If the American people and her friends abroad like Big Bird, the bird will find plenty of entrenpreneurs who’ll jump at the chance to see to it that the big avian continues to strut his stuff in media far and wide. The Obama campaign is going to look even more ridiculous if and when the Romney Campaign says just that.
There’s some odd observations I can make over this entire discussion.
First, it is likely true that 98 percent of American kids from age 2 to age 5 watch Sesame Street on a daily basis now. By age seven, the number of kids watching any PBS shows? They won’t discuss statistics on that but I’m guessing only one kid out of ten would watch PBS on a weekly basis. Adults between 18 and 40? I’d be guessing six adults out of a 100...might watch PBS on a weekly basis. Using this logic of supporting low-viewership channels....why can’t the US government also fund the Golf Channel, the SCI-FI Channel, and the Playboy Channel?
Some folks want to cite the great social and educational advantages that Sesame Street provides to kids now. Well...how did we survive before 1970? Did we lack social and educational advantages? I kinda doubt it.
Finally, if we did open up the accounting books for Sesame Street, we might be shocked to see various people pulling in a $70k or $90k salary. There’s $445 million going into PBS just from the US government....and I’m guessing an equal or larger amount comes from private donations. So there’s a ton of money swirling around the organization....how exactly is it spent? I’m guessing no one wants to discuss that matter.