Wednesday, May 02, 2007

The fathomless tragedy of Sesame Street

A quick run down of the cast of Sesame Street will illustrate what and appalling misery fest it is.
The Grouch is clearly mentally ill. He is homeless and in need of anti depressants. Laughing at a mad guy who lives in a bin is cruel.
Let us teach children the fun of numbers with a member of the undead, the Count. Why not teach grammar with a zombie if you think vampires are the cure for innumeracy. While I am on the subject how come vampire parties are always so cool? Blade, the Hunger, Vampiros Lesbos they really seem to know how to throw a party. Can you imagine the Count hanging round at one of these bashes?
Finally is a tale of Sisyphean woe. Cookie monster is a simple guy with one simple pleasure. He loves cookies. Not so hard to make him happy you would think, but every time he gets a mouthful of cookies he has to puke them up off to the side of camera. He is bulimic. He has no esophagus and so has to vomit up the one thing he really loves. Tantalus himself did not have this level of torture inflicted upon him. Here is a monster whose sole raison d’etre is being destroyed by his eating disorder.
Anyone else see hidden pathos in the works of Jim Henson?

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