“What race is Ernie is Bert? You are insane PBS and we should stop funding you…” (Matt Schlapp, Chairman of The American Conservative Political Action Committee/Twitter)
“Look, it’s not just the fact that they are trying to bring race into Ernie and Bert, which — I grew up watching, I’m older than you, but I grew up watching. And it wasn’t ever about race, it was about learning lessons and learning to read and learning tolerance. And they want to inject race.” (Matt Schlapp, Chairman of The American Conservative Political Action Committee/Emphasis mine)
The above photograph is an apt depiction of Matt Schlapp and Senator Ted Cruz for their ridiculous attacks on Sesame Street.
Sesame Street is introducing a new character, Ji-Young, a Korean American, on Thanksgiving Day to “Celebrate the diversity of the Asian and Pacific Islander communities.” The character is described as “rocking out on her electric guitar and skateboarding.” She is pretty much a typical American kid living in an imagined typical American diverse urban neighborhood.
In the realm of, you gotta be f**king kidding me, CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp attacked Sesame Street and demanded PBS be defunded. The reason for his brutal attack? The introduction of the Asian-American character to the cast. It is evident Schlapp does not know the definition of the word tolerance. Maybe he should ask his Cuban American wife, Mercedes.
Earlier this month, freedumb loving Cuban Canadian American, Senator Ted Cruz- Cancun Cruz- tweeted that Sesame Street was “government propaganda for your… 5-year-old” after Big Bird announced he received the COVID vaccine.
Sesame Street is targeted as Public Enemy Number One for doing what they have been doing for over fifty years, providing educational entertainment for children and adults.
The freedumb loving Schlapp doubled down attacking Big Bird. “It’s not just that,” he added, “We also have Big Bird touting the vaccine, stuff that you never really saw Sesame Street get into.” (Mediaite) Mediate pointed out that several years ago, Big Bird promoted the measles vaccine.
CPAC then tweeted that Big Bird, Bert, and Ernie were not invited to the CPAC 2022 Kindergarten Jamboree. It’s not like the characters would want to be invited to or attend a competing puppet show.
Attacking puppets is ridiculous. Schlapp and Cruz revel in outrageous behavior. It appears their only function is to amuse while trying to destroy. How can any sane, intelligent person take this duo seriously?
Sesame Street sometimes brings up difficult topics, telling stories in compelling ways that parents and children can relate to and discuss. This is nothing new. What is wrong with an all-American Korean American character or Big Bird touting vaccines for children during a lingering pandemic?
With all the problems in this country, these two buffoons pick on a children’s educational television show. CPAC is an extreme right-wing clown academy with Schlapp as its ringmaster. It is apparent Cruz is their summa cum laude graduate and valedictorian.
Matt Schlapp is not an elected official, so his “we” should stop funding PBS holds no water. He has no power to do anything. PBS has real power. They have people power, the millions of people who tune in every day for their programming. Those millions of people go by another name, voters.
Public figures like Schlapp makes one wonder if the Know-Nothings are returning from the grave. Are the nativists walking among us? When will this Know-Nothing nativist divorce his Cuban American wife, Mercedes, to prove he is a true, red, white, and blue ‘Merican?
We already know the Cuban Canadian American Cruz is a publicity prostitute. He will turn a cheap trick for any publicity he can garner. To guys like Cruz, there is no such thing as bad publicity. Keeping your bearded mug in the news is always a positive.
Matt Schlapp and Ted Cruz are devoid of decency, civility, and honor. Instead of putting forth civil, intelligent criticism, they act like snarling junkyard dogs. They are smart enough to know their fake anger is red meat for the ignorant who walk among us. That is the limit of their intelligence.