Media & Society Course – Dr.

Yolla Ahmed
Section for week # 1

Media & Stereotyping

(The Case of "Sesame Street")

Intended learning outcome: Gain a deeper understanding of concepts such as

stereotyping and socialization.

1. Linda the Librarian Teaches Sign Language. (1972)

Many people gained their first exposure to sign language—and deafness itself—from
Linda, a human character Sesame Street introduced in 1972. Played by Linda Bove,
who is hearing impaired in real life, Linda was Sesame’s resident librarian. In front of
the cameras, Linda taught young children about the daily challenges for the hearing
impaired.
(Video #1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbfMzPuqSro // Video #1 - Sesame
Street - Linda buys a hat).
2. Rosita Says “Hola” and “Hello.” (1991)

The show has always tried to include a diverse cast, so it’s probably no surprise that
when the United Sates experienced an influx of Mexican immigrants, producers tackled
Media & Society Course – Dr. Yolla Ahmed
Section for week # 1

the issue head on. They introduced a bilingual Muppet, a little girl named Rosita La
Monstrua de las Cuevas (the Monster of the Caves), who spoke both English and
Spanish. In 2001, Rosita began teaching the Spanish word of the day, helping to educate
children of all ages about Latin American culture and language.
(YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDnQ9wRdUak // Video #2 -
Sesame Street_ Everybody Say Hola Song with Rosita and Zoe).

Question for discussion (Videos 1 &2):

Do you believe that the examples shown to you help build a certain stereotype?
Justify your answer be it a "yes," or "no" with arguments (or causes and reasons).
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3. Tarah Wheels On To The Street. (1993)

In 1993, the show introduced Tarah, a 9-year-old girl with osteogenesis imperfecta Commented [Dr. Y. Ah1]: This is a group of genetic
played by Tarah Schaeffer. Because of this genetic disorder, Tarah needed a wheelchair disorders that mainly affect the bones.

to get around, but didn’t let it slow her down. In her very first appearance she
demonstrated for the other children (and some eager-to-learn-Muppets) how she did her
wheelchair exercises, and even wowed them with a video tape of her winning a big
race.
(YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO2MsEEk5q4 // Video # 3 -
Sesame Street_ The Wheels Go Round).

4. Kami Brings HIV/AIDS Awareness to South Africa. (2003)

Media & Society Course – Dr. Yolla Ahmed
Section for week # 1

Despite advances in medicine and treatment for HIV and AIDS, South Africa remains
one of the nations most affected by the virus. Wanting to combat ignorance and fear
surrounding the disease, 5-year-old Kami was introduced as the first HIV-positive
Muppet. Kami, whose name means “acceptance” in Tswana, first appeared on Takalani
Sesame, the South African version of the show in 2003. Tami’s advice covers
everything from how HIV is transmitted (or, more importantly, how it isn’t transmitted)
to how to deal with grief when someone you love passes away from AIDS. Kami has
become somewhat of an international spokesman for the cause, appearing alongside
Desmond Tutu, Oprah Winfrey, Laura Bush, Whoopi Goldberg and Bill Clinton in
order to raise awareness for the disease.
(YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eXlNn-C8BY // Video #4 -
President Clinton and Muppet Kami share HIV_AIDS message _ UNICEF)
Question for discussion (Videos 3 &4):
2- Do you believe that the messages behind these media presentations could have
an influence on socializing young children? Justify your answer with arguments
(or causes and reasons)
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5. Segi Teaches Us About Self Acceptance. (2010)

In 2010, Joey Mazzarino, a puppeteer and head writer at Sesame Street, noticed that his
daughter Segi, who is African American, was growing frustrated when playing with her
Barbie dolls because they, unlike herself, had long, silky blonde hair. Unfortunately,
Segi is definitely not alone in feeling this way, and even seven years later, diverse
children’s toys are still not mainstream. Rather than just tell his daughter that her hair
was beautiful, Mazzarino wrote a song called “I Love My Hair” and, with the help of
the crew on the Street, created the now-series regular Muppet named Segi, to perform
it. The song struck a chord with African American girls (and women) all over the world.
(YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enpFde5rgmw // Video # 5 -
Sesame Street_ Song -- I Love My Hair)
6. Julia Battles Autism Stereotypes. (2017)
Julia has been a part of the Sesame Street world since 2016, when she debuted as part
of the show’s autism awareness initiative, “See Amazing in All Children.” And she was
featured in books, mobile apps and online, helping children understand how to interact
with people who have autism even before officially joining the show in 2017.
Media & Society Course – Dr. Yolla Ahmed
Section for week # 1

Because the autism spectrum is so wide-ranging, it’s impossible for Julia to represent
every autistic child, so the show’s producers chose instead to focus on particular traits.
For example, the decision to make Julia a girl was done to combat misconceptions that
primarily boys are on the autism spectrum. Julia doesn’t talk much, and doesn’t make
a lot of direct eye contact. She’s also sensitive to loud noises, a trait some children with
autism exhibit, but she is also very smart and has a good memory. There’s no perfect
way to depict autism with one character, but Sesame Street is hoping Julia, whose
puppeteer has a son with autism, will encourage everyone to be more sensitive and
empathetic to those with autism.
(YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8QQRtA0hVA // Video #6 -
Sesame Street_ Abby Cadabby u0026 Julia Sing Sunny Days)

Question for discussion (All videos):

3- Which video has affected you the most? Explain your decision.
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Note: The videos are also uploaded to my drive //

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1gy3bUTJwvBdn4pmVblnm1qQkcyN-
uaBP?usp=sharing