Remember the brouhaha with Sesame Street over their alleged swipe at Fox News? Sesame Street has officially extended an olive branch.
Sherrie Westin, executive vice president of the Sesame Workshop, appeared on The O'Reilly Factor to explain the "Pox News" joke and unveil a new character that pays homage to "Papa Bear" as part of the show's long-standing Grouch journalism homages. Just so there's no confusion, the new Sesame Street character is the guy in the suit on the left, not the right, I think.
Sesame Street-related stories
Sesame Street unveils new Bill O'Reilly character
Now PETA is going after Sesame Street
They're incredible and they're edible, but eggs will also harm you. At least that's what PETA is saying.People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals doesn't like the fact that the PBS show is being sponsored by The Egg Board. PETA's web site says that "Sesame Street is misleading children and parents into believing that eggs are a wholesome food when the truth is that eggs are linked to multiple serious health problems and that the egg industry horribly abuses animals." I think what they meant to say is that the industry horribly abuses animals in a simply delicious way, because scrambled eggs with just the right amount of salt and pepper are awesome.
This is a weird way for PETA to wish Sesame Street a happy 40th anniversary.
Removed Muppets, more than just a lousy name for a college rock band
In my never-ending, tireless, four day quest to completely categorize Sesame Street (read my previous features here, here and here), it seems I have completely missed one. Mental Floss Magazine has tapped a hidden but flowing resource of Muppets who have actually been fired from Sesame Street, characters I almost completely had erased from my memory like musician Don Music, Professor Hastings and Bruno the Trashman.
Who knew that Muppets could also fall victim to the horrors and uncaring hands of a mighty economic recession? I suppose that living in a garbage can makes you financially bulletproof.
Sesame Street's 40th: Five funniest characters
It's not surprising that a colorful and lively show like Sesame Street, one devised by the genius that was Muppets creator Jim Henson, was at heart a comedy. What is surprising is that so many adults who grew up with the show still find it so damn funny (or maybe that has more to do with the rise of marijuana use, but beggars can't be users, er, choosers). In fact, a recent box set of the show's earliest episodes came with a disclaimer that the episodes contained within it were "not for kids." That's also because it contained the rare lost episode from the early 1970s when Grover and Prairie Dawn accidentally wandered into the Plato's Retreat swingers club where they learned the difference between "top" and "bottom".
The point is adults can find just as much to laugh at as their kids do and here are the biggest chortle-makers.
Continue reading Sesame Street's 40th: Five funniest characters
A Sesame Street short that got shorted (almost)
As any child of the 80s knows, there is a slew of great mini-cartoons and animation shorts from Sesame Street that belong on yesterday's list of the greatest shorts. Unfortunately, word space and time are cruel mistresses.
There was a sixth I wanted to include but had to go: the famous Baby Climbs the Stairs short. It deserves special mention because it's more emotional teaching than just concrete concepts like numbers or letters. It was also created by W. Lee Savage, the father of Mythbusters host and special effects guy Adam Savage.
There was a sixth I wanted to include but had to go: the famous Baby Climbs the Stairs short. It deserves special mention because it's more emotional teaching than just concrete concepts like numbers or letters. It was also created by W. Lee Savage, the father of Mythbusters host and special effects guy Adam Savage.
Sesame Street's 40th: Five biggest controversies
Sit a kid in front of a TV for an hour a day and a parent is bound to find something that offends them, other than the fact that plopping impressionable minds in front of a TV unsupervised is considered "good parenting."Sesame Street is no stranger to controversy. Critics, cynics and crybabies have called out the show on everything from questionable behavior to the ambiguous situations...of puppets. Of course, all of these complaints and cackling criticisms just scratch the surface of a much bigger issue that has largely gone unaddressed: the total loss of our sanity and grasp on reality.
So as we look back at the last 40 years of television's greatest children's show, we see some speed bumps along the way. These are the ones that caused the greatest loss of tire pressure.
Continue reading Sesame Street's 40th: Five biggest controversies
Grouches gone wild
Everyone on Sesame Street is cheery and happy and beaming with cheery happiness, but all that internal sunshine has blinded from the reason why Oscar is such a grouch.
Finally, Oscar finds the gumption to tell everyone on Sesame Street why he's such a big ol' grouch.
WARNING: This video contains language some people might find offensive. So if you're within ear shot of your boss and don't like it when he gets all mad and fires you, use the headphones, please.
Finally, Oscar finds the gumption to tell everyone on Sesame Street why he's such a big ol' grouch.
WARNING: This video contains language some people might find offensive. So if you're within ear shot of your boss and don't like it when he gets all mad and fires you, use the headphones, please.
Sesame Street 40th: Five greatest animated shorts
This week marks the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street, the greatest and most celebrated kids' show in the history of the known universe. Its cast of colorful character and innovative use of the medium have made it more than just entertainment for the young ones. It's a children's show that has educated the growing minds of children all over the world. It's a show that has shaped a generation into curious and innovative people. It's a show that could kick the ass of any other children's show on the planet if the two were in some sort of a weird battle to the death, provided that no weapons were involved and Justice League doesn't count as a kids' show.
To celebrate this momentous day in television history, I'm compiling the most interesting moments, memories and characters from the show's 40 years into four special lists for their anniversary week (Why four? Because 40 would break the last ounce of my spirit), starting now with the show's best short cartoons.
Continue reading Sesame Street 40th: Five greatest animated shorts
Sesame Street turns 40 today
Forty years ago today, a little show called Sesame Street first took to the airwaves. You may have heard of it. If not, please find the nearest child and ask them about it. Be sure to keep your guard up from the inevitable dolt-slap the child will give you.
We here at TV Squad have something special planned for this historic milestone in TV history. Until then, here's an interesting preview of the show discovered by the neat folks at Neatorama.
We here at TV Squad have something special planned for this historic milestone in TV history. Until then, here's an interesting preview of the show discovered by the neat folks at Neatorama.
New TV on DVD releases this week
Here are the new TV DVDs, in stores tomorrow.I'm always amazed at how many seasons JAG lasted. It started on NBC in 1995 then went to CBS, and I really thought it was the type of show that wouldn't last beyond three seasons, but it lasted ten! I thought the same thing about NCIS, and look at what happened there too. Obviously I don't do well predicting how shows with all caps in their titles will do.
- Batman: The Brave and the Bold - Vol. 2
- Dawson's Creek - Complete Series
- Discovery Collection - Complete Collection
- G.I. Joe - A Real American Hero Collector's Set
- Heartland - Season 1, Part 2
- JAG - Season 9
Continue reading New TV on DVD releases this week
PBS ombudsman criticizes Sesame Street for 'POX News' joke
Poor Oscar the Grouch. Not even PBS' ombudsman will cut him a break. No wonder he's so grouchy. Well that and he lives in a garbage can. That would make me more than a little perturbed.
A clip of a two-year episode of Sesame Street popped up on YouTube thanks to conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart's on his Big Hollywood blog in which Grundgetta, Oscar's girlfriend, makes a crack about "POX News" that sounds very close to "FOX News." PBS' ombudsman Michael Getler said while the name could be construed as a "clever and appropriate title" to the "Grouch News Network," the joke about the reference "should have been resisted.
I was shocked when I saw it. Oscar the Grouch has a frigging girlfriend?!?
[via Popeater]
A clip of a two-year episode of Sesame Street popped up on YouTube thanks to conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart's on his Big Hollywood blog in which Grundgetta, Oscar's girlfriend, makes a crack about "POX News" that sounds very close to "FOX News." PBS' ombudsman Michael Getler said while the name could be construed as a "clever and appropriate title" to the "Grouch News Network," the joke about the reference "should have been resisted.
I was shocked when I saw it. Oscar the Grouch has a frigging girlfriend?!?
[via Popeater]
Will Cookie Monster become the Veggie Monster?
The Internet's never ending "series of tubes" were circulating rumors that I thought had already been addressed years ago by TV Squad, The View and even the monster's own mouth. Rumors started circulating earlier this morning that Sesame Street's Cookie Monster would drop the "Cookie" on his business card and replace it with "Veggie." It became the top Google search this morning and fueled rumors that the character would make the official change on the show's 40th Anniversary on Nov. 10th.
A show rep said Cookie Monster will remain as such, even if he considers cookies a "sometimes food." That's good ol' Cookie Monster, teaching kids the value of nutrition while sacrificing the value of good grammar.
Now Sesame Street takes on the iPod
Sesame Street did a Mad Men spoof recently, and now they're spoofing another contemporary pop culture icon: the iPod.
In this clip, the Muppets are seen wearing headphones and dancing in silhouette a la various commercials for Apple's iPod. Steve Jobs called and is going to sue PBS. Just kidding!
[via Mashable]
In this clip, the Muppets are seen wearing headphones and dancing in silhouette a la various commercials for Apple's iPod. Steve Jobs called and is going to sue PBS. Just kidding!
[via Mashable]
Sesame Street has sad men, happy men, and Mad Men
I'm not surprised that there's no smoking or drinking in this Sesame Street parody of AMC's Mad Men, but I still think it could be a little sharper. And why are all of the characters wearing hats?
Jeez, here I am being hard on a kids' show. The line at the end about sycophants is funny and something for us adults.
Jeez, here I am being hard on a kids' show. The line at the end about sycophants is funny and something for us adults.
Sesame Street asks: Are you smarter than an egg layer?
You know you've reached a certain place in pop culture when Sesame Street does a parody (Mad Men is getting one later this season). This one is a take-off on Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?
The Jeff Foxworthy puppet is eerily accurate.
The Jeff Foxworthy puppet is eerily accurate.
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