What does the future hold for the beloved "Sesame Street" character Elmo in the wake of the child molestation scandal that's engulfed his former puppeteer Kevin Clash?
Clash resigned from "Sesame Street" after multiple allegations of inappropriate sexual activity with minors, but can the character continue on as a children's icon? HuffPost Live debated that question with former "Sesame Street" public relations guru Daniel Kravetz and Huffington Post executive arts and entertainment editor Michael Hogan, who both asserted that Elmo should not be put on the shelf.
"I don't think [Elmo] needs to go," Kravetz said. "I think what this really comes down to is the dichotomy between the art and the artist. And the clash of the two, so to speak. I think over time, people are going to separate the two."
Hogan looked at the issue from the business perspective of Hasbro Toys, Inc, which manufactures the Sesame Street toy line, and also concluded that the character is likely to survive Clash's scandal. "Doesn't Hasbro lose like a zillion dollars if Elmo goes away? Don't they have a vested interest in fixing this character?" he wondered.
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