Sesame Street is an all-time classic children’s show, but a recent episode has some people wondering if the program went too far: Did Sesame Street cross the line when Elmo performed his original comedic character “Theresa Poverty, The World’s Most Disenfranchised Woman” to teach kids that just because something’s really funny doesn’t mean it ‘s okay to laugh at?
Yikes. While it’s definitely important to teach kids about the nuances between comedy and ridicule, this seems like it might’ve pushed the boundaries a little too much.
The episode began harmlessly with a visit to a comedy club to see a show performed by some beloved Sesame Street characters, featuring a delightful an opening set by Grover that mused on how frustrating it is when you see that someone is typing a text to you but then they never send the message. But as Elmo entered the stage to the sound of Jay-Z’s “Hard Knock Life,” the episode took a surprisingly edgy turn. Elmo, wearing a long dark wig and tattered clothing, walked up to the mic and introduced himself in a confusing foreign accent as, “Theresa Poverty, the world’s most disenfranchised woman.”
Immediately, the audience of kids burst into laughter. By way of introduction, Elmo—or Theresa Poverty, rather—explained, “I’m a quarter Dominican, a quarter Sudanese, a quarter Afghan, a quarter autistic, and a hundred percent BROKE, BEE-YOTCH!” Elmo then started taking things out of a plastic Dollar General bag (a vessel he referred to as Theresa’s “Birkin”), identifying them as, “cigarettes bought with my food stamps,” “condoms bought with my food stamps,” and a messy, unwrapped taco that he described as “almost as messy as my own after I’m done working the corner!”
But as Elmo repeatedly chanted Theresa’s catchphrase, “Me no have money!” in a different albeit similarly confusing foreign accent to a rapturous crowd, the curtain behind Elmo opened, revealing three real-life women wearing tattered clothes similar to his comedic character’s. The audience fell into an immediate silence as Big Bird rose up from his seat and asked, “Was Theresa Poverty funny to you?” The crowd remained silent, unsure what to say. Big Bird then added, “Is Theresa Poverty still funny, knowing that three real Theresa Povertys were watching you cackle and sneer?”
As Big Bird explained, “You’re right that Theresa Poverty is very, very funny. But it’s the type of humor that you can’t laugh at publicly, because it plays on offensive, off-color tropes. So when you want to laugh at Theresa Poverty, you have to do it quietly in your head.”
The episode has sparked a spirited debate online, with criticisms calling the controversial episode “racist,” “classist,” and “a challenging piece of art that has good intentions yet fails upon premise, as Elmo’s character is simply too unfunny to prove the episode’s point.”
Seems fair enough to us! What do you think? Will you be showing this episode to your children? Sound off below!
