I am a professional puppeteer and puppet builder in Los Angeles, CA.

Most random people who I ask think that the feathers used on Big Bird and other Sesame Street puppets are fake.  Many are very surprised to learn that the feathers are real.  

Kindness is a major theme of Sesame Street, but many of the puppets on the show are decorated with real feathers- products of unkindness.  

The Big Bird puppet, for example, is decorated with thousands of real turkey feathers- all from birds who were killed. 

Other puppets on the show, like Abby Cadabby and Rosita, are decorated with real Ostrich feathers. 

Harvesting real bird feathers is a violent and often very painful and frightening process for birds.  Birds do not consent to having their feathers taken from them, and their feathers are often taken after the birds are slaughtered for their meat and skins.

If we understand why Cruella Deville’s dog fur jacket is cruel, then we can use similar reasoning to understand why decorating puppets with real feathers is also cruel. 

Using real feathers goes against Sesame Street’s core theme of kindness.

Other, kinder, materials exist that can be used to decorate puppets instead of real animal body parts.  Real feathers are fragile and need to be replaced often, and alternative materials can be more durable, longer lasting and sustainable.

If this change happens on Sesame Street, it will positively impact many real animals.  

Sesame Workshop and the Jim Henson Company have the power to change this issue.  Will you join me in asking them to practice the kindness they preach and change out the real feathers on their puppets?