Mexican Monster On Sesame Street Being Canceled In Latest Racism Mania
08/10/2022
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Rosita is a Sesame Street character from Mexico, a monster who speaks Spanish and English, but who is being canceled in the latest national moral panic over racism. From Muppet Fandom:

Rosita is a turquoise, bilingual monster who first appeared on Sesame Street in 1991 in Episode 2888 (Season 23). Hailing from Mexico, her full name is Rosita, la Monstrua de las Cuevas (Rosita, the Monster of the Caves). She is five years old, and celebrates her birthday on December 7. She is the second bilingual Muppet to recur on the show (after Osvaldo the Grouch), speaking both English and Spanish.

Rosita has often presented the Spanish Word of the Day, and features frequently playing her guitar, which Luis taught her to do in Episode 3794. She’s very good with history, as well as geography.

Rosita has an extended family which includes an abuela and other relatives. Her dad, Ricardo, served in the military and is in a wheelchair due to injuries related to his service. …

The idea of a bilingual Muppet character for the show was conceived as early as 1990 by Jim Henson, who allowed Carmen Osbahr to pick what type of character it would be. A monster was ultimately chosen, fearing an indigenous animal might be viewed as politically incorrect.

But the Coalition of the Marginalized has a hard time hanging together …

From the Daily Mail:

EXCLUSIVE: Rosita gets CANCELED! Sesame Place removes all traces of character from park after black family launched $25m lawsuit claiming ‘racist’ mascot ignored their kids

Attractions and restaurants attributed to the Rosita character have reportedly been closed since the incident

Staff told DailyMail.com that the Muppet has been ‘cancelled’ following the racism allegations

A family have lunched a $25 million lawsuit against the company, with lawyers claiming 25 to 30 more families have come forward …

By EMMA JAMES FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

PUBLISHED: 13:23 EDT, 10 August 2022

… A mother slammed the character as racist after filming Rosita seemingly ignoring her daughter and niece as they reached out to the character during the parade last month.

The two little girls eagerly reached out to the blue character, who was introduced to expand the diversity of Sesame Street, who was seen shaking their finger at them, before allegedly ‘hugging the little white girl’ next to them.

Multiple buildings with the costume character’s face on them have reportedly remained closed since the incident in July, with staff claiming she has been ‘cancelled’.

Rosita’s Cocina restaurant has reportedly been closed ‘for weeks’ despite the busy summer period.

Rosita was one of the only characters who was not included in the daily parade, with staff members adding that the performers were now being told to remain on the floats …

Other stands with the characters face on it were also not open during a visit by DailyMail.com, with staff confirming that Rosita had also been removed from the parade

… Other images of the character have been hidden by the park, with Rosita and Big Bird both being covered with a large purple structure close to a dining hall in the theme park.

… T-shirts, plush toys and various other items were also all on display for the other characters of Sesame Street, but none of the stores had a Rosita section.

The park said they will be including a comprehensive racial equity assessment, and developing and implementing an anti-bias training and education program.

By the end of September 2022 they say that all employees will have received the training to ‘address bias, promote inclusion, prevent discrimination, and ensure all guests and employees feel safe and welcome’. …

In a previous statement the company on Sunday, theme park officials called the now viral moment a ‘misunderstanding,’ saying the mascot likely did not see the girls due to limited vision in the costume’s unwieldy mask.

… The park said the actor portraying Rosita – who was not named – ‘did not intentionally ignore the girls and is devastated about the misunderstanding.’

The statement alleged Rosita was gesturing ‘no’ to another guest who had requested they hold hold their child for a photo, ‘which is not permitted.’

The park also said the mascot likely did not see the girls due to limited vision in the costume’s unwieldy mask, which ‘sometimes make it difficult to see at lower levels’ leading actors to occasionally ‘miss hug requests from guests.’

The only thing encouraging about all this is that the theme park hasn’t yet cast their (likely) minimum wage employee to the wolves yet, but is not revealing his or her identity.

… B’Ivory Lamarr, the attorney for the family who have launched a $25million lawsuit against the Philadelphia based theme park, previously rejected the firm’s explanation.

During a press conference he called the reason that the actor couldn’t see as ‘bogus’, adding ‘this is not about money’.

They are calling for the performed to be terminated, saying it is the only ‘acceptable action’ that the company can take.

Lamarr noted he has received evidence from 25 to 30 other black families of similar incidents at the Sesame Street-based theme park over the years.

This story reminds me of my hunch from looking at David Rozado’s vast new analysis of a half century of academic and news media articles about who is driving the Great Awokening: Is it the press or academia?

Over the last dozen years or so, it’s been less one or the other, and more angry dimwits on Black Twitter (and other social media communities) leaping to fallacious conclusions, which the New York Times and the Harvard faculty then feel obligated to follow up.

[Comment at Unz.com]

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