I was reading in this magazine that Sesame Street Is thinking about putting an HIV+ muppet on the show. What do you think? Why?

Beeker? It's always the quiet ones...

They are putting one on the version that is broadcast in S. Africa...

They have said that they may someday put one on in the U.S. but there are no immediate plans to do so.

In S.Africa it is DEFINATELY needed...

I'm too tired to say why...I'll join in the debate later

mediadarling said:

What in Sam's Hell are you talking about beeker for. This is about Sesame Street wanting to bring an HIV+ muppet on the show

Okay, let me first state that I read about this MONTHS ago, so if I say sumthing out of date, me, will ya?

I read that the Sesame Street creators (in my eyes really kewl peeps, for back in da day, not dabbling around the real life death of one of the main characters in the US version) wanted a HIV positive character to make the subject accesible, which I think is a good idea.
The commotion of a HIV positive puppet is I think created bu ignorance and not being aware of what the Sesame St creators intend to do with this character.

I forgot in what country they wanted to introduce one, but I remember a hussle with US congres persons.
I will see if I can refresh my memory and return.

The South African version of the popular children's TV series Sesame Street will soon get its first HIV-positive muppet.
The cheerful female character, who as yet has no name or form, will join the Takalani Sesame show for its third season on 30 September, Reuters news agency reported.

Joel Schneider, a senior adviser to the Sesame Street Workshop, said the character would be a "good role model" for the pre-school children the programme aims at.

However, its messages would be "appropriate" - without explicit mention of sex.

South Africa already has one children's show featuring an HIV-positive character, but this will be the first for three to seven-year-olds.

Mr Schneider said that the character would be exported to some of the eight other countries that air the programme, including possibly the United States.

High self-esteem

Mr Schneider made the announcement at the International Aids Conference in Barcelona.

"This character will be fully part of the community," he said.

"She will have high self-esteem. Women are often stigmatised about HIV and we are providing a good role model as to how to deal with one's situation and how to interact with the community."

He added: "We will be very careful to fashion our messages so they are appropriate to the age group.

"What do I do when I cut my finger? What do I do when you cut your finger? That sort of thing."

The show is likely to have an acute resonance in South Africa, where one in nine people are infected with HIV.

In some parts of South Africa, 40% of women of child-bearing age are HIV-positive.

A report at the conference revealed that because of Aids there would be about 20 million orphans in the continent by the end of the decade - almost 6% of Africa's children

Full link; http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/h...123697.stm

I think this is a good thing!

purplechild25 said:

I'm going to take a wild guess that Mediadarling was making a joke. And now you're going to tell me you knew that all along, right knucklehead?

I would not have a problem with the fact that Sesame Street wants to bring an HIV+ muppet to the show.
It's just that some people would not see that as being educational because they don't want to have to explain to their children why Sesame Street is talking about HIV+ muppets.
In South Africa AIDS is spreading so fast that it's a part of life for them which is .
Here parents can't even tell their children about sex and the pros and cons about having a sexual relationship.
Sesame Street needs more awareness program for the children since some parents don't want the responsibilty of teaching their children right from wrong.

purplechild25 said:

I totally agree. Well said.

Because there is still the notion that only gay people get HIV. That its punishment for being gay. To narrowminded uneducated stubborn "christians" and other unreasonable conservative folks, having and HIV+ character is no different than having an openly gay character. They will go out of their way to prevent you from seeing either as HUMAN. It contradicts and belittles their half-ass teachings.

if a muppet can help those in need to be educated, then i support the idea.

and tom, you are right about what u said on the subject of being gay.

no offense to you or others,
i don't think sesame street needs to have gay charcaters. the majority of gay people are considred a minority and then that will be too much. there are too many diversities and for a kid's show to do that would be too much for them to handle and for parents, since being in love, having attraction to someone at a amazing extent or dating isn't appropaite if you're just a child.


if i were running a show for the american broadcast, i would probably do a show on rasicm and respecting female co-workers. if another country had a huge drug problem, then i would like to see a show on drugs that can reach kids.

subyduby said:

I don't think anyone's promoting this idea...last I checked, programs aimed at 3-7 year olds don't really delve into the world of dating /romance/sexuality

The importance of having an HIV character is just so young kids can be presented with it and start to view this as ok, to start breaking down the stigmas when kids are young. Especially in countries like S. Africa (and many other countries on the continent) and China (who's just beginning to admit to the extent of the epidemic) it's important to start education as early as possible. Sadly, many of these kids will know people, even other kids, who have HIV/AIDS and a step like this will help young children be able to start processing this reality.

P.S. EVERY American with a conscience should be ashamed of our current administration's response to the epidemic, or lack of I should say. As has been said, too many people in this country still view the disease as one that impacts "queers and junkies" because of that perception, we give too little money to help fight the epidemic in countries that may very well be disabled and destroyed by the disease within 20 years at the current rates of infection. We withdraw financing from world organizations who's education mentions anything about "family planning" and insure that millions of people will continue to recieve little if any info on this disease and continue to be infected...

And of course these lawmakers who refuse to help are the ones who made a stink about this Sesame Street deal. It amazes me that LAWMAKERS can still be so ignorant...

k, that's all...

subyduby said:

2the9s said:

errr... gay ppl. are minorites. nm...

some of My Friends still think Bert&Ernie are Fruity? Sesame Street can try anything sure why not?

MY BABY... The Wiz Kid!!!
The problem i have with introducing a character with hiv is:
(and this may have already been said, forgive me for not reading every post)
the idea that there would have to be some expainaton of how the disease was contracted, i major concern for me.
they can use the "this is a speacial muppet that was placed in our care, because we are strong enough to deal
with it's speacial needs."
but even if the muppet was 'born' with this affliction,
doesn't it seem that they would have to explore all the avenues of how this thing is carried and passed along.
and if they (the show) don't cover it, as parents, wouldn't we.
the curiosity of a child, is boundless.
unless, as it was said about africa, the spread of the disease is at those proportions, i should be able to give my child the information they need, at the rate i feel they need it.
HI BABY!!!
DADDY LOVES YOU...

Point one: Because of the HIV situation in South Africa, this is a needed situation. I don't think you guys really realize what HIV is doing to Africa as a whole. There are towns and villages with only children and grandparents left. Please, Please read on the epidemic in Africa. It will sadden you that we are not doing ANYTHING and the drug companies are not donating the meds to assist.
I applaud Sesame Street and it's producers for being creative in this area.

Point two: The U.S. was the only country to ever think HIV was somehow just gay-related and was even initially called G.R.I.D.S here (gay related immunodefiency syndrome). There are many non-christian, non-right-winged folks (directed at Tom's argument above) that also still believe that it's still a gay-related disease because the focus of the disease was on the gay population although babies were being born with HIV on the east coast, they didn't make the connection with the gay men dying on the west coast.


HIV is a human being problem. Everything segment of the population has been affected and infected with HIV and it will continue.




This has been a public service announcement from Rhondab, someone who directs a program for women in response to HIV/AIDS

[This message was edited Sat Sep 14 4:05:53 PDT 2002 by Arcamar]
[This message was edited Sat Sep 14 4:06:39 PDT 2002 by Arcamar]
[This message was edited Sun Sep 15 4:43:34 PDT 2002 by Arcamar]

endorphin74 said:

do they even have television in s. african homes with the most need to see such material..???
[This message was edited Sat Sep 14 6:42:02 PDT 2002 by DORA]

purplechild25 said:

That's the silliest idea I've ever heard.


Come on...it's just a little far-fetched and something little kids don't need 2 deal with yet. Let kids b kids.

Next thing u know they'll have an Al Qaida muppet...


"Now this muppet? He doesnt hate YOU, he just hates ur country!"


Other muppets: "yay yay yay!"

Nep2nes said:

Educate yourself Nep2nes...kids are not as removed from these issues as you think. And as has been stated repeatedly, in S. Africa (where this will air) MANY children have HIV/AIDS or have lost both parents to HIV/AIDS. This isn't a problem that these kids can ignore. They live with it EVERY SINGLE DAY and any venue that can be used to raise awareness is needed.



ps. THANK YOU RHONDAB your "public service announcement was perfect!

this was done in south africa..one in ten people is hiv positive there...there are no plans for this in the u.s...hopefully there will be no need for it in the future...

This is really a big problem for me to read these threads from people who don't have a clue of what's going on around them in everyday life.
Nep2ne you said that these children are only between the ages of 3-7 right? well how many of those same children know about selling DRUGS, but they should not know about HIV and AIDS.
These same children that know every word to any song, but they don't know how to tie their shoes or even their ABC's.
People are walking around here and have not been tested and some of them just happen to be pregnant women. A school is not going to inform the whole school that they have a disease child.
To me it's important that you teach your child everything there is to know about life as soon as they are able to understand right from wrong. If your child goes out into the world knowin about DRUGS, SEX, EDUCATION, A CAREER and FAMILY then it's up to that child to make the right choices in life. But if you seen your child into the world only teaching them certain things because you feel they're to young to understand, that's where the streets come in at they will teach you everything your parents didn't.

purplechild25 said:

That's right. Another thing, HIV is also running rampant in some parts of this country right now, and it seems we don't want to address it because the infection still bears a stigma of shame. I don't care how people get it, if they have it THEY are the victims. Parents and media alike should play a part in educating these children because ignoring it isn't making it a fairy tale, it is only allowing it to further seep into our communities and destroy people's lives. The way to protect our children from the lies is to expose them to the truth. They understand more than we give them credit for.

Fact:
4.7 million people in S Africa have HIV (that's 20% of the adult population)

The U.S. estimates that by 2007 (5 years) this number will grow to 60 million!

With these numbers, I don't know how anyone can argue against having an HIV poz muppet...

Wow. Leave it to Sesame Street to incite a political/health debate. Looking for a few facts, I found this:

Of new infections among men in the United States, CDC estimates that approximately 60 percent of men were infected through homosexual sex, 25 percent through injection drug use, and 15 percent through heterosexual sex. Of newly infected men, approximately 50 percent are black, 30 percent are white, 20 percent are Hispanic, and a small percentage are members of other racial/ethnic groups.
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). HIV Prevention Strategic Plan Through 2005. January 2001. )

Which, I must admit, is a MUCH higher percentage of non-gay related infections than I would've suspected - for whatever that's worth. What the hell it has to do with muppets particularly is beyond me.

Do I think that Sesame Street NEEDS to have an HIV+ character? No. Not any more than they need a giant talking bird, a mean son of a bitch in a garbage can or a bullemic cookie eating "monster".

Do I think it's a problem? It's pretty low on my list.

herbthe4 said:

Maybe in the US, but where they are introducing the new Sesame St character--in South Africa--the numbers of people with AIDS/HIV are staggering.

A CNN.com article:

--> "Nearly 30 million Africans have AIDS, according to U.N. figures.

The number includes an estimated 3 million Nigerians. Nearly 30 percent of South Africa's work force will likely be infected by 2005. By 2010, 1 million South Africans could be sick with the disease and another 6 million will have already died." <--

http://www.cnn.com/2002/W...index.html

mrchristian said:

I think you misunderstood me. Do I think AIDS is a huge problem? Of course.

Do I think the casting of Muppets on Sesame Street is a huge topic worthy of hated debate? No.

I read the figures on Africa too, but edited them from my post, and you're right. Consider the attention given to the West Nile Virus here in the U.S. and compare them to the figures you've listed about AIDS in Africa. If those numbers were even close in this country, you'd hardly hear a word about terrorism.

herbthe4 said:

No, i don't think i did. I gathered from your previous post that the amount of US cases--didn't warrant Sesame St having an HIV character. The original news item was not about the American Sesame St having an HIV character(PBS never intended to cast an American version) but the South African Sesame St introducing a new HIV character--in order to educate children about the disease.
African children make up over 25% of all the AIDS cases in Africa.
So, will it do some good? Yes.

And it is a heated debate...many right wing groups have voiced their opinions on this attempting to sway public opinion-and thus pressure PBS from doing so.
My personal feeling is that any awareness we can give to the cause is a good thing--and that's what just they wanted to do by introducing this character in AIDS sticken Africa.