Sesame Street's New Muppet Faces 'Mean-Girl' Syndrome

Aug. 14, 2006 — -- Oscar the Grouch loves reading "Trash." But he's not the only critter who expects a little "mean-girl" controversy with a new Muppet fluttering into "Sesame Street."

Meet 3-year-old fairy-in-training Abby Cadabby, the first new character in 13 years to be introduced on "Sesame Street," where there have never been too many girl Muppets.

Of course, there's Elmo's tomboy friend, Zoe, who hangs out in a tutu and barrettes, and the emerald-blue, bilingual Rosita.

The pink and sparkly Abby, who flutters around with dragonfly wings and a magic wand, is decidedly more girlie than her peers.

To be expected, there's a lesson in Abby, as she struggles through the travels of being the new kid on the block, as the show kicks off its 37th season this week.

Carol-Lynn Parente, the executive producer, says she hopes the new character will be another healthy role model, and will help combat the "mean-girl syndrome" that she says is on the rise among youngsters.

"Abby, being a fairy, allows us to teach diversity and accepting of other's differences, because we don't have a fairy on 'Sesame Street,'" Parente said. "She's able to show everyone what it's like to be a fairy and what it's like to be magical."

"Sesame Street" didn't take on gender issues in its early years, but there's always been a noticeably greater amount of guy Muppets.

Garbage-can denizen Oscar, who reads "The Adventures of Trash Gordon" to pet worm Slimy, has always had that gross-out goodness that little boys love.

Cookie Monster always seemed to be of undetermined gender, at least until a few years ago, when he revealed that his name was "Sid" -- and that he also had a love for broccoli.

Big Bird, meanwhile, seems to maintain a "don't ask, don't tell" policy about his policies.

And in the world of Muppet sexuality, Ernie and Bert became the talk of Sesame Street in the early 1990s, perhaps because they spent a little too much time together, and are constantly bickering like husband and wife.