Because it’s important to learn about economic disparity from an early age, Sesame Street will introduce an indigent Muppet named Lily, who will educate Elmo and the rest about the millions of starving families in America during an hour-long special episode.

All of which coincides very neatly with the ongoing #OccupySesameStreet parody, incidentally.

The Muppet, whose vibrant pink colour and denim dress are meant to identify her with the “everyday girl,” took months of research to create, said senior vice president for outreach and educational processes at Sesame Workshop Jeane Betancourt:

The things she talks about are hunger, which she has experienced, and also how she and her family reached out for help through food drives, food pantries, school lunch or breakfast programs, and how she is helping and that she helps others in the community.

Which is great and all, but Sesame Street had already seemed pretty middle-lower class already; beyond responding to the loud, angry, middle classes currently causing a bit of a ruckus, it’s not hugely clear how Lily’s inclusion is going to be changing the face of our favourite children’s show that I didn’t watch. I mean, the entirely platonic Bert and Ernie have been forced to share an apartment for the duration of the show, presumably for economic reasons, Cookie Monster is clearly starving, and there’s that one guy who lives in a trash can.

Lily’s introductory hour-long episode,”Growing Hope Against Hunger,” will air on 9 October.

This article was brought to you by the letter 3, and the toil of the middle classes.

[Source: ABC]