Thursday, September 30, 2010

The Katy Perry and Elmo Controversy



Last week, the producers of Sesame Street engaged in a strange, uncommon practice. They censored Sesame Street. Apparently, a clip of Elmo cavorting with auto-tuned pop singer Katy Perry was deemed "inappropriate" due to Ms. Perry's bare legs and her revealing, skimpy party dress.

The clip in question is on YouTube
, of course. Wave after wave of sympathetic comments have been posted, with thousands of people decrying those damned, Fascist pigs over at the Children's Television Workshop for prudishly ripping Perry's play date with Elmo off the air.

It's an innocent little number, for the most part. At the 1:42 mark, the laws of physics create an effect that cannot be ignored and lasts for a good ten seconds. There's your controversy, right there. I doubt it was intentional. (Also, freeze the video at the 1:35 mark for a humorous, telling image.)

However, I find it odd that Katy Perry was invited on in the first place. Other guests stars over the years could be called controversial as well, but Perry is a singularly sexualized figure. She of "I Kissed a Girl and I Liked It" fame would seem an unlikely choice for a program that teaches 5 year old kids how to spell. Parents that are uncomfortable with this are not unreasonable. Maybe next time, they can have Pink sing "Just Like a Pill" and teach Elmo about attention-seeking suicide attempts.

For what it's worth, Perry herself has gone on Saturday Night Live wearing a tight, low-cut Elmo shirt, spoofing the situation with exaggerated risque humor. Otherwise, she hasn't lashed out at the Sesame Street producers yet, which is a relief.

Perhaps this could have been nipped in the bud by a more intelligent guest casting director, or by a better costume designer. Regardless, it has now become a rallying point for those who believe that any sort of attempt to guard the eyes of children is the work of puritanical, paranoid maniacs.

It's not so much Perry's party dress (and her ample, wobbly pectoral region) that is the problem, nor is the clip itself a work of pornographic subversiveness. The problem is that parents should be able to monitor their children's television intake without accusations of fascist, puritanical intent. Also, Sesame Street ought to exhibit better judgment in guest stars. When you invite a pop singer who sells her sexuality as a major part of her brand, you are inviting this kind of trouble.