When Baby Talk Isn’t Enough

You’ve just finished watching your 956th episode of “Sesame Street” and want to discuss it in-depth, but a concrete analysis with your toddler is out of the question. Believe it or not, other parents out there feel the same way and are communicating on a number of Internet Usenet discussion groups that focus on live-action children’s programming.

On alt.tv.sesame-street , grown-ups talk about why they enjoy the show and about the educational advantages of its multilingual element. Not long ago, there was even a Freudian discourse positioning Cookie Monster as the “id” of Sesame Street. This area also has the distinction as the only place in cyberspace where “snuffleupagus” is spelled correctly.

The cyber-sibling to the “Sesame Street group” is the Muppet area. The Usenet location is alt.tv.muppets. Recent topics include the origin of Fozzie’s name and whether or not he is a bear or a dog (Answer: bear), Kermit’s hosting of “Larry King Live” and the most ubiquitous postings: My Favorite Muppet.

If you just can’t take any more of Barney, there are two places to visit. The first is intended for fans but still houses a number of Barney-hating cyber-squatters. Look for it at alt.tv.barney. If you are admittedly less than a fan of “his purple-ness,” head straight for the very popular alt.barney.dinosaur.die.die.die .