--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Parents embraced “Sesame Street” for…" description: "\"“Parents embraced “Sesame Street” for several reasons, among them that it assuaged their guilt over the fact that they could not or would not restrict ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1e/neil-postman-1598_breakfast-cereal_parents-embraced-sesame-street-for-sever_2211370.jpg" --- # Parents embraced “Sesame Street” for several reasons… ![“Parents embraced “Sesame Street” for several reasons, among them that it assuaged their guilt over the fact that they could not or would not restrict their children’s access to television. “Sesame Street” appeared to justify allowing a four- or five-year-old to sit transfixed in front of a…” quote by Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1e/neil-postman-1598_breakfast-cereal_parents-embraced-sesame-street-for-sever_2211370.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1e/neil-postman-1598_breakfast-cereal_parents-embraced-sesame-street-for-sever_2211370.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1e/neil-postman-1598_breakfast-cereal_parents-embraced-sesame-street-for-sever_2211370.jpg) > ““Parents embraced “Sesame Street” for several reasons, among them that it assuaged their guilt over the fact that they could not or would not restrict their children’s access to television. “Sesame Street” appeared to justify allowing a four- or five-year-old to sit transfixed in front of a television screen for unnatural periods of time. Parents were eager to hope that television could teach their children something other than which breakfast cereal has the most crackle. At the same time, “Sesame Street” relieved them of the responsibility of teaching their pre-school children how to read—no small matter in a culture where children are apt to be considered a nuisance… We now know that “Sesame Street” encourages children to love school only if school is like “Sesame Street.” Which is to say, we now know that “Sesame Street” undermines what the traditional idea of schooling represents.”” [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Postman argues that television, exemplified by “Sesame Street,” pacifies parental guilt while subtly reshaping educational values, turning schooling into entertainment rather than rigorous learning. **In simple terms:** TV eases parental guilt but turns learning into entertainment. Key Takeaway Critically assess media’s role in education. Themes media influence parental guilt education entertainment culture Mood concerned analytical skeptical Type critical educational When to use this quote - parental decision‑making - curriculum design - media literacy programs - advocating for balanced screen time Key Concepts critical media theory cultural criticism pedagogy Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance educational content with entertainment? - What responsibilities do creators have toward young audiences? A Different Perspective The claim may overlook positive educational outcomes of well‑designed programs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Breakfast cereal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breakfast-cereal/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Embraced Sesame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/embraced-sesame-4897588/) [Encourages Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encourages-children-4858988/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents/) [Sesame street](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sesame-street/) [Television Sesame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television-sesame-4897587/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Common Core, the initiative that claims to more accurately measure K-12 student knowledge in English and math, also encourages children to step up their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harsanyi/common-core-the-initiative-that-claims-to-more-accurately-measure-k/) [David Harsanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harsanyi/) > [In both cooperative learning and project work, the teacher encourages children to talk to one another. This helps them pay attention to each other's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilian-katz/in-both-cooperative-learning-and-project-work-the-teacher-encourages/) [Lilian Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilian-katz/) > [“It seems that every movie is a remake of something that was better when it was first released in a foreign language, as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/it-seems-that-every-movie-is-a-remake-of-something-that-was-better/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [“When I look closely at dairy, I see the hurtful exploitation of specifically female bodies so that some people can enjoy sensual pleasures of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pattrice-jones/when-i-look-closely-at-dairy-i-see-the-hurtful-exploitation-of/) [pattrice jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pattrice-jones/) > [The days of my youth I remember as nearly always in need of explanation, and not as much fun as advertised in the promotions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-h-lapham/the-days-of-my-youth-i-remember-as-nearly-always-in-need-of/) [Lewis H. 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Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adlai-e-stevenson/) > [“Cheerios One bright morning in a restaurant in Chicago as I waited for my eggs and toast, I opened the Tribune only to discover…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-collins/cheerios-one-bright-morning-in-a-restaurant-in-chicago-as-i-waited/) [Billy Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-collins/) > [“A hero of the piece was John Draper, a hacker known as Captain Crunch because he had discovered that the sound emitted by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/a-hero-of-the-piece-was-john-draper-a-hacker-known-as-captain-crunch/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“Lucky Charms are like the vampires of breakfast cereal. They're magical, they're delicious, they're a little bit dangerous and bad for you. They initially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/lucky-charms-are-like-the-vampires-of-breakfast-cereal-they-re/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Breakfast cereals that come in the same colors as polyester leisure suits make oversleeping a virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/breakfast-cereals-that-come-in-the-same-colors-as-polyester-leisure/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [That was his mother. When she wasn't crying over the breakfast cereal, she was laughing about killing herself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/that-was-his-mother-when-she-wasn-t-crying-over-the-breakfast-cereal/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [“I carried with me into the West End Bar, the White Horse Tavern, a long list of things I would never do: I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-roiphe/i-carried-with-me-into-the-west-end-bar-the-white-horse-tavern-a-long/) [Anne Roiphe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-roiphe/) > [My favorite breakfast cereal is Cocoa Pebbles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valentin-chmerkovskiy/my-favorite-breakfast-cereal-is-cocoa-pebbles/) [Valentin Chmerkovskiy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valentin-chmerkovskiy/) > [Your favorite kind of cake can't be birthday cake, that's like saying your favorite kind of cereal is breakfast cereal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aziz-ansari/your-favorite-kind-of-cake-can-t-be-birthday-cake-that-s-like-saying/) [Aziz Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aziz-ansari/) > [To become a celebrity is to become a brand name. There is Ivory Soap, Rice Krispies, and Philip Roth. Ivory is the soap that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/to-become-a-celebrity-is-to-become-a-brand-name-there-is-ivory-soap/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) ## More by Neil Postman > [“to whom will the technology give greater power and freedom? And whose power and freedom will be reduced by it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/to-whom-will-the-technology-give-greater-power-and-freedom-and-whose/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [Cyberspace' is a metaphorical idea which is supposed to be the space where your consciousness is located when you're using computer technology on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/cyberspace-is-a-metaphorical-idea-which-is-supposed-to-be-the-space/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [Textbooks, it seems to me, are enemies of education, instruments for promoting dogmatism and trivial learning. They may save the teacher some trouble, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/textbooks-it-seems-to-me-are-enemies-of-education-instruments-for/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [The whole problem with news on television comes down to this: all the words uttered in an hour of news coverage could be printed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/the-whole-problem-with-news-on-television-comes-down-to-this-all-the/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“There being no international copyright laws, “pirated” editions abounded, with no complaint from the public, or much from authors, who were lionized.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/there-being-no-international-copyright-laws-pirated-editions-abounded/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“The television commercial is not at all about the character of products to be consumed. It is about the character of the consumers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/the-television-commercial-is-not-at-all-about-the-character-of/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“Many decisions about the form and content of news programs are made on the basis of information about the viewer, the purpose of which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/many-decisions-about-the-form-and-content-of-news-programs-are-made/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“the world we live in is very nearly incomprehensible to most of us. There is almost no fact, whether actual or imagined, that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/the-world-we-live-in-is-very-nearly-incomprehensible-to-most-of-us/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“Tüketici psikodramalarla yatıştırılan bir hastadır.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/t-ketici-psikodramalarla-yat-t-r-lan-bir-hastad-r/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“Huxley grasped, as Orwell did not, that it is not necessary to conceal anything from a public insensible to contradiction and narcotized by technological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/huxley-grasped-as-orwell-did-not-that-it-is-not-necessary-to-conceal/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“The written word is assumed to have been reflected upon and revised by its author,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/the-written-word-is-assumed-to-have-been-reflected-upon-and-revised/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [We do not measure a culture by its output of undisguised trivialities but by what it claims as significant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/we-do-not-measure-a-culture-by-its-output-of-undisguised-trivialities/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“In America, the least amusing people are its professional entertainers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/in-america-the-least-amusing-people-are-its-professional-entertainers/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“We were keeping our eye on 1984. When the year came and the prophecy didn't, thoughtful Americans sang softly in praise of themselves. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/we-were-keeping-our-eye-on-1984-when-the-year-came-and-the-prophecy/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“The question is not, Does or doesn't public schooling create a public? The question is, What kind of public does it create? A conglomerate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/the-question-is-not-does-or-doesn-t-public-schooling-create-a-public/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) [Explore all 220 Neil Postman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) ## More Breakfast cereal quotes > [To become a celebrity is to become a brand name. There is Ivory Soap, Rice Krispies, and Philip Roth. Ivory is the soap that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/to-become-a-celebrity-is-to-become-a-brand-name-there-is-ivory-soap/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [Your favorite kind of cake can't be birthday cake, that's like saying your favorite kind of cereal is breakfast cereal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aziz-ansari/your-favorite-kind-of-cake-can-t-be-birthday-cake-that-s-like-saying/) [Aziz Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aziz-ansari/) > [My favorite breakfast cereal is Cocoa Pebbles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valentin-chmerkovskiy/my-favorite-breakfast-cereal-is-cocoa-pebbles/) [Valentin Chmerkovskiy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valentin-chmerkovskiy/) > [“I carried with me into the West End Bar, the White Horse Tavern, a long list of things I would never do: I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-roiphe/i-carried-with-me-into-the-west-end-bar-the-white-horse-tavern-a-long/) [Anne Roiphe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-roiphe/) > [That was his mother. When she wasn't crying over the breakfast cereal, she was laughing about killing herself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/that-was-his-mother-when-she-wasn-t-crying-over-the-breakfast-cereal/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [Breakfast cereals that come in the same colors as polyester leisure suits make oversleeping a virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/breakfast-cereals-that-come-in-the-same-colors-as-polyester-leisure/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [“Lucky Charms are like the vampires of breakfast cereal. They're magical, they're delicious, they're a little bit dangerous and bad for you. They initially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/lucky-charms-are-like-the-vampires-of-breakfast-cereal-they-re/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“A hero of the piece was John Draper, a hacker known as Captain Crunch because he had discovered that the sound emitted by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/a-hero-of-the-piece-was-john-draper-a-hacker-known-as-captain-crunch/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“Cheerios One bright morning in a restaurant in Chicago as I waited for my eggs and toast, I opened the Tribune only to discover…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-collins/cheerios-one-bright-morning-in-a-restaurant-in-chicago-as-i-waited/) [Billy Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-collins/) > [The idea that you can merchandise candidates for high office like breakfast cereal - that you can gather votes like box tops - is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adlai-e-stevenson/the-idea-that-you-can-merchandise-candidates-for-high-office-like/) [Adlai E. Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adlai-e-stevenson/) > [The days of my youth I remember as nearly always in need of explanation, and not as much fun as advertised in the promotions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-h-lapham/the-days-of-my-youth-i-remember-as-nearly-always-in-need-of/) [Lewis H. Lapham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-h-lapham/) > [“When I look closely at dairy, I see the hurtful exploitation of specifically female bodies so that some people can enjoy sensual pleasures of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pattrice-jones/when-i-look-closely-at-dairy-i-see-the-hurtful-exploitation-of/) [pattrice jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pattrice-jones/) > [“It seems that every movie is a remake of something that was better when it was first released in a foreign language, as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/it-seems-that-every-movie-is-a-remake-of-something-that-was-better/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [“He welcomes the chance to do fatherly things with the little girl, and those ten morning minutes with dear little four-year-old Ruby, with her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-spencer/he-welcomes-the-chance-to-do-fatherly-things-with-the-little-girl-and/) [Scott Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-spencer/) > [“In life, as in breakfast cereal, it is always best to read the instructions on the box.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/in-life-as-in-breakfast-cereal-it-is-always-best-to-read-the/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) [Browse all 52 Breakfast cereal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breakfast-cereal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Parents embraced “Sesame Street” for several reasons, among them that it assuaged their guilt over the fact that they could not or would not restrict their children’s access to television. “Sesame Street” appeared to justify allowing a four- or five-year-old to sit transfixed in front of a television screen for unnatural periods of time. Parents were eager to hope that television could teach their children something other than which breakfast cereal has the most crackle. At the same time, “Sesame Street” relieved them of the responsibility of teaching their pre-school children how to read—no small matter in a culture where children are apt to be considered a nuisance… We now know that “Sesame Street” encourages children to love school only if school is like “Sesame Street.” Which is to say, we now know that “Sesame Street” undermines what the traditional idea of schooling represents.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Neil Postman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/parents-embraced-sesame-street-for-several-reasons-among-them-that-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Breakfast cereal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/parents-embraced-sesame-street-for-several-reasons-among-them-that-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1e/neil-postman-1598_breakfast-cereal_parents-embraced-sesame-street-for-sever_2211370.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1e/neil-postman-1598_breakfast-cereal_parents-embraced-sesame-street-for-sever_2211370.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1e/neil-postman-1598_breakfast-cereal_parents-embraced-sesame-street-for-sever_2211370.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Parents embraced “Sesame Street” for several reasons, among them that it assuaged their guilt over the fact…” — Neil Postman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Neil Postman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Parents embraced “Sesame Street” for several...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/parents-embraced-sesame-street-for-several-reasons-among-them-that-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/parents-embraced-sesame-street-for-several-reasons-among-them-that-it/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```