Sesame Street introduces awtard muppet

http://www.npr.org/2017/03/20/520577117/julia-a-muppet-with-autism-joins-the-cast-of-sesame-street

I was bored and flipped through People magazine and saw a story about this. The original article I read said the show was introducing this character to "help de-stigmatize autism."

What a load of horse shit. If there is a stigma attached to autism, it's because of the fucking parents. If you have an autistic child, that means you have to work harder than a parent of a non-autistic child would in order to properly raise/discipline that child. Instead, most parents of awtards do the exact opposite: they decide that they'll just quit doing their duty as parents entirely and will simply tell everyone their kid is autistic like it's a Get Out of Responsibility FREE card (like the cunt who handed out autism awareness cards to strangers instead of parenting her goddamn kid). When people get pissed at unruly retards, it's because the parents of said tards refuse to even try to wrangle them.

I guess even the awtards need a character they can relate to while they're flapping and screaming, especially given how many brats allegedly have autism these days. It's also just extra udder rubs for the martyr Moos of the little tards, though I'm sure there will be bitching from those same bizzy mommies about how this new character offends their delicate senses in some way.

I'd love to see a muppet with fetal alcohol syndrome next.

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Cambion
I'd love to see a muppet with fetal alcohol syndrome next.

You've hit on a salient point and it shows that autism is basically a fad disability. They're not choosing to present a mentally disabled Muppet that suffers from one of many other common causes of said mental disability like Down Syndrome, FAS, or cerebral palsy. They don't even have a deaf or blind Muppet. How inclusive is it when they're only going to present the "popular" intellectual disability? I guess Down Syndrome is out of style.

This Muppet is basically going to be presented as merely shy, introverted, and socially awkward because nowadays if a child isn't an extroverted screaming howler monkey, they're labeled as autistic. The Muppet isn't going to be nonverbal, still wearing a diaper because it doesn't possess the intelligence to be potty-trained, having constant meltdowns, making aggressive gestures towards the other kids, etc. And that'll be problematic because it's only going to reinforce the idea that introversion and shyness is an aberration and will only cause the shy and introverted to withdraw further.

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"Why children take so long to grow? They eat and drink like pig and give nothing back. Must find way to accelerate process..."
- Dr. Yi Suchong, Bioshock

"Society does not need more children; but it does need more loved children. Quite literally, we cannot afford unloved children - but we pay heavily for them every day. There should not be the slightest communal concern when a woman elects to destroy the life of her thousandth-of-an-ounce embryo. But all society should rise up in alarm when it hears that a baby that is not wanted is about to be born."
- Garrett Hardin

"I feel like there's a message involved here somehow, but then I couldn't stop laughing at all the plotholes, like the part when North Korea has food."
- Youtube commentor referring to a North Korean cartoon.

"Reality is a bitch when it slowly crawls out of your vagina and shits in your lap."
- Reddit comment

"Bitch wants a baby, so we're gonna fuck now. #bareback"
- Cambion

Oh whatever. Abortion doctors are crimestoppers."
- Miss Hannigan

They aren't dummies - they know how trendy autism diagnoses have become and they're gonna cash in on that shit. Think of all the toys it will sell because of ignorant Moos who diagnose their horrid brats via Google. From what I read in that article I linked to, the autistic character Julia is basically just a quirky, shy and artistically inclined kid.

That's not autism - that's introversion, like you said, paragon. Fuck, that's how I was as a kid and still am now and I'm not autistic. Their excuse was something like, "Ohhh, well, autism takes many different forms, but look how awesome we are by showing our support anyway!" If this character is autistic, it's the most mild possible autism a person can have, to the point where they wouldn't even need treatment for it. All they want to do is slap a fad label on a character to secure a wider audience.

Creating diverse characters in any kids' show is a great idea because it can help kids not feel so different for whatever reason they might feel that way (disability, race, etc.), but if you're going to go that route, represent those characters accurately or don't include them. The introverted viewers will be able to relate to this new character, but then it'll lead them and their idiot parents to believe that they have something wrong with them for being shy and quiet. Show a genuinely autistic character: one who is destructive, violent, displays bizarre ritualistic behaviors, can't eat/drink/touch a lot of things for reasons that only make sense to them and, at best, perhaps show them excelling in a random area since some autistic people are like that. Can't go a day without shitting their pants, but they can recite pi to the 107th decimal. Stuff like that.

Quite a while back, there was an HIV+ Muppet introduced too, but it might have been specifically for the version of the show that aired in Africa. But unlike American autism, HIV is actually a pretty rampant problem in Africa and many kids are born with it, so that kind of a character actually kind of makes sense.

I could also easily see these people creating a gender-confused or gender-neutral character since new gender identities has been all the rage lately too, or a muppet with a gluten problem.

I'd like to see them introduce characters that reflect actual problems kids face, such as real disabilities, being in poverty and surviving abuse. Some people might find this content disturbing (a.k.a. people who have the luxury of never dealing with such issues first-hand or second-hand), but I think it's something that could really make a difference for the viewers who could relate. Would these be easy subjects to cover? No, absolutely not. But I think it's very possible to take these kinds of issues and put them into terms kids can understand. I mean hell, at one point, one of the actors on the show died (someone who played a human character) and they managed to work this into the show to deliver a message about death. I watched this segment and while it was pretty dark and sad, I think they handled the delivery very well.

I agree with everything you've said. I'm down with them being more inclusive with their characters because as an educational show geared towards young children, they have an obligation to do so. But as you said, present the whole truth or don't do it at all. Don't present the mildest form of autism to the point where nothing is actually wrong, the character is just shy and introverted. You don't even have to go the extreme route. They could present an autistic character like the one from a Babysitters' Club book a long time ago (Kristy and the Secret of Susan, if you're curious): mute, doesn't acknowledge the people around her, flaps her hands, rocks back and forth, displays ritualistic behaviors, but is extremely gifted in one area.

The HIV+ Muppet was created for the South African version of Sesame Street but doesn't appear in any other version because as you said, that's a problem more relevant to the children of certain African nations than a child in the USA or Latin America. The U.S. version should include a character that lived in poverty and was abused. That's extremely relevant to American children. Plus, it's a lesson that always needs to be driven home as to what abuse is and who a child can turn to in order to speak up about what's going on.

It's disingenuous to create an inclusive character in order to cash in on a fad disease. If they were going to bring in a mentally disabled character, a Down Syndrome character would've been better because 1.) since there are distinctive physical attributes that are characteristic of Down Syndrome, it could drive home the message of "Don't judge a book by its cover", 2.) the mental deficiencies of somebody who is even on the high-functioning end will be distinct from mere personality quirks, and 3.) because Down Syndrome is frequently accompanied by other physical ailments like congenital heart defects, they could always touch upon a child having to deal with hospital stays and surgery.

------------------------------------------------------------
"Why children take so long to grow? They eat and drink like pig and give nothing back. Must find way to accelerate process..."
- Dr. Yi Suchong, Bioshock

"Society does not need more children; but it does need more loved children. Quite literally, we cannot afford unloved children - but we pay heavily for them every day. There should not be the slightest communal concern when a woman elects to destroy the life of her thousandth-of-an-ounce embryo. But all society should rise up in alarm when it hears that a baby that is not wanted is about to be born."
- Garrett Hardin

"I feel like there's a message involved here somehow, but then I couldn't stop laughing at all the plotholes, like the part when North Korea has food."
- Youtube commentor referring to a North Korean cartoon.

"Reality is a bitch when it slowly crawls out of your vagina and shits in your lap."
- Reddit comment

"Bitch wants a baby, so we're gonna fuck now. #bareback"
- Cambion

Oh whatever. Abortion doctors are crimestoppers."
- Miss Hannigan

Sesame Street has a good record of inclusion, the primary cast was very heavily (and intentionally) African American and Latino. The show was originally intended for lower income families, and the Sesame Street of the first season in 1969, is very different than the Sesame Street of my memories (late 70s early 80s). I remember as a kid watching Sesame Street and seeing a girl in a wheelchair, and I learned to sign the alphabet from Linda (a Deaf character) in the show. Watched the episodes that focused on Mr. Hooper's death.

If they're going to have an autistic character, they should go all out with a screeching flapper. If they want the spectrum they can introduce siblings that range from mostly normal to non stop screeching. Don't think the autismoo lobby wants a diaper wearing, screeching flapper that tries to kill Big Bird.

Maybe they'll have a Downs muppet when Downs makes more of a comeback. About 95% of Downs fetuses are aborted.

I wonder if it will smear its shit all over the set. Or repeatedly bang its head against the wall. Or assault people. Or talk like an emotionless robot. Or obsess over Hitler.

This makes me so glad to be an adult I can't even. I was and still am an introvert, and if I was a kid today I'd be slapped with a misdiagnosis.

Speaking as a person with a genetic disorder, I hate the idea of normalizing defects. It makes funding for prevention/treatment/cures less likely if people think a disorder is just "a different way of being" instead of defective.

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hana
About 95% of Downs fetuses are aborted.

Maybe I'm a monster but I don't see anything wrong with that? What's the point of bringing someone into the world that you know is going to have health problems and a lower than average quality of life? (Plus it will reduce the quality of life of the parents. ) If you can prevent that, why not?

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coco uk

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hana
About 95% of Downs fetuses are aborted.

Maybe I'm a monster but I don't see anything wrong with that? What's the point of bringing someone into the world that you know is going to have health problems and a lower than average quality of life? (Plus it will reduce the quality of life of the parents. ) If you can prevent that, why not?

I doubt anyone here disagrees, it was presented as a statement on why there won't be a character with Downs, not as a condemnation of abortion.

Ditto what hana said re: Sesame Street's record of diversity and inclusion. They were ahead of the curve on that when they started out.

They have had child actors with disabilities on the show, and I remember seeing a little girl with Down's. It was never a big discussion, she was just one of the children talking with Kermit about the letter U or whatever.

I'm sorta "meh" about the new character w/ autism. But my opinion about Sesame Street has been "meh" ever since Elmo fucking took over.

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Cambion
That's not autism - that's introversion, like you said, paragon. Fuck, that's how I was as a kid and still am now and I'm not autistic. Their excuse was something like, "Ohhh, well, autism takes many different forms, but look how awesome we are by showing our support anyway!" If this character is autistic, it's the most mild possible autism a person can have, to the point where they wouldn't even need treatment for it. All they want to do is slap a fad label on a character to secure a wider audience.

I am the same way and I've never been diagnosed. I think labeling this behavior autism is a way to say we are sick and need treatment so we can be pushed off to the side, shunned, forced into treatment we don't need, drugged, all because we aren't loud, obnoxious, in everyone's face being annoying, out 7 nights a week, etc.

Introversion is not a disease.

JD

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I am the same way and I've never been diagnosed. I think labeling this behavior autism is a way to say we are sick and need treatment so we can be pushed off to the side, shunned, forced into treatment we don't need, drugged, all because we aren't loud, obnoxious, in everyone's face being annoying, out 7 nights a week, etc.

Introversion is not a disease.

JD

Fellow introvert here also not diagnosed with autism or Asperger's. I was a quiet, well-behaved bookworm when I was in grammar school. I recall a memory when I was in second grade. (ca. 1975) We were having a bake sale for our parents. Me and another equally quiet, well-behaved bookworm were sitting in our seats behind our cupcakes' displays while our fellow classmates were jumping up and down on desks, screaming and throwing food at each other. My mom told me that my teacher took her aside and asked if I had seen a psychiatrist yet. My mom, another introvert by nature, was appalled and asked why so. My teacher said, "Your daughter and her friend are not acting normal like the other children". My mother replied, "My daughter and her friend are the normal ones, the other children are out-of-control maniacs and you have no control over your class!." That shut my teacher up. However, to this day, I cannot fathom why people believe introversion is abnormal and should be "cured".

Great story, owlwoman. ITA about the introversion thing. I am also introverted and had a lot of problems in school.

When I was in 3rd grade, I was sexually assaulted by my BIL. Naturally, my grades started slipping and by grade 4, I was starting to fail. My mother was called into my classroom by my teacher, because she wanted to talk with her about my failing grade. The teacher told my mother that she thought I was a retard, and my mother grabbed her by the collar and told her never to call me that again.

My teacher never EVER mentioned that again.

However, due to my horrible home life and the fact that I was abused, I continued to do poorly in school. By grade 11, I was a dropout, but I eventually went back to school for my GED which I passed with flying colors. That was shortly before I got sick, and now I suffer with a mental disability.

I have been introverted my whole life, and I hated other brats who behaved like hellions. I stayed far away from them, but when I did try to make friends, I usually ended up getting bullied. The only kids I ever talked to were other introverts, and they seemed perfectly normal to me.

ETA: I may be an introvert, but I am definitely NOT an autard. I've been tested and have seen psychiatrists for years, and I have been diagnosed with something not like autism. I have limitations, but I can function fairly well in my own environment.

I think they should make it a realistic autard muppet, a huge muppet who beats up on the smaller muppets, and has a moo that defends its right to be an asshole. That would be an honest representation IMO.

Mumofsixbirds. What a horrific ordeal you went through as a girl. I cannot imagine the pain and suffering you endured. I am childfree to the core but when I hear stories about any type of child abuse, my blood boils.

[quote/]I have been introverted my whole life, and I hated other brats who behaved like hellions. I stayed far away from them, and when I did try to make friends, I usually ended up getting bullied. The only kids I ever talked to were other introverts, and they seemed perfectly normal to me.
[/quote]

This was most of my elementary school days in a nutshell. Even though I learned to stand up for myself (I hit one the bullies with my lunchbox, but still got in trouble with the teacher) and became more outspoken as I matured, I still felt less than (Hello, daddy issues--physically and emotionally absent father).

[quote/]I think they should make it a realistic autard muppet, a huge muppet who beats up on the smaller muppets, and has a moo that defends its right to be an asshole. That would be an honest representation IMO [/quote.]

So much this. People need to see real-life examples.

Okay, so someone shared a clip of the new character in an episode and to their credit, she does start flapping the way modern awtards do, no poop flinging yet but we'll see...

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lurker-derp
Okay, so someone shared a clip of the new character in an episode and to their credit, she does start flapping the way modern awtards do, no poop flinging yet but we'll see...

I saw that too. She was drawing and ignoring everyone, then jumps up waving her hands in the air like she just don't care, and runs out of the set. I said introvert to Aspie, until the flapping....nailed it.

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From a bottle cap message on a Magic Hat #9 beer: Condoms Prevent Minivans
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I want to pick up a bus full of unruly kids and feed them gummi bears and crack, then turn them loose in Hobby Lobby to ransack the place. They will all be wearing T shirts that say "You Could Have Prevented This."

Watched it out of morbid curiousity. She ignores people, can't finger paint because it freaks her out, flaps her arms and has a meltdown when she hears a siren. It even showed her having to take a time out and do breathing exercises. I think they did a pretty good job, but they showed her playing with the other puppets without dictating everything, and I don't think that is all that accurate.