K.T Simpson
With a tagline of “No Sesame. All Street”, “The Happytime Murders” was of course going to get the attention of the long running “Sesame Street”. Unfortunately, it’s not for the right reasons, as the creators of the kids’ television show don’t find ejaculating puppets very funny – who woulda thunk it?!
As a result, Melissa McCarthy’s production company has found themselves in a bit of a legal tussle, with Sesame Workshop suing them over the upcoming flick. I imagine a risk-assessment process would have been undertaken in the drafting stage of the film – for obvious reasons – so I do hope that this was one of the addressed items.
According to the lawsuit: “Defendants’ widely-distributed marketing campaign features a just-released trailer with explicit, profane, drug-using, misogynistic, violent, copulating, and even ejaculating puppets, along with the tagline ‘NO SESAME. ALL STREET. The threat of irreparable injury posed to Sesame’s mark and brand cannot be overstated.”
I never thought I’d read the word “ejaculating” in the same sentence as “Sesame Street”, so I’m a bit amused by all of this.
STX Films have commented on the issue: “STX loved the idea of working closely with Brian Henson and the Jim Henson Company to tell the untold story of the active lives of Henson puppets when they’re not performing in front of children. While we’re disappointed that Sesame Street does not share in the fun, we are confident in our legal position. We look forward to introducing adult moviegoers to our adorably unapologetic characters this summer.”
In layman’s terms: fuck off and let the adults have their fun. You go, filmmakers! Out August 17. With or without the “All Sesame” line, which Sesame Workshop are fighting to have removed.
