Sesame Street Addresses Divorce, Finally
My parents split when I was five. For the first years, I didn't know any other families who were divorced. I don't think I even knew the word "divorced".
I can't think of a TV character or book that provided a model for me. Those eventually came, but much later. Now divorce is much more common and my kids talk easily of their friends who shuffle between their mom's and dad's houses.
Sesame Street is one of the few constants linking my childhood to my kids, so imagine my surprise to know that they haven't really touched the divorce topic until now.
Ali Martell wrote a piece in MamaPop detailing the Muppets failed forays into explaining divorce to their viewers until now.
Finally, they have a character whose family is divorced. Abby Cadabby speaks matter-of-factly about her hurt emotions and having two homes and what that is like. Too bad that the video is only online and is not part of the television show. Is divorce still such a hot topic that it can't be on TV? I can't believe that the folks at 123 Sesame Street haven't had divorce touch them in some way too.
Do you think this is too little too late? How do you think Sesame Street handled it?
Last year, I wrote about a toy store dropping the sexist divisions of pink and blue.
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