50 years ago today a kid’s program debuted in the United States which was to change the lives of millions of children worldwide – Sesame Street. A mix of muppets and modern educational psychology, the idea was to reach urban kids and those who weren’t getting good early schooling with basic lessons to give them a better start. Along the way it has handled life issues as well, from death to divorce and with the South African version – children living with HIV.
To say Sesame Street became a phenomenon is an understatement, not only launching the Muppets to a wider stage, but catchy songs, characters and a place where kids could feel safe and supported without overt advertising or pressure on the wild west frontier of television. Sesame Street still does pioneering work today, most recently with resources for children who have to face their parent’s opioid addiction.
But for most, Sesame Street is about the music, monsters and mirth – from Pinball Count, Ladybug’s Picnic, Count von Count and Oscar to the Telephone sketch – which I have made many mashups and videos from, as you can see here.!
Sesame Street has always been an inspiration from the first time I saw it in the early 80’s. Happy 50th!
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