This comic is brought to you by the letters E, A, and D (via Derangement and Description)

I love the Count. I love archives humor.

That’s two, two great things I love about this comic!

Ah ha ha ha ha ha!

via Derangement and Description

The Real Sesame Street

I have a brilliant idea for a new reality show.

1. Find some of the people who made appearances as kids on Sesame Street back in the 60′s & 70′s.
2. Have them move into a set of real row houses on a real street in New York.  They can bring along any family members or companions they chose.
3. Film them going about their daily routines, work, etc.
4. At random intervals Muppets will appear to interact with the cast members.

PBS, make it happen!

Sesame Street A-to-Z

For my final post in my series of tributes to Sesame Street on its 40th anniversary, I challenged myself to find a Sesame Street song for every letter of the alphabet.

• Soul A
• The Letter B
• C is for Cookie
• Dee, Dee, Dee
• E-Imagination
• Four Furry Friends
• Oh G (I Love That Letter)
• H Game
• I Stand Up Straight and Tall
• This is My J
• Clap, Clap, Clap – K
• La, La, La
• M-M-M Monster Meal
• The Lonely n Song
• Would You Like to Buy an O?
• P is My Favorite Letter
• The Question Song
• R Rap
• Sammy the Snake
• Plain White T
• U Really Got a Hold On Me
• Letter V
• The National Association of W Lovers
• How I Miss My X
• Don’t Know Y
• ZZ Blues

Of course you always sing the entire alphabet at once:

Or this way:

And you can even dance it out:

Thanks to the Muppet Wiki for helping me find some of these songs.

Sesame Street: COOKIE!

I may identify with Oscar the Grouch, but Cookie Monster is my favorite Sesame Street Muppet of them all.  If you ever meet my mother, ask her to tell you the story of the time I got Cookie Monster dirty.  I’m pleased that love of Cookie is genetic as my son is a big Cookie Monster fan and a Cookie Monster doll is among his favorite toys.

The Mystery Box skit with Kermit shows the comedic genius of Cookie Monster:

Of course there is also the fine dramatic performance of Alistair Cookie and “Conservations With My Father”:

Cookie Monster also knows how to get into the holiday spirit by writing to Santa Claus:

Part 2 & Part 3 of “Cookie Monster Contacts Santa” are also online showing his omnivorous ways.

Cookie Monster is such a presence that he even has his own letter of the alphabet:

By the way, if you’ve heard and spread the rumors that a “politically correct” Sesame Street has turned Cookie Monster into Veggie Monster please read the debunking of this urban legend on the Muppet Wiki and realize that this monster has always been more than just cookies.

Cookie reflects in this interview about his unique eating style:

Om-nom-nom-nom!

Sesame Street: Serenading a Grouch

This is the third of my series of tribute posts in honor of  Sesame Street’s 40th Anniversary.

While looking for clips to watch with my son, I noticed a trend of celebrity musicians coming to the Street and singing to Oscar the Grouch.  I have the twin characteristics of identifying with Oscar perhaps more than other Muppet but also liking songs a lot too, so these resonate with me.

Johnny Cash leads things off with “Nasty Dan”:

Billy Joel and Marlee Matlin get really mushy with a Grouch they like “Just the Way You Are”:

Up on the rooftop, James Taylor appreciates “Your Grouchy Face”:

Totally unrelated to Oscar the Grouch, here are three more celebrity musician appearances on Sesame Street that totally rule.

Stevie Wonder rocks the Street with “Superstition,” a rare performance where the lyrics aren’t altered for the kids:

I never liked the original version of this R.E.M. song, but “Furry Happy Monsters” validates its existence:

Finally, there’s Feist’s performance of “1,2,3,4″ another Sesame Street version that is an improvement over the original:

Sesame Street @ Your Library

This is part two of my tribute to Sesame Street on its 40th Anniversary.

Sesame Street is an educational program for preschoolers with one goal to help children begin to learn to read.  As a result they’ve been a boon to my profession with sketches that make the library look like a fun place.

Of course, even as Grover extols the virtues of the library, they can’t resist the stereotype of librarians as overbearing shushers:

The exasperation of this librarian is more understandable as Cookie Monster continually asks for things that are not available at the library.  Some library 2.0 types will probably ask themselves “why doesn’t the library have cookies?”:

The whole cast of Sesame Street comes together at the library for an elaborate light opera:

If Gilbert & Sullivan isn’t your thing, you can also rock out in the library:

I know that some readers are probably annoyed about all the book focus in these clips.  Here, Elmo discovers that computers are in the library in your neighborhood:

Related Links:

• Library of Congress Blog: Sesame? Sweet!
• The Daily Beast: “A” is for Anniversary: Sesame Street Turns 40: 25 Classic Moments