I knew before we had Wee Cee that Sesame Street was soon going to make a resurgence in our lives. But one can have worse problems, right? So come to find out that every single episode these days has celebrity spots. Celebrities were a common occurrence back in the day as well, but back then they were few and far between. Maybe I just didn’t get the references when I was little so they seemed to not be as common. Anyhoo, sometimes the current celebrity spots nail it completely, like when Will Arnett plays a magician, some not so much.
Not to get all “things were so much better when I was a kid” and all, but seriously, Katy Perry has nothing on John John and Bert. This clip is so tender, so sweet, that it’s on heavy rotation at our place these days, even after Miss C is sleeping.
Enjoy.
The Waiting 
Um, that is adorable.
I know, right?
We freaking LOVED Sesame Street at our house. My son’s nursery was Sesame Street characters on parade wallpaper and we had baby versions of all the major Muppets and this was BEFORE the baby was born. We still do impressions of the Count. Do yourself a favor and look up the James Taylor appearance where he sings “Jelly Man Kelly” with a group of kids. So wonderful.
I love that clip! I completely remember seeing James Taylor on Sesame Street when I was a kid. I think he was the first celebrity I remember ever seeing on the show, other than Smokey Robinson.
You can get it on the Silly Songs DVD. I think we had the videotape, which dates me, of course. We knew that annoying Elmo’s song as Big Bird’s Song. I think “Ab ca defge jklmnop qstuvwyzx” is also on the DVD. Elmo’s version is more PC than Big Bird’s. Thanks for this trip down memory lane.
I remember that clip. So we must be leading parallel LIVES – I posted a link on AmamdaMeetsBook’s blog of R.E.M singing Furry Happy Monsters – I heard it on a Sesame Street CD collection we got for our son when he was a baby.
Sesame Street RULES!
I freaking LOVE that REM rendition. I actually watched it a few times when I was pregnant while I was having mopey days. It always lifts my spirits.
you’d have to have a heart o’stone to not like furry happy monsters.
Awwww… I love Sesame Street, always have, always will. Thanks for sharing that sweet clip.
My pleasure. I would seriously blog exclusively about old school Sesame Street if I didn’t think it would completely drive everyone off.
Awesome clip. Burt always looks angry to me. Angry-happy.
He is my husband’s fave Sesame Street characters. He’s just so droll.
I get you, Burt. I really do.
He really gets us all on a gut level.
Oh my, I needed some warm fuzzies. Thanks, Emily. I’m happy, are you happy? :).
I am indeed happy, Brig! Thanks for asking!
So cute. And kudos to you for getting a bunch of adults to watch a Sesame Street clip!
Yes! My plan is working! ;D
SO SWEET!
My favorite celebrity appearance is REM and Shiny, Happy Monsters.
Oh man, I love that one too. I love that song in all its forms, both with- and without-Muppets.
Old school Sesame Street had a dark side! I remember being really scared by some of the clips – the singing orange, the train that came out of the drawn tunnel with Luis and David freaking out and trying to get away…Scary how some of the music is still ingrained in my head after all this time, it really shows how powerful “advertising” is to children. Feel free to blog about old Sesame Streets any time!
Yes it did! There was this one animation back in the day of people throwing garbage into the ocean and the earth being overtaken by garbage. I tried to find it on YouTube but I couldn’t find it this time. Anyway, it scared the heck out of me when I was really, really small (like 3 or 4). Can’t explain that one.
jesus christ, i want to squeeze the sh*t out of the cheeks on that child. and now i will forever say to myself, “you angry!” and it will forever make me, “You happy!” lol. xo, sm
My fave clip, although it wasn’t the celebrities themselves, was when 4 mop-haired puppets called ‘The Beetles’ sang ‘Letter B.’
Buh Buh Buh Buh Buh….letter beee-EEEE!
Where can you even watch sesame street these days?
I love, love, love these old episodes!’
John John! That killed me. I love how kids look at the puppet and not the puppeteer, too. Have you seen Being Elmo? I’ve seen parts (Eebs only likes the action shots of Elmo so I have yet to see the whole thing) but I noticed that kids don’t care that some dude’s hand is making the character move.
I miss Sesame Street, funnily enough. It’s been replaced by some very disingenuous and not even thinly veiled marketing vehicles lately…
The vintage Sesame Street discs are worth buying, but it’s funny because they move very slowly in comparison to today’s programming. Guess kids didn’t get as bored as fast then, or weren’t able to change the channel to anything better? Regardless, those old Sesame Streets are AWESOME!!
Sesame street rocks my world.
So sweet! What a nice run-down of basic emotions. This is what I do all day with the kids on my unit, except we get into making faces showing their terror, hopelessness, mistrust of humanity and stuff like that (in addition to the evolving street vocab they teach me daily). Good ol’ Bert – I could use him and his paper clips at work! :D May dear Miss C remain innocent forever…
LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. My favorite EVER celebrity guest spot on Sesame Street was James Taylor…How can you NOT LOVE JAMES TAYLOR?!
[…] about counting, feelings, and friendship. The skits are heartwarming and tender, so much so that this is not the first time I’ve brought him […]