4 ms·

'Sesame Street' faces uncertain future amid funding cuts and layoffs

24 points by koolba 2y ago

footlose_3815 2y ago
It’s abysmal what these cuts are doing to things that contribute to the greater good.
- TacticalCoder 2y ago
  [flagged]
  - footlose_3815 2y ago
    Going one-step-higher, do you really believe DOGE is acting in good faith?
  - chopsuey5540 2y ago
    What do you think they are going to do with all that money they’re going to “save”?
    - footlose_3815 2y ago
      Parent comment is either commenting in bad faith to muddy the waters, or doesn't care. The people they elected commit atrocities, but the propaganda machine is beaming to their heads that they're only hurting against people they don't like, so they feel good about the cruelty. You know, stuff N*zis do.
  - Crye 2y ago
    Wasnt that number wholly debunked? I can only find fraud numbers like 100 million. Also, social security savings would only impact the social security budget. Those program funds don't go anywhere else. https://www.axios.com/2025/03/20/doge-social-security-deposit-fraud?utm_source=perplexity https://www.axios.com/2025/03/20/doge-social-security-deposi...
    - jt2190 2y ago
      I think FraudulentCoder may be falling victim to “media spin”. There is a report [1] showing that the Social Security Administration had 72 billion of “improper payments”, which includes not only over-payments but under-payments, and does not necessarily imply fraud. This summary was released under the Biden administration [2]: “[Inspector General] Reports: Nearly $72 Billion Improperly Paid; Recommended Improvements Go Unimplemented” https://oig.ssa.gov/news-releases/2024-08-19-ig-reports-nearly-72-billion-improperly-paid-recommended-improvements-go-unimplemented/ https://oig.ssa.gov/news-releases/2024-08-19-ig-reports-near... [1] “Preventing, Detecting, and Recovering Improper Payments”. Office of the Inspector General https://oig.ssa.gov/assets/uploads/072401.pdf https://oig.ssa.gov/assets/uploads/072401.pdf [2] I’m sure we all hope that the Inspector General continues to keep up this good work through any administration, and for that administration to have to answer any questions that work raises.
  - etc-hosts 2y ago
    "billions found in fraudulent SSI payments" did not happen.
RunningDroid 2y ago
https://archive.today/1gEe0 https://archive.today/1gEe0
xqcgrek2 2y ago
There's little reason in 2025 the government should be supporting Sesame Street
onnnon 2y ago
Sesame Street was highlighted in the 2024 Festivus Report (PAGE 33) from the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/FESTIVUS-REPORT-2024.pdf https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/FESTIVUS-REP...
- emchammer 2y ago
  The tone of the writing in this report is unbearable.
xhkkffbf 2y ago
I'm not trying to be snarky, but why are they even bothering to make new episodes? It's really only targeted at a narrow age range. Why can't they just watch reruns? It's not like the vowels or consonants change that much.
- libertine 2y ago
  I don't think it's a snarky take, just odd - even if we boil down the scope of the show into vowels and consonants (which anyone who watched the show knows its more than that), it's like you're making the case not to update schools curriculum over time for a critical age bracket because "It's not like the vowels or consonants change that much."
  - xhkkffbf 2y ago
    Okay, I know that it's more than that. I was just trying to be concise. But back to the topic. I'm sure that history class needs to add new events. High school physics might include a bit more detail about the shifting ideas about dark matter. But even if this is a critical age, I'm not sure why the old shows need to be replaced.
    - libertine 2y ago
      There are probably reruns, we'd need to check the grids of the channels running the shows. Also, this is like any other TV Show: there are X episodes done per year, there are production times, etc. This show has a pipeline like any other show. And of course, there are important subjects that are a product of their time, for example: wouldn't it make sense to approach the topic of migrant families being torn apart in the USA due to extraditions, because children are going through it now? Or approach parents' unemployment due to government layoffs?
ZargAsstick 2y ago
"Sesame Street was created to reflect the environment of the children watching it. The complete self-absorption of Elmo is brilliantly reflective of our time. Ours is a cultural ghetto. Wouldn't you agree?"

24 points by koolba 2y ago

footlose_3815 2y ago

It’s abysmal what these cuts are doing to things that contribute to the greater good.

TacticalCoder 2y ago
[flagged]
- footlose_3815 2y ago
  Going one-step-higher, do you really believe DOGE is acting in good faith?
- chopsuey5540 2y ago
  What do you think they are going to do with all that money they’re going to “save”?
  - footlose_3815 2y ago
    Parent comment is either commenting in bad faith to muddy the waters, or doesn't care. The people they elected commit atrocities, but the propaganda machine is beaming to their heads that they're only hurting against people they don't like, so they feel good about the cruelty. You know, stuff N*zis do.
- Crye 2y ago
  Wasnt that number wholly debunked? I can only find fraud numbers like 100 million. Also, social security savings would only impact the social security budget. Those program funds don't go anywhere else. https://www.axios.com/2025/03/20/doge-social-security-deposit-fraud?utm_source=perplexity https://www.axios.com/2025/03/20/doge-social-security-deposi...
  - jt2190 2y ago
    I think FraudulentCoder may be falling victim to “media spin”. There is a report [1] showing that the Social Security Administration had 72 billion of “improper payments”, which includes not only over-payments but under-payments, and does not necessarily imply fraud. This summary was released under the Biden administration [2]: “[Inspector General] Reports: Nearly $72 Billion Improperly Paid; Recommended Improvements Go Unimplemented” https://oig.ssa.gov/news-releases/2024-08-19-ig-reports-nearly-72-billion-improperly-paid-recommended-improvements-go-unimplemented/ https://oig.ssa.gov/news-releases/2024-08-19-ig-reports-near... [1] “Preventing, Detecting, and Recovering Improper Payments”. Office of the Inspector General https://oig.ssa.gov/assets/uploads/072401.pdf https://oig.ssa.gov/assets/uploads/072401.pdf [2] I’m sure we all hope that the Inspector General continues to keep up this good work through any administration, and for that administration to have to answer any questions that work raises.
- etc-hosts 2y ago
  "billions found in fraudulent SSI payments" did not happen.

RunningDroid 2y ago

https://archive.today/1gEe0 https://archive.today/1gEe0

xqcgrek2 2y ago

There's little reason in 2025 the government should be supporting Sesame Street

onnnon 2y ago

Sesame Street was highlighted in the 2024 Festivus Report (PAGE 33) from the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/FESTIVUS-REPORT-2024.pdf https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/FESTIVUS-REP...

emchammer 2y ago
The tone of the writing in this report is unbearable.

xhkkffbf 2y ago

I'm not trying to be snarky, but why are they even bothering to make new episodes? It's really only targeted at a narrow age range. Why can't they just watch reruns? It's not like the vowels or consonants change that much.

libertine 2y ago
I don't think it's a snarky take, just odd - even if we boil down the scope of the show into vowels and consonants (which anyone who watched the show knows its more than that), it's like you're making the case not to update schools curriculum over time for a critical age bracket because "It's not like the vowels or consonants change that much."
- xhkkffbf 2y ago
  Okay, I know that it's more than that. I was just trying to be concise. But back to the topic. I'm sure that history class needs to add new events. High school physics might include a bit more detail about the shifting ideas about dark matter. But even if this is a critical age, I'm not sure why the old shows need to be replaced.
  - libertine 2y ago
    There are probably reruns, we'd need to check the grids of the channels running the shows. Also, this is like any other TV Show: there are X episodes done per year, there are production times, etc. This show has a pipeline like any other show. And of course, there are important subjects that are a product of their time, for example: wouldn't it make sense to approach the topic of migrant families being torn apart in the USA due to extraditions, because children are going through it now? Or approach parents' unemployment due to government layoffs?

ZargAsstick 2y ago

"Sesame Street was created to reflect the environment of the children watching it. The complete self-absorption of Elmo is brilliantly reflective of our time. Ours is a cultural ghetto. Wouldn't you agree?"