On the heels of an Internet video featuring provocative singer Katy Perry interacting with a Muppet — a video which, while disapproved of by parents, was roundly applauded by TV critics — comes another instance of sexualized content associated with Sesame Street. The latest example of this trend is a line of sexy Sesame Street Halloween costumes now on sale. Featuring short skirts, knee stockings and headpieces resembling beloved Muppet characters, the costumes combine Sesame Street characters with Lolita-like images of sexualized children.
Although the costumes are intended to be worn by adults, this is another disturbing example of the increasingly frequent crossing of innocent childhood icons with adult, sexualized imagery. No wonder the media portrays children – and encourages them to act – in sexual ways, when characters and products associated with childhood are pushed in a dangerously edgy direction.