Some time ago, Ryan and I Netflixed the documentary The World According to Sesame Street. When I opened the red and white envelope and saw the title, I assumed that my (then) soon-to-be-husband, knowing my love of all things Muppets, picked out some impossibly cute children’s programming that would surely take my mind off of impending finals and wedding planning.
Instead, what he got was a documentary following how Sesame Street translates into different countries and continents.
Unlike much of American television, which is syndicated, dubbed, and shipped overseas, Sesame Street reflects the culture in which it’s broadcast. The “fundamentals” are the same-muppets and human beings co-habitate peacefully in a neighborhood, reading, spelling, and celebrating numbers while teaching and learning lessons of mutual respect and understanding. Sesame Street is no urban utopia, but does offer a model of what can truly occur when community is a truth recognized. [Read more...]
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