Cookie Monster Hasn’t Turned into Veggie Monster…But He Does Eat a Balanced Diet
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Rumor has it that Cookie Monster is turning into a health-crazed Veggie Monster in an effort to combat childhood obesity. This isn’t the case, but Cookie Monster isn’t quite what he used to be, either. The Big Change in cookie monster actually occurred in 2005, but the rumor has found its way back to the Web. three years ago:
My beloved blue, furry monster — who sang “C is for cookie, that’s good enough for me” — is now advocating eating healthy. There’s even a new song — “A Cookie Is a Sometimes Food,” where Cookie Monster learns there are “anytime” foods and “sometimes” foods.
“What’s going on with Cookie Monster?” I asked the “Sesame Street” press office. “Why are you doing this?”
They sent me to Dr. Rosemarie T. Truglio, the show’s vice president of research and education.
She said the show changes every year, focusing not just on teaching numbers and letters but also emotional and physical health. With the rise in childhood obesity, Truglio said “Sesame Street” is concentrating on the need to teach children about healthy foods and physical activity.
Truglio said “Sesame Street” also will introduce new characters, such as talking eggplants and carrots, and offer parodies, such as “American Fruit Stand.” Even guest stars will address healthy activities, such as Alicia Keys talking and singing about the importance of physical activity.
Even politicians have gotten into the act, filming public service announcements with “Sesame Street” residents. In one taping, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist taught Elmo to exercise — jumping up and down. In another, Sen. Hillary Clinton and the small red monster discuss the various textures and tastes of foods.
“Even Cookie Monster is learning to control his cookie cravings,” Frist told me by e-mail. “His sage advice opened our eyes to the simple joys of a tasty cookie and now reminds us that moderation is the key to healthy living.”
“Cookiegate” was just another chapter in a long tradition of social forces intervening in kids’ shows. More recently, Disney after consumer groups claimed that exposing kids to TV at an early age hampered play in favor of corporate brainwashing. Sid the Science Kid is now thanks to a multimillion dollar government PR campaign.
The big question is: Does this stuff work? It has to, to some extent. Companies like McDonald’s fatten kids by luring them in with attractive Happy Meals. Surely Cookie Monster and talking vegetables can make healthy food look less nasty to young ‘uns, too. But parents remain the bottom line. Social propoganda campaigns remain peripheral to the lifestyle parents encourage their kids to live.
Personally, I’d rather see reams of money being pushed into organizations that promote better parenting. If parents are responsible, TV won’t ever have the final say.
Get it Right – Cookie Monster: Do not go gentle into that good night
would like to be completely upfront with my readers for a moment, lest Daniel Leifer accuse me of irresponsible journalism. The poem I referenced in my title is a famous work by Dylan Thomas. When, later in the article, I refer to Sesame Street, I may in fact draw basic info of Sesame Street’s origins from Wikipedia. I assure you, however that the opinions presented here are my own, which is the important feature of a column. Thanks for keeping me honest, Daniel.
To the point: I suffered a minor panic attack last week, when I heard it mentioned that Cookie Monster, the simple yet lovable connoisseur of culinary concoctions, had been replaced by a “Veggie Monster” on Sesame Street. Horrified, I dashed to my computer for confirmation. It transpired that the claim was false. Happily, Cookie Monster remains the lovable blue beast that he was in my childhood days.
Or does he?
Further investigation yielded some disturbing information. While Cookie Monster has not been replaced, his role on Sesame Street has certainly undergone significant changes. Most notably, the sacred song of Cookie Monster is no longer: “C is for Cookie, that’s good enough for me.” What is it now, you ask? “Cookies are a sometimes food.” Updated Cookie Monster is educated about moderation and now consumes a balanced diet of fruits and veggies.
Bemused, I sought answers for this radical change in Monster’s eating behaviors. Sesame Street’s Web site offers some insight, advertising the fact that the show is now “addressing the need for nutrition and exercise education.” There you have it. The popular children’s show is caving in to the political pressure to intervene in American dietary habits. Labeling nutritional content is not enough, banning trans fats in some restaurants is not enough and the suggestion of a “soda tax” to address the obesity epidemic is not enough. Sesame Street will conquer childhood obesity by dropping a silly song and decreasing the Monster’s cookie calorie intake.
Personally, I am sick of seeing my peers, politicians and lobbyists of all kinds desperately seek a target to blame for the nutritional problems of the nation. Cancer due to smoking can be handed off to tobacco companies. Eating disorders can be attributed to models, actresses, fashion magazines, the vegan movement…etc. The responsibility for obesity is laid at the feet of fast food restaurants, soda companies, dining halls, high fructose corn syrup and now, apparently, Cookie Monster’s gluttonous eating habits.
In this warped world of finger pointing, Americans have forgotten the simple fact that we, as autonomous individuals, are capable of modulating our on behaviors. Thus, we bear personal responsibility for the health decisions we make. I don’t have to consume Big Macs just because McDonald’s provides them. Camel doesn’t compel me to smoke! And Coca-Cola certainly doesn’t hold me down and force-feed me sugary delight. People who are obese are victims of their own volition. Children who are obese are the victims of irresponsible parenting.
Seriously, how weak-minded are we as a society that we believe a change in Cookie Monster’s eating habits will have a significant influence on behavior? Will cookies be any less appealing now that they’re no longer good enough for Cookie Monster? Will children leap off of the couch and run to the fridge for a delicious celery stick instead? And, since I’ve mentioned the couch, maybe parents should encourage kids to turn off Sesame Street, jump off their obese bums and engage in some exercise?
That would be too simple, not to mention asking far too much of parents. Instead, society places trust in Sesame Street to educate our children and bequeath upon them the information necessary to form healthy habits, as they sit, staring at the screen.
If this is to be the new trend–behavioral manipulation through childhood entertainment–I would like to point out a few necessary changes. Disney movies must be altered to promote healthy relationships. I mean, we’re teaching children that the ways to a man’s heart are silence (Little Mermaid) and to value things like superficial beauty (see any princess movie), servitude (Cinderella) and insipid femininity (Snow White). HORROR. How can this be inflicted on young minds? We must change these characters to strong, intelligent, average-looking, loud feminists. Think Hillary Clinton.
Alternatively, we could accept personal responsibility for the choices that we make. We could encourage interactive parenting to help children distinguish between healthy and unhealthy choices. We could allow children, as we were allowed, to enjoy the simple entertainment value of an unaltered, classic Disney Movie and a cookie-hoarding, floppy blue beast.
Policy-makers and lobbyists: Please stop your fruitless efforts to manipulate me. Focus your energy on something more important–like combating socialized healthcare, for instance.
Ticker Tape Parade 2009
The lively nations celebrate each and every moment they can. Ticket Tape Parade 2009 is another way to have a celebration and this time it is being celebrated after quite some time. The ticket tape parade for Yankees has been planned on Friday at 11 am at the same formal route. Past records show that Yankees ticket parade was being attended by 3.5 million people and it is being anticipated that this time this record is going to be broke.
Ticket Parade has quite an interesting history behind. The first ticket parade was celebrated in 1986 in New York. The waste papers were showered on the route from the building on reaching of convoy. The term ticket tape is usually used for the ticket tape machine’s paper, which is used in the stock exchanges for the updating of the market rates. The shredded paper has been used to greet the convoy.
Yankees were on the road back in 1996 and 1998 to celebrate the parade. It was attended by the millions of people to grace the occasion. The same famous route for Ticket Tape parade has been used in the past and will be used in upcoming parade. The parade will go by the Canyon of Heroes route and the Yankees players are quite familiar with the route as they did it before. The parade will also overtake Battery Park, Up Broadway and after passing though Financial District, the parade will arrive at City Hall Plaza. At the City Hall Plaza the Mayor Bloomberg will handover the keys of the city to the team.
Well, the last time Yankees parade was attended by 3.5 million fans and no wonders if this year parade might break all the records behind.
If you can’t make it to the parade, you can be a part online with live streaming. The only difference you would have is that, you won’t be able to shower the papers on the Yankees team but you can watch the Memorial Day.