Some 'Sesame Street' fans say Cookie Monster NFTs don't honor the show's original legacy
Some 'Sesame Street' fans say Cookie Monster NFTs don't honor the show's original legacy
"NFTs are very much against the ideals I associate with Sesame Street," Becca Petunia, a fan, said.
Some fans of the beloved TV series criticized Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind the show, after it announced it would offer 5,555 editions of Cookie Monster NFT collectibles.
Critics on social media said the decision to launch an NFT collection is a divergence from Sesame Street’s origins as an educational program to help level the playing field for kids from disadvantaged backgrounds, particularly Black and Latino children. Some pointed out the cost (each NFT is priced at $60) also makes it inaccessible to many viewers.
“NFTs are very much against the ideals I associate with Sesame Street,” said Becca Petunia, a writer for ToughPigs: Muppet Fans Who Grew Up, a Sesame Street online fan community.
The Cookie Monster NFTs seem financially inaccessible for most people and aimed to those with disposable income, Petunia continued.
“The environmental impact is questionable, which contradicts Sesame’s many ecological messages," she said. "It isn’t a product which feels purposeful or important."
Others online had similar reactions.
“Sesame Street was built on helping educate children in lower income living. To give those less privileged the opportunity to learn before entering preschool,” one fan account, called "Muppet History," tweeted. “This nostalgia fueled cash grab goes against that ideology entirely and it’s sickening."
“Who even asked for this?! Who does this appeal to?” wrote another Twitter user.
Some also questioned the relevance of NFTs. “NFTs are still around?” one Twitter user wrote.
"This is pure disrespect for a education institution like Sesame Street… but… the NFT market is collapsing," another user added.
A spokesperson for Sesame Workshop did not address the backlash when asked for request for comment.