TV Talk: Sponsored by the letter "C"

Today’s blog post is sponsored by the letter "C." For Cleavage. Or Controversy. Or Crazy. You pick.

By now, everyone has heard about Katy Perry’s play-date-gone-wrong on Sesame Street. Video of her singing a remixed version of “Hot N Cold” with Elmo was released early online, sending parents into mass hysteria over the pop singer’s allegedly inappropriate outfit. Donning a lacy, frilly green princess dress, Perry chases after Elmo who can’t make up his mind if he wants to play dress-up with his celebrity friend. Spoiler: It turns out, Elmo was playing a game the whole time—tag!

There are two primary questions here:

1) Was Perry’s outfit too racy for Sesame Street’s target audience, preschool-aged children?

2) Given Perry’s status as a sex symbol, should producers have been better prepared for avoiding this type of negative feedback?

*Bonus question: Did Sesame Street producers purposefully anticipate this response for media attention?

As a result, the segment was pulled from the on-air version of the program. The clip still remains online for Katy Perry fans to view. Following the hullabaloo, Perry appeared as the musical guest star on Saturday Night Live. She also appeared briefly in the Bronx Beat skit with host Amy Poelher and Maya Rudolph wearing a tight, low cut red Elmo shirt (his eyes suggestively situated on her upper body). Kerry was portraying a children’s library volunteer who was in trouble for, yep, wearing revealing clothing.

The best part of the skit, however, was not Kerry bouncing from her perch on the sofa. It was when Rudolph’s character broke it down, saying, “Who cares if kids are looking at boobs?” As she so eloquently stated, “Boobs feed babies…I turned on CSI the other night, and there’s a dead guy with a worm in his eye. But we can’t look at the tops of boobs?”

This is the power of satire. The skit was poking fun at Perry’s affinity for the risqué, but it also exposes an interesting conundrum in America. We live in a society that is said to be sliding further downhill, falling into a black pit of violence and sex. Yet, we are afraid and embarrassed by a beautiful and useful part of the human body. The issue isn’t that pop singers aren’t wearing enough clothes. The issue, instead, is that we are not fostering a society in which people can appreciate and be proud of the brilliance and beauty of the human form.

Since then, ABC News has reported that Perry will have another opportunity to visit Sesame Street. Check out videos of Perry’s playtime with Elmo and her cameo on SNL below. Also, free feel to share your opinion on Perry’s jump from Sesame Street to Bronx Beat.

Sources:
EW: Katy Perry 'Sesame Street' appearance gets yanked over negative feedback
EW: Katy Perry laughs off 'Sesame Street' controvery on 'SNL'
ABC News: Elmo to Katy Perry: 'We'll have another play date'