How Big Bird Proves My Talking Points Are Right
If you would have told someone a year ago that “Big Bird” was going to be a top issue of the 2012 election, they’d have had you put in a straight-jacket! However, our yellow feathered friend is the centerpiece of a major election issue. In the last few days he’s been in headlines, Tweets, cable news debates and Internet videos everywhere. The controversy over his use in Obama campaign ads has made for some fun news stories as well.
Why is the world focused on Big Bird?
Presidential candidate Mitt Romney spoke about cutting government funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting at the first Presidential debate. This organization takes in hundreds of millions of tax-payer dollars for use with Public Broadcasting System and National Public Radio. Of course, PBS is what has brought us “Sesame Street” for decades. Yes, I grew up with Big Bird, Oscar “the Grouch,” and Grover. I would want my children to experience the show’s magic as well. I don’t think it should ever go away.
In fact, I think the show would be better without government funding. Why? Anyone who has read a few of my blog posts will tell you that it’s because I have found that the free market is better for our businesses than the government. The “Sesame Street” crew would find this out if it were operating in the free market.
This program has solidified itself as the top children’s show in our country. It’s brought in merchandizing numbers that are bigger than Mr. Snuffleupagus and has potential to rake in the type of ad revenue that will give the Cookie Monster enough to buy out Chips Ahoy! No television executive in their right mind would pass up on the opportunity to pick this package up! Could you imagine the bidding war for “Sesame Street?” We’d see groups such as Nickelodeon, ABC, NBC, Fox, CBS, TBS, USA, etc throw around numbers so big that it would be hard for Count von Count to calculate them!
That’s the way the system works. If you have something good like a children’s show that has lasted for generations to put on the market, then people will try to pick it up. If you have something that doesn’t work too well, you will have no such luck. The government cannot intervene and control this. It’s never worked.
OK, so in summary…let’s keep Big Bird and make him wealthy while we’re at it!
Your article is contradicting itself. You say Sesame Street is big already so why does it need to be handed over to corporate greed and the commercial advertising that makes us want everything and want all the money we can get. Yes, money can be a pitfall. Greed has poisoned our environment, our food chain and many other areas in our life for profit.
Life is about balance and Big Bird is surviving as is. Let him be. He does not have to be set free into a free market. As you have said, “This program has solidified itself as the top children’s show in our country. ” Sounds like changing it may change something and even d a little greed into the mix.
As Gordon Gekko once kinda said, “Greed is good.” It sounds bad, but it’s true. The economy is based on people who are driven to succeed.
“Sesame Street” would be successful with or without the government. In an era when our economy is literally overtaken by our debt, we have to cut back on government spending. Certain things will have to be taken off of government funds.