FOR A LITTLE while, it looked like Oscar might not be the only grouch on "Sesame Street." This week, the South African version of the highly-acclaimed children's television program debuted a new Muppet -- Kami, an HIV-positive furry orphan. Such ground-breaking steps for "Sesame Street" did not come without its share of controversy. Ironically, the brunt of the protests came not from viewers in South Africa, but from the U.S. Congress. The ridiculous opposition to cuddly Kami shows that there are people besides preschoolers that could stand to learn a lesson or two from Big Bird and company.
Joel Schneider, vice president of Sesame Workshop -- the producer of "Sesame Street" -- made the announcement of Kami's creation this summer at the International AIDS Conference in Barcelona, Spain. Faster than you can say Tickle-me-Elmo, though, six crusading House Republicans led by Rep. Billy Tauzin (La.) were quick to remind the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the backer of PBS, who held its purse strings. "Sesame Street" itself receives almost $5 million a year in federal funds.
The GOP congressmen objected on the ground that an HIV-positive Muppet would present issues inappropriate for preschoolers. Their rapacious response to PBS was unnecessary and unfounded. Sesame Workshop clearly stated that Kami would appear only in South Africa, and the Republicans' reaction was based on unconfirmed rumors of the possibility of a U.S. appearance. In fact, PBS president Pat Mitchell said Tauzin's office was informed that Kami would not be seen in America the same day that he and his cohorts sent out a letter questioning the motives of PBS.
But let's examine what issues our representatives feared exposing to children. On television, Kami conveniently will only say that she has no parents and is infected with HIV. How she contracted the disease will not be an issue, although we can assume it was from her mother, a common situation in South Africa. So Tauzin and his minions can forget the possibility of Kami discussing how she shot up with some infected hypodermic needles. Neither can they expect a frank discussion of the possibility of contracting HIV through unprotected sex. After all, the kid is only five years old.
That leaves us to deal with the most subversive issues of all -- acceptance and tolerance (gasp!). The people behind the South African "Sesame Street," called "Takalani Sesame," want to teach kids to accept children who are otherwise like them. Thus, they should not be afraid to befriend, touch and play with their HIV-infected peers. In South Africa, where one in nine people is infected with HIV/AIDS, this is a crucial message. Obviously, "Sesame Street" wants no more than to teach kids to love and accept each other -- frightening prospects, indeed.
The announcement of Kami's creation also had conservative groups chomping at the bit. For example, the American Family Association says homosexual activists are using "Sesame Street" to reach young, impressionable minds. The group obviously failed to consider that many HIV/AIDS victims are children, not to mention straight too. Then again, these are the same kind of people who accused Bert and Ernie of being a closeted gay couple. Plus, it's laughable to consider the Muppets as a plausible outlet for a homosexual agenda. Last time I checked, Muppets did not have sex lives, let alone sex organs. For crying out loud, their bodies end in someone else's elbow. Such speculations that attempt to discount the lessons to be learned from Kami are trivial compared to the real intentions of the producers of "Sesame Street."
There is an interesting exception to the protesting conservatives. The Reverend Jerry Falwell, infamous for his recent attempts to out the purple Teletubby Tinky Winky, even agrees with the presence of Kami (newsflash: Hell just froze over) -- that is, as long as the Muppet's sexuality is left out of the picture. Maybe it's time for conservatives to tune back in to the mother ship.
However staunchly Sesame Workshop asserts the fact that an HIV-positive Muppet is not in store for America, one is left to wonder why not. Parents could rely on "Sesame Street" to handle the issue delicately and in a manner understandable to children. The show has already proved capable of doing so. In the past, it has dealt with death, and more recently, Sept. 11. HIV/AIDS is, by no means, rare in this country, and introducing a sympathetic character like Kami to U.S. airwaves would help American children identify with infected kids both here and abroad. The world is becoming too small to shelter the youngest generations from such worldly issues that may be uncomfortable or difficult to discuss with them.
So kudos to "Takalani Sesame" for rolling out the red carpet for Kami. And maybe someone should tell the adults how to get to Sesame Street.
(Becky Krystal is a Cavalier Daily associate editor. She can be reached at bkrystal@cavalierdaily.com.)
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