# Shouldn't have tickled him, Elmo \[Sesame Street puppeteer resigns after sex allegations\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 12, 2012, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-have-tickled-him-elmo-sesame-street-puppeteer-resigns-after-sex-allegations/640798 "2012-11-12T17:29:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-have-tickled-him-elmo-sesame-street-puppeteer-resigns-after-sex-allegations/640798/81 "2012-11-14T23:07:02Z")
Why would you assume that? ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-have-tickled-him-elmo-sesame-street-puppeteer-resigns-after-sex-allegations/640798/82 "2012-11-14T23:12:56Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > As far as I know, people who abuse children to so without regard to their sexual orientation with adults. Are you saying that pedophiles generally do not care which sex their child victims are? I don’t know, but that sounds highly unlikely to me. Are you saying that a (let’s say male) pedophile might be attracted to little boys on the one hand and adult women on the other, but not (or not so much) to adult males or little girls (or vice-versa)? Again, it seems implausible. If you are not saying either of those things, I do not understand your objection to to **bup** ’s formulation. Now, some people do seem to assume that someone who is homosexual with regard to adults is also more likely to be a pedophile than a heterosexual is. That is probably false, and I _think_ it is the assumption that **Annie-Xmas** is objecting to. At any rate, it is quite reasonable for her to object to it. It is a very unfair (and, so far as I know, quite baseless) stigmatization of the homosexual population as a whole. However, it is not what **bup** said at all. It seems to me highly likely that pedophiles come in both heterosexual and homosexual (and probably also bisexual) varieties, and I do not think it would be wise to make the discussion of this possibility taboo. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-have-tickled-him-elmo-sesame-street-puppeteer-resigns-after-sex-allegations/640798/83 "2012-11-14T23:33:00Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Why would you assume that? Because, if you hadn’t noticed, little girls look (partly naturally and partly from how they are usually dressed, have their hair cut, etc.) kind of like small women (only more vulnerable and less threatening), and have (undeveloped) female sexual parts, and little boys, for the same reasons, look kind of like (small, more vulnerable and less threatening) men, and have (undeveloped) male sexual parts. Really! Why on Earth would you assume otherwise? Do you think pedophilia is something completely unrelated to normal human sexuality? The reasonable starting assumption, surely, is that it is a perversion of the normal human sexual impulse, and, as such, will come in both heterosexual and homosexual varieties. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-have-tickled-him-elmo-sesame-street-puppeteer-resigns-after-sex-allegations/640798/84 "2012-11-14T23:35:45Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > It seems to me highly likely that pedophiles come in both heterosexual and homosexual (and probably also bisexual) varieties, and I do not think it would be wise to make the discussion of this possibility taboo. And yet this obvious bit of factual information seems deeply, personally offensive to several Dopers, many of whom refuse to even consider such an idea. As a heterosexual, I truly can’t understand such a mindset, as it is perfectly obvious to me that there are plenty of heterosexual pedophiles in the world, and in fact I assume that the vast majority of pedophiles are indeed heterosexual, just as the vast majority of the general population at large is also heterosexual as well; Why the very notion of the mere existence of homosexual pedophiles is such a dark taboo is a complete mystery to me. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-have-tickled-him-elmo-sesame-street-puppeteer-resigns-after-sex-allegations/640798/85 "2012-11-14T23:47:19Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Are you saying that pedophiles generally do not care which sex their child victims are? No. In fact I already explained that that wasn’t what I was saying. > [@](#): > > However, it is not what **bup** said at all. It seems to me highly likely that pedophiles come in both heterosexual and homosexual (and probably also bisexual) varieties, and I do not think it would be wise to make the discussion of this possibility taboo. I think that if we have to discuss that, we can do it without using misleading terms like “homosexual pedophile.” It draws an incorrect and really regrettable parallel between people who molest children of the same gender and adults who have consensual sex with other adults of the same gender. That’s what **bup** did in his earlier post. Since people have labeled gays as potential pedophiles for years, there’s that much more reason to use a smarter descriptor. If your response is that it’s technically accurate, I’d say you’ve missed the point. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-have-tickled-him-elmo-sesame-street-puppeteer-resigns-after-sex-allegations/640798/86 "2012-11-15T00:17:06Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > I added the word “recanted” to the thread title to reflect updated information. Thank you. I hope that the OP was sufficiently neutral to avoid any assumptions of guilt on Clash’s part. Now if those of you having a completely different conversation about the correct terminology for various sexual proclivities would like to go elsewhere and let this thread die and/or be closed, I’d be much obliged. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-have-tickled-him-elmo-sesame-street-puppeteer-resigns-after-sex-allegations/640798/87 "2012-11-15T01:17:22Z")
I wonder if they’ll still find another voice for Elmo? These people work so closely around kids. They re no different then teachers. This whole mess has left Kevin Clash damaged. Just like any teacher that gets ensnared in a sex scandal. The accuser recants and he says he was 18. Fine, no law was broke. You still got a 52 year old dude lusting after a barely legal teen. That email that was published is just pervy. I wouldn’t want my kids exposed to this guy. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-have-tickled-him-elmo-sesame-street-puppeteer-resigns-after-sex-allegations/640798/88 "2012-11-15T01:42:19Z")
Really? You wouldn’t want your kids to watch Elmo because of this story? Because that’s inane. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-have-tickled-him-elmo-sesame-street-puppeteer-resigns-after-sex-allegations/640798/89 "2012-11-15T01:42:43Z")
I hope his career survives this. I’m not especially fond of Elmo, but admire Kevin Clash. He’s an immensely talented puppeteer. Watch the movie and see him working with the cast of the French version of _Sesame Street_ to see the difference between mere competence and brilliance. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-have-tickled-him-elmo-sesame-street-puppeteer-resigns-after-sex-allegations/640798/90 "2012-11-15T02:01:23Z")
Did you see the email? Promising to make this kids dreams come true? The oldest line out there. I’m successful and I can get you in show biz. Then he wants to fly the kid to NY for some alone time. If that was my 18 year old son or daughter I’d be ready to seriously mess up this 52 yr old dude. They may be of legal age but teens are still impressionable and easily manipulated. There’s a lot of kids that appear on Sesame Street or go to special appearances of the characters.The clean cut image of the show is extremely important. I quoted the email just for reference. > [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Really? You wouldn’t want your kids to watch Elmo because of this story? > > Because that’s inane. > **[Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash sent racy email to accuser apologizing for...](https://www.nydailynews.com/2012/11/13/elmo-puppeteer-kevin-clash-sent-racy-email-to-accuser-apologizing-for-constantly-talking-about-sex/)** > > The voice of Elmo liked to talk dirty. Kevin Clash, the puppeteer behind the iconic Sesame Street character, was caught sending a racy email to his lover in which he apologized for constantly ̶… > [@](#): > > The Muppeteer ran into trouble for an email he sent his accuser well after the man turned 18, according to TMZ, in which he said, “I’m sorry that I keep talking about sex with you, it’s driving me insane.” > > “I want you to know that I love you and I will never hurt you,” Clash reportedly wrote in the email. “I’m here to protect you and make sure your dreams come true.” > > He also added, “I’ll have my assistant book a ticket for you to come to NY and we can talk about this in person.” ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-have-tickled-him-elmo-sesame-street-puppeteer-resigns-after-sex-allegations/640798/91 "2012-11-15T02:15:49Z")
Maybe it’s just me, but I have a sneaking suspicion that if it was a 47 year-old man behaving this way with an 18 year-old young woman, many people’s reaction would be quite different. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-have-tickled-him-elmo-sesame-street-puppeteer-resigns-after-sex-allegations/640798/92 "2012-11-15T02:27:59Z")
Actor Doug Hutchison married 16 yr old Courtney Stodden last year. There was a lot of negative press but AFAIK it hasn’t hurt his career. He isn’t exactly an A list actor but he was on X Files and Lost. He’s not a kids entertainer either. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-have-tickled-him-elmo-sesame-street-puppeteer-resigns-after-sex-allegations/640798/93 "2012-11-15T02:34:56Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Actor Doug Hutchison married 16 yr old Courtney Stodden last year. There was a lot of negative press but AFAIK it hasn’t hurt his career. He isn’t exactly an A list actor but he was on X Files and Lost. He’s not a kids entertainer either. [From what it looks like](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006535/) he hasn’t worked since one TV episode last year. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-have-tickled-him-elmo-sesame-street-puppeteer-resigns-after-sex-allegations/640798/94 "2012-11-15T03:08:44Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > [From what it looks like](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006535/) he hasn’t worked since one TV episode last year. To be fair, he’s sort of lost interest in leaving the house. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-have-tickled-him-elmo-sesame-street-puppeteer-resigns-after-sex-allegations/640798/95 "2012-11-15T03:15:27Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Did you see the email? Promising to make this kids dreams come true? The oldest line out there. I’m successful and I can get you in show biz. Then he wants to fly the kid to NY for some alone time. > > If that was my 18 year old son or daughter I’d be ready to seriously mess up this 52 yr old dude. They may be of legal age but teens are still impressionable and easily manipulated. There’s a lot of kids that appear on Sesame Street or go to special appearances of the characters.The clean cut image of the show is extremely important. > > I quoted the email just for reference. > > [Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash sent racy email to accuser apologizing for constantly ‘talking about sex’ – New York Daily News](http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/elmo-puppeteer-accuser-email-apologizing-talking-sex-article-1.1201117) So, you didn’t answer my question. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-have-tickled-him-elmo-sesame-street-puppeteer-resigns-after-sex-allegations/640798/96 "2012-11-15T16:50:00Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I think that if we have to discuss that, we can do it without using misleading terms like “homosexual pedophile.” It draws an incorrect and really regrettable parallel between people who molest children of the same gender and adults who have consensual sex with other adults of the same gender. That’s what **bup** did in his earlier post. I get that. I didn’t think it would be a problem on the SDMB, and I don’t think I did imply gay people are naturally pedophiles. I thought I could be as technical as I wanna be here. I do wonder if **Annie X-mas** was implying that pedophiles don’t have a preferred gender. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-have-tickled-him-elmo-sesame-street-puppeteer-resigns-after-sex-allegations/640798/97 "2012-11-15T17:33:59Z")
> [@bup](#): > > I get that. I didn’t think it would be a problem on the SDMB, and I don’t think I did imply gay people are naturally pedophiles. > > I thought I could be as technical as I wanna be here. > > I do wonder if **Annie X-mas** was implying that pedophiles don’t have a preferred gender. I _think_ Annie X-mas was simply saying - call them all ‘child molesters’ and quit trying to seperate out (flag) Homosexuals as a special breed of child molesters. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-have-tickled-him-elmo-sesame-street-puppeteer-resigns-after-sex-allegations/640798/98 "2012-11-15T20:26:46Z")
> [@simster](#): > > I _think_ Annie X-mas was simply saying - call them all ‘child molesters’ and quit trying to seperate out (flag) Homosexuals as a special breed of child molesters. I know I support that. I wince whenever anyone says something like “a gay pedophile,” because it isn’t as though that makes it better or worse than “a straight pedophile” (a phrase I _never_ hear). ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-have-tickled-him-elmo-sesame-street-puppeteer-resigns-after-sex-allegations/640798/99 "2012-11-15T21:15:36Z")
[Kevin Clash’s accuser has criminal past](http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2012/11/15/kevin-clash-accuser-reportedly-identified-has-criminal-past/) > [@](#): > > Pennsylvania resident Sheldon Stephens as the man who made claims against Clash. Stephens, now 23, is an aspiring actor and model who was once arrested for robbing a music manager at knifepoint of $250,000 in jewelry. Stephens interned for the manager prior to the arrest, according to the website. If you’re talking about hetersexual child molesters, why not mention Woody Allen? My definition of “homosexual” is someone who wants to have sexual relations with an _adult_ of the same sex. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-have-tickled-him-elmo-sesame-street-puppeteer-resigns-after-sex-allegations/640798/100 "2012-11-16T04:29:48Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Actor Doug Hutchison married 16 yr old Courtney Stodden last year. There was a lot of negative press but AFAIK it hasn’t hurt his career. He isn’t exactly an A list actor but he was on X Files and Lost. He’s not a kids entertainer either. Ya know, a good measure I find is that the latest episode of _The Soup_ made absolutely no mention of the Kevin Clash story, and they’re known for being brutally honest in exposing the vapid, narcissistic, morally bankrupt world that showbiz is. Compare this to how much they \*\*\*have \*\*\*milked the undeniable creepiness of the whole Hutchison/Stodden union. Point being, I think their opinion is the same as mine, there’s no real story here, he’s done nothing wrong, so we’re not going to help convict him in the mind of the public just for fun & profit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-have-tickled-him-elmo-sesame-street-puppeteer-resigns-after-sex-allegations/640798.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shouldnt-have-tickled-him-elmo-sesame-street-puppeteer-resigns-after-sex-allegations/640798.md?page=6)