Happy Birthday, Sesame Street.
Like most people, Sesame Street was an important part of my childhood. Every week, my vocabulary grew with Bert and Ernie - my numbers, with Oscar the Grouch. Important events, like the death of Mr. Hooper provided a gentle introduction into very real and natural parts of life. Every Christmas, I looked forward to watching the Sesame Street Christmas Special that my Mum carefully recorded and preserved on VHS - until I was probably much too old to, but would never have admitted it.
However, one of my memories of the show is not so fond as it was frightening. In fact, I was laughing about it most of today, until I found it on YouTube just now... maybe I'm tired from a long day, but it actually scared me again. Just a little.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am of course referring to: the "Yip Yip" martians. These funny little fellows seemed innocent enough, but let me assure you that they are DANGEROUS! They can teleport anywhere! They like to break into people's homes! And they DON'T like rock and roll...
They are not to be trusted.
I was three or four years old. It was summer, best I can remember, and my Mum had just sat me down in front of Sesame Street so she could take a shower. Not five minutes later, the sketchy sketch in question came on and I was immediately reduced to tears. I climbed behind the sofa, wailing as loud as I could in an effort to drown out the sounds of these unearthly creatures. My Mum, bless her, must have heard me and came running, wrapped in a towel and a shower cap still on her head. Laughing, she turned off the TV and calmed me down. I realize she wasn't actually laughing at me, but at the silliness of the situation. But really, I ask you: what child would this have NOT scared the living crap out of?
So I submit to you, the jury, Exhibit A: Martians VS Radio
3 comments:
How strange that the martians bits were my absolute favorite sketches on Sesame Street. The idea that simple things could be absolutely baffling to someone from a different worldview (and vice versa) was something that stuck with me. To this day I'm fascinated by how other people, and other beings, think. Watching my cat and realizing that she's a completely alien intelligence is kinda trippy. It bugs me when weak sci-fi makes the alien beings simply different-skinned, not completely different-minded. I mean, if Sesame Street could do it convincingly...
I loved the Martians too. The thing that scared the crap out of me on Sesame Street was the robot.
http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Sam_the_Robot
That thing just looked freaky, man, and it had this creepy mechanized voice.
Strangely, I ended up loving science fiction and writing about robots years later, but at the time, "Aaaahhh! Momeeeeee!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4Vt4VrP10o
Catching up on comments...
I don't know what it is about that sketch, Micah. I was a pretty bold and fearless little kid otherwise. The part that really got me, I think, was how they materialized inside the house without warning. That someone, or something, could actually DO that. Just wigged me out.
Garner, I barely remember that sketch, but that IS a bit creepy. And what a pompous little robot to boot. Reminds me of some of Harper's current government... lol
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