I was really interested when
Devorah Heitner mentioned her studies of Sesame Street the other day in class.
As a kid who grew up watching Sesame Street in the 1990’s the diverse cast of
characters were the norm to me, but I began to wonder about the motivations
behind Sesame Street, as well as the racial makeup of the cast over the past
decades and how this has shifted with the changing American population and the
issues at hand.
The show debuted in 1969 with the
intention of targeting the lower class children of the United States who had
less access to education opportunities to prepare them to start school. The
show utilized the skills of developmental psychologists to aid them in crafting
content that would help kids learn about relationships, ethics, emotions and
cultural diversity. Now, over forty years later it remains as a staple in
American households.
This season Sesame Street will be
introducing its newest character, Armando or “Mando” played by Ismael
Cruz. Cruz grew up watching the show in Puerto
Rico, and said that “for me it was a place that really existed and to which as
a child I aspired to go, a place so diverse that I could see myself in the
faces of the people that were there.” The show aims to reflect the changing
American population, of which Hispanics are the fastest growing minority. The
shows seeks to speak to the youngest Americans and strike down racism before it
begins, they explain that the accepting children of today are the accepting
adults of tomorrow. Within the melting pot of the United States, the population
shifts every year therefore the team behind Sesame Street attempts to shift
alongside this to further represent the diverse population that American kids
interact with everyday. Mando will be joining a cast that already included
three Hispanic characters, as well as Asian, African American and Native
American characters.
The clip below is one of Mando’s
first scenes on Sesame Street in which he sings about all the Spanish words
that rhyme with his name as the kids and puppets join him on the street.
7 comments:
I also think Sesame Street is a very interesting case study on how messages are transmitted to an audience. Song, dance, and muppets help to create an atmosphere that is not preachy but fun and exciting. This reminds me of the different artistic modes that were represented in "Say Brother." The show engages with the audience through music, art and performance of different sorts. They recognize race without calling attention to negative stereotypes. I think that the use of muppets is very significant in creating this sphere. Muppets have the ability to talk directly to the children at home and have them listen. It's not like an adult telling a child what to do, but the child learns along with their muppet friend.
Not only has race been a highly discussed topic but sexuality has come up in multiple debates. Bert and Ernie have been discussed to be gay lovers which is subtly implied if it is implied at all. They share the same bedroom but have separate beds. The creators deny the idea that they are gay, but the idea has been appropriated even leading to a magazine cover devoted to the passage of the gay marriage act. Thus, it seems that this children's television show is on the frontier of breaking cultural taboos on TV.
I agree with Katelyn’s assertion that Sesame Street does a good job at perpetuating positive images of diversity. I think one of the key factors that attributes to the TV show’s positive message to young viewers is the attention to ethnicity, or a focus on culture, rather than physical “race.” This is exemplified by Mando’s performance in the attached clip; Mando conveys a certain sense of pride in the Spanish language, and brings joy and color to the language through his upbeat performance. The childrens’ and Muppets’ additional enthusiasm acts as an indicator to viewers to express the same celebration of diverse culture and ethnicities.
I think Sesame Street is also interesting in its make of actors there are very prominent actors who were the voice of characters. There are almost as many white actors as their are actors of African American, Asian, and Latino descent. That being said, because the muppets themselves are all different colors I have to wonder how it might be easier for them to explore race because the muppet characters are seemingly without race.
Along the lines of Stephanie's comment about teaching culture as opposed to race, Sesame Street also takes an interesting approach. I found a guide that teaches parents how racial attitudes develop in young children to help guide them through the process. http://www.sesamestreet.org/parents/topics/getalong/getalong05
I love the fact that Sesame Street is often used as a teaching site for racial politics, and often paves the way for discussions of race between parents and children. One of the Sesame Street segments that I immediately thought of in regards to race was the "I Love My Hair" song that debuted three years ago.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enpFde5rgmw
The song is sung by a black female muppet, and is about how much she enjoys her natural hair and all the cool styles she can do with it. While the sketch was written and produced by a white male (which definitely speaks to Dr. Heitner's text concerning who has the power to present diversity to the public), it was still profoundly significant in discussing body positivity among black girls, especially concerning their natural hair--a topic often under discussion. http://www.buzzfeed.com/ellievhall/7-year-old-tulsa-girl-sent-home-from-school-because-of-her-d
Sesame Street also has a fairly good representation of diversity in its cast, especially in comparison to primetime shows on national broadcasting networks. Upon reflection, most children's show have a wide range of diversity. Shows such as Reading Rainbow and Out of the Box had non-white hosts, and they, as well as shows such as Barney and Friends, Little Einsteins, Little Bill, and Handy Manny (I have a lot of little cousins) also had diverse cast of characters. I think that it is interesting that multiculturalism is so prevalent in children's programing, but so invisible in more adult programs. Why is diversity only pushed on children's programing, and so easily ignored on primetime?
I think that Sesame Street is a great show to capture the diversity in cast representation. I remember growing up, much like Katelyn describes, a very diverse cast and how normal that felt as it was also the same on Barney and Friends and in my group of friends at that age in school. In baby sitting my little cousins over this summer I was introduced to the show LIttle Einsteins mentioned by Francesca above. I was very interested in how that show seemed to work to give the characters all a balanced role.
In looking back on my own childhood and development, the importance of growing up in a time where there was a push for equal representation on kids shows I believe gave me and other kids of my generation a firm starting block to have discussions about race. I feel that if we had been exposed to large amounts of racial inequality at such a young age, like our parents generation, we would be more rooted in our understanding what and how we think certain races should act. These shows are watched by thousands of kids across the nation and are an important instrument in helping create equal race representation.
I think it’s great that sesame street is making a point to spread cultural awareness and diversity to its younger audience. It served as the foundation for many children to not only learn about race but also ask questions around the subject. It does an excellent job at what the company originally set out to do. However, I do wonder about the influence and affect it has on our young generation today who are bombarded with media that fosters racial concepts that are the direct opposite of what Sesame Street tries to instill in children. Our generation grew up with Sesame Street and moved on to family television shows like Boy Meets World or The Fresh Prince, both of which talk about issues of race and culture. Today, while those shoes still exist, it’s not what today’s children are watching. Shows like Witches of Waverly Place and Shake it Up have taken their place. Both these shows have diverse casting but whereas Sesame Street talked about issues related to race and even gender, these shows erase them completely. Beyond their skin color, there’s no other indication or celebration of cultural diversity or attempt made to address race related issues. I wonder what the means for these children as they get older. Do they remember what Sesame Street taught them or are those ideas erased. There’s also the fact that we’re simply talking about shows geared towards children when they fact remains that children now have access to television shows that are far more controversial and complex in terms of race relations, sexuality and gender.
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