Criticism and Controversy
Fans of Sesame Street have complained that Elmo's prominent status has caused some older characters (such as Oscar the Grouch, Big Bird, The Count, Prairie Dawn, Grover, and Cookie Monster) to see greatly reduced roles. Elmo has been referred to as the "Little Red Menace" by Sesame Street traditionalists (cf. Red menace).
In its FAQ, the Sesame Workshop responds to the allegation that Elmo referring to himself in the third person will teach children improper English, stating that this behavior "mimics the behavior of many preschoolers." However, Abby and Zoe, who are also in the same age group as Elmo, do not speak in the third person.
Read more about this topic: Elmo
Famous quotes containing the words criticism and, criticism and/or controversy:
“The greater the decrease in the social significance of an art form, the sharper the distinction between criticism and enjoyment by the public. The conventional is uncritically enjoyed, and the truly new is criticized with aversion.”
—Walter Benjamin (1892–1940)
“A friend of mine spoke of books that are dedicated like this: “To my wife, by whose helpful criticism ...” and so on. He said the dedication should really read: “To my wife. If it had not been for her continual criticism and persistent nagging doubt as to my ability, this book would have appeared in Harper’s instead of The Hardware Age.””
—Brenda Ueland (1891–1985)
“And therefore, as when there is a controversy in an account, the parties must by their own accord, set up for right Reason, the Reason of some Arbitrator, or Judge, to whose sentence, they will both stand, or their controversy must either come to blows, or be undecided, for want of a right Reason constituted by Nature; so is it also in all debates of what kind soever.”
—Thomas Hobbes (1579–1688)