"Sesame Street"'s jab at Fox News sparks backlash

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Source: Yahoo news

Next week will mark “Sesame Street”'s 40th year on the air, and while many are celebrating the iconic PBS show that's become what the New York Times recently labeled "messianic," some conservatives are crying foul over the re-airing of a sketch that jabs fun at the right-leaning Fox News network.

In the clip of the sketch that originally aired two years ago without controversy, Oscar the Grouch is playing a reporter for the "Grouch News Network," also known as "GNN," which certainly sounds familiar. After Oscar conducts an interview in which he shares hugs and kisses with his royal interview subjects, an irate viewer calls him to complain that his coverage of the news wasn't quite grouchy enough, saying "From now on, I am watching Pox News," adding, "Now there’s a trashy news show!"

Following the rerun, influential conservative blog Big Hollywood ran a post from an anonymous writer using the name "Stage Right":

If Mom and Dad watch cable news, it’s better than 50/50 they watch “POX News.” So what gives? PBS — a network partially funded with my tax dollars — has the right to tell my kids that their parents watch “trashy” news? The message is clear, I can’t even sit my kids in front of “Sesame Street” without having to worry about the Left attempting to undermine my authority...

The post generated hundreds of comments, ranging from the supportive (“AMEN! As a child born in the mid 60s I've had the full benefit of the Left's assault on our culture in media, print and society”… “Yank their funding! NOW!”) to the critical (“If we conservatives are to be successful in the media, we can't keep grabbing our skirts and shrieking every time we are parodied, especially when parodied on a equal level with left leaning counterparts. Man up.”)

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20091105/pl_ynews/ynews_pl968

[Dramarama]

1. Time to donate to PBS

[Jkid]

12. What's the point?

My MPT affiliate alternatives from most old stale britcoms and mysteries, how-to shows, business specials to pleage break specials that get money and then spend it for more of the same every month. I don't even have a job or money to pledge to PBS.

Even though I do support PBS, public broadcasting in America IMO is pathetic.

Don't mind me I'm just playing devil's advocate.

[No Elephants]

23. Some truth there, but there are also very good shows, like American

Experience, Bill Moyers Journal, Front Line, etc. I hear truths from the latter two shows that I hear nowhere else.

But, if you don't have a job, you probably can't donate. Best wishes on getting one soon.

[d_b]

2. lol yahoo

[SpiralHawk]

3. "Whine" - Republicons (as usual)

Love to dish it out. Can't take it at all. The epitome of Republicon chickenhawkery...

[KakistocracyHater]

20. you said it. THIS from the group that wanted Burt & Ernie axed from

the show? The same group that attacked the Teletubbies too.

I THINK THAT THESE RIGHTIES SEE LEFTIES everywhere.........

[Lone_Star_Dem]

4. I doubt too many FOX news viewers donate to PBS anyway

So who cares if they're offended?

[depakid]

5. You mean MANUFACTURED outrage

with the same bogus quote circulated everywhere.

Nice job in being duped into perpetuation the bullshit.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. I look forward to the follow-up teaching

"Have you heard of 'the pox', kids? We don't mean 'chicken pox' - that's just a bit icky. We mean The Pox - it's what you can get when you do naughty things with really dirty people. Just like Uncle Rupert's been doing all his life."

[krabigirl]

7. Cool, I will LMAO if one of the moms in my group bans Sesame Street.

I live in OC so I wouldn't be surprised. What idiots to yell about a bunch of muppets. Oscar is the man, don't mess with him. LMAO. go PBS!

[NecklyTyler]

8. Satire

Right wingers don't have a leg to stand on

[Xenotime]

9. Cool! They have my support!

[Deja Q]

10. And if FOX made "Family Guy", they'd call PBS

"Pure B.S."

:shrug:


Or "Pee B.S." but that's not as interesting... but it is truer to what "Family Guy" exhibits every week... pure pee and B.S. ...


And, yes, I am aware of the irony that I am using "Family Guy"-style jokes to help denounce "Family Guy". Is FOX aware of that, particularly the ones who claim media hurts society? (So why can't they convince their overlord Rupe to clean up FOX broadcasting's act? :P )

[Jkid]

11. Apprently the consersatives who support the backlash rather have children watch court shows

...and local news during the daytime. All broadcast networks do not run weekday children's programs anymore

Stage Right: Bawwww liberal bias bawww government run media baw baw bawwww

[DRoseDARs]

13. Yeah, er, this sketch aired several YEARS ago.They're just NOW whining about it?

:shrug:

[bluestateguy]

14. Kermit the Frog always provide fair and balanced news reporting on Sesame Street

But that was back in my day.

[LynnTheDem]

15. Has Bachmann called Oscar the Grouch a terrorist yet? Has Orly demanded

to see Big Bird's "long form vault copy" birth certificate yet?


If not, I'm sure it's just a matter of time.


:rofl:

[CBHagman]

16. Lack of a sense of humor AND resentment towards PBS.

Typical of the right wing in this country. In the '90s we had Newt Gingrich bad-mouthing PBS and claiming that Rush Limbaugh was public broadcasting (No, Newtles, that's paying Rush for something we can get for free from our relatives during Thanksgiving dinner), and now we have Glenn Beck making cheap shots at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Now Newt is no longer speaker of the House, and as for Beck, well, I doubt that five years on anyone will much care about Beck. The same cannot be said for the artists whose works fill the Met.

[daleo]

17. Young children understand making fun of conservatives

After all, children are always being told what to do by powerful people with more money, just like the rest of us. They get satire intuitively.

[gtar100]

18. You can always tell when a criticism is true.

When it strikes that nerve, the one getting criticized gets all self-righteous and indignant. How funny that all these Pox heads are so offended. Deep down they know the truth about Fox News.

As the old saying goes, they can dish it out but they can't take it. Par for the course for self-described conservatives.

[Arkana]

19. Hee hee hee hee....

[Buns_of_Fire]

21. Miss Piggy will NOT take this lying down, I guarantee! n/t

[sofa king]

22. Aww. Wook at the cute widdle appeal to authority.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_authority

Source A says that p.
Source A is authoritative.
Therefore, p is true.

Parents say that Fox news is true.
Parents are authoritative.
Therefore, Fox news is true.

And 9/11 happened exactly as described, the weapons of mass destruction were found thirty times, Saddam and Osama are the same person, black is white, dogs are cats, and you should divert your 401K into company stock.

[No Elephants]

24. Obama criticizes FOX, the right cries First Amendment. FOX criticizes Sesame Street, no First

Amendment issue. Did I get that right? Er, I mean, is that correct?