Bruce Handy on Culture  Five Reasons to Hate Elmo (Non-Kevin-
Clash Subcategory)   Photograph by Bruce Handy.  Elmos in Times
Square.  The recent accusations of sexual abuse against Elmo
puppeteer Kevin Clash have been tragic for all concerned,
especially the alleged teenage victims. But I would be remiss in
my obligations as a cultural critic if I didn’t take this
opportunity to reflect on Elmo himself, who, when it comes to
beloved fixtures in children’s entertainment, is exceeded in his
execrableness only by Woody Woodpecker.     1. Elmo is a classic
example of the phenomenon by which, thanks to the alchemy of
creative laziness and enhanced merchandising opportunities, the
cutest, most cuddly, least deserving character(s) in a comic
ensemble will inevitably come to dominate it. Think of how, in
Peanuts’ final decades, Snoopy and Woodstock elbowed aside the
more emotionally complex but less overtly adorable Charlie
Brown, Linus, Lucy, Schroeder, Frieda, and Pig Pen. Jim and Pam
serve much the same purpose on