Kill Big Bird

The Washington Times ^ | January 28, 2010 | Editorial

[Abakumov]

Public broadcasting's defenders make contradictory claims that the federal government only supplies a fraction of its funding, yet cutting it would put the organization into a death spiral. Public broadcasting receives about a 15 percent subsidy from the federal government, which is a reasonable cut to take in the public interest. Times are tough, and public broadcasting should not be given immunity from shared sacrifices.

Some of public broadcasting's programs can be competitive in the marketplace. "Sesame Street" has long been used as an icon by PBS defenders, who stridently decry any attempts to "kill Big Bird." But "Sesame Street" is also one of the most lucrative franchises to emerge from the public broadcasting system. The not-for-profit Sesame Workshop has merchandising deals for toys, games, clothes and air fresheners, among other things. Last year, Universal Studios Dubailand signed a deal to build three "Sesame Street"-themed venues at its Middle Eastern theme park.

If the Sesame Workshop became a for-profit publicly traded corporation, it could assume a large part of the burden of supporting public broadcasting, assuming its stockholders thought that was good business. In any case, we doubt that Big Bird is hurting.

[palmer]

It is the wild west, but the sooner he learns to deal with it the better. There are filtering tools to keep things safer (although not complete) and there are monitoring tools to figure out what went wrong. Protection is not going to work any more than with your friend's Dad's Playboy even if it is 10 times worse.

As for the TV, hook it to a DVD player or hook it to the internet and watch things together. The problem with letting any of the networks in and especially cable is that it turns into a flood of crap that you pay for (or all of us in the case of commercials). The channels that had any merit in the past (e.g. Discovery) have little and commercials more than cancel that out.

Commercial free PBS looks attractive in comparison but Mr Rogers is dead. However I have not watched kids shows for at least a decade so there could be a good hour or two left out there. Free of leftist politics seems unlikely though.

[SandRat]

Barney is the Real Reason all the other Dinosaurs are dead. They took their own lives rather than have him hanging around.

[scoobysnak71]

Gotcha covered, bi-atch.

Say "Hello" To NPR!

[Leisler]

PBS, NPR. The GOP doesn’t have the stones. Period.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

I’ve long thought that Sesame Street was not only targeting the “lead paint chip sucking” kids, but that it never develops beyond that.

Scientifically, we know that young children are remarkably equipped to learn some subjects, such as language, very quickly. This is because for a few critical years, they have far more brain glucose than they will have for the rest of their lives. This provides their brains the energy for rapid education. But it is a narrow window of opportunity.

So wasting their time with redundant, very low intensity instruction, does them a terrible injustice. In a time when they could learn two or three other languages, they learn how to count to ten, about a hundred times, to the sound of amusing jingles. Yes, every one of them, except for the kid in the wheelchair whose eyes don’t track movement, has learned how to count to ten. Big deal. The vast majority learned how after one episode.

“But we’re doing more than educating! We’re developing their imaginations and creativity!” No. They aren’t. The children are learning how to watch TV for a half hour. So unless their career track is for security guard, this is not useful instruction.

[SevenofNine]

That mean no Masterpiece theatre that good show I watching Return to Cranford other night that was good

[mom4kittys]

Right now I am watching Live from Lincoln Center with Joshua Bell. I discovered David Garrett after he followed a Josh Groban special on PBS.

PBS knows how to showcase good music.

[chris_bdba]

I could couldn’t care less if PBS had to kill Bigbird! IMHO the propaganda they feed is killer why would anyone invite that into your home?

[Cronos]

I agree with you — though kids should be looking to books for knowledge, not “now... then” TV, which leads to ADD.

[Sunbunny]

PBS only showcases good music when they are begging for money.

Sesame Street is WAY TOO PC. Have you watched it lately. I watched 2 episodes with my daughter. No more.

[mom4kittys]

You are right. EVERY time it is something good on PBS, there is a pledge drive. They have great programming to coincide with that.

Haven’t watched Sesame Street lately, but I have heard about it being politically correct ad nauseu.m

[Nowhere Man]

Back in the 70's, I went with a social worker to visit a welfare family with 15 kids ( and no man in the house). They proudly showed off their new huge color TV. When we left, I mentioned to the social worker that I thought it was interesting that they could afford a big color TV, while I (a working person) could only afford a small black and white TV.

Back in 2000/2001, I delivered pizzas. Sometimes I had to go into the run down, Section 8, neighborhoods and I've seen their houses as run down as well as caught glimpses of the insides where they had holes in walls, busted cabinets, unruly kids running around and so on. I also saw they had the latest, then, big screen TV's and stereos. It would not surprise me if a few of those TV's were early HDTV models. Myself, then as well as now, I watch a 1982 Zenith, drive a 1994 car and work hard for a living. BTW, I'll call it the night, got work tomorrow and millions on welfare depend on me. B-P

[Gilbo_3]

stick a knife in his back

put a bullet in his head

Ill be so glad when barnys dead

my wife gets so pissed when i sing that out loud near kids...

[BigSkyFreeper]

The childrens programming seems harmless enough but it is indoctrinating the most impressionable among us. Most don’t see it right away because they don’t fully understand how Liberals, Marxists, Communists and Democrats view the world around them.