By Miriam Pfahler
1 year on international television….2 years on international television….Count Von Count has quite the job this week as he and his fellow Sesame Street neighbors celebrate 40 years on the air.

Yes, Big Bird and friends are 40 as of Tuesday. Michele Obama made an appearance on the special anniversary episode, helping Elmo and Big Bird plant a healthy vegetable garden. Even Google has gotten in on the celebration. Their logo has changed daily for the past week, showcasing different elements from the beloved show.

Although the last time I watched the lovable group of puppets probably coincided with the last time that I ate Play-Doh, I found myself taking a trip down memory lane this week. I loved Sesame Street and it has a fond place in my heart. But did its importance go beyond entertainment value?

Cathy Wilt, assistant professor in the Education Department, thinks Sesame Street has been a good learning tool for kids. “They learn in more subtle ways; in ways that they probably don’t even know that they’re learning,” says Wilt. The program incorporates sounds, music, rhythm, and basic instruction to aide in the understanding of numbers, sounds, and letters.

Wilt also praises Sesame Street for it’s cultural awareness, especially as a mother who raised her children in a rural setting. The show is set, after all, in the very urban New York City. “My children were exposed to something different from what they saw in small-town Iowa,” says Wilt. “I really appreciated that from a parent’s view point.”

Corrine Youngberg remembers watching the program as a kid. Although she recalls watching it more for the entertainment value she does think it dug deeper than that. “I think the traditional Sesame Street had some value to teaching,” says Youngberg. “Sesame Street reinforced what our parents were teaching all of us at the time.”

But what about those that criticize Sesame Street because it is a TV show? Are they just a bunch of grumps, or do they have a point? Wilt admits that, while providing entertainment and some educational value, children’s shows do lead children to expect constant visual stimulation that the rest of the world may not be able to offer. “There’s really nothing that can meet early learning needs more than just reading to children,” Wilt says. “Television doesn’t replace that.”

No matter what critics say, Sesame Street’s popularity is undeniable. It now airs in over 100 countries and has won a score of Emmy’s. So Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Elmo and the rest of the gang can rest easy knowing that their “Sunny days” are far from over.

Click here for videos and more information on Sesame Street's anniversary.
(Nov. 12)