Old Sesame Street a "frightening glimpse of simpler times"

"The old Sesame Street is not for the faint of heart, and certainly not for softies born since 1998, when the chipper 'Elmo’s World' started. Anyone who considers bull markets normal, extracurricular activities sacrosanct and New York a tidy, governable place — well, the original Sesame Street might hurt your feelings," writes Virginian Heffernan in a New York Times Magazine article about how old school Sesame Street episodes, now available on DVD, "may not suit the needs of today's preschool child" and are a "frightening glimpse of simpler times."