Story at a glance
- The president of the Conservative Political Action Conference called PBS “insane” and suggested it should be defunded.
- “Sesame Street” announced Monday that its first Asian American muppet — Ji-Young, a 7-year-old Korean American girl — will be debuting on the show on Nov. 25.
- Ji-Young’s character is part of the show’s racial justice initiative “Coming Together,” which is meant to teach children racial literacy and celebrate diversity.
The president of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) called PBS “insane” and suggested it should be defunded in response to “Sesame Street” introducing its first Asian American muppet.
“What race is Ernie is Bert? You are insane PBS and we should stop funding you,” CPAC President Matt Schlapp tweeted on Monday.
What race is Ernie is Bert? You are insane PBS and we should stop funding you. https://t.co/iHyGYJvG5l
— Matt Schlapp (@mschlapp) November 15, 2021
“Sesame Street” announced Monday that its first Asian American muppet — Ji-Young, a 7-year-old Korean American girl — will be debuting on the show on Nov. 25 for its Thanksgiving Day special, “See Us Coming Together.”
Ji-Young’s character is part of the show’s racial justice initiative “Coming Together,” which is meant to teach children racial literacy and celebrate diversity.
The defunding call is not the first to come from conservatives over publicly funded media for perceived liberal leanings.
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Earlier this month, conservatives, such as Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R), criticized “Sesame Street” after a Twitter account belonging to the character Big Bird tweeted, “I got the COVID-19 vaccine today! My wing is feeling a little sore, but it’ll give my body an extra protective boost that keeps me and others healthy.”
“Government propaganda … for your 5-year-old!,” Cruz tweeted.
“Sesame Street” has been on-air since 1970.
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