Sesame Street creators apologize for negative messages contained in show

Creators of the children's hit TV show Sesame Street have apologized for what they say are negative messages contained in the show. Speaking to the tabloid "Your Entertainment," founder of Sesame Street Workshop Joan Ganz Cooney had this to say: "Sesame Street is one of the greatest TV shows ever made but I have to let you know that throughout the years there were certain negative messages which we know those poor innocent children would not have been aware of."

She continued: "Among those messages is the fact that we tried to portray Bert and Ernie as a gay couple. Think about it - two guys living in an apartment by themselves and over the years they never brought a girl like Prairie Dawn or Betty Lou over to sleep? Look who they brought over to sleep with them in the apartment - The Count and Cookie Monster. Look who Ernie had in the bathtub with him - Biff, Guy Smiley, Telly, Oscar, Big Bird, Hoots and the lone female was a cow - Gladys."

The other negative messages that Ms. Cooney apologized for was making gluttony seem like an acceptable social norm as evidenced by Cookie Monster's insatiable appetite, Kermit the Frog's occasional outbursts of anger and his penchant for nudity except for when he is doing field work as a reporter, Grover's poor customer service skills, Guy Smiley's incessantly and unnecessary loud-speaking, the mocking of people with amnesia - Forgetful Jones and the continuous ridiculing of Oscar the Grouch, who despite being poverty-stricken, seems to love his social status.

"Regarding Oscar we were basically saying that its okay to pick on needy people and not try to help them and that being poor and miserable is quite alright. For all of this, we humbly apologize to all those little kids and parents out there and also to those adults who grew up watching the show." Ms. Cooney concluded.