South African Sesame Street introduces first HIV-positive Muppet

SF Chronicle ^ | 9/17/02 | AP

[randita]

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 first Muppet infected with the virus that causes AIDS.

[blackdog]

Should the puppeteer wear a latex glove when he has to insert his hand to bring it to life?

[dalereed]

About 15 years ago I was instlling a new canopy on the entrance to the Ambasador Hotel in L.A. and this scroungy bearded hippy type came up and asked me where the muppet convention was. I'd never heard of a muppet and asked they guy,"what's a muppet, a hairlip puppet?", and he really got pissed off, he was the nut that invented the muppets!

[blackdog]

Really? That was Jim Hensson? How did that shoe taste? I guess you found out who Oscar The Grouch was eh?

[dalereed]

Actually he just ranted about finding his meeting for a couple of minutes and when I ignored the nut and went back to work he meandered off. At that point I still didn't know what a muppet was and could really have cared less.

I now know that it's a TV show but I haven't seen it and wouldn't know a muppet if it bit me. Just from what i've heard about it and seen written on FR it shouldn't have ever been allowed to have been put on TV!

[weikel]

You mean Bert and Ernie aren't already HIV positive.