# Children of the 70s . . . what do you remember from Sesame Street? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 6, 2003, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/children-of-the-70s-what-do-you-remember-from-sesame-street/159498 "2003-03-06T15:07:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![little\_bit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@little\_bit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/little_bit)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/children-of-the-70s-what-do-you-remember-from-sesame-street/159498/41 "2003-03-06T18:27:09Z")
The Electric Company was better. SIZE=4]Hey you guys!!![/SIZE] - Picture pages, picture pages. Time to get your picture pages. Time to get your crayons & your pencils. Picture pages, picture pages. you can play with picture pages. Time to watch Bill Cosby do a Picture Page with you.\* ---
**Author:** ![little\_bit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@little\_bit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/little_bit)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/children-of-the-70s-what-do-you-remember-from-sesame-street/159498/42 "2003-03-06T18:29:19Z")
Aaaarrgh! Preview is my friend. Hey you guys!!! ---
**Author:** ![NE\_Texan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e99b99/32.png) [@NE\_Texan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NE_Texan)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/children-of-the-70s-what-do-you-remember-from-sesame-street/159498/43 "2003-03-06T18:30:21Z")
onetwothree FOUR FIVE sixseveneight NINE TEN eleven twelve! (doo, do do do do do do…) "Hey there lamp, that’s a nice shade! Now you… " The fat cat sat on the hat, did a… (I can’t remember it all, but it was the manic singer after the 3 calm muppets made a few rhymes… same one that did “ma-na-ma-nup”.) ---
**Author:** ![irkenDoom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c2a13f/32.png) [@irkenDoom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irkenDoom)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/children-of-the-70s-what-do-you-remember-from-sesame-street/159498/44 "2003-03-06T18:35:01Z")
Thanks, **MsRobyn**! **auntie em** , I sent you an e-mail, but disregard it. I found the song from the site I originally got it from, but the same thing happened. :mad: But I won’t stop searching… ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/children-of-the-70s-what-do-you-remember-from-sesame-street/159498/45 "2003-03-06T18:49:27Z")
African Alphabet w/ Ladysmith Black Mambazo. I found these lyrics for it online: Amazingly Beautiful Creatures Dancing Excites the Forest Glade, in my Heart how I do Jump like the Kudo Listen to the Music so Nice the Organ Plays. Quietly Rests the Sleepy Tiger Under the Vine tree at the Water’s side and X marks the spot 'neith the Yellow moon where the Zulu king and I did hide. (though I always thought it said “Where the Zulu king can hide his pies”) I play a lot of old Sesame Street songs on Fathom Radio (net radio station) ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/children-of-the-70s-what-do-you-remember-from-sesame-street/159498/46 "2003-03-06T18:50:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NE Texan \* > \*\* > > "Hey there lamp, that’s a nice shade! > Now you… " > > The fat cat sat on the hat, did a… (I can’t remember it all, but it was the manic singer after the 3 calm muppets made a few rhymes… same one that did “ma-na-ma-nup”.) \*\* Ah poor Bert. “I don’t wanna play your silly game.” “Maybe not Bert but we’ll do it all the same!” And I love that second one you refer to, with the 4 ‘cool’ muppets and the spaz Mannah-Mannah guy. “Doin’ the (wah-wah) Pigeon…” ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/children-of-the-70s-what-do-you-remember-from-sesame-street/159498/47 "2003-03-06T19:31:43Z")
I sometimes get my Sesame Street memories confused with my Electric Company memories. I often think of _Letterman_, the superhero who resolved situations by adding or removing letters to or from words, which had a transformative effect on the objects with which the words corresponded. Chaos in the library when the Shelves became Elves. That sort of thing. The animated pinball 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12 thing was always a favourite-- hell, lots of those in my peer-group would spontaneously break-out into that well into our adult years. Roosevelt Franklin’s anti-war song made a strong impression on me, as did the later Muppet Show take on _For What It’s Worth_– (“Stop, children, what’s that sound? Everybody look what’s goin’ down!”) ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/children-of-the-70s-what-do-you-remember-from-sesame-street/159498/48 "2003-03-06T19:39:16Z")
Of course there were also “adult” jokes that went RIGHT over the kiddy-poos’ heads. Like the time the various folks & muppets were trying to get on a bus while dressed up in costumes. I think they were going on a quiz show. Anyway, David is dressed as a Christmas tree, complete with shiny ornaments. There is some jostling at the bus door and David says, “Hey, watch it! You’re busting my balls!” At which point small children wonder what Mom is laughing about. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/children-of-the-70s-what-do-you-remember-from-sesame-street/159498/49 "2003-03-06T20:27:24Z")
Other surreal moments: Ernie is making a clay bust of Bert, but can’t figure out the nose. So he pulls off Bert’s nose and sticks it to the bust. Another time he sticks Bert’s nose to his forehead above the unibrow. Remember Ernie’s snickering laugh? Bert an Ernie were fishing. Bert: “How are you going to catch any fish? (without a rod/net).” Ernie: “Easy Bert. Heeeere fishy, fishy, fishy!” Fish jumps in boat. Fish looks at Ernie. Fish snicker-laughs like Ernie “hckee-hee-hee-hee.” Ernie laughs “hckee-hee-hee-hee.” Fish looks at Ernie and laughs “hckee-hee-hee-hee.” Ernie laughs “hckee-hee-hee-hee.”… > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by auntie em \* > \*\*Oh, yeah, and they couldn’t figure out what to call this new system they’d devised, so SA says wistfully, “Let’s call it . . . Shirley.” > \*\* BTW, wasn’t it “sharing” not “Shirley”? Or was I wooshed? ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/children-of-the-70s-what-do-you-remember-from-sesame-street/159498/50 "2003-03-06T20:34:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Larry Mudd \* > \*\*I sometimes get my Sesame Street memories confused with my Electric Company memories. > > I often think of _Letterman_, the superhero who resolved situations by adding or removing letters to or from words, which had a transformative effect on the objects with which the words corresponded. \*\* _Faster than a rolling O…_ _More powerful than a silent E…_ _Able to leap capital T in a single bound…_ _It’s a word. It’s a plan! It’s Letterman!_ A particularly like the way he looked like a college “letterman.” The old style football helmet and cleats, and his sweater with the letter was like a sports team, letterman jacket. ---
**Author:** ![Politzania](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ab097/32.png) [@Politzania](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Politzania)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/children-of-the-70s-what-do-you-remember-from-sesame-street/159498/51 "2003-03-06T20:48:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eats\_Crayons \* > \*\* BTW, wasn’t it “sharing” not “Shirley”? Or was I wooshed? \*\* It really is “No… let’s call it Shirley” - after the first monster says “Let’s call it cooperation!”. I saw it again relatively recently & it’s also a family catchphrase. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/children-of-the-70s-what-do-you-remember-from-sesame-street/159498/52 "2003-03-06T21:24:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Politzania \* > \*\*It really is “No… let’s call it Shirley” - after the first monster says “Let’s call it cooperation!”. > \*\* Really? Hckee-hee-hee-hee! That’s too funny! I haven’t seen that one in _years_ – not since I was a toddler, so I don’t remember any dialogue at all. In the early days, we had the Spanish bits e.g./ Luis crawling on the ground “…agua!..” to various sources of water that were dry. After awhile, the show phased out Spanish in Canada, and now there are French segments. I don’t like those ones though. The puppets look weird and they’re a little too didactic (downright preachy when it comes to envionmental issues.) BTW - I didn’t like Sherlock Hemlock or the Count (didn’t like the spazzy bats). ---
**Author:** ![Gulo\_gulo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bcef8e/32.png) [@Gulo\_gulo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gulo_gulo)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/children-of-the-70s-what-do-you-remember-from-sesame-street/159498/53 "2003-03-06T21:45:29Z")
I always remember that song sung by Big Bird where he thinks the alphabet is a big long word. And I remember Mr.Hooper and BigBird always mispronouncing his name. 🙂 Anyone can see Snuffleupagus now? Sacrilege! ---
**Author:** ![tevya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@tevya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tevya)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/children-of-the-70s-what-do-you-remember-from-sesame-street/159498/54 "2003-03-06T22:05:29Z")
I also remember the Spanish segments. I remember “abierto” (open) and “cerrado” (closed). The words would be repeated over pictures of windows / doors that were alternately open / closed. I wonder if this is where my love of and proficiency with languages started? ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/children-of-the-70s-what-do-you-remember-from-sesame-street/159498/55 "2003-03-06T22:25:43Z")
I don’t remember the Spanish segments (I’m a child of the 80’s) but I loved Sesame Street. I still do. I really wish I could buy videos of old episodes. Both of Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock. Recently looking around I’ve found some interesting MP3’s. There is a Cookie Monster/Limp Bizkit spoof (I did it all for the cookie), Raving on Sesame Street by Two Birds, A Frog and A Vampire. I found the Sesame’s Treat online as well… it is the same as Happy Hardcore’s ‘Sesame Street on Ecstacy.’ Anyone else remember the movie where BigBird and Snuffleupagus got lost in a museum? (I think it was the Smithsonian) Everyone got locked in because they were looking for them, while BB and S were helping a lost Egyptian boy find his way to the scales to see if his soul weighed up right so he could go to be with his family? I forget all the Egyptian stuff right now but I kinda liked that movie. They showed it on Family Channel years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/children-of-the-70s-what-do-you-remember-from-sesame-street/159498/56 "2003-03-06T22:40:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gulo gulo \* > I always remember that song sung by Big Bird where he thinks the alphabet is a big long word. Alfi-jekyl-minop-ker-stu-wy-ziz! It’s the most wonderful word I’ve ever seen… I had a Sesame Street album when I was a kid, and I think that was one of the songs on it. I loved that show, and I remember most of the anecdotes people are bringing up. Those aliens with the big lower lips who were freaked out by the phone were especially funny - even years later, my sister and I would sometimes impersonate the noises they made. ---
**Author:** ![NaSultainne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8797f3/32.png) [@NaSultainne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NaSultainne)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/children-of-the-70s-what-do-you-remember-from-sesame-street/159498/57 "2003-03-06T22:55:57Z")
Oh, I loved Sesame Street, back when it was fresh and unique. I thought it was clever the many ways they’d incorporate the numbers and letters into the skits during the entire episode. One of my favorites, which drives my two boys crazy (they don’t share Mom’s appreciation for childhood humor, apparently): \*I am the King of Eight, And eight is great! Eight is the number I do not–\*Wait! An urgent message from the Queen! A new child, and I have seen, That she is well and doing fine. _Good Grief! It’s Princess number nine!_ Down falls the giant **8** hanging over the King’s head! It was funny stuff, I’m tellin’ ya! This episode brought to you by the number ‘8’ and the letter ‘S’ Childrens Television Workshop[sup]tm[/sup] ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/children-of-the-70s-what-do-you-remember-from-sesame-street/159498/58 "2003-03-06T23:27:06Z")
_Said the Alligator King to his seven sons, “I’m feeling mighty down. Whichever of you can cheer me up will ge to wear my crown.” The first son brought 7 oyster pearls from the bottom of the China Sea. The second son gave him 7 statues of girls with clocks where their stomachs should be…_ One film clip I’d love to get hold of is the one of that ball rolling along a mechanical track, and doing all sorts of wonderful stuff along the way (making flags spin, etc). At the end it goes into a hopper and gets ground into powder. I loved it as a small child, as it was my first introduction to the comic side of anticlimax. I remember just about everything in this thread. I love this stuff. 😃 Can’t beat that Capital I though… ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/children-of-the-70s-what-do-you-remember-from-sesame-street/159498/59 "2003-03-06T23:29:28Z")
I used to hate that segment where the chef falls down the stairs. He had worked hard to make all those nice cream pies or whatever and now they were ruined and he was lying there humiliated and covered with whipped cream. Even at 4 1/2 years old I found that so disturbing I would leave the room if I knew they were about to show that skit. I felt sorry for Wanda too. Wanda the Witch had a pet weasel and wore a wig. She wanted to wash her wig and it was whipped away by the wind on Wednesday. Learning about the letter W did not diminish the sorrow I felt for Wanda’s loss; if I’d been able to take up a collection in my kindergarten class to replace poor bald Wanda’s wig I probably would have done so. But the best part was when some of the muppets sang a song with the lyrics: “Banamana/ A pee a peepee Banamana/ A pee pee pee” It was fun running to my mother and telling her that the muppets on Sesame Street were singing a song about pee pee! (And I’m not just being nasty here; I really do remember that song.) ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/children-of-the-70s-what-do-you-remember-from-sesame-street/159498/60 "2003-03-06T23:29:44Z")
The Capital I song remains to this day one of my favorite songs of all time. I love my mp3 of it, even if it is kinda crappy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/children-of-the-70s-what-do-you-remember-from-sesame-street/159498.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/children-of-the-70s-what-do-you-remember-from-sesame-street/159498.md?page=4)