PBS Ombudsman Michael Getler (not pictured) said he agreed with complaints that Sesame Street writers went too far when they parodied FOX News.
(NEWSCOM)Photos (1 of 1)
PBS says Sesame Street parody on FOX News was wrong
By Jimmy Orr | 11.06.09
So maybe the writers at Sesame Street aren’t trying to infiltrate children with left-wing communist propaganda?
Yesterday we told you about one conservative blogger who thought that Sesame Street was out of line for a recent skit which had a muppet call a fictional news network a “trashy news show.”
What incensed the writer? The name of said network was POX News. And guess which news network rhymes with POX?
Friends in high places
Turns out this blogger has an ally that has some influence over at Sesame Street. No, Snuffleupagus hasn’t gone rogue or anything. It’s one of the big cheeses: PBS Ombudsman Michael Getler.
Getler writes in his blog that he received some negative correspondence following the October 29th broadcast of the children’s show. In this episode, Oscar the Grouch — the founder of the Grouch News Network (GNN) — receives a phone call from what appears to be a female muppet (or Bret Michaels from Poison) complaining that GNN isn’t grouchy enough.
“I am changing the channel,” she says to Oscar. “From now on I am watching ‘Pox’ News. Now there is a trashy news show.”
It sounded so much like FOX News that even he was fooled by it.
“Everybody who wrote to me heard this as “Fox News,” and I can’t really blame them,” Getler writes. “When I went and watched the tape for the first time, I thought I heard “Fox” as well, perhaps because of the association one assumes when you hear “news” right after the word.”
Crossed the line
Getler said in one respect the joke worked, but overall it was too close for comfort.
“Pox News as an alternative and competitor to the Grouch News Network would seem to be a clever and appropriate title,” he wrote. “But you would have to be anesthetized as a producer not to assume that many parents will hear this, or assume this, to be a clever shot at Fox News.”
“I don’t know what was in the head of the producers, but my guess is that this was one of those parodies that was too good to resist. But it should have been resisted. Broadcasters can tell parents whatever they think of Fox or any other network, but you shouldn’t do it through the kids,” he added.
Now there’s not much an Ombudsman can do after the fact. Perhaps the skit won’t run again in the future. And surely the writers won’t repeat that specific offense.
Waddya say now?
But the admission that they went too far is providing one website with something to crow about — the same website that called attention to it in the first place.
John Nolte, the Editor-in-Chief of Andrew Breitbart’s Big Hollywood site, seemed to bask a bit in the glory of PBS’s admission of guilt.
“In response to Stage Right using “Sesame Street’s” unfortunate behavior as an example with which to speak for the many, many many parents frustrated with the idea of partisan programming aimed at children, some online outlets responded with the expected and usual dismissive snarky contempt,” Nolte writes. “But now that PBS is on record agreeing with Stage Right, we’re left to wonder if they find PBS ’stupid,’ ‘asinine,’ ‘absurd,’ and ‘idiotic.’
You can watch the original video clip here. But we couldn’t resist embedding Oscar’s favorite song “I Love Trash” below…
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Hey, follow us on Twitter and we promise to take out your trash every day!
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2. Arnie Ziffel | 11.06.09
I saw this and laughed. And here the Ultra-libs were upset about the Airing of ” V ” because the storyline was too close to the policies of the President. The beauty of it all is that they will hang themselves with their own greed and vices like Charlie Rangel. There is just really no pleasing the Liberals. Even Oscar the Grouch isn’t “Green” enough for them. POX NEWS is ok by ME. :@)
3. JOhn | 11.06.09
wah wah. Come on, It’s a parody and this is nothing compared to the bile and toxins right wing shows launch upon what they consider “liberal”. Grow up conserviatives and take what you dish.
4. J.williams | 11.06.09
In my honest opinion…. Sesame Street has more integrity and accuracy
in one feather, than “pox” News could ever hope to muster.
5. Mike Jones | 11.06.09
It’s funny how the conservatives have even noticed that Sesame Street still exists, with their history of trying to kill off public funding for PBS.
6. rjflorida | 11.06.09
Silly republicans let me explain it to you: There is no right, wrong, fair, unfair, balanced or partisan. Things like this are defined by WHO does them and for what purpose.
If something like this is done AGAINST a republican then it is clever and witty and helpful to children. If something like this is done AGAINST a Democrat then it is a travesty of justice that shocks the conscience.
I hope you don’t get confused like this in the future.
7. Ness | 11.06.09
You guys need a new headline writer. I thought the parody happened on FOX, not PBS.
9. Mike | 11.06.09
Good, obviously, PBS doesn’t need that much money since they just abused people who watch Sesame Street and people who watch FOX News. It’s great that we have Fox News! It seems that we are only going to hear important news from Fox because other news networks report only what the Obama Administration wants us to hear, not about their misdeeds of which there are many. Forget about all the deceitful people in his administration and who he knows - Rangel, Van Horn, Ayers, Reid, Pelosi, THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. PBS will not be getting ANY donation this year. That’s their punishment for being manipulative.
10. Sam | 11.06.09
PBS Ombudsman Michael Getler has lost his mind. Caving into the right wing nuts because of their poor hearing and lack of a sense of humor is just plain dumb.
Now PBS needs to get rid of GNN too; it sounds too much like CNN. They need to get rid of Getler too. His name must sound like something that someone, somewhere, would be offended by.
11. Loretta Huston | 11.06.09
We just can’t escape the Natural Law of Entropy, continuing Disorder and Complexity. The further away we get from the source of anything, the more distorted everything becomes. It is indeed very nauseating to live in these Modern Commercialized times. “Small Pox” News is a disease that has ran rampant and it is very healthy to address, discuss and deal with these problems. Trash is trash and unfortunately there is far too much commercialized trash out there. Hopefully our children will be able to decipher between in depth journalism and chatty trashy spin. Fortunately, we do have PBS that has deeply researched and informed coverage that nourishes our minds rather than pollutes. This is a necessary skill to learn from early on, how to make wise choices. So, yes in this way Sesame Street was in alignment with our times, because kids are surrounded with messages constantly from many sources. The more we educate to question “motivation” behind “coverage” then may we cut through the garbage versus quality information. Kids are absorbing so much during these turbulent times and need to be aware of the dangers, but at the same time appreciate the gift of knowledge and wisdom that we have as well. Indeed, a very clever, appropriate and funny parody for these confusing times.
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13. Robert Soly | 11.06.09
I watched Sesame Street in the early 1970s. The Canadian additions to the show (produced by the CBC) were kinder and gentler than the raw American features. The American productions always sharply parodied popular culture, which allowed us children to better understand, and take less seriously, the commercial media hype at the time. I think this is even more important today, considering the incivility and emptiness of television news.
14. Lucas | 11.06.09
Not important. Kids will likely not link the negative connotation. In fact, FOX should thank Sesame Street writers for the free publicity. Kids are generally not interested in news shows so I really think it’s a dead issue.
However, what is important is that Oscar The Grouch called a trumpet a trombone in this video, which is more likely to confuse children: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1SiSUrvUnk&feature=player_embedded.
15. Jeff Leiter | 11.06.09
First the embattled White House asks for help from Hollywood to push its policies. Now Hollywood, through a child targeted show, appears to attack FOXNews. Appalling. This seems to follow in step with teaching children how great the ten month president is.
16. Judas Priest | 11.06.09
Maybe PBS can have the muppets do a play on the 10.2% unemployment figure that came out today!
17. Campbell | 11.06.09
Well, at least they apologized, the mainstream media mostly ignores the complaints. I am still waiting for CNN to apologize for calling the demonstraters TEABAGGERS!
18. zaxtervid | 11.06.09
I find it pretty funny that conservatives are so easily “outraged” over this tiny jab. I guess the truth really does hurt. If conservatives knew in their heart that Fox News wasn’t trashy, they wouldn’t raise such a stink (pun intended).
19. frustrated voter | 11.06.09
but “GNN” does not sound anything like another news channel, which is just like the rest of them including the coveted “POX” er… FOX.
20. RHarrisonScott | 11.06.09
This is just another illustration of what most people have recognized for years and that’s that liberals love to use the arts to promote their ideals. This isn’t a bad thing but when they use the microphone to demean others, well, they go too far. In this house, the grandchildren won’t be watching Sesame Street again.
21. Truthiness | 11.06.09
In other non-news, the FOX TV network regularly airs raunchy, trashy TV shows which attract huge fines by the FCC that are funneled to the GOP. Even if you don’t believe that, you can’t deny that the FOX TV network airs some VERY non-christian, non-conservative, immoral programming, while condemning the very same behavior on the FOX NEWS network. It’s hard to defend these guys, and if Sesame Street makes a joke that have many mistaking POX for FOX, it’s not hard to wonder why.
22. Bob Andrews | 11.06.09
What was so wrong? Fox is trashy and Sesame street is one of the best shows for children ever.
23. DN | 11.06.09
@RHarrisonScott:
You must not have watched Sesame Street in a really really er…EVER?…long time. The point most people are missing, the Ombudsman and RHarrisonScott also, is WHO!!!! is saying the line that POX is a trashy channel. Trash to a Grouch is their thing. It is their ideals and way of life. TRASH to a grouch isn’t a literal translation with trash in the real world. If anything, a news channel devoted to “trash” is a good thing for a grouch. It’s getting at the grouch’s interest. Which is exactly what Fox news network does. FOX goes to it’s viewers interest. (which isn’t trash in the literal sense)
Jeez. If your child who has been watching Sesame Street all this time, they would understand it wasn’t a diss. It was a good thing. POX airs what the groches view as important, which just happens to share the “real world” word of “trash”.
Get the point now? Perhaps Sesame Street should include the disclaimer: Warning this show is for 2-3 year olds and those capable of understanding complex thought of nonliteral meaning.
24. MississippiSarah | 11.06.09
Puh-leez. Sesame Street has done more for children’s programming and the generations of children who grew up watching the show than FOX News or CNN could ever do for even the smallest bits of humanity. Granted, in the past ten years or so, the writing on Sesame Street has floundered to the point that it’s basically become the Elmo Show–hardly more educational and nearly as un-entertaining and idiotic as any FOX commentator. Blame the producers for making an excellent show for children and adults into a show so annoying and without heart (*not* to be read as “heartless”) that it may as well be Barney: Starring Muppets.
If more people would support public broadcasting–through donations and viewership–then more people would see how important education and quality news programming is. Not to mention they’d probably see some quality TV for the first time in their lives of cable “news” programs and reality TV.
I *love* PBS and I *love* Sesame Street.
For the garbage disguised as “news,” FOX News et al: A pox on [all] your houses!
25. Big Kid | 11.06.09
A Grouch’s ideals are in trash - my 4 year old knows that garbage is good for a grouch - so, in that way they’re idealizing Pox news.
26. GLac | 11.06.09
Blah Blah Blah, Really we as a nation are worried about this. Well look at it the other way GNN-so all the reporters are grouchy on CNN? Or too lovey dovey. Its a parody….remember funny???? Get over yourselves and find something worth fighting for! Kids really could care less about the news, they should enjoy just being kids.
27. NotMike | 11.06.09
Aw… let’s hold a candlelight vigil for poor little FOX news and its viewers for getting their feelings hurt… puh-leeze….
28. billy bob | 11.06.09
WHATEVER!
This is so much non-sense. I get custom-made sandwichs most days from a local Deli. The people behind the counter are there all day long making so many sandwiches they don’t hear what someone actually says.
I NEVER get lettuce - and I always ask for OIL. But somehow - they regularly tell me that I said that I wanted lettuce and I said OIL AND VINEGAR. NEVER said the word LETTUCE. Never said the word VINEGAR.
This is the viewers own fault for making assumptions and half paying attention to presented content. It’s NOT PBSs fault. It’s NOT Sesame Street’s fault.
29. aaron truax | 11.06.09
It’s difficult to raise a child in this era of Liberal experimentation, deconstruction, and hateful intolerance. That the writers at Sesame Street thought their publicly funded platform was an appropriate venue for subjecting children to propaganda is an indication of the increasing insensitivity of the Left.
Yeah, FNC is a little trashy, mainly O’Reilly, who appears obsessed with ratings, the others programs far less so or not trashy at all. Most importantly, Fox is the only major media outlet that offers an alternative view of news and events, and with Liberalism becoming mainstream, that’s an important function in a free society. How is it that Liberals are all of a sudden so resentful of alternative views? Is it possible that all along Liberals weren’t interested in diversity except when it meant getting their own views accepted?
Unfortunately I have found that to be overwhelmingly true, a lifelong Liberal acquaintance recently tried explaining to me that Fox is just trying to create controversy. She is apparently oblivious to the fact that Fox is representing, to some degree, the opinions and ideas of millions of Americans who are otherwise dismissed as irrelevant by other major media outlets.
The increasing degredation of journalistic integrity should bother any honest American as it creates a basis for unchallenged propaganda. Is that what Liberals really want?
30. R Hamilton | 11.06.09
Re: Jeff Leiter’s comment on 11.06.09:
Sesame Street is produced in New York, not Hollywood
31. Jeppps | 11.06.09
Seriously, I love humor but can you keep lame opinions and partisan politics out of the head of my 2 year old. His mind is not your battle ground. Good thing Barney is keeping it real. PBS, if you want funding from parents keep it about the kids, you’re not getting a penny out of me.
32. Jersey Jeff | 11.06.09
A lot of people are uncomfortable with kids getting their early-life stimulation mainly from TV. Whether it’s Snuffleupagus or Stephanopolis, it’s a poor substitute for actual human interaction or even solo creative play. I’m reminded of a fawning front page story in the Philly Inquirer years ago that celebrated the 25th anniversary of Sesame Street directly across from a story of a study that showed that high school students were the dumbest in a generation. Coincidence?
34. anon | 11.06.09
Holy partisan nuts on this board, batman! Seriously… I’ve never heard more trash slung at a single political party’s values than on CNN itself. FOX isn’t innocent by any means. So what. All big media is biased one way or another; that’s no secret. It’d be wonderful to have non-partisan news that isn’t afraid to attack anybody, no matter what party they may or may not be affiliated with, but we don’t.
For goodness sakes, what is wrong with you people. They are “news” channels. Why demean others for what they prefer to watch? You only show your own bigoted ignorance when you do that. Grow up!
35. perkthewidget | 11.06.09
Just a reminder….studies have been done over and over that the disjointed, jangled style shows that Sesame Street dribbles out is harmful to kids and stunts their ability to focus on anything for very long. Attention Deficit Disorder? PBS and Sesame Street have to bare some blame!
36. faktchekr | 11.06.09
FOX News’ ratings during November 09 election: 4.04 million
MSNBC’s ratings during November 09 election (a not so close second): 974K
If FOX’s massive success against the beloved Democrat has-beens is too frustrating for close minded, intolerant lefties to stand, they are more than welcome to use hand puppets that are watched by about 100 people to poke fun at them.
37. bess | 11.06.09
Were the Beatles really hurt about “letter B”? It was the same tune as a well known Beatles tune, and sung by Muppets with moptops. Recently I saw Sesame St. skit called 30 Rocks, where Liz Lemon was a lemon, and the Jack muppet couldn’t count to 30 without her help. Do you think that Alec Baldwin is somewhere crying? I’m just glad the CTW people keep me entertained while my kids are watching! Grow up people!
Here’s the link:http://www.sesamestreet.org/video_player?p_p_lifecycle=0&p_p_id=videoPlayer_WAR_sesameportlets4369&p_p_uid=24912f9a-47cc-4cb1-bc1d-af2526b3f39a
38. Meli | 11.06.09
My four year old has no idea who Oscar the grouch is. I don’t allow him to watch Sesame Street. PBS is so completely biased.
39. Greg | 11.06.09
Anon, while you are correct there is always bias. But, the current administrations outright war with Fox or (POX for the kiddies), has enter a new realm. What do you think the wing bats on the left would have done if Bush would have done the same thing to the tingle network (MSNBC for those at the DNC,)
40. General Malaise | 11.07.09
Perhaps the Sesame Street crew can work a parody of Obama highlighting his sensitive side for his subjects when he interrupted his shout-outs and high-fives with the Native American contingent to bite his lip and intone that his thoughts and prayers were with the victims of the Fort Hood terror murders?
Oh… wait…
41. Dallas Prestine | 11.07.09
You guys give me a headache. I will not deprive my child of ANY source of information, especially one that has proven its worth over decades. Can you be so uninvolved,(or too involved), with the forming of your child’s opinions that a Fox parody by a puppet scares you. What exactly is Oscar’s saying about Fox? That their terrorists? Or that they should join the Democrats at age 18? Of course not. Grow up people and take the time to explain to your kids that you can’t believe everything you see on TV. Especially anything from a make-believe street with huge colorful animals walking around!
43. millie | 11.07.09
PBS like the public schools ought to be neutral turf. Partisans on BOTH sides must work to create a respectful atmosphere. Behavior like this turns childrens’ learning spaces into war zones.
44. Elmo is out | 11.07.09
Looks like Elmo is banned from our house going forward. Its too bad, but I can’t allow this type of left wing influence on my child.
45. momof 4 | 11.07.09
Lets call it what it is. CBS, NBC, ABC, MSNBC News aren’t really isn’t “news” stations any more. (Same goes for the New York Times and a gazillion other print media news outlets which are all losing money hand over fist - go figure.) The “lame stream” media are all puppets at this point and Obama is the puppet master. Fox News is taking millions of viewers because we actually want to hear something OTHER that what Obama’s PR media reps (AKA mainstream media) are pushing for us to hear. God forbid we should hear everything and then actually think for ourselves! We also all know that PBS is completely liberal and MY tax dollars help FUND IT. That is the real travesty and should be the real story…
46. Jeanette Friedman | 11.07.09
Fox News is Pox News in reality. They dish more trash than Oscar ever did.
In fact, Glenn Beck and Oscar should get together. I wonder what would happen…and PBS is nuts for caving in. Shame on Geller.
And Fox News admits it’s a news channel only part of the time…and not during prime time, so who is zoomin’ who?
47. Matt | 11.07.09
Fox viewers are perpetual whiners. Just a few days ago, when it was revealed that they lied about Obama watching a documentary on election night, conservatives flooded the blogs to defend their beloved Fox..an institution that they’ve come to worship. They wined that the whole thing was blown way out of proportion. Now, just a few days later, conservatives, tea baggers, and birthers are all in a tithy because a children’s show created a parody where Fox was called “Pox”. By the way, CNN was called GNN (Grouch News Network). Where’s the outrage over that???
In a country that’s supposed to value freedom and democracy, I find it dangerous that so many people worship Fox. This is why Bush was able to get away with running this country into the ground. Fox and this loud, obnoxious, 20% of die-hard conservatives were cheerleaders right up to the end, when the economy was collapsing and everything was falling apart.
48. Zac in VA | 11.07.09
I’m going to have to agree - the Grouch would consider “trashy” to be a compliment.
49. SK | 11.07.09
I find it scary that someone at PBS is friends with someone at Fox. One would hope that PBS could be allowed to be the antithesis to Fox without repercussions. Fox pretending like their partisan programming isn’t aimed at children as well is laughable. It seems like Sesame Street is teaching media literacy to children, which is a good thing.
Besides, Sesame Street’s long history of promoting caring and sharing definitely indicates a “liberal bias” anyway.
50. MattC | 11.07.09
It was a jab at Fox News, big deal… It is free and protected speech. And honestly Fox News spends 3/4 of its airtime incorrectly using the words communism, fascism, socialism, and progressive. I fail to see how they can in turn get so upset about some tiny jab on a PBS show.
I really can’t believe they apologized. A network that spends all day preaching ignorance and bigotry should have a tougher skin. Don’t air garbage like the Glenn Beck hate hour if you can’t take a few jabs in turn.
51. Muriel Pritchett | 11.12.09
The right spends all their time looking for things to get upset about. Who in their right mind wishes to stay in a constant state of bitterness and anger? And yet the right feeds on it. Frankly, it has become tiresome.
52. martin | 11.16.09
I think Sesame Street should have “walking eagle” on the show. Google it if you don’t know who it is. It great laugh and true.
53. Paul Hoogeveen | 11.18.09
The fact that some rightists are viscerally incensed by this jab on a children’s show seems to indicate that Fox news is indeed, as critics claim, an outlet for right-wing sensibilities. Never mind that CNN was previously “trashed” by the GNN, “Garbage News Network” parody title. What, no outrage from the leftists for the GNN jibe? One wonders.
Centrists predicted the absolute polarization of this country that would surely follow in the wake of 9/11. And so it did. And those on either far end of the poitical spectrum have simply been helping those who perpetrated 9/11 win their end game. We need pragmatic reconciliation, not ever more division, folks.
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Jimmy Orr has worked in politics for the majority of his professional career working for two U.S. Senators, two Governors and one President. Most recently, Orr served as White House Spokesman and Internet Director for President George W. Bush and Special Advisor to Governor Schwarzenegger for Internet Communications.
David Cook is Washington bureau chief of The Christian Science Monitor and host of the Monitor's newsmaker breakfasts. He was the Monitor's editor from 1994 to 2001. Cook is a graduate of Principia College, served in the U.S. Army, was a Bagehot Fellow at Columbia University, and is a member of the Gridiron Club, Washington's oldest journalistic organization.
1. Paul Cronenberger | 11.06.09
Just a thought. We live in Europe. If the US economy is recovering why does the dollar continue to lose significant value compared to the Euro?