A man promised his 3 year old daughter that she could meet Cookie Monster at the Sesame Street theme park. Instead, Dad and Cookie Monster had a scuffle. Not saying whose fault it was, but jeez.
I can’t quite put my finger on why, but that story just really creeped me out. Really, really gave me the willies. I think it’s because my kids are such fans of Sesame Street (and Mom & Dad, of course :D), and if an altercation occurred between me or my husband and a Sesame Street character, my kids would positively freak. I feel bad for the little girl, regardless of who started what.
Mike Royko once told an anecdote about a department store Santa who clocked out, went to a bar, and got in a brawl while still wearing at least part of the Santa suit. I believe it to be apocryphal, if he didn’t just make it up, mostly because the guy probably wouldn’t be allowed to take the costume out of the store. But it was funny in a cringing sort of way: “Kids, I’ve got to bail out your dad…He got in a fight with Santa.”
I am a middle aged fat guy, with long gray hair, and a long white beard. Small children occasionally ask me if I am Santa Claus. I always glance about furtively, and whisper, “Shhhh, I am on vacation!” and then smile as they whisper this exciting little fact to whatever adult they are with.
So I am thinking to myself just what a schmuck I would have to be to tell one of these little darlin’s “Hey, bug off kid, there ain’t no Santa.”
Even if you aren’t being paid to be in the suit, the concept of Noblesse Oblige applies. This is big deal stuff. Whoever started that fight is one grade a shit. Cookie Monster is someone, and he happens to be someone real nice. If the asshole in the suit is not nice, you have to just get away from him. You can’t smack the punk inside the suit, even if he does deserve it, cause you end up hitting the Cookie Monster. The article doesn’t report any injuries on the guy. My vote is he is a jerk, his kid suffers.
Tris
“Having children makes you no more a parent than having a piano makes you a pianist.” ~ Michael Levine ~
That’s brilliant! 
Fran
I live just outside of Philly (near Sesame Place for those of you who don’t know where it is) so this was all over the news this morning. If I remember correctly, the person in the suit was a 21 year old girl. And the father was angry about something to do with a picture…If I recall correctly, Characters at Sesame Place aren’t supposed to pick up/hold children for pictures… I would guess because it would be difficult to do so safely through a big fuzzy suit. I saw a “parent” argueing with a giant walking muppet about this rule the last time I was there. For some reason parents seem to think they are always right, and park rules are for other people. Maybe this case involved something similar… but honestly I can’t remember (I am not at my news watching best at 5 am.)
The cookie monster / girl ended up on the ground and was kicked repeatedly in the head/back. I think as of this moring, she was still in the hospital with a concussion and a minor back injury, but was expected to be fine.
It’s nice to see what a lovely example parents set for their young children… especially in an amusement park intended mainly for kids under 12.
-pandora
Just heard a local Philly radio station talking about the story with a local newsman. The man claims innocence saying he lightly pushed Cookie Monster and did not kick or punch, but apparently that version doesn’t explain the bruised ribs or the eyewitness accounts.
They were joking the rest of the people in costume should drive down to the guys home in Maryland. Can’t you see, Ernie and Bert with tire irons, the Count going, “5! 5! bruises! Ah ha ha!” It was sick humor but I had to laugh.
I love Audrey Shapiro’s quote:
Ain’t that the truth.
I loved it too!
Zette
Tell me there was not some parent nearby with a video camera. Wherever there are large furry giant-head corporate icons, there are ALWAYS parents with a video camera getting a picture of Daddy’s Little Dipshit[sup]TM[/sup] for the vacation video. Someone had to have taped it.
Zette! You were a Cookie Monster??!!? Quick, tell somebody in the celebrity thread!
Does this remind anyone of that episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, in which Will Smith takes his cousin Nicky down to the mall to see “Dougie”- he’s a giant whale. Will ends up “whaling” on Dougie…but really, it was the whale’s fault. First thing that popped into my mind. Bizarre, really, the whole thing.
I have a hard time envisioning cookie monster screaming like a girl whilst being attacked.
[sub]and why yes, I AM going to hell[/sub]
I recommend Mouse Tales by David Koenig – although it’s specifically about Disneyland. According to Koenig, who did a series of interviews with former and present Disney employees, abuse of the costumed “cast members” is not unusual. Some of the stories in the book are quite hair-raising.
THAT is soooo sweet!
So… considering the physical evidence, he must have done it when his daughter wasn’t looking.
I’d just like to interject that a friend of my husband’s once got into a fist fight with a clown at the circus. Not only did the clown try to fight back, he was promptly jumped by a bunch of kiddies who punched him repeatedly in the groin/knees/ankles. I would have paid to see that.
Zette
As a mother of three may I say, Bless you Tricskadecamus, you are doing the right thing.
I’d never attack Cookie Monster, but I wouldn’t mind kicking Bert’s ass. He scared me all through my formative years.