How Katy Perry’s Cleavage Could Save Optics

How can I not write about the flap over Katy Perry on "Sesame Street"? That story has everything: a scantily clad pop star; charges of exposing children to untoward, even libidinous displays; egregiously bad acting; woolly, pint-size sock puppets.

Katy Perry poked fun at the controversy during an appearance on "Saturday Night Live" Sept. 25.

Early last week "Sesame Street" posted teaser videos from its upcoming season, including a segment pairing the ever-popular Elmo with the singer and occasional firebrand Katy Perry. In this particular clip, Perry bemoans — in song — the fact that Elmo doesn't want to play dress-up with her. It's bouncy and moderately cute and probably not annoying to children.

This is all well and good, but some parents commented upon the singer's choice of attire for the performance: a low-cut yellow-green number that leaves, as they say, little to the imagination. One or another of the media outlets picked up on the story and a mini-controversy was born.

"Sesame Street" was quick to respond. The segment would remain on YouTube and KatyPerry.com, the show said, but in light of the feedback would be dropped from the broadcast version of the program.

I would like to say that if any aspect of the video deserves censure it's the song itself: a reworked version of Perry's 2008 hit "Hot N Cold." But you know what, I actually kind of like it. Really, if I have any complaint about the clip it's neither the clothes nor the song but rather this: it fails to instruct children about science.

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