Sesame Street has a long history of addressing serious issues with its young viewers--the death of Mr. Hooper was one of my earliest experiences with death and grief, and probably one of yours, too. Being different, navigating the pitfalls of friendship, adding a new member to the family--the things that can frighten or sadden a small child have been explored by Bob, Maria, and the Muppets at some point during the thirty-six year series run.
Today, Sesame Street addresses a new and timely issue being faced by American children in When Parents Are Deployed, hosted by Cuba Gooding, Jr. (in case you were wondering what he was up to lately). In the special, Elmo learns that his father is being sent overseas and the Sesame gang comes along to help him get his head around it. In between Elmo segments, real military parents and children share their personal stories of deployment.
By all accounts it's not great television, though it has good intentions. And it may be preaching to the choir: the producers know that Americans are so polarized by the war that people who are not personally connected to anyone in the military will probably ignore their efforts. Retired Major General Charles Bolden, who consulted with Sesame Workshop on the special, says "The story that is told is one that the vast majority of Americans don't have a clue about," and notes the disconnect between those who are fighting in the war and those who don't support it.
