First she made Elmo a man, next up, Telly's finally gonna find that Golden Triangle.
For those parents who haven't heard, Ms. Perry, Pop Star and all around annoying tartlet, got tossed off of Sesame Street. Apparently, parents protested that the outfit she chose to wear showed "too much cleavage." As if.
Ms. Perry is cute; I enjoyed her song I Kissed a Girl (and I liked it) and her turn as the bitchiest guest judge ever on American Idol last year. And she's married to a a comedian named Russell Brand who is very funny if you can get past the language barrier. However, if you're going to ban the woman from Sesame Street, let's do it over something that matters. Like the awful song she sang for the bit. Or her acting. Or the derivative, ear-molesting, catchiness of her latest hits in general. Or her personality.
(Watched ten minutes of Katy Perry Unplugged, with interview segments. Did not realize the Unplugged was referencing her self-awareness. Yikes. I'd say she's egocentric, but her ego was so big I couldn't find the center.)
I rank pretty high on the prude scale. Way above the parents from Little Miss Perfect, but below the Taliban. What she wore was not a big deal. In terms of being harmful for kids.
In fashion terms, oh lordy. Looked like a Vegas cocktail waitress who just got married by mistake*.
And if the child watching Katy Perry on Sesame Street is old enough to give a shit about her cleavage, than maybe the problem is they shouldn't be watching so much Sesame Street.
This post brought to you by Fatherhood Friday at dad-blogs.com
*My best Michael Kors.
After thinking about this and talking with My Wife and reading other's takes, I have to say her outfit is a little too much. Or not enough. Little ones are impressionable( my kids think I can talk to the animals, my gut is a muscle, and Maker's Mark is daddy's "super juice.") and the images of woman as sex object are already legion.
And the gasping desperation with which she entreats Elmo, to "play with me," probably struck wood in umpteen self-referential British comics around the globe. Not appropriate.
That's it.
HM
I'm still torn on this one. Regardless, the producers set her up to fail.
ReplyDeleteOh but in the end Sesame Street has become relevant through all the chatter.
ReplyDeleteDear god, I hope my future children never get their hands on "dress up clothes" like those!
ReplyDeleteListen, maybe I shouldn't chime in because my kids never watched Sesame Street. I couldn't tolerate it. We watched classic Blue's Clues. Back when it was good and Blue didn't talk and Steve was the man, not Joe. Joe had no business being up in Blue's house. Steve ruled that place!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I didn't watch Sesame Street then and I don't watch it now (that would be uncomfortable if somebody walked in and found me doing that), but I did watch this clip and have listened to all the chatter and seen the news clips and seriously, we're supposed to be outraged about this? I can't even muster any up.
I agree! The first thing that came to my mind is... WHO PICKED KATY PERRY TO BE ON SESAME STREET?!!?!
ReplyDeleteI didnt care about her chose of clothes, I think she is annoying and her songs are inappropriate for this target market! I just dont think she screams child show!
I think this is rediculous, and she should stop singing like NOW!
I was a fan when I was younger.. but now I just wish she'd shut up!
Sesame street as a whole sucks balls. Katy Perry only slightly added to the equation.
ReplyDeleteIf parents are going to ban their little tots from watching the show, it shoul be because it's fucking retarded. Not for any other reason.
Wanna know why Oscar is such as asshole? Because he lives on goddamned sesame street. That's why!
Does anyone with half a brain really think that Katy whatshername stomped her foot and told the producers and wardrobe folks that she refused to wear anything other than that gawd awful dress or she was outta there? Get real. They had as much of a say in allowing her to wear that ugly-ass dress as she did.
ReplyDeleteTHIS is news? No, this is headlines, publicity, and great blog fodder.
"And if the child watching Katy Perry on Sesame Street is old enough to give a shit about her cleavage, than maybe the problem is they shouldn't be watching so much Sesame Street."
ReplyDeleteI laughed so hard I almost peed my pants.
GAH!
ReplyDelete"Muppet fucker" is now officially my favorite obscene outburst of all time. Can't wait to start using it tonight.
Geeeeeeeenius.
Your're right about the cleavage...time to move on to another show! lol
ReplyDeleteMy kids have never once watched Sesame Street. I'd rather they watch Jon Stewart or SNL. Even if they do pick up lines like "*BLEEP* your sister!" Anything is better than that Muppet Gulag PBS calls kid programming.
ReplyDeleteOkay, since I am actually a 12 year old boy I must say you are absolutely correct. I have no business watching sesame street.
ReplyDeleteOff to go find old issues of National Geographic now.
I'm a Street fan from way back (we're talking Gordan, Susan, and Maria back) and the producer's totally F'd this one up. Did no one think about her 'costume' before she went to hang out with the muppets? I realize that we've all become completely desensitized to girls in slutty clothing, but for god's sake would somebody please think of the children?! (that's me doing my Mrs Rev'd Lovejoy impersonation... the end bit... the rest is me)
ReplyDeleteSara Lousie,
ReplyDeleteSusan, Gordon and Maria are all still there! Even Linda (the deaf one) and Bob are still there. They all are except poor, poor Mr. Hooper. I guess working on the street is a pretty sweet gig.
I was shocked when I turned it on to watch with the peanut after over 30 years, and there they all were... It was like being in creepy, creepy time machine. I highly recommend it.
Yeah, no way you can blame Katy Perry, though she's a complete waste of space. The producers and director I'm sure had final wardrobe approval.
ReplyDeleteWhatever.
I'm late to this one. Whenever parents fly off the handle over stuff like this, I tend to say "Pshaw." On the one hand, the clip was pretty harmless, considering Miss Perry didn't have whipped cream shooting out of her bra during the segment. Parents were freaked out because of how she's marketed out in the world -- as a total sex bomb. But if the kid isn't aware that the nice lady singing with Elmo moonlights as a sex bomb, is there actually a problem?
ReplyDeleteI don't think I'd care too much if my kid saw that clip as a toddler. I would care, however, if she started singing the lyrics to California Girls.
Hang on a mo! You said "And she's married to a a comedian named Russell Brand who is very funny if you can get past the language barrier."
ReplyDeleteLanuage barrier?! Russell Brand is English like me. Is our accent really that difficult to understand?
P.S. Actually, that explains why everytime I am in the US, I am asked if I come from Australia!