It’s positively ‘Shirley.’
Of course it doesn’t make sense. That’s comedy! Even at 5 I found it hilariously ludicrous that the new concept of “cooperation” was almost named “Shirley” instead.
“Let’s call it Cooperation” “No, let’s call it Sharing” Not funny. In fact it’s downright rude. Also, it wasn’t teaching “sharing.” It showed how two creatures worked together for a common goal…or cooperated.
I had a record of The Monsters of Sesame Street that had the coolest songs…
I saw a Sesame Street recently where they played this old, obscure clip of two little girls playing with dolls in a dollhouse, and the cat comes in and starts knocking stuff over. What a trip.
I remember Roosevelt Franklin, and wonder why his stuff’s not shown anymore. He was also in a skit where he led an alphabet cheer, of sorts “A B C now what comes next?” and all the other school kid muppets would answer “D!”
My favorites were the Muppet News Flash skits, particularly one where Kermit interviews the Pied Piper of Hamlin, a beatnik who exclaims “hey man, you’re a frog, farrrr out!” when they first meet.
“These mice are gonna hear my music and they gonna dig it” says the Piper.
I also liked all the Bert/Ernie skits, such as the ones where Bert’s trying to get some sleep but Ernie keeps waking him up in all sorts of ways. There’s also a classic where Ernie paints Bert’s face, but adds a beard, glasses, and long hair.
Knock knock. Who’s there? Dionne. Dionne who? D on YOU! A hahahahaha!
“A loaf of bread, a container of milk and a stick of butta. A loaf of bread, a container of milk and a stick of butta…”
I’m 30 and these are the things that still go through my head after all these years!
What’s. . . that . . .
Small pitter pat?
One! Two!
Two kitty cats!
Two kitty cats
went on a spree
then settled down and
had . . . some . . . teeeeeeeeeeeeeeeea!
Kermit and cute little girl reciting the ABC’s :
Girl: A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-Cookie Monster!
Kermit: What? Cookie Monster isn’t a letter! It goes A-b-c-d-e-f-g-h-i-j-k-…
Girl: COOKIE MONSTER!!! teehehehehehehehehee!
After a while of trying to get through the alphabet with the girl injecting Cookie Monster from time to time…
Kermit: That’s it. I’m leaving
Kermit walks off.
Girl (sadly): I love you…
Kermit comes back: Awww, I love you too.
That used to crack me up because it was unrehearsed (I think) and they had a graphic for each letter, and when the girl yelled Cookie Monster they put a picture of CM up there instead.
I was just listening to “Dance Myself to Sleep” and I about died laughing. I’d forgotten how damned funny it was. The best part was Bert complaining in the background.
Oh, I love the memories!!! SS has a special place in my heart!
I watched it every day.
What a wonderful concept Jim Henson had. Color was not an issue. Language was not either.
I remember Big Bird not understanding Mr. Hooper’s death 
I loved grover’s hyper-ness, Oscar’s grumpiness. It all seemed ok and accepted.
I have a cassette tape with my son singing the theme song… he was 2 (in 1988) I was so thrilled he grew up on what I did. It was fun to learn
I liked Electric Company too. I liked the 2 faces whispering parts of words to create a full word.
Ahhh, memories 
I was so sad when I had my own son and was all excited to show him Sesame Street… when he got to the right age, I turned it on… and stared in horror at the pathetic piece of crap it has become.
(woh woh, bee doh!)
Rubber Duckie, joy of joys,
When I squeeze you, you make noise!
Rubber Duckie, you’re my very best friend, it’s true!
(doo doo doo doooo, doo doo)
CHORUS:
Every day when I
Make my way to the tubby
I find a little fella who’s
Cute and yellow and chubby
(rub-a-dub-a-dubby!)
Rubber Duckie, you’re so fine
And I’m lucky that you’re mine
Rubber duckie, I’m awfully fond of you.
(repeat chorus)
Rubber Duckie, you’re so fine
And I’m lucky that you’re mine
Rubber duckie, I’m awfully fond of -
Rubber duckie, I’d like a whole pond of -
Rubber duckie I’m awfully fond of you!
(doo doo, be doo.)
Hey! Does anyone remember this song, sung by Susan, on the Sesame Street album (though I never saw it sung on the show)?
*Someday, little children
someday soon
(someday soon)
there’s gonna be a lotta people, yeah
and they’ll be livin’ on the moon
(livin’ on the moon) . . . *
It was really groovy.
does anyone remember the family of insects who lived in a matchbox on the window sill?
they had some issues with each other.
That’s positively not what I heard on Sesame Street between approximately 1969-1973.
Of course Sesame Street always used humor to teach lessons, but the learning came first. New concept, two names.
Well, B.E. (Before Elmo) Sesame Street was somewhat ruder. But it wasn’t said in a rude way. And in that case wouldn’t it have been even funnier to make it:"Let’s call it …‘Cucamunga’! No, let’s call it ‘Shirley!’"HA HA HA HA HA HA…funny, no?
No.
And how two creatures SHARED their abilities to reach that common goal. Shirly Temple, Shirley Winters, Shirley Jones et. al. never entered into it.
Barring a cite from some official or at least knowlegeable source I am going to remain convinced that I am correct and you guys are misremembering, or are correctly remembering what you heard incorrectly.
The only other possibility I can think of is that they re-made the skit at some point. I have seen two different versions of Ernie’s “Rubber Duckie” number. One has much higher production values and was probably shot years after the first one. They might have re-done the alien skit, and included the zany madcap meaningless ending because some people had heard it wrong the first time. What years did you used to watch the show Max? I’m guessing you are younger than me.
Those segments with Kermit and the kids were indeed unrehearsed. Ad libbed, in fact. So says Sesame Street Unpaved, which I got for my brother for his birthday.
I remember one of my favorite characters was Super Grover. I actually went as him for Halloween one year. I have no idea why I thought he was so cool. He just…was.
Of course the third possiblility that you could possibly be wrong doesn’t enter the picture, eh?
I’m 32, grew up with Sesame Street when it was an intelligent show that didn’t always talk down to kids. When it was written with the help of Frank Oz and Jim Henson who realized the fun and importance of adding humor to a skit so everyone could enjoy it. When kids realized that picking nectarines wouldn’t be called Shirley and it was funny to think so.
Pretty much, no.
You’re right. No one would think to call picking nectarines “Shirley”. Not even Henson and Oz.
OK, you heard what you heard and I heard what I heard. Unless one of us finds a transcript or something, we each remain convinced the other is wrong. No biggie. Intelligent people disagree to this day about what happened when JFK was shot, an event of far more import.
Personally, I don’t think Oswald could have pulled it off without some Shirley from another shooter.
That’s possible; roughly a 5 year difference there so a lot could have changed. I don’t remember any French though. Who knows… Great memories regardless…
This is a cool thread!