Fans of Sesame Street have complained that Elmo's prominent status has caused roles to be greatly reduced for some older characters, such as Oscar the Grouch, Big Bird, Count von Count,Prairie Dawn, Grover, and Cookie Monster. Some fans also blame Elmo for the permanent departure of Kermit the Frog from Sesame Street.[12] Elmo has been referred to as the "Little Red Menace" by Sesame Street traditionalists.