Top 10 Sesame Street Characters

From about 3rd grade to 11th grade I was without cable so I spent a lot of summers watching The Price is Right and Sesame Street. Growin up, Sesame Street was one of the best things on tv but with the death of Jim Henson and so many lesser known puppeteers the show I used to love is becoming the Simpsons of kids tv. They don’t make them like they used to. I’m not good with numbers so here are a few of my all time favorite characters in no particular order.

“America’s Favorite Game Show Host” and a favorite character of mine because who doesnt love a game show? Guy Smiley was pretty high energy guy like a lot of my favorite characters and every single game show he hosted was dope.

The rest of the list continued after the jump

Prairie Dawn was Sesame Street’s little voice of reason and pretty serious as characters on the show go. Plus how many muppet’s have career aspirations as realistic as hers(broadcasting or journalism)? None. Prairie Dawn is my favorite female character on the show I probably had the most in common with her as a kid too haha.

Roosevelt Franklin was probably the coolest “person” on tv ever. But apparently he wasnt PC enough and he set a bad example to kids. I never really thought of Roosevelt being a negative stereotype and still dont, another great muppet bites the dust because of unwarranted political correctness. Roosevelt was the cool kid in the school that was smart and liked to scat and rhyme. And how could you not respect a dude with such fly hair?

He does everything, he’s a superhero, a waiter, a salesmonster, and many other things. He’s a perpetual screw up like me and probably not as much help as he intends to be. Anytime he is on screen with Mr. Johnson its classic television.

Plus, he’s a uniter not a divider.

YipYipYipYip. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. I was obsessed with the Martians aka the Yip Yips and never felt they were on enough. I wanted them to be on every time I watched. They were simple puppets but their goofyness was hilarious. I think the Yip Yips got government officials nervous asking all those questions, they probably stumbled on some “sensitive information” and are being waterboarded somewhere.

The Count was wayy fresher back in the day than he is now. “In his earlier appearances in 1972, he was slightly more sinister than he later became. He had hypnotic powers, and was able to stun people by waving his hands. After counting, he uttered a villainous laugh as the thunder crashed, and the colors would change different hues. Later, he became friendlier, dropped the hypnotic powers, and his laugh was changed to a Dracula-style laugh.” Censors tried to keep the Count down but even the neutered version is still cool with me. I remember lovin the more sinister Count von Count and his bats and his old crib, it was real atmospheric stuff.

The jerk with the heart of gold. Oscar was cool just because he was so grumpy in the sea of perkiness that is Sesame Street. Because of Oscar I wanted a pet worm like Slimey. He lives in the best trashcan ever, have you seen how big it is?  God bless imaginary physics.

The composer with writers block and memory worse than mine? Anyone who can aggravate  Kermit so much is okay in my book. I always thought Don was hardcore bangin his head against the piano but apparently he got yanked because kids were emulating him .

Muppets + Film Noir Detective Spoofs = “Winning, So Absolutely Winning.” Its a lamb solving crimes damnit! I never saw Columbo nor do I know what Peter Faulk looks like but Colambo was funny and smart. There werent many Colambo skits I think it was a more recent thing but I loved Colambo more than any other anthropomorphic sheep I know.

Alaistair Cookie > Cookie Monster. Sorry Cookie Monster fans but a semi civilized Cookie monster is the best thing ever. Having “Alistair” host Monsterpiece Theater and rocking a smoking jacket and ascot is too funny for words. Classic Alistair Cookie:
“It a bit esoteric,”
“Me digress.”
“Me Alistair Cookie,”
He’s still the same googly eye bastard but highbrow. BRILLIANT!

*PS Elmo sucks*