Celebrating 40 Years of Sesame Street, Teaching kids that monsters are okay

Greetings fellow bog leeches,

Today is the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street, which you probably all know about having seen the show at a very young age. If you haven't, you can read about it here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sesame_Street

The show set a new standard for educational programs that were actually fun to watch, and it is still on television today. The reason I am bringing it up here though is because most of the cast of the show happens to be a monster.

While it was not uncommon to have cute talking animals co star alongside human actors, it was until Sesame Street quite rare to feature decidedly monstrous characters in friendly starring roles. You have The Count (guess what he teaches), the Cookie monster (who spooked more than one of my friends at a young age) Oscar the Grouch, and many others. Even characters such as Big Bird were obviously not normal animals but, in Bird's case, avian-style monsters.

As in real-world mythology, the monsters in Sesame Street are all designed to evoke some sort of lesson. In Sesame Street however, the monsters teach the lessons in question themselves.

Let's consider Oscar the Grouch. You might have noticed that Sesame Street doesn't look like the wealthiest section of town. I recall reading that this was done because the show was originally aimed at teaching inner city slum kids the basics of reading and math. In this light the trash can dwelling Oscar is of course a monstrous stand in for a hobbo, who clearly states his opinion on the world around him:

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

Now that I am older, I can appreciate the rather genius approach Jim Henson took regarding his use of monsters and his construction of the show itself. here is hoping it stays around for many more generations.

So what do you guys think of Sesame Street?

that's what sesame street means to me,
SUPER GROVER

BONES BONES BONES!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LarTE7Ep3DE

The lyrics are surprisingly morbid, considering the target age group.

"Now boys and girls, I'm going to tell you what happens if you didn't have any bones."

You've got to love the glee with which the Count describes the effects of a lack of bones.

Remember the Yip Yip aliens?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qxWGr8VhzQ

They... taught us about dance club music apparently.

In all retrospect, the yip yips would make a horrifying realistic alien design.
Loved them in childhood, still do.

I notice and love this every single time. JUST LIKE MELTED ICE CREAM CONES IF WE DIDN'T HAVE OUR BOOOOOOOONES!

Even to this day, I love Sesame Street. No show will ever top it in all of human existence. The theme song makes me tear up a little... Now that I'm a grizzled 15-year-old, it brings back such memories... *sniff*

Sunny day
Sweepin' the clouds away
On my way
To where the air is sweet
Can you tell me how to get,
How to get to Sesame Street...?

;_;

Yip yip yip yip yipyipyipyipyipyipyipyipyipyipyipyipyipyipyipyipyipyip!

I loved those guys! The plight of Cookie Monster really makes me sad. He's now forced to say that cookies are a sometimes food, and is limited to like one a day. He's a monster! A cookie monster! How do they know that he doesn't need cookies to survive? They're starving him to death. Bah.

Uh-huh, uh-huh.
I liked those animated segments in between the plot too. "I WISH IT WOULDN'T RAAAAIINNnn."
Monsterwise, of course, I liked the two-headed guy (I forget his name) and the honkers used to make me giggle.
I'm trying to remember more, but all that comes to mind are those multicolored janitors from the Puzzle Place.

I think we all know this is my domain.
Get out, ScutigeraColeoptrata. Nobody wants you here.

Seriously though, I'm so glad it's the 40th anniversary! There's a really cool new book and documentary coming out...just hope I can afford 'em, or get them for Christmas.

Once again I will plug Follow That Bird, an excellent and funny film.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWv_sQm5_Yo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLW52Y_-JBg

First is "Ain't No Road Too Long", a pretty kickin' folk rock song from the film.
Second is "Grouch National Anthem", which was heaven for me as a young Oscar fan.

Some snot-faced kid on youtube was bashing people for commenting and faving Sesame Street videos and left me a hilariously idiotic comment on my youtube account after I told him to drop the macho act.

Since then I've chased him around other videos and left him myriad comments in response to his assholery. He's one of those kids raised by XBOX games who thinks everything has to be cool and adult.

Feel free to lay into him, the responses you'll get are quite fun.

Link, please.

Childish swearing, "bludge bats", and associating the word "macho" with Mexico!

Oh. I had no idea what he was saying there with the Mexicans.

What is a "bludge bat"?

http://www.youtube.com/user/conmana10 this guy's channel. He also trashes mario as a "baby game" and swears nobody plays it if they're a "real gamer."

He removed my comments on his profile and blocked my main account, lol.