&gt; <i>There is no substance on earth more addictive than Elmo is to a two year old.</i><p>The way you put this refutes your argument. Sesame Street isn&#x27;t about feeding addictions. Children are addicted to sugar, too. The genius of the program was always  its ability to give them more substantive fare while still enchanting them.<p>IMO the article makes some key distinctions, while remaining good-humored and self-aware. That&#x27;s the opposite of being a &quot;bitter internet pundit&quot;. There&#x27;s real psychological insight there, applicable beyond Sesame Street, and (the grad student in me wishes to add) some fine cultural criticism as well.