While campaigning in Iowa yesterday, presidential candidate Mitt Romney ruffled America’s giant, yellow feathers. If he were head-of-state, Romney said, he’d stop government subsidizing for PBS, forcing shows like “Sesame Street” to collect funds from advertisers. Then, the M is for money quote:
“I like PBS, we subsidize PBS. Look — I’m gonna stop that, I’m gonna say PBS is gonna have to have advertisement. We’re not gonna kill Big Bird, but Big Bird’s gonna have advertisements, all right.”
Maybe it’s because I’m a corporate hack, sitting here in my Old Navy hoodie, but all things considered, I don’t think this is that big of a deal. The idea of cutting funding for such an insignificant portion of America’s budget is incredibly misguided and totally beside the point (.00014% of America’s $3.456 trillion budget went to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in 2010, according to Politico), but I’m not against advertising as a rule. Just because “Sesame Street…seems lost in time,” which is evidently a valid reason not to change something according to EW, doesn’t mean the show’s charm would be lost if a Coke ad aired during the commercial break. It would then be up to PBS to not become the profit-driven monster they’re trying so hard not to be. Or else.
That being said, Romney picked the dumbest possible way of getting his message across. I can’t wait for his next speech: “Now, I’m not saying Bambi’s mom deserved to be shot, but…”
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Adding commercials to PBS? Fuck that. That’s just wrong.
Why don’t we add a super heavy caviar tax? Or touch the defense budget.
Why is Ron Paul the only sane republican presidential candidate?
the racist isolationist is the only sane republican? you have a very loose definition of sane.
or you think their all that much crazier.
The internet seems to ignore Ron Paul’s crazy shit because he isn’t as religious or pro burning poor people for fuel, but he is a crazy.
Obviously this is TV related – though I doubt anyone who watches Sesame Street is in your key demo – but can you guys seriously not go even one damn day without posting a political story? You don’t like Republicans, just like everyone else in the world who matters, we got it. Stop trying to turn yourself into the Huffington Post.
I miss Matt.
In my defense, sometimes I mention politics so I can point out how funny DMX would look dressed as Sarah Palin.
I love watching Republicans trip over themselves to vent their rage at ‘liberalism’ on Warming Glow.
I love watching everyone trip over themselves to smugly claim that people they don’t agree with are bumbling fools that can’t “possibly be that dumb.”
The Huffington Post WISHES it could come up with dick jokes as sophisticated as the ones you read on WarmingGlow
And thatguy, I really wish you’d start actually READING the articles. In all the “political” posts I’ve written, I’ve never once condemned Republicans or praised Democrats. If anything, I’m actually sort of agreeing with Romney here, so READ THE TEXT BEFORE BITCHING.
Thank you.
But I’ll miss Sheriff Lobo!
Josh getting all uppity with a lame comment, channeling his inner Matt. I like it.
Cutting funding for PBS programs isn’t a big deal, what is a big deal is that all of these Republican presidential candidates are tripping over themselves to sound as anti-government as possible for the Tea Party crowd. In what other election year would cutting funding for PBS even be mentioned?
I for one sincerely resent the $0.26 per year it costs me personally to run PBS and NPR.
That’s over 1/4 of a McChicken, my friend.
I’m cool with PBS getting some spare change, but NPR can burn in hell.
Sesame Street slaps their name on just about everything. Toys, clothing, party supplies, ice shows, etc. The money alone they make off of that stuff could fund the show. They could most likely get more money from advertisers than they could from the government.
My thoughts exactly. When I did a Google News search for Sesame Street earlier today, the second item that came up was a story about some new crappy XBox 360 game starring Elmo.
I don’t think Sesame Street is the issue – it’s more the less consumer driven shows like NOVA (which is spectacular) or News Hour. Personally, I get much more out of News Hour than any other nightly news program (yes even – GASP – The Daily Show) in part because it goes in depth into the specifics of issues, and doesn’t have to worry about pissing off a sponsor or pandering to moron viewers to get ratings. There’s value in that.
Your point on the untapped potential profitability of Sesame Street is valid, however.
I may well be mistaken but my understanding is any
profits from merch sales go directly to Sesame Workshop, the non-profit and do serve to fund the show. PBS only airs it.
Responded Snuffleupagus, “KILL ME, PLEASE!”
Barney the purple dinosaur is the only reason I need to cut funding for PBS.
This website has become markedly more political since Matt left. If I wanted to be subjected to PolFlaWar and hear others brainless fucking political opinions on a daily basis I would go to the Huffingtonpost. Goodbye WG.
Oh, you’ll be back…they always come back.
Oh noes. Did politics hurted your head?
The letter ‘A’ is brought to you by: Apple computers! Now go tell your mom you need a macbook you snot nosed fucks.
RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE.
Rhubarb rhubarb, peas and carrots.
More stories about Ja Rule!
One reason advertising doesn’t bother you so much is that when Franklin and Bash take a brief time out to tell you how unmanly you are for not drinking Bud, you are (a) capable of understanding it’s an ad and (b) able to buy your own damn Bud if you choose to. My three-year-old could use a half hour not interrupted every seven minutes by a reminder that she could be asking me to buy her a Bratz doll.
How does your white whine taste?
Now I just want Franklin and Bash to guest star on Sesame Street.
What I want is for Danger to do Sesame Street recaps in Elmo-voice
Alright, going to try and reel in the conversation to less controversial topics. *ahem*
“Not to say that Anne Frank deserved to be found by the Nazis, but…”
What did she expect? Banging away on that typewriter while the Nazis were searching the house, that’s crazy.
“Not that Hitler wasn’t a bad guy, but…”
Paddington actually has a good point. I don’t like letting my 3 yr old daughter watch much of Disney channel because the ads are pretty fucked up. I don’t care about her wanting me to buy her things as much as I don’t really want her socialized in that way. I’m specifically trying NOT to raise a shallow, stupid, bitch for a daughter and all Disney can do is bombard her with the message that she should be a vapid asshole and that a skirt barely covering her clam is totally ok. That message is fine for me but not a 3 year old who doesn’t know anything yet. PBS is a nice little getaway from much of that influence. I do concede that my point of view is tough to identify with unless you have a toddler.
I’m willing to bet that Sesame Street/CTW/Henson/Whatever was savvy enough to contract a hard NO COMMERCIALS mandate for the life of the show anyway.
I’m not saying the while Disney/Hitler vibe is out of line, but evil is either evil or it isn’t.
Remember that philosophy question: “If you could travel back in time and assassinate Hitler before….”
Now just replace Hitler with Disney in that phrase.
/grin spreads slowly across face
Isn’t that the pitch for “Epic Mickey 2″?
Where’s Mr. Rogers when you need him?
[www.youtube.com]
I dare anyone to watch this and not be awed by Mr.Rogers ultimate final attack: “Kill It With Kindness.”