Build Your Own Straw Man

Thought I’d share this little number with you:

Looks like Sesame Street is introducing a homeless muppet. We can argue if this is appropriate or not, and I don’t want to judge based just on the short clip. I would say that Sesame Street can do whatever it wants, being a TV show…well except its a PUBLIC TELEVISION show which takes tax payer dollars for its air time. Again, I won’t judge, but I think that we’re all paying for it, it should be held to a higher standard than say, the bullshit that was Captain Planet. Also I don’t see why Sesame Street should take a dime of public money when you look at all the merchandise they sell. I had Sesame Street merch when I was a kid, and rarely do I see a child’s toy box without toys, products, and books all under the Sesame Street brand. Frankly if they want to run their show ad free they could buy their air time outright, and if I was a network, I’d do everything I could to make sure they got a good deal on it because, while I sound like an old fart complaining about how Sesame was back in my time, I still believe in the product.

Ok but that rant wasn’t my point, my point is this partisan hack is using a PUPPET to push his agenda. Its a work of fiction, and its stylized and idealized for the sake of television and not confusing the issue. I can understand this for the sake of basic education, but when you take it further into political policy the argument starts looking like a Spherical Racehorse.

We’ve all known people who were homeless. Heck we probably know more “homeless people” than we think we know. Lots of people who by definition were people “between homes”. They didn’t have a bed to sleep in, but they crashed in their car, pitched a tent, or found a number of couches to surf. The more stereotypical people take some desperate measures to get back on their feet, get some money, and rent a room and get themselves out of the demographic.

Then there’s the smaller number, the people we see every day, year-after-year if you live in an urban setting. They are often mentally ill, addicted to drugs, or both. They may not want or LIKE being homeless (tho there are many who actually prefer it) but they like whatever lifestyle they have better than one that would be conducive to having a roof over their heads.

As for Hunger, I’m not sure of the actual numbers. I know the political groups will want to define the numbers in ways that make the funds flow the best. I will say that I would be amazed that a public assistance system that is so rife with abuse can feed all these mouths that could otherwise feed themselves, but not feed those who are truly hungry.

In the end, take a beef with a policy, take a beef with an actual event, that’s fine, and we can debate it, but don’t go taking a work of fiction and pointing at it as if its real. You won’t see me claiming we need to expand our gun rights because werewolves and vampires are real, and we need guns to kill them, you’re doing the same thing, and its shameful.

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0 Responses to Build Your Own Straw Man

  1. bluesun says:

    Here in Happy Valley we’ve got a very large “homeless problem” and the city has done quite a few studies of them–standing on a corner asking for handouts generally gets a body at least $10 an hour… which is MORE than the minimum wage with which real working people can and do make a living with.

    I wonder if the Sesame Street people will give this puppet a sign that says “Why lie? I need money for beer” which I’ve seen get results before? Because that would be more realistic.

    • Weerd Beard says:

      I’ve heard that Hobos in Boston and Cambridge with the choice corners make more in a day than I do in a lab coat and a college degree. You could say its hard work with the weather and elements…but then again, I was making that kind of money on the deck on fishing boats in some shit-tastic weather that even the Hobos hunker down for.

      But hey, they don’t force anybody to put bread in their jar. And the pushy ones get a pleasant “Fuck-off!” from me. Especially when I tell them to leave me alone and they decided to get a second opinion from my wife. Bad idea, shitbag!

  2. Kristopher says:

    On ramp beggers don’t last long in my town. The cops find a nice work camp for them, and the judges in this state think that is a fine idea.

    And of course we don’t need guns for vampires and werewolves.

    We need them to fend off the zombies.

  3. Robert says:

    Doesn’t Sesame Street already have a homeless puppet that lives in a trashcan?

    Or does the trashcan count as a “home”?

  4. alcade says:

    ” the people we see every day, year-after-year if you live in an urban setting. They are often mentally ill, addicted to drugs, or both”

    Hey, bud… you ever need a place to crash… just ask.

    Seriously though, I remember some years back hearing that Sesame street in South Africa was going to introduce an AIDS muppet. Some days it might be too sick to play with the other kids. It was supposed to raise awareness. Dunno about that, I think kids have their innocence taken away soon enough without having to get it from PBS.

    And if anything, this homeless muppet just goes to show how heartless those “progressives” like Grover and Big Bird are for not giving him a place to stay.

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