Katy Perry Video Featuring Elmo Banned from Sesame Street
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Did you hear about this Katy Perry “Hot and Cold” video she did for Sesame Street that the producers have pulled because of backlash from You Tube viewers? Take a look for yourself….
As a mother of of a four and two year old I can see where the parents of those upset are coming from. The skimpy tinkerbell dress up outfit is cut quite low in the bust and doesn’t always support her well when she is running around chasing Elmo. That being said, I think the video is quite adorable and catchy, even if her acting is a bit cheesy at times.
The video was leaked on You Tube before it aired and in light of outraged parents the producers are not going to air it on Sesame Street. Because I highly doubt Katy dressed herself, it is a major #fail on the part of the show for nobody to notice that it was inappropriate for the audience and some parents might be offended. It would be a shame for it to never air on the show so I hope that Katy will decide to come back for another run at it in different attire.
Would I let my kids watch it?
Yes. To be honest, they catch more glimpses of my cleavage around the house or in a bathing suit and I don’t think they would think much of seeing Katy’s. It looks like just another part of a woman’s anatomy to my boys and because they are so young they don’t think sexually about it. I think they’d be paying more attention to what they are doing and the music versus what Katy is wearing (or lack thereof).
Why are we so afraid of a woman’s breasts? It reminds me of the awkward feelings I would occasionally get while breastfeeding in public even though I was covered up. Why do they always have to be thought of in a sexual nature?
I’m dying to hear your thoughts on this scandal. Does the video offend you? Would you let your children watch it?
I don’t necessarily find the video ‘offensive’ but I think the dress should have been re-thought by SOMEONE before making the video because it’s definitely less than most people would wear on a kids show.
I agree with you that the video is not that bad, plus if you look closely she is wearing a mesh skin colored top, like a figure skater, so it actually isn’t that low cut.
You are right Jessica! I thought the top part of the mesh was just a necklace.
I think it’s adorable, but I think she is adorable! I would it show it to my son, not that he would even notice her, except to dance to her music.
I think you have shared a great perspective regarding this video. Our children see scantily clad people in the mall, on the street, at the grocery store. What’s important is that you teach them to respect their own bodies and the bodies of their peers. You can’t hide the fact that a woman’s body will develop from your children. Why not use this as an opportunity to begin discussing the issues surrounding womanhood and the changes you go through with children of either sex instead of avoiding the issue. That is, if they happen to zone in on that one aspect of the video. Chances are, they are going to see it as a light hearted video featuring a woman dressed as a fairy and Elmo singing about opposites.
When I first watched it I noticed that the dress was totally cut but I could see why some types of people would get offended. I do think it’s sad that breasts are demonized in a way in our culture. They’re just a part of the body after all, and I don’t think the little ones would notice it anyway. I showed it to my niece (who loves to dance to Hot and Cold on Just Dance) and all she said was the song was really funny and she asked if she could get a veil like Katy’s wearing!
I agree that she is wearing far too less. Although our kids see far worse/less on people pretty regularly, Sesame Street has always had a pretty high standard. I remember years ago when they canceled the Red Hot Chili Peppers after finding out that they used to perform in public with nothing on except socks on their man parts. What’s more objectionable to me than the short dress is the campy, woman-child act but that’s kind of her schtick.
I get why parents are up in arms about it and I totally think someone should have dressed her more appropriately but if there wasn’t all this hoopla surrounding it, I wouldn’t have thought twice about it. Cleavage is not something any kids can get past these days – and you’re right, I probably have more than she does some days :S
I honestly don’t even see anything wrong with it! My sons have seen way worse at the beach! I think it would be cute too for kids with other siblings who listen to Katy Perry and now they can listen to this song!
I’m one of those parents that doesn’t get the hoopla over it. I think far too many parents raise their children to be ashamed of their bodies. This is not a sexualized thing. I could understand the hoopla if it were overtly sexual. But people it is not. Most women have cleavage…a large number of children have seen actual boobies before from when they were breast fed. Most children recognize the difference between men and woman from not just hair but from curves or no curves.
While I completely agree with your point I don’t think it’s appropriate. When I put on shows like Sesame Street I expect everything to be PG. Yes my kids see more out there in the real world, and yes its a fact of life but when I turn to shows like this I expect them to have some sort of appropriateness.
Just because my kids can see more on a trip to the grocery store doesn’t make it right. It looks trampy and I would never leave the house hanging out of a shirt like that. I would never let my daughter (if I had one) leave the house in a top like that. This a show for young children- they are supposed to be teaching our children values and between her chest hanging out why do they keep needing to focus on her bottom half? Freeze frame at 2:07 That’s a REALLY short skirt.
I totally see your point Jennifer but actually I think you mean “G” rated. I’m aghast at what I see and hear sometimes on a PG rated film and she could definitely wear that outfit for a PG movie. Did you know you can have brief nudity in a PG film?
Yes, lol, but you know what I meant. I consider sesame street a G rating so when I watch it I expect G clothing lol I’m sick of swears on TV before 8pm! Not that it matters since the 10pm show reruns end up at 10am a year later.
OK I am by NO MEANS a prude to any extent of the word BUT I do see both sides of this. Yes I dont think that the kids would notice the outfit or lack there of. I DO agree that someone should have put a little more thought into her wardrobe for the clip. If this aired without all the hoopla yes I would have noticed the outfit and thought the same thing I just mentioned and I notice a lot of people commenting on what their sons would have thought or noticed about it my concern would be what if my daughter LOVED it and wanted an outfit like that for halloween now I have to explain to my little one that its not an appropriate costume for her? Cause lets face it with all the weirdos out there now I dont think many of us would allow our little girls to go out in an identical costume to Katy’s. I love Katy and dont think any different of her but someone does need to pay a tad more attention to things.
I think the video is cute. Sure her outfit is skimpy but honestly I see women wearing less than that at the grocery store.
i was curious about this video because everybody’s been talking about it. honestly, i didn’t really find it offensive although i agree that she’s wearing less than what someone in a kid’s show would normally wear. i noticed the bubbly song first than the cleavage.
Okay, yes maybe the choice of outfits wasn’t the best. But if you really watch the video you will note that they focus on her upper half maybe about half of the time. And even then sometimes there are other distractions on the screen as well. I think it is cute otherwise.
On another note, has the public become so PC that we have taken to sensoring Sesame Street. Now come on this is getting ridiculous. All of this over protecting and sheltering our children from minor things can actually harm our children. We have to expose our children to certain things that are out there so that they can understand what is appropriate and learn to make decisions aobut what is right and wrong without Mommy and Daddy always telling them what to do.
Other than the fact that I spent the whole time worried that the ‘girls’ might pop out the top of that very low top…the video was cute. I would let my grandkids watch it. If everyone is so worried, I suggest they simply change to a slightly higher-chested version of the same outfit (the color was perfect) and re-do the video.
There are commercials that are way more sexual than that…look at the Herbal Essences Shampoo commercials as just one example…those bothered me when the kiddos where watching TV but no one pulled them from daytime TV.
Anna
I really don’t get it. Could they have dressed her better? Of course. But is it worth a freak out that prevents a cute skit from being on the show? No.
I don’t think that my kids would notice the cleavage, but I would probably not let my kids watch it more as a statement to Sesame Street that I don’t think it is appropriate. I would love to know what they were thinking when they chose her wardrobe. Why would you put that much fabric on the back of the dress and none in the front? I definitely think that my kids see more at the beach and at the grocery store, but PBS has a responsibility to make appropriate children’s programming.
Well to be honest, at first, I didn’t think it was a big deal but then as I watched with my 3 year old daughter, she was bopping around to the music and shouts out “mommy, I like her boobies” … I was horrified and clicked it off. So I say, Katy put some dang clothes on!
LMAO Cat. uh-oh:)
I might be OK with my 2yr old watching it but not mmy 4, 7 and 9 yr olds because they do understand about skimpy clothing and what should and shouldn’t show and yes my 7 and 8 yr olds do still watch Sesame Street. ‘m careful about verything my kids watch (including commercials) because what goes in eventually comes out and I don’t want to lay that foundation too early. Even though Elmo annoys the peedoodle out of me It’s cute so I do hope she redoes the video.
I am so glad that I am not the only one who has this opinion! I agree that her outfit was a major fail on the part of the wardrobe department, but I do not think that any child watching the video is going to be fixated on her chest…I mean come on she’s competing with Elmo and it’s a bunch of babies, toddlers, and preschoolers watching! Some parents really need to focus their attention on things that really matter and this is NOT one of them!