Five decades ago of the same week, Carol Burnett, a beloved entertainer appeared on the very first broadcast of a peculiar television show -Sesame street -that performed with a lot of furry puppets.
Key information:
- Sesame street was created in collaboration with a developmental psychologist
- Its purpose of existence is to help low-income and minority children overcome the barriers of education.
- Research have shown that exposure to the show advances a child's educational attention and readiness
The kids were instantly hooked by the said program just like Ms. Burnett. The lady would return to the show many times even during visits to pre-school viewers to demonstrate where her nose was and to smooch a cute rubber duckie .
Ms. Burnett was totally a big fan and is willing to do anything for the show.
During the first episode of Sesame Street in November 10, 1969, it was a raging period in the US, astounded by the Vietnam War, the assassination of Marti Luther King Jr., and the civil rights undertaking.
In fact, the US Federal Communications Commission chairman at that time, Newt Minow, publicly stated about the television becoming "a massive wasteland".
Joan Ganz and Lloyd Morrisett are the program creators. They worked with Gerald Lesser - developmental psychologist of Harvard University- in order to figure out the show's unique approach, of course with the legendary puppeteer Jim Henson.
Now, the show reaches almost 120 million kids around the world. The chief operating officer of Sesame Workshop, Steve Youngwood, believes that it is not about if the children were learning from TV, instead, it is about what they can learn from it.
See Also: 'James Bond' Actor And More Celebrities Sleep On The Street For Education Awareness
Multiculturalism is highly reflected at the heart of Sesame Street's mission.
The show aimed to aid the learning deficiencies of children as young as two years old globally. It is known that white and higher income kids were usually better prepared than the others like what most of the social scientists noted.
Therefore, casting with a multicultural cast on an urban street wasn't an accident at all. Diversity and participation were properly cooked in the show. Humans, animals, and monsters all lived together in a peaceful community.
As the years went by, the show welcomed many more.
It is the first children show to feature someone with Down syndrome. The program invited children in wheelchairs, dealt with sensitive topics like jailed parents, homelessness, military families and women's rights.
The first Latina Muppet, the bilingual Rosita, was then introduced in 1991. In 2017, there came Julia, a 4-year old Muppet with autism.
This year the show has offered help for kids whose parents are dealing with addiction and rehabilitation.
The organization, PETA, also proposed for the creation of a vegan Muppet.
For Matt Vogel, the puppeteer who plays the role of Big Bird and the Count and who aged watc Sesame Street, they are the mirror to society even though they are dealing with chicken, birds, and monsters.
This show is such a history, fifty years today and counting for more decades to tell a story.