Adults Read Too Much Into “Sesame Street”

Many adults who have been tracking the story about Elmo-creator Kevin Clash’s departure from Sesame Street might be surprised to learn that they’re part of the show’s target audience. As the Sesame Workshop explained last year, in response to parental outcry over an apparently risqué Katy Perry segment recorded with Elmo (but not aired), “Sesame Street has always been written on two levels…We use parodies and celebrity segments to interest adults in the show because we know that a child learns best when co-viewing with a parent or caregiver.”

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