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Layoffs Hit 'Sesame Street'

Which of these employees doesn't belong?

By Corey Levitan May 25, 2012 9:19AM
CTW

"U" is for unemployment. In a surreal reminder of the state of the economy, a dozen people were laid off from the company that produces "Sesame Street" yesterday, according to Deadline. The job cuts occurred at the New York headquarters of the nonprofit Sesame Workshop.

"Sesame Street" has been home to Kermit and Big Bird since the show began in 1969.

Bing: More about "Sesame Street"

This is the show's second major layoff due to the recession. In 2009 -- despite being the 15th highest-rated children's show in the U.S. -- 20 percent of the "Sesame Street" workforce was pink-slipped due to a decline in donations. New episodes of the show still run in 150 countries.

The new layoffs, mostly in the digital media department, were spun by a company spokesperson as a shift of resources "to better align with our strategic priorities and new opportunities."

A comment below the Deadline piece reads: "This message was brought to you by the letter 'B' and the letter 'S.'"

 

"Sesame Street" airs weekdays at 10 a.m. ET/PT and Sundays at 6 a.m. ET/PT on PBS.

 

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19Comments
thaFounk
May 26, 2012 8:08PM
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Aww, but "Pox News" didn't incur layoffs HAHAHAHA!  Guess the prog-lib propaganda machine that was somewhat preying upon children isn't paying off too well...  I couldn't seriously care less about Fox News OR Sesame Street, and I actually let my kid watch the bird (since most of the time it's innocuous enough).  But, when they pull stuff like that "Pox News" stunt, they open themselves up for *close* scrutiny, if for no other reason than they ventured into a realm of discussion they have no business being in.  BTW I'd have the same opinion about Sesame Street poking their beak where it didn't belong if they were to lambast the "Bluffington Post" as well, so feel free to go down that road with me <lol>.
SteelCityStorm
May 26, 2012 1:02AM
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Now we know why Oscar is always pissed off & lives in a Garbage Can.................​
James Armato (Mato1970)
May 26, 2012 12:21AM
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That's 12! 12 LAYOFFS!  AH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA​-HA-HA-HAAAAAA!!!!! *sounds of thunder and flashes of lightning*
brandyblueagain
May 25, 2012 10:25PM
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@youn471 First, I don't know what schools you think are brainwashing children. Whatever school you went to must have eliminated its English department.

 

Bert and Ernie did not get married. That was just a whole online "what if?" thing that has gone around and around, and it is tired. Let it rest.

 

The show is there to help entertain and educate children. I do think the whole Cookie Monster eating broccoli is BS because kids should be learning nutrition at home. However, since this is an educational program, they decided that they would use their platform to help reinforce good eating habits in children.

youn471
May 25, 2012 9:49PM
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seame streey was a good show back in the 70s but got to socialist cookie monster eats vegeables instead of cookies bert and ernie getting married they deserve to shut down not just get lay off the show is getting as bad as the schools with the way they brain wash kids thats why kids these days do what they do they think they have no one to answer to
ANDREW BROWN
May 25, 2012 8:11PM
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These poor women at the job, now got to prostitute to a face like that.
Angelicatt
May 25, 2012 8:07PM
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No bueno. I grew up a Sesame Street kid...it was the best pre school education that existed back in the late 70's. See this why I always donate what I can when I can to PBS - shows like this need to stay on the air.
devilfire4
May 25, 2012 7:23PM
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just shows how the  economy is still recovering when even sesame street has to lay off some workers. for not very many job openings for working with muppets even if the lay offs were in the digital media part of the company and no muppets themselves fired yet.
KGH
May 25, 2012 6:55PM
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Hard to believe with all the Sesame Street toys and books they sell that they need to lay people off....
jonjojon
May 25, 2012 6:06PM
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dam-nit! And I'm still upset about the replacement of "Cookie Monster"............​  You CAN'T blame these layoffs on Kermit and Piggy being overpaid so it has to be the "Hand's In" people that are to blame.  Not the people with hands in the Muppets, but those with their fingers in the pie, you know the untalented ones who crouch in the background.
Someone (Elaine1965)
May 25, 2012 5:14PM
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I love the ending line in the story, I was thinking more like the letters "F" and the letter "u"....

t a
May 25, 2012 4:57PM
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you wonder how Sesame Street such a trademark name not only with the television show but with all the merchandise that the Sesame Street trademark generates can be so affected by the economy. Unless profit margins are all that matter... and profit margins must remain the same even in the recession.. so who pays the price..?
Sandra Brown (Losing Color)
May 25, 2012 4:28PM
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That's harsh. I mean when you have to lay off the people that create one of the biggest shows that has been running since the 70's. Of course with the way things are now, with the jobs "coming back"... which is utter bs, it's hard for anyone to make donations to even a great thing as sesame street. I hope things do get better for the cast of good ol' Sesame.
Someone
May 25, 2012 4:18PM
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You know its tough when big bird gets laid off. Gonna be tough for him to find work elsewhere there arent too many jobs a huge yellow brid is qualiffied to do.
xylophhone
May 25, 2012 2:21PM
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i thot jobs were on a recovery now? 
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