I was going to do a serious post today until Pop Candy got me reminiscing about Sesame Street with her Pop Five list today — the list being one of her reader’s five favorite Sesame Street animated sketches. I clearly remember a couple of the sketches and vaguely remember the rest. What I’m blown away by now is how trippy the sketches are.
For example … one of the sketches he linked to was ‘Capital I’
Ok, so I get that from this video I was supposed to realize that that thing I was looking at was the letter I, and a capitalized one at that, and maybe gain appreciations for an honest day of hard work and cleanliness. But was I not supposed to read too much into the fact that the I was sort of just parked in the sky (in the middle of a desert) and little men lived inside and their ladder, despite being three times the height of the door, was easily moved out and into the I every day? Editor’s note: The A.V. Club did a post about the man behind this sketch.
And then there’s the ‘Lost Boy’ sketch, which is some sort of weird marriage of Alice in Wonderland and The Neighborhood of Make Believe with a cheshire cat-like fella that turns himself into a freaky-looking house.
I’m not sure this video withstands the test of time, considering most adults would tell that kid he has no business getting lost in the first place, and even if he did get lost nowadays, he’d probably have a cell phone with which to phone home.
After watching both of those videos, I think I get why I naturally progressed toward The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine movie. Might also explain drugs, if I did any.
Anyway, these videos got me to thinking about the Sesame Street sketches that have stuck with me in the past 25+ years since I first saw them, and they are the following …
How Crayons are Made … the song sometimes just pops in my head without warning, though I can almost play the video in my head scene for scene. Which probably means I should be seeking a future in crayon development.
Ernie’s ‘Don’t Want to Live on the Moon’ … I can sing this song word for word, and I often think of it when I’m getting especially wanderlusty.
Keep on Truckin’ … This is probably responsible for the current generation of tree-hugging recyclers (I use that term fondly — not mockingly — and to describe myself)
U Really Got a Hold on Me … This sketch almost gives me personal space issues. I mean that U is so ridicUlous! Give Smokey Robinson some breathing room!
I could probably produce 20 more sketches if I spent the rest of the morning wading through the YouTube ether, but I’ll stop here and ask you — what Sesame Street sketches you remember?
I don’t know if these count strictly as sketches, but I’ve always been fond of anything the Count was in (“one, ha-ha-ha; two, ha-ha-ha…”) and there was this bit with Grover explaining “near” and “far” where he would run close the camera for near and away from the camera for far.
(I’m clearly amused by simple things.)
Grover was one of my favorite characters. It made me so mad as I got older and realized Elmo was stealing his thunder.
I remember the crayon sketch as well. For the most part I didn’t like Sesame Street as much as Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood or Muppet Babies. Man, I still like Muppet Babies.
I LOVE Muppet Babies … Muuuuppet Baaaabies, we make our dreams come true! I also watched a lot of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. And Square One … do you remember that show?
I remember a lot of Bert and Ernie sketches, and when Mr. Hooper died. As it is, my nephews can’t get enough of Sesame Street now thanks to Elmo. Lord, the pandemonium that puppet causes.
I was a hair too young to remember Mr. Hooper’s death. I remember them referring to him a lot, but I think that episode aired before I even turned a year old.
Ooh, I (strangely) think of that crayon video a lot, but I thought it was from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. I’m glad I’ve got that straightened out now 🙂
I am a fan of old school Sesame Street, though. Grover is my favorite, and now I have to go watch the “Near………….Far!” sketch!
Grover is the bomb. SuperGrover is the Superbomb.
Hah!! I love the crayon sketch, as well as the ‘U’ve Got a Hold on Me’! Throwback to my kiddie-hood! Love it!
The only one I really remember is How To Make A Steel Drum, which I bet had something to do with my love of rhythm. However, when I was about 4 months old I would stop my baby swing to watch Bert and Ernie intently, and then give myself a little push to restart it.