Something both Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch had in common was that they normalized and humanized personalities that were usually disparaged in our culture. It

Something both Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch had in common was that they normalized and humanized personalities that were usually disparaged in our culture. It's a stretch to say that Big Bird was gay, but Big Bird was certainly an effete, gentle character despite being bigger than anyone else. Big Bird's character let a lot of young boys know that it was ok to be gentle and kind. And Oscar the Grouch... He was a homeless person, living in a garbage can, with some kind of anger issues. This is a character that society tries to hide to this very day. And once again, he was normalized. We learned to see him as a person, not a stereotype. When Sesame Street was good, it was very, very good, and these two characters weren't just good, they were great.