I Want My Sesame TV!

Hey, guys!  I'm going to make this entry on a little bit of the short side today because there's a lot of stuff going on right now, and I'm trying my best to simplify things as much as possible.

That said, even though this is going to be an abbreviated blog entry, I guarantee you that this is one that you are all going to enjoy. 

First things first, I have a question to ask of you.  How many of you remember the days in which MTV used to play music videos?

Well, chances are that if you were born before 1990, you probably remember that period quite well.  And certainly when MTV was in its infancy, the station played all music videos, all the time.  It basically reinvented the way that we listened to music by featuring innovative and creative four to seven minute video clips to promote singles and albums. 

But as MTV began to age, the very thing that turned it into a cable television staple began to be phased out, only to be replaced with really cheaply made reality programs, shows about teen wolves, and reruns of Degrassi.  It's funny.  Most people seem to find themselves and mature by the time they turn thirty, but MTV actually seems to be regressing as it ages.  It's kind of a sad thing to see - a once awesome channel turning into complete garbage.  I mean, I suppose it kind of redeemed itself a bit by re-airing episodes of "California Dreams" and "Saved by the Bell", but now that they've stopped doing that, it's sort of boring.

Now, here's another question for you. 

Do you remember when Sesame Street used to air music videos?

I know, it seems like a silly question here, but go on.  Just think about it for a second.  Remember years and years ago back when Sesame Street was in its infancy?  It used to have really creative video clips in between shots of Sesame Street that taught us the letters of the alphabet, shapes, colours, and how to count to twelve (or twenty if you grew up watching Sesame Street in the eighties like I did).  And sometimes, you'd see some of your favourite Sesame Street characters and their friends put on MTV worthy music videos during the one hour long show.  I think you'd see at least one per episode.

Of course, seeing these Sesame Street music videos makes me incredibly sad now.  Although I am way too old to watch Sesame Street right now, I've caught glimpses of it as I was channel surfing, and I have to wonder what year it was that it basically turned into the Elmo show.  Don't get me wrong...Elmo's definitely got a huge presence on Sesame Street, and I certainly do understand why little kids love him.  But I also don't think that Elmo should take over half of the show to introduce us to Elmo's World either.  Thankfully, I don't think that Sesame Street has deteriorated in quality the same way that MTV has done, so at least it has that going for it.

But still, just like most people wanted their MTV, I find myself wanting to go back to the days in which I wanted my Sesame TV.

So, I thought that I'd do something similar to Total Request Live - only with Sesame Street music videos.  And, because I'm on a time crunch, I thought that I would only do a Top 5. 

I think this'll be a fun topic for TUBE TALK THURSDAY.  So, what are my five favourite Sesame Street music videos?  Have a look!

5.  BUS STOP SONG

I always used to love it when celebrities would drop by Sesame Street.  Of course, back when I first watched this video as a kid, I had absolutely no idea who the "Four Tops" even were.

For those of you who aren't sure who they are, they're responsible for such hits as "Reach Out I'll Be There", "Can't Help Myself", and "It's The Same Old Song".  They were really big during the Motown era of the 1960s. 

Anyway, they appeared on an episode of Sesame Street to talk about how much fun it was to wait for the bus, and they showed us how to read a bus stop sign.  It actually made me want to go on a bus when I was little.

Of course, riding a bus as an adult isn't nearly as much fun as Sesame Street made out to be.  Still, I liked it.

4.  HONK AROUND THE CLOCK

Okay, maybe it was the disco ball.  Maybe it was the clock with the light up numbers.  Maybe it was the dozens of Muppets that honked their horns by squeezing their noses.  I'm not sure what it was about this video that made me enjoy it so much, but I have to say that its simplicity was key.

Oh, and it also had the added bonus of teaching kids how to count to twelve - a handy skill to have when going into kindergarten.

3.  1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Counting to five was never any cooler in this country infused Sesame Street video.  It literally looked like you were watching a Muppet infused version of Hee Haw or something similar. 

Even the singer was based on a popular country singer.  Of course, to avoid copyright infringement, the singer went by the name of "Polly Darton".  Though, I suspect that Dolly Parton probably loved the fact that Sesame Street turned her into a character. 

And certainly Polly Darton helped millions of kids learn how to count to five. 

Oh...I suppose that it goes without saying that Polly's song was based off of Dolly's #1 single "9 to 5".  She's hardly the first famous person that Sesame Street spoofed.  They combined Madonna and Cyndi Lauper into a new character who sang about how much of a cereal girl she is.  And of course, there was also a character who called herself Meryl Sheep.

2.  HEALTHY FOOD

Okay, I'm not exactly sure why Cookie Monster is trying to be like Flavor Flav in this video, but you have to give Cookie credit for bringing rap music to Sesame Street.  This is also the turning point in which Cookie Monster decided to bring other foods into his cookie-only diet to educate children about not eating too much junk food.

So, with singing apples, pineapples, and broccoli stalks singing "healthy food" over and over again in the background, Cookie Monster talks about how healthy food is delicious and nutritious.  Though, we never actually see him DIGEST any of the healthy food.

Probably because if Cookie had eaten his background singers, he might get arrested for murder.  Ah well, it's still interesting enough to put in the #2 spot.

1.  WET PAINT

I hear that this particular video scared a lot of young children when it first came out, but I really liked this one.  I'm not sure who the lead singer of this Muppet band is supposed to be though.  To me, he looks like a combination of Adam Ant, Elton John, and the lead singer from Men Without Hats.  Regardless, I love the New Wave feel of this video.  It's like J. Geils Band's "Freeze Frame" meets Devo's "Whip It".  And of course, the prerequisite Sesame Street cows are a cameo that is always welcome.

So, what do you think?  Do you have a Sesame Street music video that should've made my list.  Please post it in the comments below!