I was reading about how Sesame Street has decided that Cookie Monster promotes childhood obesity, so they're gonna have him now promote the idea that cookies are "sometimes" food.
Cookie Monster promotes childhood obesity? What are they babbling about?
When I watched Sesame Street, these many many years ago, I don't recall that Cookie Monster promoted anything other than comedy. The poor dumb bastard was presented with cookies, then we watched as his id battled with his superego about whether or not he was going to eat 'em, and in the end he always did. I say "eat" but since the Muppets have no actual mouth-hole, it was more like "crumble to little bits that fly everywhere." That was actually funnier. He had no self-control when it came to cookies. Hence the name "Cookie Monster."
I had no self-control either; but I was a child and didn't know any better. That's what parents are for. They limited me to three cookies, or two donuts, or one pack of Twinkies, or whatever junk food was around. This may have been because I got uncontrollably hyper when I did eat sugar, but my parents also recognized that you don't just give kids whatever they want, whenever they want it.
Most parents currently make that mistake. It's easier to give in; they spend more time having "fun" with the kids instead of arguing with them (or so they think; it never actually turns out that way); they figure, "I have the money, so I can afford it"; and (worst of all) they don't want to deprive their kids in the same way that they were deprived when they were kids. Never mind that deprivation taught them to succeed so that they could get what they wanted; they've blotted that part of their lives out of their minds and don't think about it anymore. As a result their kids won't be deprived; and they won't succeed either. They'll just expect things to be given to them automatically. Like they do now.
It's sad that Cookie Monster has to make up for the parents' sloppy jobs.
Of course my own addictions include Cheez-Its. I often turn into Cheez-It Monster (left) but believe it or not, what got me off those square orange opiates is the fact that the price went up to more than $2 per box.
Recommended reading. The Internet Monk’s comments on five things your youth minister needs to hear. Because they do. You've likely heard me rant enough about youth ministers anyway; I like his comments a lot.
Recommended listening. The last two Wired Jesus Podcast episodes about why some guy isn't a Christian. It's interesting to listen to, especially since I have a similar background and yet I turned out Christian and he didn't. But hey, if your Christianity is based on logic, you're in trouble. For every logic statement Jesus made, he pitched two paradoxes. That's just what the kingdom is like. Deal with it.