Brought to You by the Letter P
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Happy 40th Birthday Sesame Street!
This week Sesame Street turned 40. Having turned 40 in May myself, I know how they feel (retro, not ancient…). I’m even prouder of having been born the same year as Sesame Street as I am the year of the moon landing and Woodstock.
Snuffleupagus (did you know his first name is Aloysius? I didn’t either- thanks, Wikipedia!) was my favorite character. He entered the show in 1971 as Big Bird’s imaginary friend and I would just like to say to the Sesame Street people that I will FOREVER hold a grudge against you for making him ‘real’ all of the sudden in 1985 when I was making out with my football player boyfriend on the beach and you thought I wasn’t paying attention.
That was B is for Bullshit, you guys. What’s wrong with having an imaginary friend? What- was Oscar the Grouch making fun of Big Bird and saying,
”Snuffleupagus is code word for ‘Snorting Coke’ isn’t it, you giant yellow feathered freak?”
So I chose the Snuffie pic cuz he has always been my fave (when imaginary). I would have picked a ‘whole cast’ picture but too many of them include Effing Elmo. Dude, he is SO not an original character to the show- he didn’t even show up in the first decade, so I don’t even remember watching him (cuz by age 10 I was watching Brady Bunch instead). I remember him more as the annoying-voiced red thing that caused me to have to find the Tickle version when my oldest was little. Tickle My Fat Ass, you improper pronoun-using poser.
I like Sesame Street old school, when Cookie Monster didn’t know what the hell a vegetable was, Mr. Hooper was alive and running HooperMart, and Oscar the Grouch was orange. (Yeah, it was only for a year, but it was the first year and it’s my fave color).
Besides the noo-nee-noo typewriter and the funky “Pinball Number Count” (watch that awesome song on Youtube) and Grover and the Grumpy guy skits, one of my other top faves have always been the Twiddlebugs:
Remember them? They live on Ernie and Bert’s windowsill- here’s their pic from the day they were trying to get the postage stamp on the wall. Love them. Love Ernie and Bert because dude, Sesame Street invented gay. Awesome. (Props to Ernie for putting up with Bert, too, because he can be a bottlecap-collecting, pigeon-happy, whiny bitch and The Count would’ve been wayyyy more fun to live with.)
The other day I was driving my 4-year old son to preschool and I asked him if he learned the alphabet song yet. I started singing it. He sort of sang along for part of it, and then when I got to LMNO P he started cracking up. I said ‘what’? And he said “You said P! Pee is in the alphabet!” (hysterical laughter.)
I forgot.
After momming three girls, it’s only since having a son that I’ve been schooled on the fact that nothing in the world is funnier than the Holy Trinity of Little Boy Humor: burping, farting, and peeing/pooping. (This later becomes the Holy Trinity of Man Humor, too, I guess.)
So I am sending out a shout-out and hollah to the awesomeness of Sesame Street (40 looks good on us, baby).
This blog post has been brought to you by the letter P.
Readers: tell me your favorite Sesame Street memory!*
*Please refrain from saying “Snuffleupagus used to be imaginary?” or “Elmo wasn’t always on Sesame?” or other reminders that I’m a hag. Thanks.
LOL Boys get a kick out of the weirdest things. I’m finding that out with my three year old
I wanted to marry the Count and we would spend hours counting. One martini, Two MARTINIS. AH hah hah hah. Three Martinis. Flour mawtinis. Six martiiiniis.
Brought to you by the letter M.
Aloysius was my favorite, too! What a hunk. I was also obsessed with those little two aliens with the giant mouths that went “yup, yup, yup, yup, yup, yup, yup, yup, bbrrrrING!”
Thanks ohhh thank you for making me feel so old lol. I loved Sesame Street. I did not however know that it would be 40 today. Lordie, I’m older than Sesame Street.. now I feel like I’m older than dirt. I loved Sesame Street when I was growing up. I absolutely adored Big Bird. I begged my mom for a bird that big lol.
Boys are definitely different than girls. All Jason wants to do is belch, burp or fart.
I loved the nose honking guys and the yep, yep aliens as a kid. I don’t know that there is a character that I don’t love from 80’s sesame street.
There are quite a few characters I could live with out now. Particularly, Abby Cababby. Urp.
I haven’t gotten into the boy humor stage yet. I’m having a hard time with the smell still.
Snuffleupagus was my favorite too. I think my daughter should have been a boy. She loves pee/poo/fart/burp jokes as much as the boys do.
YUS! Snuffie ftw!
When I was…3?…there was a black man that tap danced on a wall and taught me how to tie my shoes. I don’t know why I remember that. =D
This is how freakin’ ancient I am: I watched Romper Room and my favorite show was Shari Lewis and Lambchop. And the 40’s rock, my dear. My favorite decade. Liked it so much that when I turned 60 I declared it the new 40 and I’m doing it all over again. Blessed are the senile for they shall forever make new friends.
Irritated customer: Will I EVER get my food?
Grover the Waiter: Where there is life, there is hope.
LOVE Grover.
I also loved Kermit the reporter in his little trenchcoat. Particularly when he covered the Koosmanian (or whatever) mating ritual.
LOVE LOVE LOVE your tribute to SS, well done!! I love that we were raised on it, our kids were raised on it – and hopefully their children too! I have the most random fav character on that show and I wonder if anyone remembers him… it was the super angry piano player guy who ALWAYS hit the wrong key while attempting to play ‘Mary had a Little Lamb’ … and would literally bash his head against the keys of the piano. LOL! Of course they got rid of him when the world got all PC & shit after the 80’s ended… but I will never forget that schizo piano player, he was AWESOME!
I adore the Cookie Monster, because I can totally relate to his struggle not to eat the cookies! Happy Anniversary, Sesame Street!
–>Big Bird was my favorite as a kid and I always liked when Snuffy showed up, he was the original gentle giant.
Snuffy was one of my favourites too, and I knew he was called Aloysius, but I don’t remember why I know that. The pinball counting song totally rocks, and I will sing it now for you. Or not, if you prefer.
I never liked Elmo, I never accepted him as part of the “street” when I saw him advertised in a new timzone that belongs to my own children.
But I never saw Oscar in any other colour than green – obviously I am way younger than you. You may call me kiddo until next Febuary, when I turn 40. At which point I plan to put on my slippers and shuffle about too.
Snuffie was always my fave too. However, I always loved loved loved Kermie and that “It’s Not Easy Being Green” song. Seriously. Kermie invented reducing your carbon footprint.
Presently, I’m loving that Jon Stewart keeps comparing Michael Steele to the “There’s a fly in my soup” muppet. I almost pee my pants everytime he does it.
Oh, and I still have a crush on Guy Smiley. Remember him?
Great post,
K
LOVE Sesame Street. I wasn’t thrilled when they made Snuffy “real”, but I was happy for Big Bird, because as a child I always felt so bad for him when no one believed him about Snuffy. (I’m very empathetic, can you tell???)
I’ve always been a little opposed to Elmo for the same reasons you mentioned–not original cast, he talks funny, etc. But I’ve become a fan recently as my 5 month old will sit enthralled and watch Elmo for at least 10 minutes giving me time to put on make-up, take a shower, pee! Suddenly, Elmo is looking a lot better to me.
Lastly, the pinball counting song is what I sing in my head (okay, out loud) every time I wash my hands. I go through it a couple of times to ensure I’m washing long enough. It’s a good song.
one two three four five
six seven eight nine ten
eleven tweh, eheh, eh, eh, eh…ELVE!!
My fav, of course was cookie monster AND oscar. I about peed my pants when in ONE episode they kinda sorta showed Oscar’s trash can house FROM THE INSIDE.
LOVED Guy Smiley, the TV host and Sherlock Hemlock.
Oh, and the rubber ducky song.
I could go on and on. I hope it NEVER goes off the air!!
oh, mine know the rubber ducky song, but sadly – so sadly – they’ve never actually watched sesame street. Why it’s not shown in the UK I’ll never know. I mean, it probably is on some weird cable channel that I don’t get.
I give them the muppets on DVD instead. 4 DVDs… ah ah ah!
Almost forgot… “Hey, Bub? How’dya like to buy a… letter W?”
‘A LETTER W????”
I’m guessing they’ve reconsidered the whole “meeting men with seasonally-inappropriate coats in an alley for a secret purchase” sketch, though.
“C” is for Cookie!
And he was always good enough for me! Big blue cookie eater. How could you not love him!
“yep-yep-yep-yep TE-LE-FONE” Awesome.
Sherlock Hemlock: Pretty sure I told my dad: “fuck OFF!!!” when he told me the original based-on character was Sherlock Holmes.
“Letter B, Letter B… Letter B, Letter B”…. sing it with me now…
(how about “snuffaluphagous ISN’T imaginary any more?”?)
I would like to thank my alert readers for pointing out I forgot the Yip Yip aliens, who are effing hilarious. I too love Guy Smiley, Kermit in Trenchcoat, Don Music (the piano-playing head banger), Sherlock Hemlock. Good times, gang. Sunny days…keepin the clouds away! Thanks for the shout-outs!
The big snuffle was kind of sweet in a lumbering way, but your fave? Really? And what is with the Elmo hate-on? Granted, at the time of Tickle Me Elmo and Chicken Dance Elmo I wanted to make him Throw Me Out The Window Elmo, but until then not so bad.
I am a couple of years older than you, so never a huge follower of Sesame Street, tho was on my radar. Was obsessed with Gilligan’s Island and Hogan’s Heroes then.
Later when I was a bit older totally loved – and still love – the Muppet Show. Swedish Chef. Muppet News Flash,. PIgs in Space. Fave characters Rizzo the Rat and Gonzo. Love love love!
Oh – and as for Ernie and Bert – they are an orange and a banana, and yes they are gay gay gay!
And no I don’t think everyone is gay… Levi Johnston is on your team and he is all yours!
I was always partial to Big Bird ever since meeting him at Bloomingdale’s when I was two. I grabbed a handful of feathers from his ass.
My mom still has those feathers.
I vividly remember a little skit that was done about these two creatures standing under a tangerine tree. They were both hungry, but the short one couldn’t reach the tangerines and the tall one had long arms that stuck straight up in the air therefore he could pluck them, but not get them to his mouth.
Naturally the tall guy plucked them down and the short one fed them both. My heart swells just thinking about it.
Apparently I am much older than you.
Let’s talk about the good old days with Captain Kangaroo and The Friendly Giant.
Now that was some good kid t.v.
Don’t get me started on Mr. Dress-up and his tickle trunk.
The count and Bert and Ernie are the best. I do believe that Bert and Ernie are an old gay couple living together in the Bronx! Does anyone agree?
Love Tawnia
Yes!!! I loved Sesame Street as a kid and still do. The Yip Yips were always one of my favorites and I have dedicated myself to bringing them back to Sesame Street!
If you don’t mind a plug, I would love to have other Yip Yip fans sign my petition! http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/yip-yips
Great post!
-Aimee
I feel like my whole early childhood revolved around Sesame Street. Snuffy was my favorite too, but I do love Elmo.
My favorite was the ORIGINAL Christmas episode. Remember Big Bird waiting on the roof for Santa and icicles hanging off of his nose? I want a DVD copy of that episode so badly….guess I need to check Ebay.
Oh, I love this show. The Count was my favorite, which might explain why I loved Maths and otherworldly creatures.
I remember a time when this show was translated into Tagalog years back. The translation was so bad, even adults watch the show for the laughs. They eventually aired the show in English.
Oh, and this was brought to you by the letter M.
Never got into Sesame street.. I am the same age as Barbie. lol
So I was too old to watch it myself and by the time I had kids SS was so intent on being PC they didn’t even have white kids on the show. I didnt think that was fair and my kids prefered Sharon Lois and Bram and ugh Barney anyway.
And yes Snuffy is cute but I like Elmo.. he he he
I am totally on board with “Gray Matters Matters” with the arms down & arms up guys. True problem solving ability & teamwork. Another of my favs was Slimy, who was Oscars pet worm. Slimey, without saying a word was seemingly able to derail all of Oscars ill will toward the muppets of Sesame Street with the shake of a puppeteers visible wire. He was like prozac to that green mangy bastard. And a shout out to the Yip Yip Aliens too- what a total college stoner classic!
One two three, four five six, seven eight nine, ten eleven twelve, ladie bugs came, to the ladie bug picnic… was stuck in my head the entire time I was in labour with my second son! I had somehow retained the entire song and ever since he was born (and he’s 15 for the love a’ pete!) I hear it every time I have to count ANYTHING!
I used to wait for the tweedle bugs and the Yip Yip aliens to be on. And I LOVED Ernie.
Lorie E. – Look up… look waaay up, we’re on our way to the castle, I’ll go over first and go in the backdoor and let the drawbridge down and open the big front door for you… I aways wanted to sit in the middle in the rocking chair.
Apparently I was born not only old but also yelling “Get off my lawn!” — as a kid I held disdain for all kid TV, including Sesame Street. WTF? Like Mini Me. I found Mr. Green Jeans on Captain Kangaroo rather enticing (the Captain himself was clearly gay), and still remember discovering that an owl can turn its head all the way around. I must have practiced that for days and never got the hang of it. Romper Room and Gumby scared the shit out of me. Magic Mirror? Pliable kids made out of clay? Those were the drug years, people. The whole thing came back to bite me when I had kids, of course and sat breastfeeding on the couch in a stupor. Mr. Rogers’ voice is incredibly soporific. Those were the days.
And I found new appreciation for S.S. in this awesome video of The Count: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AXPnH0C9UA