The role of politics in children’s media has often been a subject of debate, including what’s appropriate and when a show appears to show a bias. Recently, various children’s media have become the focus of a conversation among various Fox News personalities. At the time, one such figure shared a surprising comment concerning one of the longest-running pieces of children’s media in the United States: Sesame Street.
Sesame Street Has Been Part Of Children’s Television Since 1969, With Multiple Versions Airing Around The World
Sesame Street is an educational children’s television series featuring Jim Henson’s Muppets. Airing in some form since 1969, the series has been considered a hallmark of children’s media for decades in the Western world. In addition, the series inspired several international adaptations over the years.
Recently, the long-running television series was a topic of discussion on the Fox News podcast, the Girls. At the time, the conversation discussed politics and various children’s media figures.
At the time, Melissa DeRosa argued that children’s entertainers have influence on their young viewers, causing her to question if they should publicly advocate for political causes. She shared, “I sort of feel like if you’re going to be somebody who little kids look up to, we should separate those things.” She then shared concern that children could grow up to trust these views due to such influence.
In particular, one figure that became the subject of discussion was YouTube personality Ms. Rachel, who is known for her Songs for Littles series. As previously reported, she has sparked controversy for taking part in political discussions. However, Kat Timpf pushed back on DeRosa’s assessment, sharing, “I don’t think it’s that deep. She just sings songs.”
The Co-Hosts Felt That Parents Had A Responsibility To Pay Attention To What Their Children Watched
However, other famous children’s shows soon entered the debate. Fox News personality and former Real World star Rachel Campos-Duffy expressed, “Sesame Street is political, too. They get super political.”
Timpf noted, “Of course. Sometimes it is. Also, my kid’s 1-and-a-half, and it’s whatever. He’s not watching TV by himself anyway.”
For her part, former ESPN reporter Samantha Ponder argued that parents had a responsibility to help children understand what they’re watching. She expressed, “I think it’s more about how your parents help you frame what you’re seeing and your worldview as you grow up. It’s okay to like people or even bring people into your home that have different views.”
What is your reaction to this recent discussion from the Girls podcast? Have you been following this story? Are you keeping up with the podcast series? Make sure you come back to TV Shows Ace for all the latest TV and celebrity news.
John Witiw has been a writer since at least 2015. He’s covered a variety of topics, especially when it comes to film and television.