The Moderate Monster

Someone told me yesterday that "Cookie Monster", the beloved glutton from Sesame Street, has moderated his habits. "He's just a monster who loves the occasional cookie, but eats fruits and vegetables most of the time," reported my correspondent.

"Baloney", I thought.

I was wrong, of course. Nothing is, apparently, too absurd to our keepers of PC orthodoxy.

Jonah Goldberg:

In fact, that's what makes this decision so hypocritical. Sesame Street normally drenches kids with "be true to yourself" pap and identity politics. In one episode, Elmo and Whoopi Goldberg (no relation) have a long talk about how they'd never want to give up, respectively, their skin or fur color because that would be changing who they are. Well, the hue of Elmo's fur is less essential to his identity than Cookie Monster's gluttony is to his. Rosita, the Hispanic Muppet, is often told not to be ashamed of her accent because that's just a part of who she is. Maybe they should ditch it, in the name of good diction. Heck, maybe the kids in wheelchairs should get up and walk next season because we're all in favor of kids being able to walk.

There's a parable here about Minnesota's "moderate" Republicans.

I'll come back to that.

UPDATE: Red adds the ultimate elegy to the late great Monster.

Posted by Mitch at April 26, 2005 07:14 AM | TrackBack