Sesame Workshop Statement on Katy Perry/Elmo Video

by Sesame Street on Thursday, September 23, 2010 at 7:03am ·

Sesame Street has a long history of working with celebrities across all genres, including athletes, actors, musicians and artists.  Sesame Street has always been written on two levels, for the child and adult.  We use parodies and celebrity segments to interest adults in the show because we know that a child learns best when co-viewing with a parent or care-giver.  We also value our viewer’s opinions and particularly those of parents.  In light of the feedback we’ve received on the Katy Perry music video which was released on You Tube only, we have decided we will not air the segment on the television broadcast of Sesame Street, which is aimed at preschoolers.  Katy Perry fans will still be able to view the video on KatyPerry.com.

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  • John LeMarc Freeman Landean, Alex Lesse, Lenore Robinson and 135 others like this.
    • Lisa Marie Martin
      If her attire is so appropriate, why couldn't an outfit like that be worn to most work places or by public school teachers? It's all about time, place, and manner people. Toddler shows aren't the appropriate place for this, and her cute/f...unny skit would've been just as cute without her breasts hanging out inappropriately. There is absolutely NO VALID REASON for that outfit choice, except perhaps to entice father into watching the show. If that's what it takes to get fathers to watch the show with their toddlers, it's a sad commentary on our society.See More
      September 24, 2010 at 9:35am · 2
    • Inouite Kustu let's not forget that for kids boobies are like a milk bar in the first place, period.
      September 24, 2010 at 9:56am · 1
    • Sorah Devlin I'm more offended at the True Blood spoof. Kids hear Katy Perry songs on those Kids Bop CDs. She's been on the Nick awards. They know who she is, and find her to be silly. But True Blood is an adult oriented show on a pay channel... Kids shouldn't get the reference to that show.
      September 24, 2010 at 10:45am
    • Melissa Goodman Eldred
      So sad that a FEW parents can be so powerful~~ Well I for one am upset that the episode was pulled... SHe has a bodysuit on... I have ALWAYS donated to public television and Sesame Street was the only reason I did. Well I WILL NO LONGER DON...ATE A DIME.... Let the few perverted parents that complained donate from now on because My children and I have watched our LAST EPISODE OF SESAME STREET! Katy Perry facial expressions is what the kids focus on , now adults that is a different story. The parents that complained probably didn't let there kids watch Toy Story either, with all the sexual undertones and all........See More
      September 24, 2010 at 12:23pm · 3
    • Tom Builder If Katy has to wear a Burqa to appear on Sesame Street, shouldn't Elmo be required to have a beard?
      September 24, 2010 at 12:43pm · 1
    • John-Henry Harter
      Will Sesame Street ban any star or segment that some parents do not like? This will result in a small minority of parents deciding what is aired on Sesame Street. I can not understand how this helps our children learn. It seems you are teac...hing them that conservative parents get what they want by complaining. How about all the parents that think the segment is good? Or the ones that think women should be able to wear what they want? Katy Perry is fully clothed on the segment. Her dress is what many wear everyday. What is the problem? Do you think the 'moral majority' conservatives just inundated Sesame Street with complaints so they could impose their Victorian values on us? It seems like that to me. Shame on Seasame Street for sending such a moralistic, judgemental message to our kids.See More
      September 24, 2010 at 12:50pm · 3
    • Karen B. Jones I'd like to see more of the original characters (big bird, cookie monster, Bert & Ernie, Snuffy, the Count, etc.) and less of Elmo and Abby. Elmo's World is almost half the show now and always the same. When's the last time Kermit was on?
      September 24, 2010 at 1:28pm · 1
    • Jill C Lowe I commend the class Sesame Street has in handling the situation and respecting parents' opinions. HOWEVER as a mother of a 3 yr old and 7 year old I don't believe the children would have noticed what the adults brought to light. My kids would have been too busy dancing to the music to notice anything else on the TV. Hope to see you back Katy.
      September 24, 2010 at 1:33pm · 1
    • Natalie Tetzlaff ‎@Barbara Reave Mason: Shouting in ALL CAPS is the quickest way to make people skip over your post and/or write you off as a moron.
      September 24, 2010 at 1:40pm · 1
    • Tom Builder ‎...and thank you for bowing to the demands of religious extremists! ^
      September 24, 2010 at 3:02pm · 1
    • Juan Carlos Estrada ‎...And thanks to political correctness, that's even ruining our Sesame Street :'(
      September 24, 2010 at 3:17pm · 2
    • Antonietta Miceli Bonilla I loved the video and I am very disappointed by the negative response it got. I was sorry to hear that it was pulled.
      September 24, 2010 at 3:31pm · 1
    • Becky Crook Dell I've commented before that this is a shame. Katy's outfit is no different than what an iceskater would wear...are they going to take the iceskating shows & olympics off the air too??
      September 24, 2010 at 5:11pm · 1
    • Elizabeth Couch Nordstrom But Miss Piggy shows more cleavage than Katy Perry.
      September 24, 2010 at 6:07pm · 7
    • Tom Builder Both Barbara and Laura Bush appeared on Sesame Street, and lord knows that they are a couple of boobs!
      September 24, 2010 at 7:24pm · 4
    • Dorvell Stewart Has anyone seen the clip where Maria is breast feeding Gabriella? Tell me, why was that not only allowed to air, but the word "breast" wasn't even sensored?
      September 24, 2010 at 9:54pm · 2
    • Dorvell Stewart Oh and if anyone's wants to see it, here's the link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFNwbc0X7GI
      September 24, 2010 at 9:59pm · 2
    • Lisa Marie Martin Mr. Rogers didn't have to show skin to get ratings. ;-)
      September 25, 2010 at 9:34am · 1
    • Lisa Marie Martin P.S. Sesame Street, we love the celebrities and parodies to interest adults, and Katy Perry would've been fabulous with her breasts covered. We're all about hip happening celebs, but we just don't want our preschoolers seeing them dressed in bustiers with breasts bouncing everywhere. Keep it school appropriate and you have us watching.
      September 25, 2010 at 9:39am
    • Lupita Roa omg i seen it and its not bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
      September 25, 2010 at 11:18am · 1
    • Juan Carlos Estrada Well, I suppose Tinker Bell is okay for today's kids and toddlers, even when she's wearing far less clothes and showing more life-like flesh than Katy Perry. Oh, the paternity!
      September 25, 2010 at 4:03pm · 4
    • Angela Ritter May God have mercy on the poor children of the parents who are freaking out over this. Sick minds.
      September 25, 2010 at 8:51pm · 2
    • Waylon Lewis Why, Elmo, whyyy! http://www.elephantjournal.com/2010/09/video-puritanical-parents-convince-sesame-street-to-cut-katy-perry-appearance/
      September 25, 2010 at 10:21pm
    • Waylon Lewis Why, Elmo, whyyy! http://www.elephantjournal.com/2010/09/video-puritanical-parents-convince-sesame-street-to-cut-katy-perry-appearance/
      September 25, 2010 at 10:21pm
    • Kristina Kastonburg
      I am not offended by the cleavage, children see way more revealing outfits in the grocery store. Offended by the choice to have a superficial, flavor of the year pop star on the show when there are so many amazing people/artists to choose f...rom of great value, doing extraordinary work to help educate children and do good things in their community... the core values of Sesame Street and the messages we try to give our children everyday. Check out Ellis Pauls The Dragonfly Races. Parents Choice award winner... would love to see him on there http://www.myspace.com/dragonflyracesSee More
      September 26, 2010 at 11:18am · 3
    • Stephanie Payne Ackermann
      I've always been a big supporter of Sesame Street. I watched it as a kid, as did my son. He adored Elmo! I have to tell you how disappointed I am in your decision to not air the Katy Perry video. I've seen it and there's absolutely noth...ing inappropriate about it. It bothers me tremendously that you allowed the complaints of extremely narrow minded parents to change your programming. Sesame Street is better than that! I hope you'll reconsider and air the video, it's really cute.See More
      September 26, 2010 at 1:45pm · 3
    • Karen Baitch Rosenberg Love the comment about Miss Piggy, and Mr. Rogers did air a piece on mothers nursing their babies.
      September 26, 2010 at 4:51pm · 1
    • Mark Taylor I agree with everyone who is dismayed about the video being pulled. I saw it on YouTube and her dress didn't seem indecent to me. I'm not what you'd call a big Katy Perry fan but I thought the segment was cute.
      September 26, 2010 at 7:59pm · 1
    • Vishnu Saroop A command decision Sesame Street! Well done! Katy Perry is certainly NOT A ROLE MODEL! To have our pre schoolers bombarded by these absolute rejects devoid of any talent or morals especially on Sesame Street it's JUST TOO MUCH! If the parents who saw nothing wrong with it and liked it... I Pity You!
      September 26, 2010 at 8:37pm via mobile
    • Drew White
      It actually wasn't the clothing that concerned me, it was the appalling shoe-horning of a poorly-modified song into your format. To see Sesame Street describing it as being a song "about opposites" made me wondered if anyone had actually li...stened. It certainly didn't match up to the standards of your own original and crafted work through the years.

      Not only were the lyrics barely inaudible over the heavy production sound of the backing track (a simple mixing issue), but there was very little didactic value for the kids - leaving just the celebrity/song familiarity for parents. Your decision to drop the piece has at least given me hope that you realised that, but had to use complaints about clothing as an excuse to the record company to drop it!      See More
      September 27, 2010 at 6:29am · 2
    • Dawn Wilson Shelton In a world where there is WAY too much WAY too soon for our kids I totally respect and appreciate Sesame Street taking this stand. Thank you.
      September 27, 2010 at 8:23am
    • Juan Carlos Estrada
      It's quite ironic what happened with this particular issue: all those concerned parents and conservative people pushing Sesame Workshop to take this cute vid out Sesame Street... And now everyone is talking about that video, there are sever...al copies up in YouTube, and even Katy Perry replied to all those harsh critics in SNL (showing a lot more cleavage than in the "censored" vid, and mocking those people). If you're that worried about your kids, spend more time with them instead of relying solely on a children's show. Teach them about facts of life in a neutral way, instead of forcing them to think and act just like you, even mimicking your own mistakes and bias. Let them be kids: there's no hurry to make them grow up.See More
      September 27, 2010 at 8:46am · 1
    • Kimberly Kingston I was not disturbed by the cleavage. I was disturbed by the obvious green screen. Come on, film on SESAME STREET!
      September 28, 2010 at 12:48am · 1
    • Teri Stahley
      she was playing dress up come on people! How many kids are actually gonna look and say something about her outfit? they are too busy dancing to the song and watching elmo on the screen. the outfit reminds me of tinkerbell anyway so i guess ...they should pull all those movies? It is what it is i suppose not a good call on sesame street's side and if you were that worried about concerns give her a different outfit to wear before filming instead of wasting her time shooting the video.See More
      September 28, 2010 at 7:16am · 1
    • Theresa Johnson Klicker Wow. This seems like an epic waste of time. This video is adorable and sweet. My kids have asked to watch it over and over and over; yes, they're four, not thirty-four. I think Katy plays up to the kids really well and is cute in her dress up clothes!
      September 28, 2010 at 7:04pm · 1
    • Emily Patrick
      I saw the video. There is an easy fits people. Just change the outfit Katy wears. And it is fine. Yes in fact the dress covers...but unless you are more informed about the dress....you're not sure it does. So no big just pick a different dr...ess.
      I've had to pick different outfits before. In a perfect world should she have to change the outfit no...but this is not a perfect world. Not everyone can handle the same thing. What might feel comfortable in another may not. And aren't we all to respect that and work to help one another out. The parents need some help... so maybe in the mind set the respecting one another and understanding....you get the point.      See More
      September 29, 2010 at 7:22am
    • Emily Patrick p.s. over all I love the video.
      September 29, 2010 at 7:23am · 1
    • Latasha Nicole Knight-Smith We loved it! And I still watch it on youtube w my kiddos ages 3 and 1.
      September 29, 2010 at 7:45am via mobile · 1
    • Keith D. Cardin This episode was brought to you by the number 32 and the letter Double-D!
      September 29, 2010 at 8:49am
    • Nicole Iverson This is absurd!!! She was dressed up in a dress-up outfit that most little girls would play dress up in... What little kid is going to pay any attention to the 'little' cleavage??? They are preschoolers!!!
      September 29, 2010 at 8:58am · 2
    • Alex Lesse Sesame Street Characters are nice & cute too!
      February 29 at 5:18pm · 1