Sesame Street, the Yam Monster, and US Foreign Policy
I had no idea that USAID is funding more than 20 international adaptations of Sesame Street until I came across this item on the BBC about its debut in Nigeria:
Starring a yam monster, an HIV-positive puppet and talking drums, the Nigerian version of the famous US TV show Sesame Street is all set to hit TV screens this weekend. ...
As well as teaching children to spell and count in a fun way, the fluffy Zobi also helps educates them about malaria prevention, in a country where more than 300,000 people die every year from the disease.
"Me eat yam!"
Not only does Zobi have a huge role to play as the co-lead muppet, he is also the "Yam Monster" - Nigeria's answer to the cookie monster in the original programme.
That led me to wonder--what does Sesame Street look like in the other twenty countries?
Here's Sesame Street, Bangladesh:
The Muppet characters include Halum, a Bangla-speaking vegetarian Bengal tiger, Tuktuki and Ikri-Mikri, two spirited and inquisitive girls, and Shiku, the bespectacled golden jackal.
Sesame Street, Egypt:
"Alam Simsim" promotes girls' education while building basic literacy and numeracy skills. It also promotes desired health, hygiene, and environmental practices. The star of the show is Khokha, a four-year-old pink Muppet who wants to be a pilot, a doctor, and an engineer, all at the same time! She and her friends are changing attitudes on girls' education while helping all children better prepare for school success.
Sesame Street, Kosovo:
Little Jon Mulliqi of the Albanians said he preferred an episode “when a lake fish called a boy who spent hours brushing his teeth over a continuously leaking tap.” He remembers back, “The fish told him: ‘Hey, if you go on like that I will remain without water’” Immediately upon watching the show with her son, Jon’s mother Shpresa thought of the consistent water shortages in capital Pristina. She admitted, “Seriously, I am ashamed of watering my flowers since that episode.”
And Sesame Street, Pakistan:
Pakistan’s Sesame Street will feature a tough‚ daring girl as a lead character. “She will represent what little girls have to go through in this gender-biased society‚” says the writer. But that does not mean she will immediately tackle issues of abuse‚ child marriage‚ or child labor. “The journey has to be gradual‚” he says. This journey will inevitably pass through Pakistan’s enervating experience with militancy. The show‚ he says‚ may employ “a gentle treatment” of the psychological fallout from terrorism and equip children with the tools necessary to articulate and cope with their experiences of fear. Direct references to religion are off the table. “We are not avoiding religion‚ but we don’t want to label children‚” says writer Peerzada‚ “the basic learning tools of literacy‚ numeracy‚ hygiene‚ and healthy eating have to be in place first.”
My reaction: Basically positive. Now you're surely going to say, "Claire, we're going broke. How on earth can you advocate spending taxpayer money on fluffy Zobi the malaria-prevention muppet?" I'd say that if you're going to spend money on foreign development aid, a project like this doesn't cost that much, and is much more sensible on the face of it than pouring money into this kind of corruption sinkhole.
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Aug '10
Re: Sesame Street, the Yam Monster, and US Foreign Policy
Wow, they really are successful.
"This places Sesame at 8th place in the overall kids' charts, as of 2002. It is actually the second most-watched children's television series for mothers aged 18–49 who have children under the age of 3.
A format change has recently helped the show's ratings, boosting them up 31% in February 2002 among children aged 2 to 5, in comparison to its ratings in 2001. As of 2005, Sesame Street and three other PBS shows are in the top 10 shows for children aged 2 to 5." Source
They have a great product. Since they do seem to make money off the toys, books, DVDs, reruns... the list goes on, they can probably afford to develop their international products on their own.
You see, there is this little sailboat I have my eye on and maybe if we don't spend money supporting Sesame Street USAID then maybe my taxes won't go up nearly as high when the bond market collapses.
Sep '10
Re: Sesame Street, the Yam Monster, and US Foreign Policy
There are Sesame Street dolls, clothes DVD'd, toy and even diapers. What percentage of the merchandising money is given back to the taxpayers who fund the program?
Oct '10
Re: Sesame Street, the Yam Monster, and US Foreign Policy
While the specifics might need adjusting (it's all a little too 'right-on' for my tastes) the economics seem right. Egyptian Sesame Street $8.4 million; one F-35 more than $100 million. Both are needed, but both can be effective. More propaganda!
Re: Sesame Street, the Yam Monster, and US Foreign Policy
A healthy helping of DDT would do far more to save lives In Nigeria than USAID funding international expansion costs for public broadcasting's cash cow. Mosquito netting skits can be entertaining and simultaneously oh so green, but 300,000 Nigerians Will carry on dying unnecessary malarial deaths each year.
Aug '10
Re: Sesame Street, the Yam Monster, and US Foreign Policy
One can pay for itself! Win-Win!
Aug '10
Re: Sesame Street, the Yam Monster, and US Foreign Policy
Yep, it is the Green/Socialist alliance that has been responsible for more human deaths than any other ideology, ever. 200M in the 20th century alone.
Jan '11
Re: Sesame Street, the Yam Monster, and US Foreign Policy
I've always wondered how much a geostationary satellite would cost beaming out "typical US television shows" (freely accessed) over the fertile crescent - and what the effects would be. Soaps, talk shows, political roundtables, children's shows - oh, and reality shows too. Interesting, (maybe)
Mar '11
Re: Sesame Street, the Yam Monster, and US Foreign Policy
Claire--I saw a similar article not that long ago about Seasame Street in Pakistan from one of the BBC outlets also.
What intrigues me about this is twofold. On the one hand: what effects is this having in these countries? What evidence is USAID using to show that it is having an effect in shaping attitudes in favor of (or at least in dialogue with) Western ideas? Provisionally, I offer my support of this sort of thing broadly, if it is having an effect.
Which leads to the second point. If this is effective in shaping attitudes, how does that influence the domestic debate about public broadcasting in the United States? Doesn't it sort of concede the argument that conservatives have long been making?
I would be interested in hearing progressives offer their argument--largely and mischievously because I have the suspicion that any argument that can be cogently made would refute a whole host of other progressive notions and would point to a defense of the liberal arts not grounded in postmodern nihilism (among other arbitrarily chosen concerns)...
Re: Sesame Street, the Yam Monster, and US Foreign Policy
I'm 100 percent with you on DDT.
Aug '10
Re: Sesame Street, the Yam Monster, and US Foreign Policy
This might as well be a plot to subvert these poor nations. America reached its pinnacle of greatness a couple generations ago, under the tutelage of Bugs Bunny and Woody Woodpecker, not this progressivist baby-food.
May '10
Re: Sesame Street, the Yam Monster, and US Foreign Policy
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
I'm 100 percent with you on DDT. · May 22 at 11:13am
I once took a herbicide/pesticide class at Cleveland St. and the old-school prof's opening line was "DDT made this country great." What a guy.