5°c A few clouds
17°c Sunny
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Big Bird's hot, thanks to Romney
Matt Sayles / The Associated Press Big Bird: Romney wants him gone (CP)
NEW YORK -- Big Bird has never been so hot.
Saturday Night Live, Jimmy Fallon, Piers Morgan, the Today show and Good Morning America all asked for appearances from the Sesame Street character on Thursday after he was unexpectedly thrust into the presidential campaign by Mitt Romney.
Sesame Workshop says the giant yellow Muppet is declining all appearances, but there was this tweet from Big Bird on the Sesame Street account: "My bedtime is usually 7:45, but I was really tired yesterday and fell asleep at 7! Did I miss anything last night?"
Yes, Bird. During Wednesday's debate with U.S. President Barack Obama, Romney called for cutting federal funding to PBS, despite saying, "I love Big Bird." It renewed a long-running debate over subsidies to public broadcasting.
"I'm going to stop the subsidy to PBS," the former Massachusetts governor, a Republican, said during a deficit-cutting discussion. "I'm going to stop other things. I like PBS. I love Big Bird. I actually like you, too, Jim (Lehrer, PBS newsman and debate moderator). But I'm not going to... keep on spending money on things to borrow money from China to pay for it."
PBS chief Paula Kerger said she "just about fell off the sofa" when the issue suddenly came up during the debate. She said if the subsidy goes, so will some PBS stations.
Federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting totals $450 million this year, accounting for about 15 per cent of the CPB's budget, she said. Federal money supplements the budgets of PBS's 179 stations nationally. For some of the smaller stations in rural areas, this subsidy accounts for more than half of their yearly budgets.
Considering Romney stressed the importance of education, Kerger said, she hopes he realizes the extent of educational programming PBS offers. Four out of five children under age 5 watch public television, where Sesame Street is a long-running hit, she said.
The issue quickly became a hot topic on social media, where Twitter reported a peak of 17,000 tweets per second about Big Bird.
New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof tweeted: "Hey, I figured out how Romney will balance the budget: sale of TV rights to broadcast the decapitation of Big Bird."
-- The Associated Press
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition October 5, 2012 A24
More World
- Back to Top
- Return to World
More World
(1 of 20 articles for today)
At Cannes Film Festival, Jerry Lewis still not laughing at female comedians
9:34 AM 0CANNES, France - Ladies? Don't make him laugh.
Asked who his favourite female comics were Thursday at a Cannes Film Festival ...
Poll
Most Popular World
- Man shot to death in Fla. while being questioned in Boston Marathon bombing investigation
- Brave woman tried to calm London attackers and reasoned with them before police came
- British official: Suspects in butchering of soldier had been part of previous investigations
- Polish man gets quick face transplant in what doctors say was life-saving decision
- Youths in Stockholm burn down restaurant, torch more than 30 cars in 4th night of rioting
- Gay teen charged for having younger girlfriend
- Preliminary estimate puts Oklahoma tornado damage at $2 billion; 13,000 homes damaged, ruined
- 'An eye for an eye'
- Canseco accused of sex assault in Vegas; former slugger airs info on Twitter
- The pope and the devil: Francis' obsession with Satan leads to suspicion he performed exorcism
- Massive tornado roars through Oklahoma City suburb, killing at least 51
- Search for survivors of Oklahoma tornado nearly complete, as homeowners confront devastation
- Man shot to death in Fla. while being questioned in Boston Marathon bombing investigation
- Phone cracked? Cool
- US woman credits 'mother's instincts' in chase of 4-year-old daughter's abductor
- Polish man gets quick face transplant in what doctors say was life-saving decision
- Umbrella-gate stirs outrage
- Brave woman tried to calm London attackers and reasoned with them before police came
- US zoo looking into conception mystery after birth of anteater; no male in pen
- Remote Alaska volcano continues to erupt, with lava fountains, ash plumes
- Amanda Berry, 1 of 3 women freed after held captive in Ohio home, arrives at sister's home
- Massive tornado roars through Oklahoma City suburb, killing at least 51
- Friendship with bomb suspect, complex chain of events leads to 3 being charged
- Police vow to solve shooting that wounded 19 people during Mother's Day parade in New Orleans
- Missing Pa. woman, last seen dropping off kids for school in 2002, surfaces in Fla.
- Cleveland police: Ohio captive suffered 5 miscarriages after being beaten and starved
- Jodi Arias convicted of first-degree murder, says she prefers death penalty
- Neighbours: Man in custody comforted missing girl's mom, helped search for missing US women
- Search for survivors of Oklahoma tornado nearly complete, as homeowners confront devastation
- High school baseball team lifts car to free 16-year-old girl
- Phone cracked? Cool
- Ray Manzarek, keyboardist and founding member of rock group The Doors, dies at 74 from cancer
- Hatchet-wielding hitchhiker who intervened in California attack arrested in NJ homicide
- Remote Alaska volcano continues to erupt, with lava fountains, ash plumes
- Argentina's 'dirty war' dictator dies
- Massive tornado roars through Oklahoma City suburb, killing at least 51
- Shady characters: Cookie Monster, Elmo accused of aggressive behaviour in Times Square
- U.S. envoy punted; Russia alleges spying
- US woman credits 'mother's instincts' in chase of 4-year-old daughter's abductor
- Up to 60 people injured when car drives into Va. parade; medical emergency possible cause
- 'Coronation Street' actor William Roache charged in UK over alleged rapes in 1967
- Coroner: 5-year-old boy shoots 2-year-old sister in US with rifle he got as a gift
- Hitler ate well, his food taster recalls
- Black bear wanders into LA-area suburbia, chases swimmers from pool, strands kids in class
- Female guards, rapidly growing in numbers, at heart of U.S. prison scandal
- Phone cracked? Cool
- Bill to alter rules of succession before Kate gives birth nears completion as Lords approve
- US tourists swim for nearly 14 hours after boat sinks near St. Lucia
- IBM makes movie about a little boy - a very little boy - by pushing molecules around
- Friendship with bomb suspect, complex chain of events leads to 3 being charged
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.