Lily, New Sesame Street Muppet, Is 'Food Insecure' (PHOTO)

The upcoming season of "Sesame Street" is packed with cameos from the biggest names in glitzy Hollywood, but it is a 7-year old, food insecure girl that will perhaps make the biggest impact for the show.

Did we mention that she's a Muppet?

Sesame Street Workshop unveiled that Lily, a pink Muppet in a blue dress, will appear in PBS's upcoming special that addresses food insecurity, or the lack of a reliable access to food. The special, which will air Sunday, aims to tell the stories of families who are going hungry, and will see Lily, uncomfortable with both her economic situation as well as potential public stigma, go to a community garden and meet Sesame Street mainstays such as Grover and Elmo.

Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams Paisley will feature in the special, and released a joint statement praising the show on Thursday.

“Food insecurity is a growing and difficult issue for adults to discuss, much less children,” they said. “We are honored that Sesame Street, with its long history of tackling difficult issues with sensitivity, caring and warmth asked us to be a part of this important project.”

Thus far, they only plan to use Lily in the one special. The show introduced mainstay Abby Caddaby in 2006.

WATCH:

Comments

[americanmademag]

09:17 AM on 10/13/2011

Please take a look at our recent article on american made magazine which discusses further insights, particularly into the partnership with Walmart and Sesame Street and asks the question - Do we have the opportunity to create change and have real impacts on hunger and poverty in America?
http://americanmademagazine.com/2011/10/13/growing-hope-against-hunger-is-this-an-american-made-problem/

[Giverny]

06:02 PM on 10/05/2011

There are so many remarks here that are angry and hateful aimed at hungry children. The idea that they would believe we have no hungry children, families, here in America is a incredible. We have never conquered hunger and the fact we attempt to feed other countries before we finish the job here is another betrayal of our legacy. In one of the richest countries in the world we have people mocking hunger paints quite a picture of the mindset of this nation right now. 1 in six families cannot feed their children. 38 million people go to bed hungry. 47 million people cannot read a newspaper and we are cutting funding for children in education, assistance programs, and listen to the anger over giving 1 million children healthcare. All you hear from them is repeal it!
I do not remember this much vehemence in my entire life until the last two years. I'd like to see those who came out with a voice against children's welfare crawl back under their rocks and stay there.

http://www.worldhunger.org/us_hunger_pictures.htm
http://feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/hunger-studies/hunger-study-2010.aspx
http://nativeamericannetroots.net/diary/693/starving-in-the-land-of-plenty-hunger-in-native-america-feeding-america-blogathon

[Alois SaintMartin]

05:09 PM on 10/05/2011

Arrested Development is Back ... Do you know where your Aternative Snacks are ?

[-swift]

08:46 AM on 10/05/2011

And then a pale, wrinkled muppet with white hair drives by in a limo and shouts "Get a job!"

[aviandonn]

04:25 PM on 10/05/2011

Zing! 10 points!

[darkmark]

11:55 AM on 10/09/2011

And then a pale, wrinkled muppet with white hair drives by in a limo and shouts "grow marijuana and make some money. what choice do you have the corporates don't want you."

[Kali03]

10:21 PM on 10/04/2011

This makes me sad. No matter what, this is a wealthy country and we should all feel a degree of shame that our citizens go hungry, especially when it pertains to children or the elderly.

I don't know how folks like the Koch brothers sleep at night, I really don't.

[Giverny]

04:25 PM on 10/05/2011

Kind of like Cheney does. You have to have a soul to have a conscience and a heart.

[Marturia]

06:44 PM on 10/04/2011

It's a great concept - teaching people how to grow their own food, reducing the stigma and embarassment for families who need food assistance. I think it's a wonderful addition to Sesame Street. Just another way for children (and parents) to learn how to get what they need during tough times - without judgment.

[hypnotoad72]

07:59 PM on 10/04/2011

Given the amount of time, and space, and water, and fertilizer for optimal performance, it takes to grow food adequate for one day's consumption... 

I'm not denying it's possible.  But it's impracticable for many.

It is a great concept, but there's far more going on that renders the concept moot.

[halcyondaze]

10:20 PM on 10/04/2011

People might not be able to grow every bit of every meal, but even a portion of a meal being home grown would reduce prices at the checkout lines.

Impracticality is simply a person to person thing.

[Marturia]

12:11 PM on 10/05/2011

Whether you use a plot of land, a raised bed, window boxes or just pots on the patio, you can grow enough to supplement your diet. And at the very least, viewers will learn where their food comes from - and that's important.

[Giverny]

04:26 PM on 10/05/2011

And then winter comes.

[Supersteel]

05:12 PM on 10/04/2011

Study finds that greater proximity to supermarkets DOES NOT increase fruit and vegetable intake and does not make people, men in particular, any healthier. A 2011 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, “Fast Food Restaurants and Food Stores,” used 15 years of data on more than 5,000 young adults 18–30 years old in a variety of places around the United States. The study's findings include: 1) Higher levels of fast food consumption were strongly correlated to fast food availability, particularly among low-income men with fast food restaurants within 1.00 to 2.99 km of their homes. A 1% increase in fast food availability within 1 km and 3 km of the home was associated with a 0.13% and 0.34% increase in fast food consumption, respectively; 2) Greater proximity to supermarkets was not correlated in any consistent fashion with diet outcomes, nor was it associated with fruit and vegetable intake levels; 3) There were no consistent or strong correlations between neighborhood fast food availability and individual consumption of fast food for women of any income level; 4) On average, men of all income levels consumed fast food 2.1 times a week, while their female counterparts consumed such food only 1.6 times. The study’s authors conclude that by “promoting greater access to supermarkets, several U.S. policies aim to improve diets through provision of affordable healthy foods, particularly fresh produce in underserved areas. Our findings do not support this initiative in young to middle-aged adults. Rather, they suggest that adding neighborhood supermarkets may have little benefit to diet quality across the income spectrum and that alternative policy options such as targeting specific foods or shifting food costs (subsidization or taxation) should be further considered

[Giverny]

04:32 PM on 10/05/2011

This isn't about proximity to supermarkets, it's proximity to cash to go to a supermarket. People are skipping meals to feed the children or spreading it out to feed themselves. I know an elderly woman who skips one meal every day and every other day skips two meals. Is this acceptable for out elders? Then you have kids who do not get breakfast. Or do not bring a lunch because they just can't. You wonder what they will get for dinner. 1 in every five children lives in poverty due to the job losses. This is not about deadbeat families. It's about jobs and lack of them.

[Supersteel]

07:01 PM on 10/06/2011

Yes it was, since the one poster kept yelling "Food deserts, food deserts" Our elders shoud have plenty of money by now, having lived decades. and indeed the wealthiest age group is our elders. Those kids dont get lunch and breakfast because their parents failed them.

[Supersteel]

05:09 PM on 10/04/2011

Residents of food desert areas have no alternative but to utilize private cars, travel several miles on foot, or use public transit to gain access to healthy food. *** OMG, they have to travel to get food? None of us do that!

[Supersteel]

05:08 PM on 10/04/2011

Food desserts caused by lack of demand for healthy food. low demand, low supply. They don't open chains because of low demand, high crime, low return on investment. **** All things within the control of the people who live in those neighborhoods. they dont want healthy food, they commit more crimes, they dont get healthy food.

[deepintheheartoftejas]

12:56 PM on 10/05/2011

I thought most food desserts were caused by a craving for something sweet after dinner.

[Supersteel]

07:00 PM on 10/06/2011

my bad

[Supersteel]

05:03 PM on 10/04/2011

No muppet is going to make parents actually good parents who care. it wont make them stop going to mcdonalds and it wont make them stop watching 8 hrs of tv a day instead of cooking, etc. So good for SS i guess but it doesn't really do anything.

[halcyondaze]

10:22 PM on 10/04/2011

Did you read the article? Food insecurity, not poor judgement in meal choices.

[Giverny]

10:20 PM on 10/06/2011

Sesame street isn't for the parents, it's a children's show. The muppet is so children can understand what some of their classmates are going through.

[kvkop]

05:03 PM on 10/04/2011

Kudos to Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams! I have seen so many "celebrities" trying to get OUR hard earned money for people in OTHER countries lately, when this proves that AMERICAN children need help too!!!! I will do what I can to help! Thank you Seasame Street, no wonder you are still number one after sooooooooo many years!!!!

[sydney01]

05:02 PM on 10/04/2011

The people making comments about the underfed being lazy, you need to research the term FOOD DESERT. Some areas don't have grocery stores or places to buy nutritious food. People have to get their food from gas stations and convenience stores which means they can occasionally eat, but it is all void of nutrition. Seriously, educate yourselves.

[Supersteel]

05:04 PM on 10/04/2011

It's amazing that they are forced to live in those areas and are prevented from travelling outside those areas to shop.

[Supersteel]

05:05 PM on 10/04/2011

Even when given choices, the poor usually choose the tastes good but bad for you quick food. over and over. if they chose healthy foods, they would indeed pop up in their neighborhoods. they prefer burgers, fried chicken, etc.

[JZ515]

08:15 PM on 10/04/2011

Really? That is a stereotype. I live in a "poor" neighborhood that has been trying to attract a health food store and every single neighbor is super excited because they don't have to take a 30 minute + bus ride with two changes in order to get to the closest grocery store (try shopping for a family of four on a weekly basis by doing this). We have community gardens and have protested convenience stores and fast food outlets that have wanted to come into the area.

[Melanie226]

01:12 AM on 10/05/2011

This is one of the most disgusting stereotypes I've ever read. I grew up poor, and my mother always tried to raise us on fruits and veggies and healthy food choices. Our lack of income didn't determine our taste for one kind of food or another. I am now upper-middle class and have children of my own, and I am raising them to choose nutritional foods over junk, again, this has nothing to do with our income.

[Supersteel]

04:59 PM on 10/04/2011

SS used to teach lessons without being so obvious about it. It's gets a little ridiculous. If you don't entertain, the kids tune out and no lessons are taught. Waiting for the anorexic muppet, the cutter muppet, the crack addict muppet.

[Homercles]

04:58 PM on 10/04/2011

Whether due to "lazy parents" or whatever reason the fact remains that some children are going without food in this country. That's what Sesame Street is addressing. Some of the comments on here are making me sick.

[Supersteel]

05:00 PM on 10/04/2011

Their waistlines suggest otherwise.

[sydney01]

05:04 PM on 10/04/2011

If you don't have access to nutritious food, you can still be malnurished and underweight. Don't let your bias get in the way of being educated. Read up on Food Deserts.

[Giverny]

04:37 PM on 10/05/2011

Starving kids usually aren't from families that have cars to get out and walk the malls.
They tend to remain home due to lack of transportation.

[Supersteel]

04:57 PM on 10/04/2011

The poor shoud; think about limiting the # of children they have. Middle class families have 2-3. Rich families 1-2. The poor have like 4-6. a condom is cheaper than a kid.

[kvkop]

05:05 PM on 10/04/2011

A slightly insensitive statement...but I would have to agree.

[ladyshylucky]

05:46 PM on 10/04/2011

Truth is the truth though. Having seen it in action in low-income housing developments, the kids that live there are many and a lot would come to my sister's apartment to ask for food because their Mommy's and Daddy's are smokin' and drinkin' the assistance that they get from the State. Or better yet, sell the food stamps for pills or whatever else they can get. I couldn't be a Social Worker, I'd hurt somebody.

[El Chingaso]

07:03 PM on 10/04/2011

Excellent observation. The poorest folks I see have kids running around everywhere...easily subsidized by "responsible" taxpayers. Wards of the state...