Decline Watch: Malnourished muppet to appear on Sesame Street

The pioneering children’s show has always striven to include characters representative of its viewing audience. Sadly, that now increasingly includes children who don’t get enough to eat: 

A new poverty-stricken Muppet will highlight the issue of hunger struggles on an episode of “Sesame Street”, the show said in a statement on Tuesday.

Pink-faced Muppet Lily, whose family deals with food insecurity, will join Big Bird, Elmo and other favorites on a one-hour prime-time special featuring country star Brad Paisley and his wife Kimberly Williams Paisley called “Growing Hope Against Hunger,” to air Oct 9.

The new Muppet will bring awareness to the ongoing hunger struggles that families face in the United States, the show said.

“Food insecurity is a growing and difficult issue for adults to discuss, much less children,” the Paisleys said in a statement.

Decline-o-meter: Good for Sesame Street for taking this on, but it’s still a pretty grim sign.

I do have to wonder if the special will include Cookie Monster — a potent symbol of American excess and overconsumption if there ever was one. 

On a lighter note, be sure to check out the #OccupySesameStreet hashtag today.