Hmm...apparently Katy Perry's cleavage was too much for Sesame Street.

[Wolfy]

Not sure if this should go here or somewhere else, soo...


http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_16156441?nclick_check=1

and the clip in question that was taken from the upcoming "Season"

Katy Perry- Hot N Cold with Elmo on Sesame Street

Apparently this clip was released onto youtube, and parents became outraged at her exposed cleavage...thus her appearence has been pulled.

What do you think, Elliquiy? Many of you are parents, some with young children...seeing the clip, what are your thoughts of this..outrage? Should people even be outraged over it? or should it have been censored/pulled at all?

Hmm....

(The lower half of the article talks about something that, as far as I know, is unrelated..soo..)

[Chevalier des Poissons]

I don't understand why.

What is wrong to such "cleavage" be exposed to kids who don't even understand the word ''cleavage'?

[Wolfy]

I don't understand why.

What is wrong to such "cleavage" be exposed to kids who don't even understand the word ''cleavage'?

...*shrugs* O-o..I'm not a parent, so..I guess I have a lesser view on it..but..I don't see what's wrong..it's not like children don't see cleavage all the time on other channels and in real life..<_<

[Chevalier des Poissons]

...*shrugs* O-o..I'm not a parent, so..I guess I have a lesser view on it..but..I don't see what's wrong..it's not like children don't see cleavage all the time on other channels and in real life..<_<

That kind of thing makes me clash with my brother all the time. He has two kids (three, actually, but the elder one is from 19 years ago. Well, complication).

Me, him and our other 2 brothers were raised with insanity. We had all sort of weapon toys, and we played swordfighting without actual fighting. We grew up with fighting games and violent sports all around, and that didn't make us violent. Now he has his kids, and doesn't want them to even begin to think about toy-weapons, for they can become violent and aggressive.

In both cases, my brother's and this news, I blatantly define that as hipocrisy. Pure hipocrisy. We were all kids before. When I was 4 I used to find disgusting the idea of grabbing a woman's butt. That is just a cleavage, in a show that kids watch for fun. They won't ever notice it, and even if they do, they won't understand unless someone teaches and points that to them. This is just something people are doing for whatever reasons they have.

[Jude]

I think she's definitely dressed too immodestly for a kid's show.  I don't want to watch something with my daughter that gives me an erection :|

On a side note, I didn't know she was so hot.  Win.

EDIT:  On second thought, she's not that attractive.  I want my 30 seconds back.  By the way, what's with the gratuitous closeups of her thighs?

EDIT2:  OK, watched further?  Bounce.  Bounce... bounce.............

[Wolfy]

I think she's definitely dressed too immodestly for a kid's show.  I don't want to watch something with my daughter that gives me an erection :|

On a side note, I didn't know she was so hot.  Win.

You should see how she dresses normally on stage. O-o What she's wearing there is tame.

[Jude]

You should dig up some photos Wolfy, I think that's relevant to this discussion.  I need to see for purposes of comparison.

[Lilias]

Definitely an overreaction. That's not even skin showing - it's a panel of sheer material. Go watch some figureskating or rhythmic gymnastics competitions, to see the technique in all its glory. If it had been a nobody without Katy Perry's 'reputation', there wouldn't be a batted eyelid in the house.

[Trieste]

Preeeetty much. You see more than that walking down the street. What are these moms going to do, blindfold their kids?

Purely for the purposes of Jude's science, I present Katy Perry in concert.

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

Exhibit C

And, just for fun.

[Jude]

: ( She's not hot.

[Wolfy]

: ( She's not hot.

Science!

[Serephino]

I may not be a parent, but I still think this is ridiculous.  The age group that this show targets doesn't think in sexual terms... I don't think...  I did, but I don't think I was normal.  But I don't think even my warped mind would have thought anything of that.  Every woman has breasts, whether covered up or showing a little.  Kids don't really think much about it.  Those parents that have little girls better steer clear of Barbie too.  You can take her clothes of and... *gasp*  she's got naked boobies!   

[kylie]

         I can do the green, and I know one wants some ventilation when pursuing energetic furry characters across the city on foot...  But okay, who picked this outfit anyway...

         How many veils do they have on Sesame these days?  I know it's all very medieval fairytale-ish, but I just have a sneaking suspicion that these days, the reference to marriage didn't help her reception.  Talk about stuff that family values people try to claim as "theirs."  She's singing a tune with an adult version all about fickleness and uncertainty in relationships, and doing a childish version that isn't much more trusting, while wearing what some regard as a symbol of endless sacrifice and fidelity.  Combine that with: 

         From what I could see in Trieste's exhibit gallery, I happen to think her stage outfits actually fit her much better.  Most of them also have more surface coverage up top (tight or not), but that isn't so much what I notice here.  I mean, little tapered triangle points on a straight garment do not exactly "highlight" substantial bustlines so much as dangle precariously under half of them.

         I'm not talking about cleavage; it's more the showing of the entire tops and hinting that one pull down the outside might just do the trick.  C'mon non-con roleplayers, let's be fair and admit the clothing censors just might be following a certain logic here:  Wouldn't she look quite tempting wearing that in an adult version of Labyrinth or some other monstrous pursuit scene?  Although I imagine her reputation for songs about gender violations and precarious relationships had something to do with it, you can also lose a point simply for unlikely garment fit. 

       Not a parent; also skeptical that kids (edit: honestly well, not all kids) would think of any of this...  But it isn't the Sesame target-age kids writing in and protesting.

[MasterMischief]

I can kind of see where the parents are coming from, but I do think it was a bit of an over-reaction.

I should like to go on the record as saying Katy is hot.

[Atta]

I have two toddlers who love Sesame Street and I personally am not concerned. One, they definitely see far more than that now that we live in Europe. Two, they probably saw more than that in parts of shows I watch. Three, They dont view it sexually as I or another adult may.

[Will]

Firstly, as to the Katy Perry hot/not issue... Her face is so incredibly forgettable, and the rest of her isn't much better.  She has nice legs; that's about it for me.

As to the main topic, I really can't see what the uproar is about either.  You're not even looking at skin there; as Lilias said, it's just sheer fabric.  Does she look ridiculous and trashy?  You bet she does.  I can't imagine the thought process behind picking that awful dress to wear, but it isn't obscene in my opinion.  Just fugly.

[Doomsday]

Exhibit B

  ;D

[Trieste]

I personally think the "Is Katy Perry hot or not" thing is a little gross, and more than a little disturbing.

[Chevalier des Poissons]

I personally think the "Is Katy Perry hot or not" thing is a little gross, and more than a little disturbing.

Why is that?

[Trieste]

Because she is one of the few celebrities that is not a twig, has curves, and dresses the way she damn well pleases.

And yet "oh, she's forgettable". Pfft.

[MasterMischief]

And yet "oh, she's forgettable". Pfft.

Come, now, T.  Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

[Will]

Because she is one of the few celebrities that is not a twig, has curves, and dresses the way she damn well pleases.

And yet "oh, she's forgettable". Pfft.

I said her face is forgettable, and it is for me.  She looks just like any number of skanky girls I've seen in my life.  And curves?  Seriously?  We must have different ideas of what constitutes curves.

I didn't realize it was gross or disturbing to judge the hotness of a celebrity; I have a hard time believing you've never done it.

[Trieste]

* Trieste wasn't aiming specifically at Will, apologizes if it seemed that way.

There's a difference between "Eh, not my thing" (like, I'm not at all interested in Rihanna) and going "ugh, she's gross" or something like that. There's a difference between "not interested" and "wow, she's not hot". It's really harsh, and considering that the majority of guys will say things like "I notice eyes before boobs" and "She has to have a great smile" - and then comparing it to the number of people who have actually seen a celebrity up close - it's just damned disheartening.

And that's all I have to say about that. /Forest

[Doomsday]

I personally think the "Is Katy Perry hot or not" thing is a little gross, and more than a little disturbing.

The obvious answer is that she is incredibly hot :D

[Chevalier des Poissons]

Come, now, T.  Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

(2)

I reserve myself the right to blatantly say "Meh, she's ugly" or "Oh, she is hot".

[Will]

I don't mean to say, of course, that I wouldn't sleep with her.  That's just silly.  I just don't see her as so stupefyingly gorgeous like some people do.  Nor do I understand the concept of her being curvy; that's news to me.

As far as her fashion sense goes, I'm not hating on it as a whole.  I'm only talking about the dress from the video, and I sincerely think it is ugly.  I don't see her in the same light as, say, Lady GaGa, who purposely wears unusual things to make a point; Katy Perry hasn't put herself out there as an artist like that.  I just think she had awful taste in that instance (or the person picking for her did, either one).

And I somehow doubt I'm going to hurt her feelings, even if my opinion DID somehow reach her.  She's got money, she's famous, she's got more than enough people drooling over her body, so I don't feel even a little guilty about bashing her. :P

[Zeitgeist]

If Elmo don't want to play dress up with Katy Perry. I WILL.  :-[ ;D

[Jude]

I didn't mean my comment so seriously, I just don't find her attractive.  Too much makeup, not enough individual style.  Her body type is pretty much identical to my girlfriend, though.

[Chevalier des Poissons]

Too much makeup, not enough individual style.

This.

I don't like "Generically styled" visual on people.

[Blitzy]

I don't find Katy Perry 'ugly' but I agree with Will: She's forgettable to me. There's nothing about her that makes her stand out. I don't hate her music, her, or anything like that. I like Lady GaGa but I don't think that she's 'gorgeous'. I think she's funky and fun.

That dress is horrible but that's no reason that it should be banned from Sesame Street. I have a little girl who watches it and I wouldn't have a problem with her seeing that. I think that there are far creepier things out there for kids to watch... like Yo Gabba Gabba. And especially Elijah Wood's weird 'puppetmaster' dance on there.

[Serephino]

I think parents are just over thinking things anymore.  We adults tend to forget that we watched the Smurfs, with Smurfette being the only girl, and thought nothing of it.  Or if Papa Smurf really was there father.... or where Mama Smurf was for that matter. 

I'm sure there are many other examples, but that's the only one I can think of at the moment.  We're the ones who think about things like that.  It's like parents are going from one extreme to the other.  They're making kids grow up with activities and schedules, and then trying to protect their innocence by censoring the crap out of everything.

I'm sure they showed stuff like that on Sesame Street when I watched it as a kid, but I don't remember because I didn't notice or care.  I know they've been saying that Oscar the grouch is depressed, and Bert and Ernie are gay partners....  *headdesk*  Ever since we've become more aware of mental disorders everything became so complicated.  We need to remember what innocence was like before making such judgments. 

As for the all important; is Katy Perry hot?  She has a pretty face and a decent body, but I don't like the way she dresses.  Her costume in the video wasn't that bad though.   

[Host of Seraphim]

I wish Katy Perry's music was as good as her boobs.  :-(

[MasterMischief]

I wish Katy Perry's music was as good as her boobs.  :-(

Switch boobs with legs for me.   ;D

[Serephino]

Yeah, hips and legs....   I like her music about as much as her style of dress. 

[Chevalier des Poissons]

Boobs + hips + legs.

If this keeps going the only nice thing on her will be her toes.

[Host of Seraphim]

Boobs + hips + legs.

If this keeps going the only nice thing on her will be her toes.

She does have really gorgeous eyes, too.  ;D

More thoughts, after watching the video:

- Zooey Deschanel called, she wants her DNA back.
- I like this version of Hot and Cold better than the original because of Elmo.
- Oscar the Grouch is awesome.
- If I was five or so and was watching this, I wouldn't have noticed her epic boobage, but if I was five and I was watching this and my mom noticed she would raise all kinds of hell. (She was always like that when my sister and I were kids.)
- Katy was actually a lot less obnoxious when she sang Christian music. Still pretty obnoxious, though.

Katy (Perry) Hudson - Faith Won't Fail

[Oniya]

I've seen more cleavage on a Barbie costume - and those are rabidly marketed to kids.

[MasterMischief]

Bah, she's too plastic for me.

[TheLovelyMaid]

I think this was an overreaction...no one on set thought anything was wrong with her outfit...

rubber duckie, you're the one...

[Wolfy]

Ya know...I think all this outrage could have been avoided if that "Shear" she's wearing wasn't flesh colored...<_<>_>

[Katrina]

As the parent of a 4 yr old, I think she should have been more covered up for a show thats geared toward children.  Part of the problem today is,kids will see something like this and then want to dress the way she dresses.  And that can lead to other problems.

This is a little off topic maybe, but it goes hand in hand.  The clothing (some of it) that is even geared towards children these days is...how can I put it.  Slutty?

You even have padded training bras. (I got one that age too).  Short shorts, halter tops, short skirts, etc.  Its like the clothing industry is trying to lead them down a path they are not ready for and gives those with sick intentions something to look at.

Ultimately it IS up to the parents, but it does make it hard to find decent clothes for young girls to wear. Also, its up to the parents to decide what their child can watch and shouldn't have to worry about a wholesome show like Sesame Street, which has changed a great deal since I use to watch it.

But, I can see the anger from some parents.  Sorry, I got off topic.

[Oniya]

You even have padded training bras. (I got one that age too).  Short shorts, halter tops, short skirts, etc.  Its like the clothing industry is trying to lead them down a path they are not ready for and gives those with sick intentions something to look at.

I didn't get a training bra until Jr. high - which should be well past the age of Sesame Street.  O_o

[Zeitgeist]

What I don't get is, the show is taped, right? Why wasn't the 'issue' resolved then?

"Hey, Katy, cover up a bit more okay? Thanks..."

Problem solved. <shrug>

[Jag]

Katy Perry pokes fun at 'Sesame Street' controversy.
>.>

[Wolfy]

Good...She should be poking fun at them.

Honestly, sometimes I think people listen too much to the minority in this country. o3o I'd bet money that a majority of parents who saw that clip didn't have a problem with it, it was just the soccer-moms with their megaphones that ****ed it up. >_>

[kylie]

As the parent of a 4 yr old, I think she should have been more covered up for a show thats geared toward children.  Part of the problem today is,kids will see something like this and then want to dress the way she dresses.  And that can lead to other problems.

This is a little off topic maybe, but it goes hand in hand.  The clothing (some of it) that is even geared towards children these days is...how can I put it.  Slutty?

You even have padded training bras. (I got one that age too).  Short shorts, halter tops, short skirts, etc.  Its like the clothing industry is trying to lead them down a path they are not ready for and gives those with sick intentions something to look at.

If you are claiming from the start that certain types of clothing are simply "slutty" and they must lead "down a path" with no exceptions worth mentioning, then you are already in the business of policing feminine attire.  You can say that it's about adults being able to handle it versus children not if you like, but I'm skeptical.  The very same sort of rhetoric about attire is used to excuse badmouthing and attacking adult women. 

          There's a more fundamental problem under this: People are arguing about whether children should be able to view and/or adopt things they consider to be adult.  The conservative side does what you see here and says no, if they even can imagine it, there will be catastrophe because they're children and they can't possibly understand or make a good choice -- no matter who they talk to.  In that view, mere exposure to a lowcut top is some kind of fundamental end of innocence.  If you look at the language, though, the same logic of exposure and propriety is used to police adult women.  When we take it for granted that a lowcut top or an augmented bustline must obviously send a message about sexuality (as opposed to say: comfort with oneself, art, personal pride totally apart from sexual availability, or functional ventilation), or when we take it for granted that people are generally expected to respond as if it did, then we have set up a trap for everyone who dresses feminine. 

        There is some comfort in this thinking because it allows us to believe that all women have to do is be constantly alert to what is socially considered modest versus risque, and presto they can control how people treat them at any given time.  However, it focuses social regulation upon women etc. (for others who dress feminine).  First, the wearers themselves, and then their families and associates are held accountable for maintaining a reputation of modesty and purity.  We say, oh look, if you simply dress like this everyone will know you are a modest person and you will never have trouble.  And if you do not, you must be guided by your family and elders, or else you should expect to meet with dire consequences.  You might be called a slut, a "safe" conservative person will not see you as a good partner, or you might be attacked or raped.  So wearers of feminine attire, primarily biological females, are supposed to watch how they dress in order to avoid trouble.  It's a catch 22, because they are the ones who are most commonly slandered as sexually immoral or attacked with excuses about their clothing in the society at large, to begin with.  We see this taken to a certain visual extreme with the burqa in the Middle East.  Some Americans are so upset that this has become an added political excuse for wars to be fought in the area.

        I understand that some parents can think Katy was just another example in a trend toward more "risque" clothing for youth, and I can understand that some would prefer to find relatively modest attire for their children.  I don't think that calling Katy part of a "slutty" trend addresses the underlying social problem.  The way I see it, there is no truly safe choice as long as you buy into a situation where the only question is what one can safely wear.  Today's uniform of ultimate modesty is the foundation of tomorrow's Britney Spears video.  If all the girls wear the same uniform, those who seek any visual excuse to call them sluts or to rape them will pick on a tiny fold of the cuff, a dimple, or a hairstyle, someone's height or race or whatever.  The basic problem will not go away, and both the aggressors and the "good mothers" will still be sharing in this same old game of both priming and blaming the victim.                   

       Instead, why not educate people so that looks are not the key to judgments of modesty or permissiveness?  What about art, comfort with one's body, physical comfort, consent, desire, various kinds of relationships beyond "hey wanna fuck"?  But to discuss these things, to give people with feminine attire a real choice in what they can expect, to shape both motherhood and masculinity into something besides policing or defending girls' looks...  Then we have to get beyond the conservative notions that some clothing is always, obviously slutty and it's all the girls and mothers' fault, and that any other way would mean "corrupting" innocent children with too much information they can't handle in the schools and streets.             

[Florence]

I would have pulled it for the fact that Katy Perry is a talentless hack xD

... but that's about the only thing in that clip that really offends me xD