Strollerderby : cookie monster

Three Ways To Get to Sesame Street This Summer

JeanneSager — Wed, 27 May 2009 15:02:00 GMT

The pressure's on to plan the big family vacation? Two words. Sesame Street.

And Babble's telling you how to get, how to get there. We've checked in with Elmo and Abby Cadabby and come up with our list of the best bets for Sesame-style summering with your tot.

1. Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, VA. It's an old family standby, but the Forest of Fun at the popular theme park is all new and all Sesame. Gates opened in April, adding the country of characters to the park's traditional tour of Europe set-up. We let our pre-school tester loose in the park, and "let's ride it again!" was the phrase of the day. Topping her list were a nice and easy (for mom) Ernie and Bert adventure in the "lochs" of Scotland - it left her soaking wet and squealing with fun; and a mini roller-coaster courtesy of Super Grover that gave her a taste of the belly-dropping fun of the big coasters without the fear factor. Located near the entrance to the park, the Forest of Fun is just right - a great intro to the day, and something for them to look forward to getting back to when they're off with the rest of the family checking out the rest of the "gardens."

Why You Should Go: The price of a ticket affords a family admission to the whole park, making Busch Gardens the go-to for families with kids whose ages range. Sesame characters put on impromptu shows that get the whole family moving (no extra charge), and there's something for even the tiniest toddlers to do.

Good to Know: There are water attractions, but clothes are required on most rides, so throw some shorts on over their suits. Dining with the characters does not require advance reservations - price of food is not included in the ticket - but you need to check for specific meal times when you enter the park. A picture station with the characters is set up on site, and they will allow you to take your own pictures (just ask) or you can buy one of theirs. Take a stroller - even if your kid is busting out of it, it's not for them but for the cameras, bottles of water and stuffed animals won at the games along the way.

2. Sesame Place, Langhorne, PA. Owned by the same company that runs Busch Gardens (yes, the beer company), this is all Sesame, all summer long. Our little tester recommends you stop in for an in-theatre showing of Elmo's World, followed by a chance to climb around on stage where they can play Elmo's song on the piano and say "hello" to Dorothy.

Why You Should Go: This is the place for hard-core Sesame fans, but additions of a few extra roller-coasters also allow the older set to have their fun. The park is all Sesame, which means the crowd is all families and so is the staff's focus.

Good to Know: A two-day ticket costs the same as a one-day fee, so break up the day to make it easier on your kids (and hit the nearby outlets to save on kids clothes). Breakfast with the characters requires an advance reservation, but it gives your family a chance to be the first ones into the park - no lines, and the food isn't bad for theme park fare (even our daddy tester had a hankering for the little French toast sticks). The characters wander throughout the park during the day, so chances are you'll get to meet everyone. Again, you can take your own pictures (just ask) or buy the park's. Bring a swimsuit - there's plenty of water.

3. Sesame Street Live, a city near you. For families who are skipping the week-long or even extended weekend's vacation this year, a day trip to see a show can lift your kid's spirits, get you out of the house and save you a bundle. And if that show happens to offer them a chance to see their furry friend? That's just a bonus for mom or dad.

Why You Should Go: The show is always educational, and your tot will be in awe at the size of their favorite friends on-stage. Even kids who aren't ready to be taken to the movie theater yet are OK in a theater when the show is made for kids.

Good to Know: Regardless of where the show is being performed, there will be kiosks with Sesame goodies, so if you've opted for the show to save on the big vacation, you might want to make a deal with your kids BEFORE you go in. Whether it's "no extras today" or "you may pick out one toy," have a game plan because they're unavoidable, and plenty of kids will be brandishing their Sesame binoculars or Elmo balloons. The show does include an intermission for potty breaks, so your kids don't have to miss out Grover galumphing because they've got to go.

Image: Sager Scenes

Cookie Monster Cupcake

Brett Singer — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 16:00:00 GMT

For this post, allow me to lapse in to Cookie Monster speak. Because how many chances do I get to do that?

Me like cookie. Me like cupcake. But also cookie. (Mostly cookie.) So put cookie in cupcake? Mmmm. Happy.

OK, I'm back.

This looks complicated to make but imagine what a hero you would be if you could pull this off at your child's next birthday party. The look on their little faces would make it all worthwhile.

Source: Buzzfeed

Bart and Lisa Simpson Sex Ruled Child Porn

JeanneSager — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 13:24:00 GMT

Think you're just being funny when you make your kid's Dora doll do the nasty with GI Joe? Better be careful - an Australian man has been convicted of child porn possession for looking at pictures of cartoons Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson having sex.

A judge ruled that despite the Simpsons being both fictional and drawn, they could be considered to depict a person under Australian law. And since the Simpsons are all kids - albeit imaginary ones - well, you know where I'm heading with this. Alan John McEwan lost his appeal, and he's been forced to pay a $3,000 fine plus submit to a two-year good behavior bond.

This one really rattled me. I'm all for packing pedophiles away in prisons, but cartoon porn? Can that really be pedophilia? Let's face it, we all have that friend - you know, the one who never gets any and always talks about it (he might be a father . . .) - who likes to send the e-mails with the dirty jokes about Sesame Street characters. I vaguely remember one accompanied by crudely drawn pictures of Cookie Monster with giant blue balls - for a joke about, well, blue balls (see what I mean about not getting any?). It was far from stimulating - sexually or any other way.

But Cookie Monster, Elmo and the gang are famous for never growing up; does that make the people who drew up that forward to be something more than your garden variety perv? Are they pedophiles? How about going a step farther - let's look at every teenage boy who draws a dick on the characters in the Highlights magazine accidentally left in the high school library. Or the dad who takes his kid's Leapster alphabet toy and presses the letters "S" and "X" in rapid succession.

Or maybe they'll come and hit Babble - after all, both Cole and I posted mashups from the net last week of rap songs transposed over children's TV shows. I posted one of my personal favorites - Dora the Promiscuous Girl - no nakedness in sight, but if the genitals on fictional kids count as porn, what do you make of Dora and Timbaland?

It sounds like big brother's moving in on kid sister's toys.

Image: PopArt UK

Mix Rap With Kid Shows and Whaddya Get?

Nintendo Scrabble Game Drops the F-Bomb

Man Forced to Pay Child Support for Another Man's Child

No, the Vagina Doesn't 'Heal Up and Close' from Disuse

Gangsta’ Muppets: 12 of the Best Kids Show/Rap Mash-Ups

Cole Gamble — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:00:00 GMT

This totally made my day. If you need a fix of Bert and Ernie throwing down some straight up gangsta' rap, here you get it. Oh, to live in an alternate universe when Elmo smokes blunts and is packing a whistle (that's a gun in hard-boiled speak). These are a must watch.

Oh, and this ain’t safe for kids.

Get the rest here. Thanks to Unreality Mag for compiling these.

More by this author:

A Guy’s Take on Stay at Home Moms and Dads (Part 1: The Cons)

Banana Dildos and the 10 Worst Toys and Gifts This Christmas (part 1)

The Worst Baby Products Ever (Part I)

10 Things You May Not Know About Pregnancy (and might shock you)

The 26 Most Disturbing Kids Movies Ever

Happy Birthday Cookie Monster: C is Still For Cookie Thirty-Nine Years Later

JeanneSager — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 16:00:00 GMT

He's not exactly svelte, but Cookie Monster celebrates his birthday today without a crag in the face or wrinkle in the fur. It's got to be the cookies.

Everyone's favorite junk food junkie has been at it since 1969, voiced for the first three decades by Frank Oz, the same muppeteer who gave life to those bosom buddies, Bert and Ernie. He's undergone some major changes over the years - they yanked his pipe in the late '80s to steer clear of any "smoking as muppet habit" controversy. More recently, with childhood obesity the hot topic in pediatrics, his chocolate chip munching has received less and less air time. If you hadn't noticed, Cookie Monster's gone a little fruity.

He told Stephen Colbert in an appearance on Comedy Central earlier this year, "Me not abandon cookies, me love cookies, but one cannot live on cookies alone . . . Cookie is sometimes food," he told Colbert.

"Right," the Colbert Report host answered, "because sometimes you have to pause to open the next sleeve of Oreos." We knew that guy was someone we could hang out with. Although we'd have to share our cookies . . . which you don't actually have to do with cookie monster. The monster mumbles a big game (in somewhat broken English), but have you seen him eat a cookie lately? When Oz was still the man behind the muppet, Cookie Monster chewed and swallowed - you even saw a bump in the throat as the cookie went down (classic example, his first meeting with the Count back in 1972, when that totaling Transylvanian tried his best to count the cookies before they were gone). Not anymore. Muppeteer David Rudman chucks 'em over his shoulder while our kids aren't looking or shreds them with his cookie "fist" and just keeps making the classic "awwww, numm, nummm, numm, numm, num" noises for the fake out.

But my second-favorite blue monster (Hello everybodeeee, who doesn't love cute, lovable Grover the best? He's the cute, furry little monster and super to boot!) is still holding strong as the host of the Letter of the Day, and still keeping prissy Prairie Dawn on her toes. So he might be staring 40 in the face, so cookies don't go down the way they used to. He's still got his googly eyes fixed on years of eating and cracking up our kids.

Celebrate Cookie Monster's birthday with a host of videos, some classic and some brand new, over at the new Sesame Street site. It share his birthday (today), his likes, and, of course, his favorite food. Any guesses?

Image: Muppet Wiki

When the Characters are INSIDE the Kids' Lunchboxes

They Say: Kids Like To Eat Vegetables. I Still Don't Believe Them

World's Cutest Monkey Rejected by His Mom

Upcoming Sesame Street Guests

Brett Singer — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:00:00 GMT

If you can't stand to watch one more episode of 'Sesame Street' that you've already seen 250 times, help is on the way!

PBS might be killing off Fred Rogers, but at least the new season of 'Street' started yesterday, with special guests Jack Black and Feist. The Feist video has already racked up 750,000 views on YouTube since being posted about a month ago. Here are some of the other celebrities who will do time with Elmo and the rest:

* Neil Patrick Harris (8.12): I'm guessing more 'Doogie Howser' than 'Harold and Kumar', but who knows.
UPDATE: Here's a video preview of Neil as - hang on - the Fairy Shoe Person. No. Really.

* Heidi Klum (8.14): According to New York Magazine, Klum's exchange with Elmo is "Sexually charged," with the E man telling Seal's wife, "Ms. Heidi is very pretty." As far as we know, Seal did not whup his little monster butt.

* Jenny McCarthy (8.15): I have a question, and don't take this the wrong way. But if Jenny hadn't become an ambassador for autism, would she be appearing on 'Sesame Street'? I'm not saying that this is part of some master plan, just wondering. I also wonder if this is the first time a former Playboy centerfold has visited the Street. (Vanessa Williams doesn't count since she didn't plan on being in Playboy. Jenny was Playmate of the Year.)

* Will Arnett (8.18): 'Arrested Development' fans rejoice! According to Mike, 'AD' even had a character named Franklin in honor of the dearly departed Roosevelt Franklin, making this an above average booking.

* Jason Taylor (8.20): After 'Dancing with the Stars', this guy is really going places.

* David Beckham (8.22): This guy, who is he again? Maybe this will be what he needs to really break through to the big time.

* LL Cool J (9.22): I hope this is old-school 'I can't live without my RADIO!' LL. I would also accept 'Elmo said knock you out!'

* Chandra Wilson (9.30): I had to look her up, but that's probably because I don't watch 'Grey's Anatomy'. Since much of the rest of the country does, I'm guessing she was a good choice.

Other future guests include new mama Jessica Alba (OH YEAH!), Molly Shannon (amusing), Patrick Warburton ('The Tick' is the greatest fake-superhero-live-action-sitcom in the history of the small screen), Feijoo Sisters (Cuban ballet dancers I'd never heard of), Jonah Hill (wearing a moustache – this seems like an odd choice but I guess he's a big deal now; I would've preferred Seth Rogen), Brian Williams (who's actually fairly amusing), Gilbert Gottfried (who's f**king hilarious but will likely not be his usually filthy self), Megan Mullally (should be fun), Randy Jackson (Gee, you think he'll say "dawg?" - yawn) and Sandra Oh (who I like, despite the fact that everyone seems to think she's ugly). New sketches too, such as "30 Rocks," "Pre-School Musical" and "Are You Smarter Than an Egg Layer."

Here's a little video to whet your appetite.

It all started when Mary needed a laxative

Kid climbs into claw game to get prizes

James Blunt loves triangles

Old Jonas Brothers CD priceless

Family Movie Night – Hairspray

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Kids Stuff I like that my kids don't care about

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Stuff White Parents Like

The Dark Knight -- parents strongly cautioned (to go see it)

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PBS Dropping Mister Rogers??!!

More Kids Stuff I like that my kids don't care about

Brett Singer — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:00:00 GMT

Here's some more stuff that makes my kids say, "Daa-aad!"

1. Old Sesame Street episodes: I detect a theme here. These don't show up on television anymore, but there was a series called "Sesame Street: Unpaved" that ran when my oldest son was born and I taped them. The older Sesame Street episodes have a much more improvised feel than the current version. Big Bird looks thinner and sometimes rambles like he's been imbibing something much stronger than a birdseed milkshake. Hey, it was the 70's, and they were still finding their way. You also get Roosevelt Franklin (eventually cut from the show because people thought he was a racist character) and no Elmo (see below).

2. Grover and Cookie Monster: OK, more Sesame Street, I know. But Elmo and Zoe are just not as much fun as Grover and Cookie Monster. Thing 2 actually finds Cookie Monster to be a little bit "scary", although he seems to be willing to tolerate him for my sake. And there's nothing better than a good Grover sketch.

3. Transformers – The Movie: I rented this 1986 animated big-screen version of the Robots In Disguise and we didn't even get through half an hour before Thing 1 got bored. After seeing the 2007 live action Michael Bay 'bots in theaters, he consented to give it another try and we made it all the way through, somewhat under protest. I was a fan of the cartoon, but had never seen the 1986 film, which is great. Voice talents include Leonard Nimoy (!), Casey Kasem, Scatman Crothers (!!), Judd Nelson (!!!), Eric Idle and even Orson Welles (!!!!!!) as evil and enormous Unicron (um, typecasting? Never mind). It also has the song "Dare to be Stupid" by Weird Al Yankovic, and the original 80's hair metal version of the title song, which is roughly 12 billion times better than the lame-o remake played over the ending credits in the new movie.

image: Amazon.com

Kids Stuff I like that my kids don't care about

Babble Talk: Top 50 Sesame Street Vids ... Ever

How to be an annoying camp parent

Jobs you don't want – Camp Parent Liaison

Mister Frickin' Rogers

More stuff YUPPIE parents like

Return of the son of stuff YUPPIE parents like

Stuff White Parents Like

The Dark Knight -- parents strongly cautioned (to go see it)

The 26 Most Disturbing Kids Movies Ever

Kids Stuff I like that my kids don't care about

Brett Singer — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:00:00 GMT

One little discussed element of the entertainment industry making kiddie stuff that parents can enjoy as well is the idea that, on some occasions, the parents will like the kid stuff more than the kids. Here are a few things that are technically for my children, but I dig them more than they do.

1. Sesame Street Fever/Disco: these were both brilliant records – and they were records, the vinyl kind; as far as I know neither one has been released on CD. The first, Sesame Street Fever, featured Grover in a white John Travolta jacket on the cover, and included Bee Gee-ized versions of "C is for Cookie" (including a brief rap between Cookie Monster and Robin Gibb, who, according to the liner notes, "appears courtesy of his children - Melissa and Spencer Gibb"), and "Rubber Duckie". This was followed by the even more brilliant Sesame Disco!, which includes "Me Lost Me Cookie at the Disco" sung by "Cookie Monster and the Girls": "Me lost me cookie at the disco / Me lost me cookie in the BOO-GIE MU-SIC…" It's out of print, but you can listen to some of the tunes here, and also check out this video.

2. Born To Add: this one has had a slightly longer stay in our rotation than the Fever/Disco tunes, but I still get a "daaad" when I try to put it on in the car. Includes the Cookie Monster-as-Barry White "Me Going to Munch You, Munch You, Munch You", "(I Can't Get No) Co-Operation" by Mick Swagger and The Sesame Street Cobblestones, and the brilliant title track: "There's a lot of adders on the Jersey shore / I hear its the thing to be." (See below for video). This one is not out of print and you can buy it here.

3. Mister Rogers Neighborhood: I admit I didn't try that hard, but neither of my boys ever got into watching good ol' Fred change his shoes and venture into the Neighborhood of Make-Believe to chat with Lady Aberlin. Maybe it's just too quiet for them, but I still find it soothing.

Here are a few more.

Any kids' stuff that you like more than your children? Go ahead, leave a comment. Come on, I won't tell anyone.

image: Muppet Wiki

More Kids Stuff I like that my kids don't care about

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Stuff White Parents Like

Mister Frickin' Rogers

When playgrounds attack, the sequel

The Dark Knight -- parents strongly cautioned (to go see it)

Here's to the laddies who lunch

Babble Talk: Top 50 Sesame Street Vids ... Ever

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S&M Barbie

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Sesame Street Video: Movie edition

Brett Singer — Mon, 12 May 2008 20:00:00 GMT

It all began with Gwynne's fantastic article The Babble List: The 50 Best Sesame Street Moments, which inspired me to hit YouTube to find more classic Sesame clips.

First we had skits based on theater. Now, here are some equally brilliant movie parodies.

Sesame Street - Monsterpiece Theater: The Sound of Music

Notable for Cookie's unlit pipe, which was nixed after parents got upset.

Monsterpiece Theater - The 39 Stairs

Hitchcock, schmitchcock. I'll take Grover any day.

Monsterpiece Theatre - 12 Angry Men

Twelve men. All angry. Take it, Cookie.

Monsterpiece Theater - The 400 Blows

Not even Truffaut is safe.

Monsterpiece Theater - Gone With The Wind

Monsterpiece Theater: 1 Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

Monsterpiece Theater: Chariots of Fur

Sesame Street Video: Theater edition

Brett Singer — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:45:00 GMT

Gwynne's fantastic article The Babble List: The 50 Best Sesame Street Moments got me looking on YouTube for more... more... more!

Here are some Monsterpiece Theater bits related to live theater. Alistair Cookie (aka Cookie Monster) practically steals every one with his comments.

Monsterpiece Theater - Waiting for Elmo

This might be the greatest thing I've ever seen. A "Waiting for Godot" parody on Sesame Street. As Alistair Cookie puts it, "A play so modern, and so brilliant, it make absolutely no sense at all to anybody."

Monsterpiece Theater - The Taming of the Shoe

"Classic play by William Shoespeare, famous podiatrist. (beat) Trust me." Featuring lines like, "Fie. I will not be tied to any foot...I walk alone."

Monsterpiece Theater - Hamlet

Includes an extra long intro where Cookie eats to the music, and slow pans across photos of Kermit and the gang.
"It don't get classier den dis." Prince Hamlet won't give Elmo a straight answer! Starring a pre-public-jew-hating Mel Gibson.

Monsterpiece Theater - Monster of Venice

Speaking of Jews, here's a Merchant of Venice parody, which thankfully does not feature anyone as Shylock. Grover takes over as the leader of a group of monsters who have not been invited to a party. Or, as Cookie puts it: "All about monsters in Venice. Guess that why not called Monster of Cleveland. Anyway, me digress."

Monsterpiece Theater - Cyranose de Bergerac

"Tonight we present big big feature -- facial feature. (snicker)"

Sesame Street - Monsterpiece Theater - The King and I

"About a king and the letter 'I'." Of course it is. This video could grow hair on Yul Brenner's head.

Coming soon -- Monsterpiece Theater, Movie Edition.

image: Muppet Wiki

Babble Talk: Top 50 Sesame Street Vids ... Ever

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 22:28:00 GMT

If you're looking to kill an entire afternoon with the best stroll down memory lane you could ever wish for, or maybe if you're just looking to impart a small slice of your childhood to your own children, do we have something for you today: The complete Babble list of the Top 50 Sesame Street videos. Ever.

From the seminal rubber duckie song to Richard Pryer's beloved take on the alphabet to a sexually aggresive letter "U," our very own Gwynne has compiled the best of what? 40 years of children's programming. And to top it all off, she nailed the Top 10. Nailed it but good.

If you don't laugh yourself silly at the "Cookie Monster alphabet" or nearly fall apart when Big Bird says goodbye to Mr. Hooper, well, maybe you were never a child at all. This is the kind of equal parts heart-warming and heart-wrenching nostalgia that only Sesame Street can provide. You don't want to miss it.

Remember the Good Old Days When Parents Let Their Youngsters Eat Chocolate?

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 22:59:00 GMT

Cookie Monster. A pal to children everywhere. Here he is helping this sweet little baby make a huge mess.

Today's HPs (Humorless Parents) would probably call child services on someone feeding this large a chunk of chocolate to such a young child. Sigh.

Cookie Monster Moves to Bunnytown

editors — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 14:33:00 GMT

Bunnytown, a variety show for the pre-school set, just moved to weekdays on the Disney Channel at 10 a.m. EST/PT (check your local listings). We talked to David Rudman, co-creator of Bunnytown and voice of Cookie Monster about working in the biz and Sesame Street secrets. – April Peveteaux

How does one get into the puppet business?

I got a job working for The Muppets at eighteen as an intern.

How do you train to mimic the original voice of Cookie Monster?

Well I grew up watching him, so I knew what he sounded like and I worked with Frank Oz a lot on the show when he used to do Cookie Monster. When I first started I used to do his right hand. That’s one of the things you do when you’re starting; the main puppeteer is the voice, head and the left hand. Somebody else is the right hand of the puppet. The voice is close, but it’s the personality and the little quirks of the character that you have to hook into.

How many times have you had to sing C is for Cookie?

Hundreds, probably.

Does Bunnytown have a message?

I think it’s just that humor is important and it’s important for kids to laugh. And education is important too. We do have some educational goals thrown in so it’s not just a comedy-driven show. We also teach counting, shapes, color, healthy foods and healthy eating.

It is very carrot heavy.

Yeah, lots of carrots.

Is Bunnytown based on any real town?

Not really. It’s based on early 1970s variety shows. The original concept was to have it be a variety show set in this town and that’s why there’s lots of music and characters and running comedy bits throughout the show.

It feels a little British.

We shoot it there. The live action segments are shot there also.

Is there a Sesame Street mafia that will come after you if you spill any secrets?

Dirt? There isn’t any behind the scenes Sesame Street dirt. Maybe in Oscar’s trash can.

Why does Gordon not age?

Well, he’s had lots of work (laughs). No, I don’t know. He’s healthy, he eats right, he exercises, and he’s got a great attitude (laughs). Maybe it’s the hair. He’s always been bald so you never see his hair graying and you don’t see his hairline receding. His moustache is still looking good. He’s stylish. He looks the same as when I started on the show in 1985.

Are the people who created Sesame Street filthy rich and vote Republican?

I don’t know anything about the people who created the show. I don’t think it was created to get wealthy. I think it was created to educate inner city kids.

So that’s a “No comment.”

Yeah.

Cookie Monster on NPR

editors — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 17:30:00 GMT

We're guessing he's the only guest in NPR history to eat his headphones.