova of the show." She just had talking points that came from the public relations department. But you go to read Fran's take on it because she just gets it right of how characters were created before her, It was just the opposite way and nothing like this.

What exactly do you mean by "Demise" in this sense? A reduction in something? A lack of funding? A loss of ratings?

I mean a complete dumbing down of the show... When it all went down hill quality wise. Some say it was with Elmo, but after reading this book I'm convened it was with Zoe. That to me was a very clear turning point where tings would not quite be the same again.

Well, there was a need on 'The street' for a female character that would exhibit qualities needed in the world today, addressing the issue that men and women are equal, and that there is a need for a self empowered female character, who is just as likely to play with trucks as she is dolls, and boys just as much as girls.

Well I am with you and I think that is all well and true. The thing that surprises me about Abby is that she was pretty much devolved by Tony Geiss who had been a staff writer on the show sense in 1970's. I mean it says that Abby came from a "pretty-in-pink" brain storming session from Joan Coney. The Workshop refer to Zoe as more like Rhoda from Mary Tyler Moore. And they sort of refer to Abby as Mary who was more of a "girly girl" They go on to point out that they did not have a girly girl "on the show." But it says that feminists immediately too a disliking to the Abby, showing that the more things change, the most they stay the same.

But I like think that having balance in important and I like the contrast between Zoe and their interaction between each other and the way the play and bounce of of each other. The chemistry between those characters is really fun to see!

 

[frogboy4]

I never knew Zoe's origin and must have missed her formative years. Season 25 was a time when I was leaving home for college etc so my time was spent killing brain cells rather than enhancing them.

By the time I noticed Zoe she was better formed into what we see today and I like that character very much. I'm glad Fran Brill found the right pitch for the character in all the PR mess. It is a beautiful puppet and not too girly like Abby tends to look.

 

[The Shoe Fairy]

Well, thats all of my Zoe questions solved, and it ends on a good note!

 

[Ilikemuppets]

One thing I would really like to know is when the paper back version come out with additional charters, if the chapter on covering the latest season will be about season forty?

 

[lowercasegods]

My wife surprised me with a copy of this book a few days after Christmas, which was a wonderful way to get it. After reading it, I have my criticisms (they could have focused a LOT more on the show's actors and puppeteers), but mostly, this is the sort of in depth book I was waiting for. A nice companion piece to Sesame Street Unpaved (which had a far better title).

 

[Son of Enik]

After reading everyone's comments here, I think I'm going over to Amazon to order my copy of this amazing sounding book. I'll come back with thoughts of my own after I read it in it's entirety.