White House has the gall to ask Sesame Street to help out at doomed Easter Egg Roll

We’ve already noted that the Easter Egg Roll slated for this Monday at the White House is likely set for failure, as the poor planning of this understaffed and disorganized administration has failed to procure enough staff, eggs, etc., for one of the largest events in the WH social calendar. In a last-ditch effort to liven up the likely grim proceedings, Raw Story reports that the White House has reached out to beloved children’s program Sesame Street for help, “just four days after President Donald Trump’s administration proposed ending all funding for PBS and the Sesame Street program.” (While the Sesame Workshop recently signed a deal with HBO so that Sesame Street episodes will premiere on the cable channel, they also still run on PBS.)

You almost have to appreciate the unmitigated gall/cluelessness of that request, as well as the desperation that accompanies it. PBS confirmed that “the White House made a last-minute request for Sesame Street characters like Big Bird or Elmo to appear at this year’s event.” But in yet another downgrade from the previous administration, “Sesame Workshop spokesperson Elizabeth Weinreb Fishman revealed that one costumed character would be appearing at the event, a departure from the multitude of Muppets that have showed up for the roll in recent years.” Good. PBS should laugh in the White House’s face at this request, or hold out for PBS budget approval (at a mere fraction of the cost of one MOAB bomb). If not, we’re not sure if “costumed character” equals one full Muppet, but PBS should just send a guy over in an Elmo suit, who then walks around the lawn asking everyone for a job.