Aspen Security Forum: Darker themes of Russian Sesame Street didn’t bode well with youth, test concludes

Natasha Lance Rogoff — an award-winning American television producer, filmmaker, and author — shared the unexpected and often chaotic journey of creating Sesame Street in Russia during the 1990s at the Aspen Security Forum on Thursday.

Speaking with moderator Douglas Rediker, managing partner of International Capital Strategies, she delved into the challenges and surreal moments of her project, as detailed in her book, “Muppets in Moscow: The Unexpected Crazy True Story of Making Sesame Street in Russia.”

Her book tells the true story of introducing Sesame Street to Russia shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union. 

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“The premise was that the Muppets would be the best ambassadors for America, modeling idealistic values of democracy for the next generation of children in the area,” she said. The story, she explained, is remarkable: “Not only because it includes Muppets, but also assassinations and bombings.”

Rediker asked her to describe 1990s Russia. 

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“This was a time of incredible political and economic instability,” Rogoff responded. She painted a vivid picture of a society grappling with the humiliation of its superpower status crumbling. “This period in the 1990s is featured in almost all of President Putin’s speeches, justifying his brutal wars against Ukraine.”

One of the most challenging aspects of her project was navigating cultural clashes. Rediker probed into these difficulties, prompting her to recall some harrowing experiences. 

“Our first sponsor was nearly burned up in a car bomb. After that, our broadcast partner, who attempted to bring press freedom to Russia, was assassinated,” she said. 

Despite these dire circumstances, Rogoff’s humor emerged as she described the cultural differences that permeated the show’s development. 

“The Russians hated the American Muppets. This was called the Muppet Stalemate,” she joked.

The Russians insisted on creating Muppets based on their own culture. 

“They decided to make one Muppet a depiction of the fireplace hearth and the home,” she said.

While she appreciated the idea’s beauty and cultural significance, the initial design — a hunched-back old man with a cruel expression — was far from the cheerful characters envisioned by Henson Studios. The Russians then pivoted to designs inspired by trees, moss, and forests. 

“This was ingenious. Everyone knows what a frog looks like, but nobody knows what a tree spirit looks like,” Rogoff recalled. “It was amazing.”

Scriptwriting posed its own set of obstacles. She remembered a particularly bleak storyboard.

“There was an image of an old man mopping the floor with the tagline, ‘D — for Depression,'” she said. 

This somber theme extended to the auditions, where 610 children competed for roles. One boy sang about a desolate Russian train station, and a girl followed with a war-time lament.

Despite initial resistance, Rogoff and her team conducted research to understand the cultural context better. They tested the material on 1,200 children, only to find that the darker themes did not resonate well. 

“When one of the sad songs began to play, a little boy picked up a toy pistol and pretended to shoot the girl next to him,” she laughed, underscoring the absurdity of the situation.

Ultimately, a compromise was reached between Henson Studios’ cheerful vision and Russian cultural expectations.

“A larger theme of the book is how to work overseas, and it applies to many countries,” she said, reflecting on the broader implications of her unique and challenging endeavor.

Westley Crouch covers the City of Aspen and general reporting for The Aspen Times. He can be reached at 970-384-9124 or wcrouch@aspentimes.com.