South African Sesame Street introduces first HIV-positive Muppet

AP WorldStream ^ | 9-17-02

[Oldeconomybuyer]

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Sep 17, 2002 (AP WorldStream via COMTEX) -- Kami, a mustard colored furry Muppet, likes nature, telling stories and collecting stuff. She also happens to be HIV-positive.

To plaudits from education officials and AIDS activists, the producers of South Africa's version of Sesame Street on Tuesday unveiled the world's first Muppet infected with the virus that causes AIDS.

"We are living in a society that is very stigmatizing and discriminatory," said Musa Njoko, an AIDS activist. The introduction of Kami "is going to create a culture of acceptance."

That is exactly what the show's creators are hoping to do.

Some 4.7 million South Africans - one in nine - are HIV positive, more people than in any other country in the world.

"There is a critical need here," said Karen Gruenberg, executive vice president of Sesame Workshop, the show's New York-based production company.

South Africa's "Takalani Sesame" is one of several locally produced versions of the children's program. Egypt, Russia, Germany, Mexico and Spain, among other countries, all have shows modeled after the American "Sesame Street" that premiered in 1969.

The HIV-infected character was created at the urging of the South African government, which helps sponsor the show, to reduce stigma about the disease.

"Education is vital to ensure that people understand what HIV/AIDS is," Education Minister Kader Asmal said.

At the unveiling, Kami, who has a mop of brown hair and wears a vest, wanders onto Sesame Street and wonders nervously if the other residents of the street will want to play with her.

She needn't have worried. The other Muppets enthusiastically welcome Kami into their playhouse.

According to the show's creators, Kami is a healthy, affectionate 5-year-old orphan who is a little shy, but quickly joins in when approached in a friendly way.

She also knows a lot of accurate information about HIV.

Kami, whose name means acceptance in the local Tswana language, will teach the program's 3-to-7-year-old viewers about coping with illness and loss. She will also show them they cannot know who is infected with the virus just by looking at them.

Kami will be introduced to South African audiences when the second season of "Takalani Sesame" begins Sept. 30.

AIDS will also be addressed in animated and live action segments of the show, according to the producers.

[TheBigB]

"Education is vital to ensure that people understand what HIV/AIDS is," Education Minister Kader Asmal said."

AIDS has been a major news/medical story for over 20 years, Mr. EDUCATION Minister. If the people don't know by now what causes it, and how to avoid it, they're hopeless. Period.

[2banana]

Next year will be the "one bullet, one settler" character...

[Lance Romance]

Kami is a healthy, affectionate 5-year-old orphan who is a little shy, but quickly joins in when approached in a friendly way.

Undoubtedly, the illegitimate child of Magic Johnson. I hope she will impart the knowledge that raping a virgin will not get rid of the AIDS virus.

Is there anyone out there dumb enough to believe this is going to change one damn thing?

[Illbay]

I'm curious. This was posted--multiple times--several months ago on FR. Why is it being brought up again?

[Illbay]

CLICK HERE

[Liberal Classic]

Life imitates art:

[RonF]

"I hope she will impart the knowledge that raping a virgin will not get rid of the AIDS virus."

Actually, that's probably exactly what they're hoping she'll do. South Africa isn't America. Here in the U.S. the general population has known that AIDS is a medical problem, and what the solution is, for 20 years, but not in South Africa. The governments of Africa have been sticking their heads in the sands for years about AIDS. There's been denial, there's been pocketing of the money for AIDS education by corrupt officials, there's been religious leaders who can't get people to stop extra-marital sex but won't encourage people to use condoms, etc., etc. When upwards of (I think it's) 30% of your population is HIV+, you take any means you can.

Besides which, don't forget why they're using a cartoon character. A lot of kids in Africa are orphans, or soon will be. They can't be wrapped in the "nothing bad happens here" cocoon that American children are. Their parents and uncles and aunts and teachers are dropping like flies, so they need to be told a few things. This isn't so much a shot at AIDS prevention as it is an effort to help kids make sense of what's happening around them.

We better pay attention. A continent of children growing up with few adults around, and those few with damaged authority based on what happened on their watch and a low ability to maintain what infrastructure and social institutions there are, will be a tremendous breeding ground for terrorist recruitment.

[Lil'freeper]

We better pay attention. A continent of children growing up with few adults around, and those few with damaged authority based on what happened on their watch and a low ability to maintain what infrastructure and social institutions there are, will be a tremendous breeding ground for terrorist recruitment.

An excellent point- already demonstrated in our own urban centers.

[ZULU]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!

These liberal left-wing politically correct fruitcakes get funnier each day.

[general_re]

Besides which, don't forget why they're using a cartoon character. A lot of kids in Africa are orphans, or soon will be. They can't be wrapped in the "nothing bad happens here" cocoon that American children are. Their parents and uncles and aunts and teachers are dropping like flies, so they need to be told a few things. This isn't so much a shot at AIDS prevention as it is an effort to help kids make sense of what's happening around them.

Orphans, or dead. Thousands and thousands of children are born HIV+ in Africa every day of every week of every year, and the vast majority of them will not survive to see their seventh birthday. If it gives them a few moments of comfort to see a muppet like them, and it makes their daily lives even a bit easier by making it less likely that people will shun them...let them have the muppet, in the name of simple human compassion. Let them have a few moments of joy in the few days they have on this earth, please.

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

Courtesy of Drudge, here's the HIV muppet:



Could they have made it look any more like Little Richard?

[Darth Sidious]

Courtesy of our friend Registered...

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

with his deficient immune system hiv kami should stay away from conjunctivitis carl and tuberculosis tim

[xp38]

I was sure that Bert or Ernie (Sesame Street's Homosexuals) would have been tagged for this honour.