Jul 26 2006
Sprout-ing controversy
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Back in October 2005, my satellite TV provider changed the PBS Kids channel into PBS Kids Sprout, the 24-hour channel for preschoolers. I wrote about it in "Sprout Update" on my personal blog, A Mama’s Rant, since it was a topic of discussion among my friends. (I was pro Sprout since it was a lifesaver when staying up all night with a then sick Lucie.)
This week I’ve gotten over 25 40 comments and thousands of hits per day on this post. Why? Because Melanie Martinez, the host of "The Good Night Show" made two comedy videos seven years ago that spoofed teen abstinence public service ads and featured jokes about vibrators and sex acts. Melanie was subsequently fired by PBS after she told her producers about the videos last week.
I find it interesting that someone commented on my blog back on July 11 about the video and sarcastically called Melanie a "nice roll model." Was her outing - and the comments around it - the reason for her firing? Still it makes no sense since PBS’s Sesame Street has featured some other "nice roll models" like Robin Williams, Johnny Cash, and Richard Pryor who all have admitted to drug problems, and other stars like Susan Sarandon, Robert DeNiro and Glenn Close who’ve all done adult work in their film careers.
PBS released this explanation of the reasons for firing her. In the meanwhile, a Save Melanie Petition has been started as well as the BringBackMel blog with links to news stories and the PBS Ombudsman. The Philadelphia Inquirer has been covering this story as well in Sprout Grows Sillier (towards the end) and Videos Lead to Firing of Children’s Show Host.
My feelings? PBS is extremely hypocritical considering that, as the Philadelphia Inquirer reports:
"In 2004, actress Alison Bartlett, who plays veterinarian Gina Jefferson on Sesame Street, appeared semi-nude in a love scene on The Sopranos. At the time, Sesame Street’s executive producer said the Sopranos role was not a conflict."
But I think it’s more sinister than Melanie being fired for work she did seven years ago. I have a strong feeling that she was pregnant and this was her producers’ excuse for firing her instead of working around her pregnancy. I could be COMPLETELY WRONG (gawd, I hope so) but lately she had been looking a little plumper around her face and neck and she had a bit of a tummy bump. Her jacket seemed recut to be looser. Also, the recent addition of the puppet character, Star, seemed a way to conceal her tummy as well.
Melanie has not been interviewed in the press yet about her firing, so only time will tell if I’m right or not.
(May 3, 2006 file photo in Paulsboro, N.J. Associated Press)
The plot thickens, I hadn’t heard about her being pregnant! PBS has so real issues though I can’t really grasp where they stand on issues. The promote tolerance in so many of their programs and yet seem to have no tolerance of their own.
Shame on PBS….but my kids will still watch PBS programming…who else will babysit my kids without swearing. LOL
That’s interesting…
Gina appeared semi-nude? Baby Bear must have had a heart attack. I hope he was asleep before it aired.
I agree that Melanie’s firing is ridiculous, regardless of the true cause (although if it’s pregnancy, she has a whopper of a lawsuit if she chooses to pursue it). I had actually sent PBS an e-mail earlier today to protest, so I’m glad you also provided the link to the petition.
God knows, if we could all be fired for past mistakes, errors in judgment, or just anything that someone else might potentially find offensive–obviously no one would be employed. Sheesh.
She is not pregnant. She has one child who plays with my child at our local playground and pool. I told her you were spreading a rumor that she was having a baby and she laughed it off. She is probably 100lbs tops! My letters to Comcast and Sprout also included the information about Alison Bartlett, which makes the PBS president’s statements even more absurd-if you are following the situation. I support my friend and know she was wronged on many levels. She is a talented beautiful person who is always the life of the party and all of the parents in our neighborhood support her 100%. We don’t support Sprout and won’t watch it anymore.
PBS all but said in the NY Times the other day that the decision will NOT be reconsidered, at all. Basically, we don’t care what you think, we don’t care what thousands of our viewers think, this is our network and we’ll do what we want.
So much for “viewer supported”.
This viewer will NOT be supporting the network anymore. Or any other PBS affiliate. Which is too bad, because overall I enjoy PBS. But I just can’t watch it anymore. It makes me angry.
And in the wake of the PBS President’s position on free speech and how PBS should be somehow exempted from the “decency” standards set forth by the FCC, this decision seems all the more filled with hypocrasy. You really want to get mad? Read the article about PBS and the FCC Indecency rules. Seems everyone but Melanie is allowed to do what they want.
Becky Y., if you know Melanie, please tell her that my daughter loves her, misses her, and says Goodnight to her every night, even if she can’t actually watch her anymore. I just want to give Melanie a big hug.