HIV-positive muppet frightens Republicans

[Jon Miller]

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove


Sesame street is alos apparently sold to many countries throughout the world, so the question is: who owns the production company? Is it owned by PBS, or does PBS simply buy its product? If the production company is privately owned then I don't believe that the Senators have a leg to stand on.

But TV has ratings in the US

and the government has traditionally regulated content

of course, if Sesame street is not owned by the governemnt the government cannot control it

but it can regulate what is on it's waves

of course, this is only an issue in your heads, because sesame street is not tryig to make it so here

Jon Miller

[Saint Marcus]

if it become a problem such that kids 2-6 are hearing about it in their everyday life (even if only 10% of kids that age), than it will be time for it to be on telivision for them

And who decides when something is, and when something isn't a problem? Sounds like the media being controlled by the state. Dangerous ground you're treading on, Jonny-boy

[Saint Marcus]

this is only an issue in your heads, because sesame street is not tryig to make it so here

But say the US version of Sesame Street wants to do the same as in South Africa. Do you think the governement should ban the show?

Be careful about your answer...

[Jon Miller]

Originally posted by Saint Marcus


Head in the sand again.

You think it isn't an issue in the USA?

Are you truly saying that kids ages 2-6 even hear the words HIV currently?

Much less deal with someone who has the disease (I am not even asking for a majority of kids, I am asking if 3% do).

THis is not so in the US.

So there si no need for it in children's programming here.

Jon Miller

[Saint Marcus]

So there si no need for it in children's programming here.

There is no need for 99% of the crap on air in the US nowadays. That argument doesn't hold ground. If the makers want it in, it's their decision.

[Jon Miller]

Originally posted by Saint Marcus


And who decides when something is, and when something isn't a problem? Sounds like the media being controlled by the state. Dangerous ground you're treading on, Jonny-boy

There is already media controlled by the state.

You cannot have porn on broadcast channels for example, nor certain levels of gore and violence (before a certain time), nor certain (none porn) levels of sex.

It is all in issue of when it is appropriate and in the US it is not appropriate now (for that age group).

Jon Miller

[Par4]

I'm pining in

I remember the first AP articles that came out on this a few days ago said the production company which does Sesame Street has possible plans to use the HIV positive muppet in US and UK versions if it's a success in South Africa. That's the position US TV seems to be putting forth for the couple days it was mentioned.

US tax dollars go to a lot more wasteful and irresponsible things than teaching about HIV in South Africa. As for it being in US Sesame street I doubt any of the children watching Sesame street in the US are going to know about how HIV or would understand it if they were taught about it. Fixing something that isn't broken.

I also doubt how much South African children are going to know about HIV or anything related at such a young age.

Sesame street is watched by kids around 2 to 5 maybe, after that they get to cartoons. Messages about HIV positive individuals aren't dangerous and such are just going to confuse them. Hell most don't understand disease or death and don't need to. No 4 year olds are doing things that could get them infected with HIV, and no other kids are probably going to know they have HIV, and I'm assuming kids so young don't know about death or HIV is going to kill them so if they play with a kid that has HIV they don't know any reason to be scared. So why put it in their minds.

[Jon Miller]

Originally posted by Saint Marcus


There is no need for 99% of the crap on air in the US nowadays. That argument doesn't hold ground. If the makers want it in, it's their decision.

There are different ratings, 99% of the crap on TV does not have a kids rating (nor a young kids rating).

Jon Miller

[Saint Marcus]

You cannot have porn on broadcast channels for example, nor certain levels of gore and violence (before a certain time), nor certain (none porn) levels of sex.

It's nothing like that.

It is all in issue of when it is appropriate and in the US it is not appropriate now (for that age group).

So change the age rating for that particular show. Why ban it?

[Jon Miller]

Originally posted by Par4
I'm pining in

I remember the first AP articles that came out on this a few days ago said the production company which does Sesame Street has possible plans to use the HIV positive muppet in US and UK versions if it's a success in South Africa. That's the position US TV seems to be putting forth for the couple days it was mentioned.

US tax dollars go to a lot more wasteful and irresponsible things than teaching about HIV in South Africa. As for it being in US Sesame street I doubt any of the children watching Sesame street in the US are going to know about how HIV or would understand it if they were taught about it. Fixing something that isn't broken.

I also doubt how much South African children are going to know about HIV or anything related at such a young age.

Sesame street is watched by kids around 2 to 5 maybe, after that they get to cartoons. Messages about HIV positive individuals aren't dangerous and such are just going to confuse them. Hell most don't understand disease or death and don't need to. No 4 year olds are doing things that could get them infected with HIV, and no other kids are probably going to know they have HIV, and I'm assuming kids so young don't know about death or HIV is going to kill them so if they play with a kid that has HIV they don't know any reason to be scared. So why put it in their minds.

I disagree with you about Africa. IT is an epidemic over there and should be treated as such. That includes informing the kids at a young age (because they are having to deal with the deaths of freinds and relatives, and maybe even their own issues with HIV).

Jon Miller

[Saint Marcus]

There are different ratings, 99% of the crap on TV does not have a kids rating (nor a young kids rating).

So change the ratings for the show, and let the parents decide wheter or not their child should watch it.

[Jon Miller]

Originally posted by Saint Marcus


It's nothing like that.



So change the age rating for that particular show. Why ban it?

It would make it no longer a show for the really young. Which would be the same thing as banning it considering that that is it's target audience (And the reason the US pays for it)

Jon Miller

[Asher]

V-chips are great things.

Jon, not all parents are like you. Many would let their kids watch it even with the new rating. I know I would.

[*End Is Forever*]

Par4,

No 4 year olds are doing things that could get them infected with HIV, and no other kids are probably going to know they have HIV, and I'm assuming kids so young don't know about death or HIV is going to kill them so if they play with a kid that has HIV they don't know any reason to be scared. So why put it in their minds.

Not true. In some parts of South Africa, anything up to a third of women of child-bearing age are HIV+. This means that it is likely that upwards of a quarter (and that's a conservative estimate) of South African pre-school children will have contracted HIV in the womb. This isn't about telling pre-school children about sex or contraception - this is about telling children that their classmates who are HIV+ are just the same as them, and deserve to be treated as such, and not bullied, or ran away from. What's the problem?

[Saint Marcus]

Which would be the same thing as banning it considering that that is it's target audience (And the reason the US pays for it)

Of course not. It's not illegal for a kid to watch a show not suitable for kids. That's up to the parents. And hardly any normal minded parent will stop their kids from watching Sesame Street because of this.

Furthermore, it will create a public outcry if the Senate dares to do anything like that to Sesame Street.