"Million Muppet March" planned to defend U.S. backing for PBS

**Rockntractor** · 10-13-2012, 12:29 AM

By Daniel Trotta

(Reuters) - Plans to save Big Bird, the fuzzy yellow character on U.S. public television's "Sesame Street," from possible extinction are taking shape in the form of a puppet-based protest next month dubbed the "Million Muppet March."

The demonstration is planned for November 3 at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., three days before the general election.

Before the presidential debate between Democratic President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney had concluded on October 3, two men who had never met each floated the Million Muppet March idea on social media. They immediately united to defend public broadcasting.

Romney pledged during the debate to end the U.S. federal government's subsidy for the Public Broadcasting Service despite his professed love for Big Bird, one of the characters on PBS's 43-year-old children's educational program "Sesame Street," which features the Muppets.

Michael Bellavia, 43, an animation executive from Los Angeles, and Chris Mecham, 46, a university student in Idaho, separately came up with the Million Muppet March idea in response.

Big Bird, played by actor Carroll Spinney in an 8-foot (2.5-metre) bird costume, is strictly speaking not a member of the group of puppet characters known as the Muppets.

Bellavia bought the Internet address www.millionmuppetmarch.com during the debate and discovered Mecham had already started a Facebook page by the same name.

Within 30 minutes of the end of the debate they were on the phone with each other, planning the march. Continued...

http://ca.reuters.com/article/entert...ntNews&rpc=603

And there you have it, to hell with the economy, war on terriers, health care and the rest, the campaign is switching gears to save the Muppet's!

**Apache** · 10-13-2012, 01:51 AM

Originally Posted by Rockntractor

By Daniel Trotta

(Reuters) - Plans to save Big Bird, the fuzzy yellow character on U.S. public television's "Sesame Street," from possible extinction are taking shape in the form of a puppet-based protest next month dubbed the "Million Muppet March."

The demonstration is planned for November 3 at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., three days before the general election.

Before the presidential debate between Democratic President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney had concluded on October 3, two men who had never met each floated the Million Muppet March idea on social media. They immediately united to defend public broadcasting.

Romney pledged during the debate to end the U.S. federal government's subsidy for the Public Broadcasting Service despite his professed love for Big Bird, one of the characters on PBS's 43-year-old children's educational program "Sesame Street," which features the Muppets.

Michael Bellavia, 43, an animation executive from Los Angeles, and Chris Mecham, 46, a university student in Idaho, separately came up with the Million Muppet March idea in response.

Big Bird, played by actor Carroll Spinney in an 8-foot (2.5-metre) bird costume, is strictly speaking not a member of the group of puppet characters known as the Muppets.

Bellavia bought the Internet address www.millionmuppetmarch.com during the debate and discovered Mecham had already started a Facebook page by the same name.

Within 30 minutes of the end of the debate they were on the phone with each other, planning the march. Continued...

http://ca.reuters.com/article/entert...ntNews&rpc=603

And there you have it, to hell with the economy, war on terriers, health care and the rest, the campaign is switching gears to save the Muppet's!

two senses missing: common and humor....

JB · 10-13-2012, 02:57 AM

and Chris Mecham, 46, a university student in Idaho

Wait. What.

Someone tell this load that 26 is the cutoff to be on his parents insurance.

**Hubie** · 10-13-2012, 05:18 AM

Considering that the yearly revenue from the sale of Sesame Street merchandise alone could easily fund the rest of PBS, I don't think Big Bird and the Muppets are going anywhere soon.

**Apocalypse** · 10-13-2012, 11:02 AM

Its not about saving Big Bird, its about protecting a left leaning outlet to brainwash the masses.

Far as this "March" goes. A bunch of loonies in front of the Capt. on a Sat. with 90% of them wearing some goofy Muppet like outfit. And this will sway voters who likely have already decided who they will vote for. In a extremely blue district.

I hope it rains.

**Rockntractor** · 10-13-2012, 11:21 AM

What we are witnessing here is the natural evolution of liberal politics and the OWS movement, some how we all knew this would end with Furries and sex in animal costumes in Washington, it had to be this way.

**NJCardFan** · 10-13-2012, 01:56 PM

PBS also gets plenty of funding from private doners. PBS should be cut off from the public dole. I mean, Bill Moyers makes upwards of $800K or something like that. Tax payer dollars mind you.

**Gina** · 10-13-2012, 02:19 PM

O'Reilly said the other night that Moyers sells DVDs of his PBS stuff and keeps the money himself. I mean huh.

**Unreconstructed Reb** · 10-14-2012, 10:42 AM

I applied for a Big Bird tag and I'll know if I got it on November 6th.

**Odysseus** · 10-14-2012, 01:56 PM

Whenever PBS's funding is scrutinized, the make one of two claims, either that they get next to nothing from the government, so it doesn't matter, or they are dependent upon it, and that the cut would destroy them. These are mutually exclusive claims, but it doesn't matter. The real issue is that PBS supports the idea of government subsidies to media, which, like government subsidies to art, leads to broadcasters currying favor with the grant givers, rather than the public. This turns media into a government lapdog, without overt control by the feds.