…Chase the Clouds Away

It’s been a rough few months on Sesame Street. First, Big Bird and gang were put on the chopping block by presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

Now, Elmo is taking the heat. For those not in the Sesame Street loop, yesterday, puppeteer Kevin Clash, the voice behind Elmo, resigned after a second accuser came forward, claiming they were a victim of sexual abuse.

Whether you believe Clash’s innocence or not, this is a sad day for Sesame Street. But before we make this even uglier, let’s get one thing straight, Elmo did nothing wrong.

Elmo has been his own 3 1/2-year-old force of nature for a long time now. No sex scandal can stop his brand power, although some seriously pissed off and confused parents will try their best.

Yes, the man who gave him his voice and personality for many, many years has had some unsavory allegations brought against him, but let’s not confuse the performance with the person.

Elmo is a sweet, good-hearted, furry ball of love and should stay that way. So let’s not ruin this for the kids; who, let’s face it, could and should care less about all this nastiness.

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