At this rate, Elmo might have to stop being used as a Sesame Street character. Two more victims have come forward, bringing the total number of underage boys who were molested by the voice of Elmo to four. I can almost hear the Count saying four. From now on, Elmo is going to be associated with the molesting of boys. No one says Kevin Clash, everyone says Elmo or the voice of Elmo. That red Muppet is going to be associated with it and I think maybe it is time to retire the character permanently or at least for the next few years. Sesame Street can find some other Muppet for people to tickle.
Do they have a Pee Wee Herman muppet? As least he only molested himself.
ReplyDeleteHe resigned, so yes, I think they'll be getting rid of Elmo. At least I really hope so, because Elmo drives me insane & I watch Sesame Street every morning.
ReplyDeleteBut watch them just replace Kevin Clash, since Elmo is their money maker. Ugh.
What a shame.
ReplyDeleteWhy isn't he in jail???
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine? Don't let your kids get tickled by Elmo.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the visual re Count Von Count Enty tee hee hee
ReplyDeleteI guess we all new this was coming. Just didn't want to believe it. ITA Seaward, Elmo makes me a bit batty. Ya know, Elmo and Kermit "spoke" at my undergraduate graduation (Univ of MD). I guess that means Kevin Clash was there? Gross!
ReplyDeleteWhy do PR types choose to air the dirty laundry at Thanksgiving? Will there be any positive stories today?
Elmo is a little red pervert!
ReplyDeleteMove over Pedo Bear...
ReplyDeleteI never liked Elmo. Always annoying and they acted like Grover, Big Bird and Oscar didn't matter anymore. Glad to see him go. I knew he was sketchy!
ReplyDeleteIf their stories are as flimsy as the 2nd accusers is, I'd be hesitant to call them "victims."
ReplyDeleteThis is a money grab from people taking advantage of how gullible people can be when it comes to these types of allegations.
I expect to take a lot of flack over this, however here goes.
ReplyDeleteI personally find it highly suspect that you have one accuser who gets a payoff and then suddenly more pop up.
Whatever happened to the concept of "innocent until proven guilty" ?
I know child abuse is a hot button topic, however IMHO this reeks of people seeking an easy payday, not systemic abuse.
No flack Merlin. I think this guy is totally be taken by some real hustlers too. I never believed for one second that the men were underage although I think he enjoyed young mens. A lot of my gay friends do and the men they date prefer the company of older established men. No crime there. I call bullshit on it all. The second "victim" didn't realize he was traumatized until NOW? The first decided he need 5MIL after the 2nd guy? No, just no.
DeleteAfter Penn State, we have to take every claim seriously. I really hope it's not true. Though, I'm glad he stepped down bc Sesame Street doesn't need this kind of press.
ReplyDeleteLet's bring back more Grover, Big Bird and Oscar!
At Trivia Night a few days ago, one of teams was called Molest Me Elmo. It was pretty funny, but yeah, Elmo's done.
ReplyDeleteI know it's funny, but "Elmo" didn't do this. An actor, Kevin Clash did. They got rid of Kevin Clash, surely there are other actors who can do Elmo's voice.
ReplyDeleteI admit, however, I don't watch Sesame Street. I was already in my teens when it started and I've never had kids so I've only seen it fleetingly.
Where there's smoke, there's fire.....
ReplyDeleteSome people need to realize there are nothing wrong with legal aged eighteen year olds. Smh
ReplyDeleteHappy thanksgiving!
No matter why he did it, paying was a huge mistake. It looks like he did something wrong, so it was bound to keep happening.
ReplyDeleteAdd me to the Elmo haters. I liked Bert & Ernie.
Little kids dont know or care about the voice behind elmo. They dont think hes a puppet, they yhink he's a person! So i wldnt retire the character because of his actions.
ReplyDeleteSo, let me see if I have this straight. These young men were on a gay phone line of their own accord, went out with an older man (whom, it seems, treated them quite nicely), and are now claiming that they are traumatized. Seems to me like they got exactly what they were looking for. Do those phone lines make you confirm that you are older than 18? If so, those men also presented themselves to be of age. They have all said that they did not have sex until they were older than 18. Where is the crime? Well, one of them has been arrested twice in the past for theft and fraud. These men knew exactly what they were doing and now think it will net them an easy paycheck. It is a shame that they have ruined a man's life.
ReplyDeletebig difference between molesting young boys and having underage consensual sex. but hey, go for the more shocking headline instead of the story.
ReplyDeletenone of the victims so far have said it was against their will or forced,just that they were underage when it happened.
I still think this is a shakedown.
Shakedown indeed.
ReplyDeleteI find it highly suspect no one came out of the woodwork until AFTER a payout was made. There was a good couple of days between accusation and payout. Plenty of time for these guys to suddenly realise they were traumatized.
Poor Elmo.
Sad and disappointing but I have to vent - there is a BIG difference between "molesting boys" and "being stupid and pervy enough to get mixed up with teen hustlers". Latter gross, wrong (and yes illegal), former is exponentially worse IMO.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I am reading online, the statute of limitations for New York is 5 years or 5 years after the victim turns 18 it's the same for criminal and civil suits.
ReplyDeleteSo the fact they are just going for civil and not criminal leads me to think this is just a last ditch money grab because time was running out they both claim to be 23 and they figured out who he was. Also, in Being Elmo, Kevin was pretty proud of the fact he was the highest paid puppeteer and a multi millionaire from all the licensing deals he made with the Elmo dolls using his voice.
I agree once, it got out he wrote a check, the flood gates open for every hustler looking for a free check.
It's just a lesson, know the people you are sleeping and dating, it's your legal responsibility to know the company that you keep it doesn't matter if a person swears up and down they are 18 if they are underage, that is on you and your downfall.
http://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/new-yorks-statute-of-limitations-on-sexual-abuse.html
I agree with timebob. KC's actions were not only stupid, but self defeating. SMH
ReplyDeleteThis is such bullshit. The 2nd huslter fully stated he talked to the guy when he was younger, but no sex until he was legal. No crime here, but the guy's career is ruined anyways. Of course others are going to try to get a piece of the action. Way to give gays a bad name. The "gay hustler" is such a sad stereotype, but I guess some people have no problem going after some easy $$, especially if it involves bringing a successful person down.
ReplyDeleteSoo was his hand still up ELmo's butt while the molesting was happening? Because if it was, I think Elmo is the real perp here, not Kevin Clash.
ReplyDeleteI was really hoping there would only be one accuser and he would be of age.
Wait a minute, Grover, Big Bird AND Oscar are gone? This show is going down the drain. They might as well just can it now.
ReplyDelete@JSierra - they are all still there, but they're just secondary characters now. It has become The Elmo Show. The last 15 minutes are made up of Elmo's World, & Elmo is still involved in most everything that comes before that.
DeleteWhat was the point of showing the man behind Elmo's voice, anyway? I've never had thepleasuse of meeting the Slav who does the counts voice. That seems suspect unless they are going for the "see kids, black guys can b happy go lucky types despite what your parents have told u" angle.
ReplyDeleteVery uncool and unfair to say Elmo will only be associated with molestation, even though that's not really the case at all. Maybe you should refrain from labeling people a derogatory word until the dust has settled and the story comes out.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Elmo is never going away so all you haters can go watch Yo Gabba Gabba with Taking Back Sunday. WONK!
Very uncool and unfair to say Elmo will only be associated with molestation, even though that's not really the case at all. Maybe you should refrain from labeling people a derogatory word until the dust has settled and the story comes out.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Elmo is never going away so all you haters can go watch Yo Gabba Gabba with Taking Back Sunday. WONK!
Elmo always did suck. Annoying twit of a character. Ernie and Bert were my favorites when I watched Sesame Street with my kids.
ReplyDeleteKermit didn't disappear when Jim Henson died, they will find a puppeteer that can mimic the voice and Elmo will live on. I don't blame a sock puppet for the sexual predilections of an adult man.
ReplyDeleteThe parent's associate Elmo with sex, kids don't and it's about the kids and educating them with the tv babysitter.
This is all for money in my opinion. KC should have been more aware of who he's dating but nobody deserves to have their career and reputation ruined for money. It's an ugly world out there people...
ReplyDeletePlease don't tickle me Elmo! Yeah Elmo needs to go, too many jokes, too many young boys, I like Elmo, and I think he's a relatable character for little kids that helps bring together some of the dryer material about education but this is getting out of hand with the Kevin Klash thing. The guy will never work again. I hope he saved up some of that money. It's never ok to molest anyone under age, even by a day, I'm looking at you Nickelodeon and Disney, you sick fucks.
ReplyDelete@Seaward what a let down. The ensemble cast was the best part about Sesame Street and ITA with everyone else, Elmo is annoying as all get out.
ReplyDeleteI still remember his Christmas duet with Rosie O'Donnell, along with the urge to gauge my eyeballs out at the sound of Rosie and Elmo harmonizing.
That song will always haunt me.
now he's being called a molester?? This is a real slap in the face to actual molestation victims, which these scam artists are not!
ReplyDeleteElmo is by definition, a 3-year-old baby who has a lot of questions about the world. He's basically the kid who asks "why?" to every answer. Annoying to a point, but real.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to be insensitive to actual victims either, but this whole thing really sounds like a shakedown to me, too. The first accuser apparently accepted $125K then decided to talk after he realized there was more money to be had. The second accuser is asking for $5M. Sorry, but this all reeks of some jilted lovers realizing Clash has money and now they're going after him.
Too bad, in many ways. Clash's reputation is ruined, and this kind of situation furthers hurts real victims that should be able to come forward without fear. Sad, indeed.
I am sorry you all but i just cant help but laughing everytime i hear this story, instead of Kevin Clash i can only see ELMO doing al this stuff
ReplyDeleteMy favourite bits on Sesame Street were with the Muppets although I've just realised this now as I was having a think. Also loved Bert and Ernie, Big Bird, Oscar, Grover and Snuffy. I don't think Elmo was a thing until I was just out of the Sesame Street demographic. He's cute but doesn't need so much exposure.
ReplyDeleteMy sister was only 2 or 3 when Snuffy was revealed. Apparently she and mum wouldn't leave the house until Sesame Street was over in the lead up to his reveal!
I'm not an Elmo fan but I do think it's adorable when they show a full body shot of him dancing.
ReplyDeleteSomewhat related, I visited relatives a couple of months ago and my nephew would play this one Oscar The Grouch Sings album over and over again. I thought "What a cruel trick to play on parents, CTV, having to listen to Oscar croak out 40 minutes of death ballads."
Kevin Clash is epically heroic to some people in that he was given a little red fur puppet, and made it come alive, in the true Jim Henson fashion.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I'm sure that SS has backup voices to the backup voices. They won't lose a character just because someone is epically dumb.
Jessie, I remember how excited I was about the reveal, and I wasn't exactly 2 or 3.
ReplyDeleteWith the story in its entirety, this just seems like someone is out for a big payday.
ReplyDeleteMy granddaughters loved Elmo, so did I - they moved on to other things as children do, I have the Elmos they grew out of in my basement. I feel sorry for Kevin clash, but he did not think with his brain. I will reserve my pity for the young men, I'm not the type to blame the victim but it seems like a cash grab at this point.
ReplyDeleteElmo didn't stick his puppet peen in anyone. It was Kevin. Damn. These headlines are dumb. Stop showing this fool with his hand all up in the puppet.
ReplyDeleteHowever this turns out. I hope Kevin has learned his lesson and has relationships with men his age. If he did do some molesting, I hope he pays with losing some freedom.
I get propositions from youngsters all the time and the way to handle it is to say NO. I go home and tell my sister some young thing hit on me and let it stroke my ego but c'mon. No bueno, sir!
I'm an Oscar the Grouch fan and want him to have more screen time. It was like Elmo was EVERYWHERE. Even Big Bird was sidelined for Elmo.
ReplyDeleteMooshki - I believe my mother was more invested than my sister ;)
ReplyDeleteBig Bird, Cookie Monster, Oscar all need their place in the spotlight again. Sesame Street should've been renamed Elmo's World, because that's all it was anyway. I miss the old Sesame Street days. Remember the old pinball machine that would sing the 1-12 song and the painter who would paint the number of the day on stuff?
ReplyDeleteAs a mom of two young kids, and a therapist for many, many young kids with Autism, I can tell you Elmo is a big deal. I have known several kids who learned to talk and "Elmo" was one of their first words, or we used Elmo videos as incentives for talking/learning. I for one will be sad if he goes. Sesame Street is a great show, very educational and entertaining.
ReplyDeleteOkay so here is the deal from what i hear. He likes em young but legal. None of them were underage when they did the deed, maybe when they met but he was smart and waited. First one figures out he will hustle for money get the Sandusky lawyers to buy his story and takes the payoff. They drop him once they realize he was just in for a paycheck, but then other not so legit lawyers contact him and tell him he was a chump for taking 125k he could have gotten so much more. Now, ever young but legal guy he had sex with is coming fourth with their hand out. It is impossible to prove you did not have sex with minor. They all want a payday. This really is Kevin's fault though, all that publicity he did as the guy behind elmo, he brought it on himself knowing all these guys were out there.
ReplyDeleteThere are too many Elmo products on the market for them to pull him from the show. It'll all come down to $.
ReplyDeleteBig Bird was my favorite as a kid. He was the only character that I believed was actually directly talking to me. I'll always have a sweet spot for him. Jessie & Mooshki - I liked Snuffy too. His long eyelashes were the best!
ReplyDelete