History YMMV / SesameStreet

** The period that lasted from around 1998 to present day, when Elmo dominated the show, is often seen as its lowest point.
** A majority of fans (and some of the cast and crew) felt alienated when the "Around the Corner" era first surfaced in 1993, when the street itself was cleaned and brightened up, and extended to include a number of new locales. Another majority feel the same way starting with 2002, when the show changed from its original magazine format, and adopted a block format.
** Some old-school fans also feel that the show has indulged in too much of PoliticalOvercorrectness. However, the show [[OlderThanTheyThink caused an uproar in its early years because of its cultural pluralism]], so accusations of this are pretty baseless.

* GenreTurningPoint: It can't be overstated how Sesame Street [[TropeCodifier Defied]] The Preschool show formula as it was and still is massively influetial to the shows to come

* VindicatedByHistory: 847 (aka "The Wicked Witch of the West Visits Sesame Street") only aired once, and that's because parents complained it was too scary. When the episode finally leaked online, fans loved it and thought it was hilarious The Wicked Witch's threats were [[RefugeInAudacity too over-the-top to be taken seriously]], which comes off as humourous more than anything else. That, and her threats were empty, and she was never of any actual harm to anybody (the worst she did was make it rain inside Hooper's, which was a minor inconvenience, if anything). It's generally agreed upon that, while understandable, the controversy surrounding the episode was massively overblown.

* NarmCharm: This is the reason why the show continues to be so popular today, even among adults. Seeing humans act alongside puppets and treating them as if they're real sounds hard to take seriously, but the puppets have so much personality and the humans go along with them so believably that you're inclined to believe it with them too. The skits are also preschool level simple so children can understand them, but it's oddly charming to watch Creator/PatrickStewart [[https://youtu.be/hA7lv1SDzno wondering "B? Or not a B?"]] or Creator/LiamNeeson [[https://youtu.be/VhDJe8IP8A0 emotionally counting to 20]].

** It's probably a given that a child or a parent probably would have heard "The Mars Suite" as a parody in other children's media, but unless one were fully versed in Gustave Holst's works, one would probably not recognize "The Jupiter Suite" as the contemplative fanfare of WASA. (The Worm Air and Space Agency)

** Before the show cut back on the parodies in Season 46, some segments that spoofed popular media got this reaction if they went particularly [[MemeticMutation viral]], as some people found it baffling how segments from an ''educational preschool show'' became unanimously praised and loved.

* FanNickname:
** Elmo is known by his detractors as "The Little Red Menace". Oscar sometimes refers to Elmo by this name [[AscendedFanNickname on the show itself]].
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hXwBAA8IUA This funky arrangement of the theme song]], which played during the funding credits from 1972 to 1992, is officially titled "Sesame Closing Theme". Fans refer to it as "Funky Chimes".

** Zoe has been voiced/puppeteered by [[Series/BetweenTheLions Jennifer]] [[Series/TheChicaShow Barnhart]] since Fran Brill's retirement in 2014, with the character now having an older-sounding voice than Brill's take on her.

** People often complain that ''Sesame Street'' has gone "woke" for their initiatives like anti-racism or staying safe during COVID-19, with Senator Ted Cruz tweeting angrily about Big Bird being vaccinated. They are unaware that from day one, ''Sesame Street'' was progressive. It was made with the intent of educating inner-city kids. It featured many minorities (such as people of color, disabled people, etc), all portrayed in a positive light, which actually got it banned in Mississippi. One 1973 episode had Big Bird get vaccinated, and one 90s episode dealt with racism.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: Now that everybody does it, it's hard to remember that ''Sesame Street'' '''invented''' quality, research-based, curriculum-based, entertaining, and educational children's TV that has an ethnically diverse cast and doesn't talk down to its audience.

** Season 40 (2009-2010) was the first season to not have any clips featuring any characters performed by Jim Henson. This essentially obliterates the presence of the late Jim Henson from the show. In addition, the show was taken over by Murray Monster, more long-form segments were introduced, and the adult cast (save for Chris and Alan) made little-to-no new appearances.

* TrueArtIsIncomprehensible: In-universe. Alistair Cookie's introduction to "Waiting for Elmo."
--> '''Alistair Cookie:''' Today [[YouNoTakeCandle me]] proud to present a modern masterpiece. A play so modern and so brilliant, it make absolutely no sense to anybody, including Alistair.

** One episode has Creator/DannyDeVito plays a character named Vincent Van Trash, a curator for the Grouch Museum of Trash. So you could say that he's [[Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia the Trash Man.]]

** Pretty much every about David. For several years, he and Maria were implied to have a romantic relationship, but in Season 19, they had a falling out and she married Luis instead. Now, moments like when Luis took Maria to New Mexico and David stayed behind feel like they're leading up to something. It gets worse when you learn what was going on behind the scenes. In the 1980s, Northern Calloway's health was failing, which was apparently why the writers had Maria marry Luis instead. Taking over Hooper's Store made sense when Mr. Hooper passed away, but it ended up being a way to keep Calloway working on the show when he was gaining weight and not so light on his feet anymore. His poor health and unstable behavior led to his departure after Season 20 (which, to add insult to injury, ended with Maria having her and Luis' daughter) and he passed away a few months later. And to top it all off: the reason he was left out of [[Film/SesameStreetPresentsFollowThatBird the movie]]? While working on the show, he got himself a criminal record that kept him from entering Canada. It's almost as if the PowersThatBe didn't want David to be remembered fondly.