Gender Roles and... Muppets?

How did I miss a new muppet?

When I was growing up, Sesame Street was my thing. (It was probably "my first brand," if you think in those terms.) Today I stumbled across an article from this past August, all about a new female character on the Street: Abby Cadabby.

Whether or not you've already seen Abby on TV, this article is worth reading. It takes an interesting behind-the-scenes look at the development of a character (and essentially an extension of a brand). Sesame Workshop knows what it's dealing with and what it takes to get a kid to connect to a character. Plus, on perhaps an even more interesting note, the article looks at gender issues, not only on camera but behind it.

Even bastions of liberal creativity like “Sesame Street” are apparently vulnerable to the realities of show business, including a disproportionately high ratio of male to female puppeteers, said Rosemary Truglio, executive vice president for education and research at Sesame Workshop. (Miss Piggy has always been played by male puppeteers, starting with Frank Oz.)

No matter your background (marketing, gender studies, Sesame Street nostalgia), give this article a few minutes of your time. Then maybe you can write off your Fraggle Rock DVDs as an educational business expense.