Big Bird Raking In The Bucks

[TechMan]

http://www.ibtimes.com/big-birds-salary-314k-dont-call-him-1-percenter-844171

Puppeter that plays Big Bird on Sesame Street made $314,072 in 2010.
Another puppeter made $556,165 in 2010.

Raking in a nice salary playing with puppets.

[Boomhauer]

Damn I'm in the wrong line of work...

[Perd Hapley]

Welfare is working out pretty well for Big Bird.

[longeyes]

Crony socialism with a beak.

[AZRedhawk44]

I don't understand why Sesame Street needs PBS, or to be associated with government subsidized broadcasting.

Sesame Street has been doing great in the toy store aisles of your nearest K-mart, Target and Walmart for 30+ years.  To quote Mel Brooks... "moichandizing, moichandizing!"

Puppets for kids is big business.

And on that note...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N_tupPBtWQ#t=5s

[TechMan]

AZ from the article:

Despite the post-debate hype surrounding Mitt Romney’s comment that he would end federal support for PBS, federal funds represent only about 2 percent of Sesame Workshop’s total budget. In 2011, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting awarded “Sesame Street” $1.25 million through a National Program Service grant to PBS. However, the show’s total operating revenue that year was $132 million, which included almost $50 million in licensing revenue for “Sesame Street” toys and other merchandise.

[AZRedhawk44]

Yep, I assumed as much.  SesameCorp takes goobermint money despite being a 9-figure enterprise.