Million Muppet March Planned to Defend PBS and Sesame Street

Two fans of the show came up with the idea after Mitt Romney announced plans to ax the network's federal subsidy

By Brandi Fowler Oct 13, 2012 4:55 PMTags
Mitt Romney, Big BirdWin McNamee/Getty Images; AP Photo/Matt Sayles

Sesame Street fans are gearing up for a political fight.

Following Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's pledge to cut the federal government's subsidy to PBS ( the home of Sesame Street), fans of the show are planning a "Million Muppet March" in response.

"I'm sorry Jim. I'm gonna stop the subsidy to PBS," Romney told moderator Jim Lehrer during the Oct. 3 presidential debate. "I like PBS, I love Big Bird, I actually like you too, but I am not going to keep spending money on things to borrow money from China to pay for."

The puppet protest, which is set to go down Nov. 3 at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., is being held in an effort to save Big Bird and the rest of the gang from losing federal funding.

Animation executive Micheal Bellavia and university student Chris Mecham came up with the idea and planned the event together after getting riled up by Romney's now infamous comment.

"I figured, why just make it a virtual show of support," Bellavia told Reuters. "Why not take this opportunity because it seemed like there was already some growing interest in it and actually make it an active, participatory event. I literally just said, 'It's happening.'"

"Romney was using Muppets as a rhetorical device to get rid of public broadcasting, which is really so much bigger than Sesame Street," Mecham added. "While he was still talking, I was thinking of ways I could express my frustration at the argument. Before the debates were over, I had already put up the Million Muppet March Facebook page."

The duo said the march will be a "lovefest" that will include musical performances and skits.