My daughter is not 2 yet, so she watches very, very little TV. And she only watches the educational stuff. We sort of use TV as a sedative when it's naptime or bedtime. She watches maybe a total of 30 minutes a day, and it gets her to slow down and chill out.

Out of all the programs we've tried, Sesame Street is by far her favorite. Last weekend she surprised me by counting to 20 all on her own. And I have to say, I actually enjoy watching it, myself. It really is a genius show.

Sesame Street is awesome, as is public television in general. That is all.

When I was a kid in the '70s I was a Sesame Street junky. My sister (who is two years older than me) and I often disagreed on what to watch on TV, but we both firmly agreed on Sesame Street, and we watched it every day.

My favorite character, by far, was always Oscar the Grouch. For some reason that I can't explain I thought it was so cool that he lived in a garbage can.

My 7 month old loves it.

Except for the T.M.S. muppet our favorite is Count von Count.

What passes for Sesame Street now is incredibly sad. In the 70's and 80's, the show was a surprising vehicle for both education and tolerance. Take for example the scene where Big Bird finds out Mr. Hooper is dead (it's on YouTube, sorry I'm too lazy to link) - the conversation the humans are having is very, very, typical of bohemian urbane politics. Very Greenwich Village stuff. It's a great way to show toddlers in Topeka that there's a bigger world out there.

Sadly, the muppets of that era have lost their luster. Oscar, Grover, Cookie Monster, Ernie - they all represented the unrestrained facets of a child's psyche. They were the embodiment of our id, very cutting edge child psychology for the time.

Somewhere along the way, the Children's Television Workshop lost its way. I don't know who was responsible for the corruption, but they've set back television as a tool of child education.

T.M.S.: Except for the T.M.S. muppet our favorite is Count von Count.

The pic is missing from your profile. Can you post it, please? I'd love to see it.

UNC_Samurai: Somewhere along the way, the Children's Television Workshop lost its way. I don't know who was responsible for the corruption, but they've set back television as a tool of child education.

I still hug my raggedy Ernie dolls when I'm sad.

UNC_Samurai: the conversation the humans are having is very, very, typical of bohemian urbane politics. Very Greenwich Village stuff.

That's a contender for either the most hilarious or the most douche-tastic comment of the year. Either way, bravo.

The World?!

I've never watched Sesame Street... So I guess I'm a bastion of un-change

I suppose "turning boys into girly-men" didn't make the list, did it?

/didn't RTFA

.

UNC_Samurai: What passes for Sesame Street now is incredibly sad. In the 70's and 80's, the show was a surprising vehicle for both education and tolerance. Take for example the scene where Big Bird finds out Mr. Hooper is dead (it's on YouTube, sorry I'm too lazy to link) - the conversation the humans are having is very, very, typical of bohemian urbane politics. Very Greenwich Village stuff. It's a great way to show toddlers in Topeka that there's a bigger world out there.

Sadly, the muppets of that era have lost their luster. Oscar, Grover, Cookie Monster, Ernie - they all represented the unrestrained facets of a child's psyche. They were the embodiment of our id, very cutting edge child psychology for the time.

Somewhere along the way, the Children's Television Workshop lost its way. I don't know who was responsible for the corruption, but they've set back television as a tool of child education.

Exactly.

And the culprit is Elmo.

He killed Sesame Street by being cute and sassy.

He isn't psychologically interesting like the classic characters; only purportedly 'inspirational' (I guess) because he is small and competent.

I farking hate that little farker for wrecking the show; he dumbed it down and made the merchandising cynical.

I always thought it gave parents an excuse to leave their little bundles of joy in front of the TV so they could stop being parents for a little while. Once kids outgrew Sesame Street they lost most of what they learned since the parents never reinforced what the kids picked up off the tube. Hence my fluent Spanish at age 5 and not being able to pronounce chimichanga by age 11.

UNC_Samurai, emilyek_1

Or it could be the fact that you've both grown out of the target demographic and the show doesn't pack the same punch

UNC_Samurai: What passes for Sesame Street now is incredibly sad. In the 70's and 80's, the show was a surprising vehicle for both education and tolerance. Take for example the scene where Big Bird finds out Mr. Hooper is dead (it's on YouTube, sorry I'm too lazy to link) - the conversation the humans are having is very, very, typical of bohemian urbane politics. Very Greenwich Village stuff. It's a great way to show toddlers in Topeka that there's a bigger world out there.

Sadly, the muppets of that era have lost their luster. Oscar, Grover, Cookie Monster, Ernie - they all represented the unrestrained facets of a child's psyche. They were the embodiment of our id, very cutting edge child psychology for the time.

Somewhere along the way, the Children's Television Workshop lost its way. I don't know who was responsible for the corruption, but they've set back television as a tool of child education.

To this day, the Mr. Hooper episode makes me cry. That being said, the sketches where Kermit plays a reporter covering various fairytales still make me unreasonably happy.

Also, the music was wonderful: Link (new window)

I grew up on the Sesame Street I admit. One thing that they were ahead of the times back then was introducing homosexual living situations with Bert and Ernie

/not that there's anything wrong with it

FTFA: An integrated program aimed at impressionable children was too much for the good people of Mississippi. The state's commission for educational television banned the show in May 1970.

This was a mere 39 years ago. Wow.

Sesame Street: For Adults Only (new window)

Seriously, strange man invites young girl into his apartment?

\OK, I'm not serious but some mavens of decency were.

Oh, and I agree that Elmo sucks. He has one quality: irritation.

Kali-Yuga: UNC_Samurai: Somewhere along the way, the Children's Television Workshop lost its way. I don't know who was responsible for the corruption, but they've set back television as a tool of child education.

I used to dislike the fact that cookie monster eats fruit now and not just cookies. Not quite "you're raping my childhood" but it didn't sit well. But when you realize that child obesity is reaching an all time high, it really is a responsible decision to recreate the character to try to get it through the thick skulls of the little lard balls that you have to mix it up and not eat crap 24/7. Maybe there's a way to do it without compromising the CM, but I can now live with their decision.

I cried when Henson died.

I was a Sesame Street addict. Bert and Ernie were my fave.

//return of the living dead? ;)

You wonder what it would be if Jim Henson lived in this era with the technological capabilities of the computer.

We lost him too early.

UNC_Samurai: Take for example the scene where Big Bird finds out Mr. Hooper is dead

My favorite was the one where Big Bird is trying to explain that Mr. Snuffalalufagus snuffled up the big bag of coke Big Bird was supposed to be delivering.

"OHHOHOH, that's good blow, Bird!"
"But Mr. Snuffalufagus!"

/maybe I dreamed it
//but it is very clear in my memory

Here's something to consider: Stevie Wonder on Sesame Street jamming on an almost seven-minute version of Superstition. There's no way in hell we would allow a seven-minute piece of music these days. Is it really b/c kids don't have a long attention span?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ul7X5js1vE

UNC_Samurai: What passes for Sesame Street now is incredibly sad. In the 70's and 80's, the show was a surprising vehicle for both education and tolerance. Take for example the scene where Big Bird finds out Mr. Hooper is dead (it's on YouTube, sorry I'm too lazy to link) - the conversation the humans are having is very, very, typical of bohemian urbane politics. Very Greenwich Village stuff. It's a great way to show toddlers in Topeka that there's a bigger world out there.Sadly, the muppets of that era have lost their luster. Oscar, Grover, Cookie Monster, Ernie - they all represented the unrestrained facets of a child's psyche. They were the embodiment of our id, very cutting edge child psychology for the time.Somewhere along the way, the Children's Television Workshop lost its way. I don't know who was responsible for the corruption, but they've set back television as a tool of child education.

May 16, 1990, to be exact.

/I pray to all-powerful Atheismo that I didn't screw up my HTML again.

Ow My Balls: Oh, and I agree that Elmo sucks. He has one quality: irritation.

Preachin' to the choir. Elmo was just there to be cute and supercomforting. Put a spotlight on him and he cuts through most of us with a dentist drill.


Oh, and let us please not forget about Super Grover.



Super Grover is Super Gangsta. He always saves the day, even if he crash-lands and destroys your walls.

Grew up watching Sesame Street, starting around 1970-71 (off my lawn).

Grover was always my favorite, probably because that was my grandfather's name.



Near.....................................................Far!

I prefer Sweetknuckle Junction, and Count Blah.

My favorite learning bits on Sesame Street were the "One of these things is not like the other..." segments.

Taught me how to avoid the trannies.

I remember a while back when they actually showed you the inside of Oscar's garbage can and I swear I acted as if someone told me how to convert lead to gold.

Take that MTV cribs!

How has it changed the world?

Let us count the ways

One! ah ha ha
two! ah ha ha
Three! ah ha ha

/plenty more wit where that came from

Funk Brothers: You wonder what it would be if Jim Henson lived in this era with the technological capabilities of the computer.

We lost him too early.

As opposed to losing out on his creative talent as he became a WoW addict (the benefit of computers)?

Loved me SS back in the late 60s/ early 70s.

Seig heil Burt.

Sorry, I am going so Sesame-crazy now... you fans, please enjoy this little ditty sung by our favorites, Big Bird and Waylon Jennings. (pops)


There ain't no road too long...

Sesame street was my entrance drug to the Muppet Show

I did also pick up Spanish and Guy Smiley rocked!

/manamana
//do do do do do

emilyek_1:

Exactly.

And the culprit is Elmo.

He killed Sesame Street by being cute and sassy.

He isn't psychologically interesting like the classic characters; only purportedly 'inspirational' (I guess) because he is small and competent.

I farking hate that little farker for wrecking the show; he dumbed it down and made the merchandising cynical.

Ow My Balls: Oh, and I agree that Elmo sucks. He has one quality: irritation.

Brought to you by the letters: T, H, I, and S

Just think they had a very obviously high out of his mind Richard Pryor doing the alphabet. No way in hell anything close to that happens today. Forget the being high bit, no one known for humor as raunchy as Pryor's would be allowed near the show.

I remember watching it when it was a brand new program. It gained popularity very quickly. I am sure they never thought it would start a cultural revolution.

My Mom would put it on our tv in the kitchen when we came home for lunch. We watched it in b&w then.

How many years ago was that? Jeez i'm old.

Are people forgetting Elmo was on the show for years before they changed things and came up with Elmo's World segments? It's not Elmo, it's that they changed the show.

Always loved this one, no matter how old I get.

/BEEEEEEEEEERT!
//Hot like the desert

bustle in my hedgerow: How many years ago was that? Jeez i'm old.

ohh 35 to 40...

wademh: Sesame Street: For Adults Only (new window)

Seriously, strange man invites young girl into his apartment?

\OK, I'm not serious but some mavens of decency were.

God damn I hate that article and I hate that "warning" on the Old School DVDs. It makes me want to hang around playgrounds going "Psst, kids! You wanna watch the GOOD episodes of Sesame Street?".

/Yeah, I'd probably get arrested, but at least it would be for a good cause.
//Loved the pinball segments. And this.

When I was a kid, the only character who ever saw Suffalupagus was Big Bird. They would so their scene and then Snuffy would say, "Oh, Bird...I have to go," and waddle off down the street.
Bob or someone would immediately come up and say, "Hi, Big Bird! What are you doing?"
When Bird said that he has just been talking to his friend the Snuffalupagus, Bob would insist that there were no such things as Snuffalupagusses (Snuffalupigi?) - say that Bird's friend was imaginary...a delusion, an hallucination.

As a four-year-old, this was incredibly frustrating. I knew Snuffalupagus was real. Bird was telling the truth and not only did no one believe him, they called him crazy and a liar. It's a huge, hairy elephant - doesn't move fast - walking down the street RIGHT NOW! TURN YOUR HEAD, BOB!

I aged out of watching Sesame Street, but some scars never heal.
Something more than 25 years later, I was visiting friends who had twins. The kids were watching Sesame Street, we were chatting over coffee. On the TV, Bird was talking to Snuffalupagus.
Bob walked up and said, "Hi, Big Bird! Hi, Snuffy!"

I swear to fark I almost had a heart attack.

HI, SNUFFY???

When the fark was the goddamn episode where Big Bird gets to say, "SEE! SEE YOU SONS OF biatchES! SNUFFALUPAGUSSES ARE REAL, SO FARK YOU! And, Bob...you can take a long hard suck on my BIG BIRD!"

They just toss off a "Hi, Snuffy" as if none of that rat bastard childhood trauma ever happened?
I still love Sesame Street, I guess...and I always will. In Canada, it even provided my very first French lessons (along with an unquenchable desire to live in a Capital I in the middle of the desert in the center of the sky).
But on the Snuffalupagus issue, I never got the closure I needed.

/thanks for letting me vent.

The day "Sesame Street" took a turn for the worse was when CTW changed their name from Children's Television Workshop to Sesame Workshop. The explanation is right there in the names.

Before it changed, their commitment was to "children's television."

Then it became all about "Sesame Street" branding and marketing -- mainly, their newest popular character at the time, Elmo.

If you want to blame anyone, blame the suits that made that change.

altrocks: Always loved this one, no matter how old I get.

That is one of my all time favorite bits.