Sesame Street: Episode II - Attack of the Corporations

Remember when Sesame Street became too expensive for PBS and was removed from public television? Something so important for the culture; public access for kids, specifically in low-income environments, to watch educational, informative, and creative content. That’s why it was created in the 1970s. Not only did that occur but now that the series has been moved to HBO Max, mega corporation WarnerMedia has pulled almost 200 episodes out of their streaming selection.

In classic corporate fashion, there was not even an explanation for removing almost 200 episodes of such a pivotal piece of the culture. Assumptively, we could say the motive is profit. There could be a legal issue of some sort, or they could want to use that data space on the HBO Max app for content that is less educational. Either way, the series is already behind a pay wall which is antithetical to Sesame Street’s concept.

Either way, it is unfortunate to see a 50 year legacy belittled by corporate profit motive. It is another blow to cultural unity, history, and education. Sesame Street lives on, as does the culture, but it needs saving.