Sunny day/ but we know that you’re not OK...

From the very beginning, the public television show Sesame Street was designed to be something that would capture children’s attention so that it could educate them, not just entertain. So it may have seemed surprising when Sea World announced last week that it would be converting its Chula Vista water park Aquatica into Sesame Place San Diego. Who ever heard of turning a vacation destination into an educational experience?

You’d be blue, too, if your life was ruled by an overwhelming desire for chemical stimulation.

Actually, it makes perfect sense, says Sesame Place outreach manager Kermit Green. “At Disneyland, just up the road, you’ve got all the wish fulfillment you could ever wish for, what with all the princesses and space rangers running around. Here at Sesame Place, we’re aiming at something a little less fantastic, but we think, a little more important. Consider; we’ve got Cookie Monster, a character who is more significant than ever during the opioid crisis currently ravaging America. Families need to learn to talk to their kids about addiction, and Cookie Monster and his constant craving are there to help them. Granted, vacation may seem like the wrong sort of setting for that kind of difficult discussion, but we here at Sesame Place think it’s actually perfect. When you’re on vacation, there’s no work or school or sports or anything like that to distract you from each other. It’s a great time to work on issues, on relationships, on all the things that make a family thrive, or, in some sad cases, fail.”

Some homeless encampments are tidier than others, but it’s still blocking the sidewalk.

And Cookie Monster is just the beginning, continues Green. “Everyone knows the Count has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and lives his life near one extreme of the spectrum. Everything is numbers for him. And yet, he’s found a place in Sesame Street’s community; the rest of the gang has figured out ways to relate to him that don’t make him feel less than human just because he lacks ordinary social skills. And speaking of less than human: as the homeless community in San Diego and all across America swells, empathy for Oscar the Grouch, a filthy, matted muppet who lives in a garbage can and is frequently hostile, is increasingly important. Additional fun fact: few people realize that Big Bird also lives on the streets, and while he knows how to get along with others, the fact remains that he suffers from crippling depression and anxiety, which manifest in the form of an invisible friend, Snuffleupagus. How many families have members who suffer from problems that can’t readily be seen? Lots. So come on down to Sesame Place, have fun, and work your shit out!”