Meet "Kami" the muppet, a fluffy five-year-old orphan living with HIV

AP-via Yahoo ^ | 07.17.02 | Yahoo

[Registered]

South Africa's Sesame Street community on September 17, 2002 welcomed Kami, a fluffy five-year-old orphan living with HIV, in the government's latest effort to stem the AIDS pandemic ravaging the country and the continent. Education Minister Kader Asmal was the first outsider to hug Kami, a lively bear-like Muppet with a passion for nature, after her public debut at Cape Town's Groote Schuur Hospital, the only one in the country offering drug therapy for children with AIDS. Kami is seen in this undated photo. (John Barrett/Reuters)

Now for the "bad" news...

[Registered]

What percentage have TV's to watch the show?

[LanaTurnerOverdrive]

He looks gay.

He is a She.

LanaTurnerOverdrive signed up on 2002-07-02

[weegee]

The kids actions aren't responsible for their contracting AIDS. They get it from their birth mothers, are raped, or from blood transfusions.

The purpose of the puppet is to inform the kids that they do not need to shun those with AIDS.

South Africa needs to do more to solve their AIDS problem. In the meantime, medications are refused and prevention doesn't seem to be working.

[dead]

And this puppet will slow the spread of AIDS in exactly what manner?

It's a stupid, feel-good, do nothing excercise.

The Sesame Street people in Africa are free to do it, if it makes them feel good. I'm free to make fun of their creation.

And you're free to pat yourself on the back, imploring people to show more compassion for an puppet who is sick.

[weegee]

The similarities are shocking!

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

hey kami with that weak immune system of yours stay away from chronic bronchitis carrie and leprosy leopard

[weegee]

Unless this muppet's creator is dead, it is not an "orphan".

[Cinnamon Girl]

Meet "REENO" the trans-gender adult muppet of color who caught and spread AIDS by having unprotected anal sex with several anonymous partners.

[FatherTorque]

Let me say also, it's good to see you back Registered.

[philetus]

I think Kami was a I.V. drug user.
That orange skin looks like some type of hepititus.

[CAfraudPI]

Body double for sure!

[Trailerpark Badass]

Of course, it could be a transexual/transvestite muppet.

I believe it would now be called a "transgendered muppet."

[Registered]

 

I don't see any antennas.

[eshu]

How does a puppet get sick?

I think the idea was probably to create an "educational" children whose "backstory" would resonate with the many millions of African children who have also lost both parents to AIDs.

And I mean, look, we're not talking about college students here - we're talking about 5 year olds. Yes, it is easy to laugh at them but children really are different from adults, they need complex issues (like losing both your parents to a ravaging disease) explained to them in simpler emotional terms, their minds are not complex enough yet to understand all of the politicial and cultural issues involved.

Do the poor have access to television in South Africa?

I dunno. They sure do in every other Third World country I've ever been to, but that ain't saying much.

There are adults having sex with minors (infecting them) under the belief that doing this "cures" AIDS.

Never heard of "True Love Waits," I guess. The initial articles on the puppet also mentioned that this character would be taken on a worldwide tour (even if an AIDS stricken muppet was not added to the Sesame Street show in all countries).

I see no problem with this.

Have they delt with other fatally diseased muppets? Cancer striken muppets? Muppets or kids with diabetes (who must receive injections every day)?

South AFrica has a huge AIDs orphan problem. Diabetes, cancer, heart attacks are more of a problem in developed countries where people have problems with being overweight and a sedentary lifestyle.

[skeeter]

Have they delt with other fatally diseased muppets?

I understand Ms Piggy suffered from Alepecia Nervosa.

She wears a wig, you know.

[Paul Atreides]

It's the spitting image of Elton John.

[Paul Atreides]

When did Nick Nolte adopt the Chelsea look?

[Paul Atreides]

Explain to me how a muppet is going to stop HIV.

[eshu]

I'm not imploring people to feel compassion for a muppet, I actually just think it's kind of disgusting for a bunch of North American computer nerds to sit around yukking it up about children whose parents have died of a wasting disease. I mean, why is it so funny that someone would want to do something to help explain to these kids what happened to their parents? Is it inherently humorous because they are AFricans? Is that the deal?

I have a good friend whose parents both died within months of each other (of lukemia and cancer, respectively) when he was nine, and actually, it was quite devastating for him, not at all humorous as you seem to think. Of course, he was fortunate, he was able to go to foster home in Canada, he not simply sent to fend for himself on the streets as most of these kids are. But, color me humorless I guess, I am not able to find much joy in the contemplation of such things.