So today Elmo was the Google Doodle and I clicked the Google logo to see what comes up. First result was the actual Sesame Street site and I see they are offering a free shirt with the Google Doodle on it if you buy something in their store.

So what Doodle do they put on there, the one with Elmo. Now come on someone who would buy a 40th anniversary Sesame Street DVD and want Elmo. Yeah they offer other products on their site but I would guess most of them are bought for nostalgia so it's gonna be older people who didn't grow up with Elmo.

When I go there, it says "Free Count Google Doodle T-Shirt with every 40th Anniversary item purchased!" As in Count von Count

I bet the Count is the Doodle for tomorrow then, they must offer whatever the Doodle for that day is.

It's funny, I've actually had this conversation a few times. I was surprised in the late 90's that first Christmas where Tickle Me Elmos were huge. I kept thinking "who the heck is Elmo?"

My parents assured me that he was on the show when I watched, but that he was only a supporting character.

Apparently kids today have no taste. When I was that age, I knew what it was all about.

Oh, and naturally, this too.


ps- I'm not sure what the explanation is, but this wasn't the first Sesame Street doodle this week. Several days ago the l's were replaced by Big Bird's legs and feet. Didn't see if you could get that doodle...

pps- It goes without saying, but this gentleman is the greatest.

I was on Sesame Street when I was a kid. Gordon was cool. I do remember not liking Maria at all. Don't remember why tho.

I found out a few days ago that Cookie Monster no longer eats cookies. He eats veggies and fruits now. What the hell?

Rest assured Tim, Cookie Monster still eat cookies, much to my daughter's delight.

Am I the only person that does not get any Sesame Street images when visiting Google.com?

I see them if I change the site to Google.ca only.

Elmo was most definitely not on Sesame Street in any way shape or form when I used to watch it in the 70's. We did have Grover and we liked it (er, him). When I was a kid, everyone thought Mr. Snuffleupagus was big bird's imaginary friend. And that's the way we liked it.

Damned kids these days.

As an aside, why do I keep hearing (every couple of years at least) that they've killed off Grover? First AIDS, more recently I've heard car accident. The wiki pages claim he's still an active character.

So what was the child-star life really like?

-jk

I don't think Elmo was around when I was in the target audience (I'm 36). On a Sesame Street wiki I read they wrote that he first appeared as Elmo in 1985. Prior to that they red puppet was used but was not named.

Geeze, I'm feeling old. I would have been 12 when it first aired. Just a bit outside the intended demographic.

Yeah, that seems to be the general consensus. That's interesting, I was just listening to This Week in Google today, and Leo Laporte and Jeff Jarvis were both saying they were about 12 when the show started. Leo was oddly indignant about the amount of attention Google was paying to Sesame Street.

It's friggin' Sesame Street! I'm not sure that it's possible to understand its importance if you didn't grow up with it. CBS Sunday Morning did an amazing piece once on the international presence of Sesame Street, and I was blown away.

Oh, man. The New York theater scene in the 70s? Mountains of cookies as far as the eye could see; you could hook up with anyone after hours at Mr. Hooper's; morals were freer: Bert and Ernie didn't have to hide their relationship; and it was two new letters and a number every week, and an endless stream of kids that just couldn't stay off the Street.

But times have changed. Fun turned into addiction. Monster has cut down a lot, but he still can't ditch that habit. Bird started seeing things, then everyone else started seeing them too; those flashbacks are still happening. Hooper got convicted of tax evasion and his place closed down. Rumor has it that he was put in witness protection after turning state's evidence. Other people moved on, too. I hear Olivia got a job as a building superintendent somewhere downtown. Some other exits were ruined. Grover could have had a cushy political post, but he kept alienating his contact, who turned out to have some bigshot position.

I could go on, but the spirit these days just isn't the same. There are new cool kids in town, but they just don't have the same flair as we did in those heady days in the 70s.

LOL

That was great