Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/10/10/say-their-names.html
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So there is no Sackler representative muppet?
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No, just Sesame Street seeking to address realities faced by children today. This kind of representation matters.
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Phone had a fit - will see if anything odd happens to this reply.
Yes the representation really does matter. I just initially interpreted this as the obscenely rich drug making relative of say Oscar showing up. And presumably learning a lesson.
The more depressing reality of a character scarred for life by the impact of opioids is more meaningful.
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I think they try to steer clear of that kind of thing, and instead just have relatable muppets that kids can see themselves in. Even at his worst, Oscar is still a pretty good guy, too.
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Sesame Street only shows kids the harmless monsters.
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These days the muppets are being used to sell insurance, which is hard to watch.
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To be fair, that’s hardly new. Muppets have been doing commercials since the 70s.
The commercial stuff has in part allowed the non-profit stuff to flourish, like it or not. They exist in a capitalist system, and that is going to include these sorts of things, I’m afraid. I don’t really think that minimizes the good work done by Sesame Street or the wonderful work of the Henson Co. over the years, though.
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Regarding the commercialization of the Muppets, sometimes they get it too right 
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Discussing drug addiction on Sesame Street, are you people out of your tap-dancing minds. Cultural suicide in action!
Like it or not, as the OP explains, millions of kids are trying to navigate their young lives saddled with parents with addiction issues.
Since Sesame Street, and presumably the commentariat here are ‘out of our minds’, how, prey tell, would you constructively engage children facing this issue?
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Abstinance doesn’t work. Pretending thousands children aren’t raised by addicts, or subjected to the terrifying lottery of the foster system, doesn’t do those children any service.
This is not new. Drugs and addicts have been around for thousands of years. That Sesame Street is navigating a way to engage children with empathy, modeling a way to cope with this timeless problem while keeping it relevant for everyone, should fill you with respect and admiration.
This is what effective, long lasting drug prevention looks like. This episode may be a sorely needed lifeline to the very children who are most at risk.
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I’m going to guess “Leave it to Beaver” in this instance…
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And how would Ward explain June’s erratic behavior, assuming prescription narcotics this strong could have been available in ~ 1958?
(I’m picking up what your laying down, but damn do I have no patience for the “hear no evil, see no evil, say no evil” set.)
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Sesame Street was all about inclusivity and representation from its earliest days. Back then, it was having (gasp) PoC in the cast that raised cries of “cultural suicide” from conservative pearl-clutchers.
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All types of people, all types of Muppet. That’s why it works.
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Please. There are children whose parents have drug addiction. Why shouldn’t a program with a long history of trying to address the very real issues children face NOT address an issue that children face?
Talking about something like drug addiction and the problems that the family members face because of that isn’t saying “drugs are good”, it’s acknowledging that it’s hard for children to deal with and navigate.
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