Today’s Blog is brought to you by the letter G
In their continuing tribute to Sesame Street’s 40th anniversary, Google has featured Cookie Monster today!
The anniversary has prompted me to consider some of my favorite episodes and sequences from the show. There are a lot to choose from, and sesamestreet.org has a treasure trove of classic and new video clips to watch. For those of you who, like me, haven’t watched the show for awhile, it’s a great way to catch up. For those with younguns of your own who watch Sesame Street, or have recently, it’s wonderful fun to go back and enjoy those classics WE grew up with!
My memory for today is not of Cookie Monster, but of Grover. I always loved Grover, and Frank Oz’s performance of him. One of the notable elements of Sesame Street was the uncertainty of working with very young children. They don’t always do what you intended them to do. It’s hard enough to operate a Muppet on a busy TV set, while watching monitors and keeping lights and cameras aimed correctly. Add the element of a child who isn’t entirely sure he knows what’s going on, and you have an improvisational challenge.
That’s what happened when Grover and a youngster named Erik played a rhyming game. Grover suggested to Erik that they rhyme, and Erik looks dubious if not downright confused. Grover throws out a word to rhyme: “Boy.”
Silence.
“What rhymes with boy?” Grover asks.
A shrug.
“Do you know what rhyming is?”
A nod, another shrug, then a shake of the head. Nope, Erik doesn’t remember what rhyming is!
Only stymied for a moment, Grover comes up with a definition. Rhyming is two words that sound alike: Like “boy” and “toy.” Changing tack, Grover suggests that Erik give a word and Grover will rhyme it.
“Boy,” Erik suggests helpfully.
“Toy,” says Grover.
“Monster.”
Silence!
Realizing he’s been had, Grover goes for humor.
“Watermelon!” he suggests to giggles from Erik. Then “Sassafras.”
“Clonster,” suggests Erik.
Why not? Grover loves the idea. Who says rhyming words have to mean anything?
The skit ends in a hug between Erik and Grover, with Grover chanting “Clonster, Monster” in a soft voice.
Frank Oz is my hero!
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Diane began performing as a puppeteer when she was only six years old. Her first marionette, Clippo the Clown, a gift from her Grandmother, accompanied Diane to school every year through college. As an adult, Diane began making and performing hand puppets. She writes the shows, fabricates the puppets and props, performs all of the puppetry, and even serves as her own lighting and sound engineer!
