I know! It’s so tempting! So many “hilarious” headlines could be made! But I’m sorry to say, it’s still not okay to make jokes about an adult having sex with a minor, even if the adult in question is the voice of Elmo.
It’s not entirely clear what, in fact, happened:
“New York-based Sesame Workshop said in a statement that its own inquiry concluded that the claim of underage sexual conduct was unsubstantiated, and that puppeteer Kevin Clash has denied
any wrongdoing and called the allegation “false and defamatory.”But the company said Clash, 52, was disciplined after an internal investigation showed he “exercised poor judgment and violated company policy regarding Internet usage.” [Chicago Tribune]
Either way, just stop it. I know that it must be SO disappointing to leave that “tickle me” joke just sitting there on the shelf. But, you know, adults having sex with kids (and yes, 16 is still a kid in this country) is actually not funny at all. I know, what a buzzkill I am.