Welcome to A Prairie Dawn Companion, the new podcast from ToughPigs.com! On “A Prairie Dawn Companion,” Becca Petunia applies a feminist lens to the history of Sesame Street. Although Sesame always prioritized diversity, it is well-known that prior to the 1990s, the show did not devote much time to its female Muppets. As a lifelong Sesame superfan, Becca seeks to explore the history of the street’s female Muppets and the women who performed them in an effort to bring attention to these important figures. In doing so, she also delves into feminist media criticism to look at what worked and what didn’t about Sesame’s many attempts to bring the spotlight to the girls of the world.
In Episode 1: Sesame Street’s Origins and Androcentrism, Becca discusses the show’s premise before taking a close look at the early days of Sesame Street, including a deep dive into the show’s first episode. Featured in this episode are discussions of Anything Muppets, Jane Henson, Caroly Wilcox, and the principle of “androcentrism” in character design.
So grab your pianos, magic wands, and pet rocks, and consider yourself part of the furniture. Enjoy!
Find us at “Muppet Fan Podcasts with ToughPigs.com” on your favorite podcast catchers, including Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or Spotify!
Credits:
Written, Hosted, and Edited by Becca Petunia
Character Art by Becca Petunia
Podcast Artwork by Joe Hennes
Executive Producer: Joe Hennes
Research Help: Tony Whitaker, Shane Keating, Scott Hanson
Special thanks to Muppet Wiki, Michal Richardson, Katilyn Miller, Eli Lee, and the whole ToughPigs team
Click here to change an Anything Muppet‘s wig on the ToughPigs Discord!
