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Sesame Street has never shied away from life's toughest conversations. Join us as we count down the most powerful moments when the beloved children's show tackled serious real-world issues with honesty, compassion, and care for its youngest viewers. From grief and racism to autism and foster care, these unforgettable storylines proved that no topic is too big for Sesame Street!
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00:00Everything was just fine.
00:02Why does it have to be this way?
00:04Give me one good reason.
00:07Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:08And today, we're counting down our picks
00:10for the most memorable moments
00:11when Sesame Street helped young viewers
00:13understand some of life's toughest realities.
00:16For this list, we're looking at
00:17especially meaningful storylines and segments
00:20that approach difficult real-world subjects
00:22with honesty and care.
00:24I'm always here, and I will always listen.
00:28Number 30.
00:30Vaccination.
00:30Big Bird was making needles less mysterious
00:33decades before COVID-19 entered the picture.
00:36In a 1972 segment, he joined a
00:38Don't Wait, Vaccinate campaign
00:40encouraging children to get the measles vaccine.
00:43Hey, I know what I'm going to do right away.
00:45What are you going to do?
00:47I want to get in line.
00:49You're going to have your...
00:50I want to get a measles.
00:51Decades later, Sesame Street returned to the subject
00:54during COVID-19, teaming with CNN for a town hall
00:57and releasing a PSA featuring Elmo after his shot.
01:01Elmo's dad, Louie, openly says he had questions
01:03and consulted their pediatrician,
01:05normalizing uncertainty rather than dismissing it.
01:07I learned that Elmo getting vaccinated
01:10is the best way to keep himself,
01:12our friends, neighbors, and everyone else healthy
01:15and enjoying the things they love.
01:17Sesame Workshop also supplied families with ideas
01:20for helping children prepare for shots.
01:22Across generations, the franchise has treated kids
01:25as capable of understanding health choices
01:28when trusted grown-ups explain them clearly and calmly.
01:31Now, your wing may hurt for a day or two, Big Bird,
01:34and you might feel a bit tired,
01:36but, oh, I'm so proud of you, my grandson.
01:39And I'm proud of you, Radar.
01:41You did great.
01:42Number 29.
01:44Natural disasters and extreme weather.
01:46A hurricane once left Big Bird
01:48without the home he knew best.
01:49In 2001's Sesame Street gets through a storm,
01:52his nest is destroyed,
01:54and the neighborhood rallies to rebuild it.
01:56The special was later re-aired
01:57after Hurricane Katrina in 2005
01:59and Superstorm Sandy in 2012.
02:02I'm happy in the picture, Gordon,
02:04because that's the way things used to be.
02:06Sesame Workshop revisited the idea
02:08with 2026's Storm on Sesame Street,
02:11where Elmo and friends prepare for a major storm,
02:14manage fear, and help neighbors recover.
02:16By pairing practical preparedness
02:18with honest emotions,
02:20the franchise makes frightening situations
02:22easier for children to understand
02:24without pretending they're easy.
02:26Can Elmo tell you something?
02:28Elmo's scared, too.
02:30But Elmo needs to have courage.
02:33Yeah, Elmo has to help his friend.
02:35Need a little more sunshine
02:37after all these big feelings?
02:38Scan the QR code on screen
02:40and head over to Ms. Mojo's 24-7 livestream
02:42for non-stop pop culture fun.
02:44Maybe home isn't the place.
02:47Maybe, maybe home is the people.
02:50And as long as we're all together,
02:53Sesame Street will always feel like home.
02:56Number 28.
02:57Serious Childhood Illness
02:58A hospital visit becomes much heavier
03:00when Elmo's cousin Chester
03:02is the one in the bed.
03:03Here for you,
03:04helping children cope with serious illness
03:06follows Elmo visiting Chester
03:07as he receives treatment in the hospital.
03:09With help from medical practitioners
03:11and other children,
03:12Chester learns to understand
03:13and express feelings of fear,
03:15anger, and guilt.
03:16We will do this together.
03:19Your friends, your family, and you.
03:23We'll get through this together.
03:27Nurses and doctors, too.
03:31The Bilingual Outreach Project
03:32paired its DVD with guidance
03:34encouraging kids to discuss their concerns
03:36with parents, caregivers,
03:38or health professionals.
03:39Developed with input from expert advisors,
03:41cancer survivors, and parents,
03:43it reassured children with serious illnesses
03:45that difficult emotions were okay to express.
03:48Okay, you can open your eyes now.
03:51Hello.
03:52Oh, oh, Elmo just heard Elmo giggle.
03:55Okay, now let's feel.
03:58Number 27.
03:59Lead Poisoning
04:00Oscar, Elmo, Rosita, and Maria
04:02helped turn a dangerous health threat
04:04into something young viewers could understand.
04:06The 1996 outreach video,
04:08Lead Away,
04:09explained that lead exposure
04:10could make children sick
04:11and offered simple ways
04:12to reduce the risk.
04:13Oh, oh, don't tell Elmo.
04:15Elmo will guess.
04:16No, no, no.
04:18Don't let him guess.
04:19Just tell him.
04:19We don't have all day.
04:21Its advice included
04:22washing hands before eating,
04:24staying away from peeling paint and dust,
04:26and leaving shoes at the door.
04:27Produced with the National Safety Council's
04:29Environmental Health Center
04:31and backed by the Prudential Foundation,
04:32the project made prevention feel concrete
04:35rather than scary.
04:36It's a smart example of Sesame Street
04:38translating a hard-to-see household danger
04:40into memorable everyday habits.
04:42You've got to wash your hands before you eat.
04:46Wash your hands before you eat.
04:48Stay away from peeling paint.
04:50Stay away from peeling paint.
04:53Leave your shoes at the door.
04:55Leave your shoes at the door.
04:57And see your doctor for a birthday.
04:59See your doctor for a birthday.
05:01Number 26, Deaf Representation
05:04and American Sign Language.
05:06Linda, you show Big Bird
05:09how you say his name.
05:14Big Bird.
05:15See, that's how she says your name.
05:17Big Bird.
05:18And that bird.
05:19Hey, you mean she can say words with her hand.
05:23Exactly, that's right.
05:24For young viewers,
05:25a familiar face quietly expanded
05:27what belonging on television could look like.
05:29Linda Bove portrayed the neighborhood librarian
05:32for decades using ASL
05:33while appearing alongside
05:34both human and Muppet characters.
05:36She also pushed for Linda
05:38to have a sense of humor
05:39instead of being defined solely by being deaf.
05:41Well, one good thing about being deaf
05:44is when somebody yells at you,
05:47you just don't hear it.
05:49Bove brought that visibility beyond the show too
05:52with the 1985 book
05:53Sesame Street Sign Language ABC
05:55with Linda Bove,
05:56which introduced young readers
05:58to signed letters and words.
05:59By making communication differences
06:01part of everyday interactions
06:02rather than a one-off lesson,
06:04Sesame Street turned inclusion
06:05into something children
06:06could simply see and understand.
06:08I am a person
06:10that is not any other living soul or plant.
06:14There is nobody at all
06:16that is just like me.
06:20I am myself.
06:21Number 25, Adults Believing Children.
06:24After today, I'll never again hear them say,
06:28oh, Mr. Snuffleupagus,
06:30your imaginary friend.
06:33Do you know how many times I have heard that?
06:36Uh, no.
06:39Millions, maybe billions and billions.
06:43For years, Big Bird insisted Snuffy was real
06:46while the grownups around him remained unconvinced.
06:49In 1985, Sesame Street finally let the adults
06:52meet Mr. Snuffleupagus
06:53and apologize for doubting Big Bird.
06:56Big Bird, you have a right to be angry.
06:58Uh, I do?
07:00Yes, you do,
07:01because after all this time
07:03and we didn't believe you,
07:05that must have been very hard for you.
07:07Well, yeah, it was.
07:09The decision had a much darker context.
07:12Producers were reconsidering the gag
07:14amid heightened attention to child abuse.
07:16Childhood development experts
07:18helped the team carefully prepare for the reveal.
07:20What looked like the payoff to a long-running joke
07:23therefore carried an important protective message.
07:25Children should feel able to tell trusted adults
07:28when something serious happens
07:30and expect those adults to listen and believe them.
07:33From now on, we'll believe you
07:35whenever you tell us something.
07:37Yes.
07:38Promise?
07:39Yes.
07:39Promise.
07:40Absolutely.
07:43Maybe we should get that in writing.
07:49A Family Day party made room for a family
07:52many young viewers rarely saw on the block.
07:54In Family Day, Dave, his husband Frank,
07:57and their daughter Mia
07:57became the first family with LGBTQ plus parents
08:00included in a main Sesame Street segment.
08:02Bobby, Daddy, Sesame Street is even more amazing
08:06than you said.
08:07We're glad you like it.
08:08Yeah, I'm so happy that you're all here.
08:11Are you kidding?
08:12We wouldn't have missed Family Day for anything.
08:14Their presence is treated as completely ordinary.
08:17They simply join the celebration alongside everyone else.
08:20The episode focuses on what families share
08:22rather than explaining same-sex marriage.
08:25Wow, all the families are so different.
08:28Yeah.
08:28Yeah, there's all kinds of different families.
08:30But what makes us a family
08:32is that we love each other.
08:35That's true.
08:36We do.
08:37Well, I couldn't agree more with that.
08:39Years later, our musical family returned to Mia,
08:42who creates a musical about growing up
08:45with two fathers from different cultures.
08:46Instead of making representation a lecture,
08:49Sesame Street let family life speak for itself.
08:52Shabbat dinners with comida cubana.
08:55Dance on on the living room floor.
08:58Rosh Hashanah with pastelitos de guayaba.
09:01There's so much more and so much amor.
09:04Number 23.
09:06Refugees and forced displacement.
09:08Leaving home can mean losing familiar people,
09:11places, routines,
09:12and a sense of security all at once.
09:14In the Arabic language Ahlan Simsim,
09:17Jad is a young Muppet who had to leave his home,
09:19while Basma becomes his friend.
09:28The program deliberately avoids reducing him to a label.
09:32Sesame Workshop's Sherry Weston has said
09:34that they would never call Jad, quote,
09:36the refugee Muppet.
09:37The series explores feelings including frustration,
09:40nervousness, and loneliness,
09:42while showing children simple ways to work through them,
09:45from calming breaths to creative activities.
09:47That restraint matters.
09:49Jad remains a child first,
09:51while the story offers reassurance
09:53that connection and emotional tools
09:54can help after enormous change.
10:05Number 22.
10:06Economic hardship and unemployment.
10:08A canceled trip gives Elmo
10:10an unexpectedly grown-up lesson about money.
10:12In Family Stand Together,
10:14Feeling Secure in Tough Times,
10:16Elmo learns that his mother has lost her job,
10:18forcing the family to make different spending choices.
10:20Is it because Elmo has too many toys?
10:24Oh, no, no, baby.
10:26None of this is your fault.
10:28It's nobody's fault.
10:29This is just something that happens in families sometimes.
10:33Right, and a lot of families
10:34are going through the same type of thing.
10:37He begins distinguishing things he wants
10:39from things he actually needs,
10:40while the special offers families strategies
10:42for supporting children's emotional well-being
10:44during financial strain.
10:46The program was designed for families
10:47with children ages 2 to 8
10:49facing difficult financial circumstances.
10:51Rather than shielding kids from the change,
10:54Sesame Street gave them age-appropriate language for it
10:56and emphasized that family connections
10:59still mattered when money felt uncertain.
11:01No matter what comes our way,
11:03we believe
11:05that love is all we need,
11:09all we need
11:11because we're a family.
11:15Number 21.
11:16Community Violence and Feeling Safe
11:18For some children,
11:20danger isn't an abstract idea from the news.
11:23It can shape daily life close to home.
11:25That's called violence.
11:27It's called what?
11:29Violence.
11:30Oh.
11:31And if violence keeps happening in a neighborhood,
11:37people might not feel safe.
11:39Sesame Workshop's Community and Gun Violence Initiative
11:42offers resources for young children
11:43affected by neighborhood violence.
11:45In one video,
11:46Alan explains the concept to Rosita,
11:49while other materials help kids identify trusted adults
11:52and learn what to do if they encounter a gun.
11:54You can start by letting them tell you what they've heard
11:57and encouraging them to talk and share.
12:01And most of all,
12:03you can let them know you'll keep them safe
12:05and be there to listen.
12:07Across the collection,
12:08the focus stays on dependable relationships
12:10and restoring a sense of security.
12:12Importantly,
12:14Sesame acknowledges that caregivers
12:15cannot always remove every threat,
12:18while showing how they can still help children
12:20feel valued,
12:21connected,
12:22and supported.
12:23Everyone,
12:24everywhere,
12:25deserves to feel safe.
12:28Well,
12:29so,
12:29how can Elmo help Zozo?
12:32The best way
12:33to show you care for Zozo
12:36is to keep being a good friend.
12:39Number 20,
12:40Women's Rights
12:41One of the many great things about Sesame Street
12:43is how this venerable children's show
12:45has continually adapted with the times.
12:47The program,
12:48and those at the creative helm,
12:49never stop moving forward with ideas
12:51that embrace people of all cultures.
12:53Case in point,
12:54Zari,
12:55the first Afghan Muppet to appear on Sesame Street.
12:57Can I go to school to learn?
12:59absolutely.
13:00I will study and achieve
13:01to be anything I wanna be.
13:04This character debuted on Bacche Sim Sim,
13:06which serves as Afghanistan's version of Sesame Street,
13:09with the intention being to highlight
13:10female empowerment in that region.
13:12Zari has promoted literacy
13:14and formal education
13:15alongside a wonderfully colorful design,
13:17proving that any time is a good time for learning.
13:30Number 19,
13:32Obesity
13:33Cookie Monster was Sesame Street's
13:34resident junk food fan for years,
13:36but things changed a little bit back in 2005.
13:39This was when the folks behind Sesame Street
13:41decided to embrace a more balanced diet for Cookie Monster.
13:44Taking only cookies are wrong
13:46Cause you also got to eat fruit or veggies or meat
13:49If you wanna be healthy and strong
13:51Sweets were now only a sometimes food
13:54for the voracious Muppet,
13:55with Cookie now enjoying a spectrum
13:57of fruits and vegetables
13:58alongside his favorite snacks.
14:00This was done to promote
14:01positive dietary choices to kids,
14:03in the hopes of curbing youth obesity rates
14:05within both the United States
14:07as well as for fans watching around the world.
14:09Have some of these tasty carrots
14:12while you wait, eh?
14:14Okay.
14:17Oh, me love carrots.
14:22Number 18,
14:23The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
14:25Mahbub was an Arab-Israeli puppet
14:27that was introduced back in 2006
14:28for Israel's version of Sesame Street
14:30titled Rehob Sum Sum.
14:32The characters' bilingual languages
14:34of Arabic and Hebrew were intentional
14:36since Mahbub's presence on the show
14:38was designed not only to demonstrate tolerance
14:40for other cultures,
14:41but also to reference the ongoing
14:42Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
14:50This serves as another great example
14:52of how Sesame Street,
14:53in all of its iterations,
14:54can always be counted on
14:56to find ways to discuss or reference
14:58even the most delicate of world topics
14:59to its audience.
15:08Number 17,
15:09Physical Disabilities
15:10Tara Lynn Schaefer was a child actress
15:12who spent eight seasons
15:13with the Sesame Street gang,
15:15and during that time,
15:16she proved that everyone belongs,
15:18no matter what kind of adversities
15:19they've had to endure along the way.
15:21Now lift me straight up.
15:22I got you.
15:23Okay.
15:24Now put me down on the floor.
15:25All right.
15:26There you go.
15:27Wow, are you okay, Tara?
15:29Of course.
15:30Perfect.
15:31Schaefer was the first cast member
15:33on the show with a physical disability,
15:35yet Sesame Street always made sure
15:36that Tara's wheelchair
15:37never affected how she was treated
15:39by other characters.
15:40Instead,
15:41she utilized her opportunities
15:42to teach kids about
15:43osteogenesis imperfecta,
15:45about how her wheelchair worked,
15:46and about how easy it is
15:48to accept those different from you.
15:49She lived happily ever after.
15:53The end.
15:54Like I said,
15:55I love that story.
15:57You know what, Tara?
15:58Me too.
16:00End.
16:01Number 16.
16:02Down Syndrome
16:03Emily Kingsley was a writer
16:05who worked on Sesame Street
16:06from 1970 to 2015,
16:08and it was during this tenure
16:09on the show
16:10that her son Jason joined the cast.
16:11Jason was born with Down Syndrome,
16:13but he didn't let this stop
16:15or hinder his acting career.
16:16F.
16:17Good.
16:18Now, if we take this,
16:19and when you take this,
16:20and it goes,
16:22you're going to put it there?
16:24The young man debuted
16:26on Sesame Street as a baby,
16:27but continued to appear
16:28on the show for 55 episodes.
16:31His presence on Sesame Street
16:32was similar to that
16:33of Tara Lynn Schaefer
16:34in that Jason Kingsley's story
16:35served as a great way
16:36for the cast to open up
16:38about our differences
16:38and similarities as people.
16:40In my imagination
16:41at this book,
16:42that if I can confront
16:46my feelings
16:47to that obstetrician,
16:51that people,
16:52disabilities,
16:53can learn.
16:54Number 15.
16:569-11
16:56Older viewers might remember
16:58back in the 80s
16:59when Mr. Rogers
17:00spoke to kids frankly
17:01about nuclear war
17:02and the arms race
17:03in the aftermath of films
17:04such as the made-for-TV piece
17:06The Day After.
17:06Both Fred Rogers
17:08and Sesame Street
17:09would continue
17:09these serious discussions
17:10with kids after 9-11.
17:12It's the people
17:13who make them work
17:14that are the important part.
17:17People can make machines
17:19do helpful things
17:20or they can make them
17:22do harmful things.
17:23The former came out
17:24of retirement
17:25to speak with kids
17:26about the issue,
17:27while Sesame Street
17:27devoted an entire
17:28four-episode arc
17:29to the subject.
17:30Stories about grief,
17:32loss,
17:32and acceptance
17:33were intercut
17:33with stories about
17:34everyday heroes
17:35such as firefighters.
17:36It certainly cannot
17:37have been easy,
17:38particularly for those
17:39New York City producers
17:40who witnessed
17:41the attacks firsthand,
17:42but the episodes
17:43did a great job
17:44in the face
17:44of some real adversity.
17:46To call a grown-up
17:47if you see smoke or fire
17:48to get out of a building
17:50where there is a fire
17:51and stay out
17:52until a grown-up
17:53tells you to go back in.
17:54Yeah.
17:54Well,
17:55then there's a lot less
17:56to be scared of,
17:57okay?
17:58Number 14.
17:59Incarcerated Parents
18:00The telecommunications company
18:02Global Tell Link
18:03partnered with Sesame Street
18:04back in 2012,
18:05submitting funds
18:06for episodes
18:06that dealt with
18:07the struggles
18:07some families face
18:08when one or more
18:09members are incarcerated.
18:11These episodes
18:11featured characters
18:12like Alex,
18:13who feels alone
18:14in facing the reality
18:15of his father's incarceration.
18:17What's incarcerated?
18:18And why was your dad in it?
18:22Incarcerated
18:23is when someone
18:24breaks the law,
18:25a grown-up rule,
18:26and then they have
18:27to go to jail or prison.
18:28Some frank,
18:29honest discussions
18:30with Abby and Rosita
18:31allow for Alex
18:32to open up
18:32a little bit
18:33about a situation,
18:34while also
18:34showing audiences
18:35at home
18:36that they too
18:36can talk about
18:37even the toughest
18:38subjects
18:38with their own peers
18:39or support groups.
18:41We built race cars
18:42and played a lot,
18:43but it's not the same
18:45as playing with you.
18:46I have friends
18:47who care about me
18:48no matter what
18:49and I know
18:49I'm not alone.
18:51Number 13.
18:52Military Families
18:53Different aspects
18:54of what many military families
18:56might have to go through
18:57have been covered
18:57by Sesame Street
18:58over the years.
18:59These have included
19:00not only how lonely
19:01kids might feel
19:02when one or both
19:02of their parents
19:03is forced to leave
19:04on deployment,
19:04but also what happens
19:06when those same parents
19:07come back with an injury.
19:08Do you felt much better
19:09once you did?
19:10Yeah.
19:11Talking to my Uncle Louie
19:13made me realize,
19:14well,
19:15that I wasn't alone
19:16with my feelings.
19:17These episodes
19:18didn't sugarcoat
19:19what was going on,
19:20nor did it place
19:21any of the blame
19:22on the kids.
19:23Instead,
19:23genuine feelings
19:24of support,
19:25love,
19:25and care
19:26went into explaining
19:26how challenging
19:27this time could be
19:28and what kids
19:29could expect
19:30throughout the process.
19:31Uncle Jack died.
19:37You have any questions?
19:39I mean,
19:39you can always
19:39ask me anything.
19:41Number 12.
19:42Having visual impairments.
19:44It all seems
19:44very simple, right?
19:45Be nice to others
19:46and treat them
19:47the way you'd want
19:48to be treated.
19:48That said,
19:49it was easy
19:50for the Sesame Street crew
19:51to accept Telly's friend
19:52Aristotle back when
19:53he debuted
19:54on November 24, 1981.
19:56A flute?
19:57I've heard of a flute.
19:58Mm-hmm.
19:59Yeah.
19:59You know,
20:00I'm blind.
20:00I can't see.
20:01Would you mind
20:02if I picked it up
20:03and felt it?
20:04No, that's fine.
20:05This new character
20:06on Sesame Street
20:06has a visual impairment,
20:08but his laundry list
20:09of hobbies
20:10helps underline
20:10the fact that
20:11even though
20:11Aristotle is blind,
20:13his life is
20:13anything but boring.
20:15Instead,
20:15he was simply
20:16the latest
20:16in a long line
20:17of friendly monsters
20:18to show up
20:19on Sesame Street,
20:20celebrating differences
20:21while retaining
20:22a personality
20:22all his own.
20:24And he jumped
20:24out of bed
20:25and chased
20:26a little red
20:27riding hood
20:28around the room.
20:30See,
20:30you have to learn
20:31this alphabet,
20:32big bird,
20:32and practice
20:33to read
20:34with your fingers.
20:35Number 11.
20:36HIV
20:36Takalani Sesame
20:37is the name
20:38of South Africa's
20:39version of Sesame Street,
20:40and it was also
20:41where fans of the show
20:42were first introduced
20:43to Kami back in 2002.
20:44This Muppet character,
20:45who also appears
20:46on Nigeria's Sesame Street,
20:48Sesame Square,
20:49certainly didn't have it easy,
20:50losing her mother
20:51to AIDS,
20:52while also contracting
20:53HIV via a blood transfusion
20:55when she was just a baby.
20:56They don't want
20:57to touch me
20:58because they think
20:59I will make them sick.
21:01Oh, but Kami,
21:02we all know
21:03you can't get HIV
21:04just by touching someone
21:06or by being friends
21:07with them.
21:07Kami's grief
21:08and struggle
21:09felt real
21:09to both Nigerian
21:10and South African viewers,
21:12since the AIDS epidemic
21:13continues to affect
21:14the daily lives
21:14of their people
21:15to this day.
21:16Still,
21:17if the lessons
21:17taught by Kami
21:18help even one child
21:19overcome something
21:20truly difficult
21:21in their life,
21:22then wasn't it all
21:22worth the effort?
21:23Maybe we should go
21:24and tell the children
21:25at your school
21:26that they cannot
21:27get HIV
21:28by touching you.
21:30Yeah,
21:30and then they will
21:31not be scared
21:32to play with you,
21:33Kami,
21:33and they'll have
21:34much more fun.
21:36Number 10,
21:36the COVID-19 pandemic.
21:38I am here!
21:39Help is here!
21:41Ha ha ha ha!
21:42Super Grover?
21:43Yes, it is I!
21:44Your helpful,
21:45healthy hero,
21:46Super Grover!
21:47The COVID-19 pandemic
21:49presented numerous challenges
21:51not just for parents,
21:52but for children too.
21:53In three different specials,
21:55the residents of Sesame Street
21:57teamed up with medical experts
21:58and CNN
21:59to help children understand
22:01what exactly was going on
22:02around them.
22:02They included information
22:04such as why everyone
22:05was wearing masks,
22:06how to celebrate
22:07the holidays safely,
22:08and how to cope
22:09with your feelings.
22:10You don't want to
22:10get the virus,
22:12even if you don't know it,
22:13and accidentally bring it
22:15back to your house
22:16and to your abuela
22:18and possibly get somebody sick.
22:20So Rosita,
22:21when we say that
22:21we're doing this
22:22to keep ourselves healthy,
22:24we're actually all
22:25in it together.
22:26These were lessons
22:26that many adults
22:27benefited from too,
22:28and when presented
22:29with colorful Muppets
22:30and music,
22:31they were a whole lot
22:32easier to digest.
22:33Social distancing
22:34isn't that fun,
22:36but with Elmo
22:36on your side,
22:37it's definitely
22:38more bearable.
22:39I'm thankful
22:40for getting to spend
22:42more time with Elmo.
22:44Oh, and Elmo's thankful
22:47for new traditions.
22:49Number 9.
22:50Adoption
22:51Gordon and Susan Robinson
22:53decided to start a family,
22:54and the show took
22:55the opportunity
22:55to show viewers
22:56that there's more
22:57than one way
22:58to have a baby.
22:59Yeah, that's right.
23:00I remember now
23:01you told me
23:01that you and Gordon
23:02are adopting a baby
23:03named Miles.
23:05That's right.
23:06But did you also tell me
23:07what adopting means?
23:09We see them explain
23:10the concept of adoption
23:11to Big Bird
23:12in a thoughtful manner.
23:13They're clear about
23:14how he'll be
23:15a permanent addition
23:16to their family.
23:17You see,
23:17when you adopt a baby,
23:18he's yours forever.
23:20Gee, well,
23:20when do you get him?
23:22Well, we're gonna
23:22bring him home tomorrow,
23:24as a matter of fact.
23:24And when their new
23:25bundle of joy,
23:26Miles, joins the family,
23:28we see just how much
23:29they love him.
23:30They even sing about
23:31what a happy family
23:32they are.
23:33Loving well.
23:35Taking care.
23:36Reaching out.
23:38Be it.
23:41We're a family.
23:43The storyline
23:43has since been praised
23:45for the way the idea
23:46of adoption
23:46was broken down
23:47for preschool kids.
23:49Number 8.
23:49Foster Care.
23:50Sesame Street
23:51has always emphasized
23:52the importance of family.
23:54In 2019,
23:55as part of Sesame Street
23:56in Communities,
23:57Carly was introduced.
23:58She stays with
23:59Dahlia and Clem,
24:01her for now parents,
24:02until she can safely
24:03live with her mom again.
24:04What does for now parents mean?
24:07Well, Elmo,
24:08sometimes even
24:09mommies and daddies
24:10need some help
24:11taking care of their children.
24:13Carly's mommy's been
24:14having a hard time,
24:15so we are her foster parents
24:17or her for now parents.
24:19In one instance,
24:20Carly panics
24:21when she can't find
24:22her placemat,
24:23believing that
24:23she doesn't belong.
24:25Her foster parents
24:26touchingly reassure her
24:27that she's more than welcome.
24:28You are safe.
24:31I am strong.
24:34You are strong.
24:36There is a place
24:37for you here.
24:40In later episodes,
24:42it's revealed that
24:43her mom has been struggling
24:44with substance use disorder.
24:46Carly understands
24:47that she's not to blame
24:48for the situation,
24:49emphasizing that
24:50it's okay to express
24:51your emotions,
24:52thus helping kids
24:53in similar situations.
24:55She told me,
24:55no,
24:56it was a grown-up problem.
24:58It wasn't because
24:59of anything I did,
25:00and she said
25:01that she loves me
25:02no matter what.
25:06Childhood houselessness
25:07is a far more prevalent issue
25:08than many people realize,
25:10but Sesame Street
25:11is working to address this
25:12through the character of Lily.
25:14While she first appeared
25:15in 2011
25:15as being food insecure,
25:17she went on to become
25:18the first houseless Muppet
25:20in the show's history.
25:21When you don't even know
25:22whether you're gonna have
25:23a next meal or not,
25:25that can be pretty hard.
25:27Sesame Street
25:28and Communities videos
25:29show how Lily's family
25:30had to leave their home
25:31and find shelter
25:32in various other places.
25:34No matter where you are,
25:35always remember.
25:37The thing about home is,
25:39home is more than a house
25:41or an apartment.
25:42Home is really
25:43where the love is.
25:45They later found
25:46a place to live.
25:47She was created
25:47for two reasons,
25:49to allow children like her
25:50to see their experience
25:51on TV,
25:52and to de-stigmatize
25:54houselessness.
25:55That's a valuable lesson
25:57for both children
25:57and adults alike.
25:59Did you know that the lily
26:00can be a sign of hope?
26:02Ah, thanks.
26:05A lily.
26:06Hey, that means
26:08no matter where I am,
26:10there's always hope
26:11and love.
26:14Number 6.
26:15Autism
26:15Since its inception,
26:17Sesame Street
26:18has always strived
26:19to be inclusive.
26:20They continued this mission
26:21by introducing Julia,
26:23a Muppet with autism.
26:24In order to explain
26:25her behavior,
26:26the characters tell Big Bird
26:27that she, quote,
26:28does things in a Julia
26:30kind of way.
26:30And that's totally A-OK.
26:32She might not answer you
26:33right away.
26:34Yeah, Julia doesn't say that.
26:37That's right.
26:38And she may not do
26:40what you expect,
26:41like give you a high five.
26:42Yeah, she does things
26:44just a little differently.
26:45We're all different
26:46and unique,
26:47but that's what makes us special.
26:49Of course,
26:49not everyone with autism
26:51will be exactly like her,
26:52as it exists on a spectrum.
26:54But her characterization
26:55is handled with nuance
26:56and without judgment.
26:58It does look like
26:58a fun way to play.
27:00That's right.
27:00It doesn't matter
27:01how they play.
27:02They're just a bunch
27:03of friends having fun.
27:05There's no doubt
27:06that Julia's arc
27:07has sparked numerous
27:08important conversations,
27:09and she's since
27:10been widely embraced.
27:11It feels a little better
27:13when we all play together.
27:17We can all be friends.
27:20Number five.
27:21Divorce.
27:22The folks at Sesame Street
27:23decided that divorce
27:24was a topic their audience
27:25should see addressed
27:26on the show,
27:26after divorce rates
27:27had been steadily rising.
27:29Well, what does divorce mean?
27:31Well, divorce means
27:32that Abby's mommy and daddy
27:33aren't married anymore.
27:34Well, why not?
27:36Well, sometimes things
27:37don't work out with parents,
27:39even though they try
27:40and they try,
27:41so they decide
27:42not to be married anymore.
27:43In 1992,
27:45an attempt was made
27:46to cover the topic
27:47on the show
27:47by showing Mr. Snuffleupagus'
27:49parents going through
27:50a divorce.
27:51However,
27:52despite the show's
27:53best efforts
27:53and collaborations
27:54with developmental psychologists,
27:56children and test viewings
27:57were left confused
27:58about the topic,
27:59and ultimately,
28:00the episode was never aired.
28:02It wasn't until 2012
28:03that the topic
28:04was broached again,
28:05when Abby Cadabby
28:06revealed how she came
28:07to accept her parents' divorce.
28:09Check this out, Gordon.
28:10This is a picture
28:11of my house,
28:12and this is a picture
28:14of my other house.
28:15Ultimately,
28:16this storyline
28:16not only showed children
28:17that it was okay
28:18to be sad
28:19and that their parents
28:20still loved them,
28:21it also allowed Sesame Street
28:22to introduce the idea
28:23of a blended family.
28:25You have two houses?
28:26Mm-hmm.
28:27This one is where
28:28I live with my mommy,
28:29and this one is where
28:31I live with my daddy.
28:32Number 4.
28:33Teasing.
28:34Teaching kids
28:35that caring is sharing,
28:36there have been
28:37a few episodes
28:37spotlighting why
28:38we should be kind
28:39to one another.
28:40For instance,
28:41the Muppets teach
28:42their friend Pino
28:43how taking their ball
28:44is not okay
28:45by singing him
28:46a memorable
28:46yet educational tune.
28:48Pino tell monsters
28:50that the thing me do
28:51is me gonna be nice
28:53and me share with you.
28:55In a more serious episode,
28:57Big Bird tries to become
28:58a part of the Good Birds Club,
29:00but no matter what he does,
29:02another member
29:03makes fun of him.
29:04Now, I'm not big anymore.
29:06Yeah, but you're too yellow.
29:11What?
29:11Yeah, your feathers.
29:13They're too yellow.
29:14His friends report
29:15the taunting to an adult
29:16and reassure Big Bird
29:18that he shouldn't be afraid
29:19to be himself.
29:20These are just some examples
29:21of how the show
29:22has taken a stand
29:23against belittling others.
29:24Big Bird,
29:25our club is gonna be
29:26even better.
29:28It'll be a club
29:28that includes everybody,
29:29and you don't have to change
29:31in order to join.
29:32It's a club that'll accept you
29:33exactly as you are.
29:34Number three,
29:35gender roles.
29:37The show's writers
29:37have been breaking boundaries
29:39since the early years.
29:40I can't believe
29:41how many people
29:42have interrupted me today.
29:44I haven't gotten
29:45any words done at all.
29:47But you know what?
29:48I can fix it.
29:50In one 1974 episode,
29:52Maria lets Luis know
29:53that she's hoping
29:54to get a part-time job.
29:55He's stunned
29:56when he receives a call
29:57from a construction company
29:58asking for her
29:59because he didn't
30:00imagine that was
30:01somewhere she,
30:02as a woman,
30:03would work.
30:03Really?
30:04Yes!
30:04Now that was
30:05really, really exciting.
30:07I remember it was
30:08sort of a training program.
30:10This leads to Maria
30:11telling him that
30:11a woman can do
30:12anything a man can
30:13before heading off
30:14to her new job.
30:15Naturally,
30:16she proves just how
30:17capable she is
30:18during her first day,
30:19emphasizing that
30:20women can work
30:21in any field they want.
30:22That was a great job
30:23to have, too.
30:24Number two,
30:25racism and discrimination.
30:27Since day one,
30:29Sesame Street
30:29has been a multicultural
30:30neighborhood,
30:31and the show
30:32has used this diversity
30:33to address racism
30:34throughout its history.
30:35In 1993,
30:37two of the adults,
30:38Gina and Savion,
30:39faced hate
30:39surrounding their
30:40interracial friendship
30:41when they received
30:42a horrifying phone call.
30:43What was that?
30:46Some guy
30:47saying some awful things
30:48about me and Gina.
30:50Whatever was said to them
30:51is never directly stated.
30:53Savion is able to
30:54summarize the situation
30:55succinctly, though.
30:56Tully,
30:57there's just some
30:58really stupid people
30:59in the world
31:00who can't stand
31:00to see it when
31:01people of different
31:02races are friends.
31:04In 2020,
31:05Sesame Street
31:06teamed up with CNN
31:07for a special town hall
31:08to break down
31:09the Black Lives Matter
31:10protests.
31:11What we are seeing
31:12is people saying
31:13enough is enough.
31:15They want to
31:16end racism.
31:19No.
31:21I'm not,
31:21I'm not supposed to
31:23end racism, too.
31:25Discrimination
31:25was touched on
31:26again in 2021
31:27when Rosita
31:29and her mother
31:29stand up for
31:30their fellow
31:30Spanish speakers.
31:31Needless to say,
31:32it is a crucial topic
31:34the show has tackled
31:35with great care.
31:36You know what,
31:37Sofia?
31:37I am so proud
31:39that I speak Spanish.
31:41You should be
31:42because Spanish
31:43is amazing.
31:44Speaking another language,
31:45it's like,
31:46it's like having
31:46a superpower.
31:49Exactamente!
31:50Number one,
31:52death and grief.
31:53When the actor
31:54who portrayed
31:54Mr. Hooper,
31:55Will Lee,
31:56passed away,
31:57the writers decided
31:57to address
31:58the concept of death.
31:59I know,
32:00he's in the store.
32:01Big Bird?
32:03He's,
32:04he's not in there.
32:06Oh,
32:07then,
32:07where is he?
32:08Rather than make
32:09an excuse for his departure,
32:10the adults explain
32:11to Big Bird
32:12that Mr. Hooper
32:13has died
32:13and will not
32:14be coming back.
32:15Big Bird demands
32:16to know why,
32:17to which Gordon says,
32:19Big Bird,
32:22it has to be this way
32:24because.
32:27Just,
32:29because?
32:30Just because.
32:32In order to explain
32:34death to their young audience,
32:35the writers reportedly
32:36met with various professionals,
32:38including child psychologists.
32:40The result was a heart-wrenching
32:41but realistic
32:42and thoughtful episode
32:43that left its mark
32:44on an entire generation
32:46of Sesame Street watchers.
32:47We can all be very happy
32:49that we had a chance
32:49to be with him
32:52and to know him
32:54and to love him a lot
32:55when he was here.
32:57Which Sesame Street moment
32:58taught you something
32:59that stuck with you
33:00long after childhood?
33:01Tell us in the comments.