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Chuck Ross

Some Toddlers Respond To Bill O’Reilly and Sesame Street About Pulling the Katy Perry-Elmo Video

Sep 24, 2010

Based on comments it received after posting a video featuring Elmo and Katy Perry, the folks at Sesame Street decided not to air the video on the “Sesame Street” TV show, though they said they would leave it up on YouTube.

A number of commentators, including Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly, joined in the criticism of Ms. Perry. Much of that criticism had to do with the dress she wears in the video, and the fact that some thought it revealed too much cleavage. You can see the video if you click here.

Yet to be heard from are any comments from the toddler crowd for whom the video was made.

However, I have a toddler, and a couple of his friends posted a response to the criticism of the Elmo-Perry video on the toddler network, metube.TV. (Don’t bother trying to go there…All you’ll find is a placeholder page for the domain. It appears that only toddlers have the password to get in.)

Since we can’t link to the video they submitted, I’ve written down its contents and present it to you now in transcript form. It was made by two toddler twins, Samuel and Samantha. In this video, they call the main character Sam (of course). And the person Sam is talking to looks suspiciously like Bill O’Reilly.

Here’s the transcript:

Sam: I am Sam
I am Sam
Sam I am
with a funny elbow

Person Looking Suspiciously Like O’Reilly: That Sam-I-am!
That Sam-I-am!
I do not like
that Sam-I-am
with a funny elbow!

Sam: Do you like
Katy Perry and Elmo?

Person Looking Suspiciously Like O’Reilly: I do not like them,
Sam-I-am
with a funny elbow.
I do not like
Katy Perry and Elmo.

Sam: Would you like them
in a house?
Would you like them
with a mouse?

Person Looking Suspiciously Like O’Reilly: I do not like them
in a house.
I do not like them
with a mouse.
I do not like Katy’s blouse.

Sam: But the video’s so much fun.
The way they both chase and run.

Person Looking Suspiciously Like O’Reilly: I don’t think it’s so much fun.
I don’t like the way they chase and run.
And I do not like them
in a house.
I do not like them
with a mouse.
I do not like Katy’s blouse.

Sam: Don’t you like the song Katy sings?
It makes us feel we’re floating on wings.

Person Looking Suspiciously Like O’Reilly: I don’t like the way she sings.
It’s doesn’t make me float on wings.
I don’t think it’s so much fun.
I don’t like the way they chase and run.
And I do not like them
in a house.
I do not like them
with a mouse.
I do not like Katy’s blouse.

Sam: Could we ask you one more thing?
You say you don’t like the way she sings,
That it doesn’t make you float on wings.
You say you don’t think it’s so much fun.
And you don’t like they way they chase and run.
You say you don’t like them in a house.
That you don’t like them with a mouse.
And that you do not like Katy’s blouse.

We love this video as much as a cow’s moo.
And wish you’d love it so much too.

We’re beginning to think you’re just an old louse.
So please, just tell us, what’s a blouse?

Person Looking Suspiciously Like O’Reilly: Oh silly me, of course you don’t know.
And won’t, of course, until you grow.
I don’t know what I was thinking, Sam I am with a funny elbow.
Of course I love the video with Katy Perry and Elmo.

(with apologies to Theodor Geisel)

4 Comments

  1. Well done. Too bad Shakespeare already used “Much Ado About Nothing.” It would have made a good title for the video.

  2. I didn’t see Bill O’Reilly’s comments, but I’m linking to YouTube immediately after posting this. Perhaps the people freaking out about Katy’s cleavage should stop to think, “Oh. . .I forgot about bathing suits, which are worn around beaches full of small children being slathered in sunscreen by mothers wearing less than—and baring more cleavage in public—than Katy.” If Katy were buxom. . .bouncing and jiggling around Elmo, then maybe I’d question the costume. But she’s slim and lean, nothing was hanging out waving “Hey kids, look at me”. Come on folks, must every innocent, cute, or creative skit be twisted into indecent, immoral or unacceptable behavior?

  3. And, of course, little kids who watch Sesame Street have a completely different concept of what’s appropriate and inappropriate than adults do (or Bill “loofa” O’Reilley does).
    My three-year-old ignores scantily clad people on television (and the occasional glance of mommy and daddy in our underwear), but she can’t tolerate any of the routine violence that fills primetime. Victoria’s Secret commercials bore her (except she likes the angel wings), but skeletons and autopsy sequences and people yelling and fighting with each other freaks her out.
    Personally, I didn’t like the song very much. But there’s no way in the world my daughter would have thought anything was amiss about it. And isn’t that what we should be concerned about? The intended demo?
    After all, aren’t we all doing it for the sake of the children?

  4. Don’t invite Bill to Hooters.
    Ralph

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