C is for Cookie

I love Sesame Street.

I love Big Bird, Grover, Cookie Monster, Ernie and Mr. Hooper. Even though I didn't have the pleasure of knowing him when I was watching as a kid, I think Elmo is a rock star. The Count makes me a little crazy -- I could never figure out why he had to count so s-l-o-w-l-y and repetitively. "1-2-3-4-5-6...We've got it already!" Bert has always been a sad sack. Kermit was pretty awesome, but he kind of outgrew the show and became more synonymous with the Muppet Show and Miss Piggy. And anyone who didn't believe Big Bird and couldn't see Snuphelupogus obviously was deaf and couldn't hear my screaming, "HE'S STANDING RIGHT BEHIND YOU!" Guy Smiley and his weather reports, those silly aliens who only said, "Yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep..." and the back-up singing chickens were awesome. Who knew that while I was having so much fun I was learning that vowels had different sounds, sometimes it was okay to be afraid, how to count to 10 in Spanish, and all of those other valuable life lessons?

I grew up watching Sesame Street and I still have Sesame Street on the television in my office as I'm writing this right now. I watch Mason and Ruby and how they have both been mezmerized by the program -- well, really they are mezmerized with Elmo's World, but I count that as Sesame Street, where it originated. But because the girls watch the show via DVD instead of tuning in on a daily basis to their local public television station, I think they are missing out and not experiencing the true essence of the program.

Some of the skits are exactly the same ones from 35 years ago. They are timeless -- like the Rubber Ducky song and the animated segment about "Which of these is not like the others?" And then there are new segments about computers and technology and rap music.

But the theme song will never, ever change...

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?

While one might argue that the show's creators have sold out -- I mean is there anything you can buy that DOESN'T have a Sesame Street character printed on it? -- I still think the basic integrity of the show remains in tact. Sesame Street makes learning fun for kids.

So, in the spirit of the famous Sesame Street sign off, this blog entry is brought to you by the letter "L" (for "Love it!") and by the number "1" (for the place the show holds in my heart).