'Sesame Street' faces uncertain future amid funding cuts and layoffs | Hacker News Reader

'Sesame Street' faces uncertain future amid funding cuts and layoffs

nytimes.com

24 pointskoolba16 comments

I'm not trying to be snarky, but why are they even bothering to make new episodes? It's really only targeted at a narrow age range. Why can't they just watch reruns? It's not like the vowels or consonants change that much.

I don't think it's a snarky take, just odd - even if we boil down the scope of the show into vowels and consonants (which anyone who watched the show knows its more than that), it's like you're making the case not to update schools curriculum over time for a critical age bracket because "It's not like the vowels or consonants change that much."

Okay, I know that it's more than that. I was just trying to be concise.

But back to the topic. I'm sure that history class needs to add new events. High school physics might include a bit more detail about the shifting ideas about dark matter. But even if this is a critical age, I'm not sure why the old shows need to be replaced.

There are probably reruns, we'd need to check the grids of the channels running the shows.

Also, this is like any other TV Show: there are X episodes done per year, there are production times, etc. This show has a pipeline like any other show.

And of course, there are important subjects that are a product of their time, for example: wouldn't it make sense to approach the topic of migrant families being torn apart in the USA due to extraditions, because children are going through it now? Or approach parents' unemployment due to government layoffs?

Sesame Street was highlighted in the 2024 Festivus Report (PAGE 33) from the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs:

https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/FESTIVUS-REP...

The tone of the writing in this report is unbearable.

https://archive.today/1gEe0

It’s abysmal what these cuts are doing to things that contribute to the greater good.

There's little reason in 2025 the government should be supporting Sesame Street

"Sesame Street was created to reflect the environment of the children watching it. The complete self-absorption of Elmo is brilliantly reflective of our time. Ours is a cultural ghetto. Wouldn't you agree?"

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