Melanie Martinez is no longer saying “good night” to children on PBS Kids Sprout after two comedy videos spoofing teen abstinence in which she appeared surfaced on the Internet, videos called “Technical Virgin.” After having been alerted by Ms. Martinez herself, The PBS Kids Sprout network has decided to take her off the air for appearing (7 years ago) in a “video which is inappropriate for her role as a preschool program host and may undermine her character’s credibility”. The video has been, apparently, made available online.
In the two “Technical Virgin” videos — made before she landed the children’s show job — she spoofs PSAs about how young women can keep their virginity and made fun of abstinence-only public service ads and featured jokes about vibrators and sexual acts. In the video, Martinez talks graphically about a sexual alternative and the second similar video, talking about yet another alternative to intercourse.
PBS Kids Sprout is a joint venture of Comcast, PBS, Sesame Workshop and HIT Entertainment, producer of such content as Bob the Builder and Angelina Ballerina. The departure of Martinez as host of The Good Night Show, a three-hour feature that helped prepare preschoolers for bed, was announced quietly Thursday on Sprout’s Web site.
Sprout said it was a tough decision, but that the video clearly didn’t jibe with her role on a program targeted to preschoolers. The show plans to have a new host by year’s end.
PBS Kids Sprout airs children’s programming 24 hours a day and is seen in about 20 million of the nation’s 110 million television homes. The Good Night Show has been temporarily replaced by cartoons while a search is conducted for a new host.
Jennifer and Brian McGraw of Northeast Philadelphia have started a blog, bringbackmel.blogspot.com, in the hope of getting Martinez rehired. Jennifer McGraw said her 2-year-old daughter, Maili, “really likes Mel.” Maili enjoyed Martinez’s stretching exercises and funny dance routines.
“It’s part of her bedtime routine,” her mother said in an interview. She said her daughter would never see “Technical Virgin.” “She’s definitely not going to Google Melanie and find these videos,” she said. McGraw and her husband list various stars who have appeared on Sesame Street despite doing decidedly adult work, including Jason Alexander, Glenn Close and Susan Sarandon.
There’s been some question on other websites as to the origins of the Technical Virgin videos. They were made by David Mack and John Ordover and hit the web in 2000. Mack’s production company is now his writing company, Infinitydogs.com. You can read the conversations here

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