Joan, thank you for the wonderful childhood memories you have given two generations! 

But, as a ‘Contrarian’ I have to ask…where is the homage to Oscar???  Come on…he is kind of our fellow Contrary ones green, gnarly, grumpy patron!!!

PS…the Count too was awesome.  Who hasn’t seen a preschooler ‘Count’ replete with sound affects??? 

when my daughter jessica was born (1970) Sesame Street was just starting…………..it was on in our house twice daily, M-F.

(along with mr. rogers and the electric company)

the same for the next three kids to come along.

the same for my granddaughters……………………….

we are 20 year donors to PBS and that is why!

thank you joan!

rosie

has anyone seen this?  i nearly wet my pants!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5121VjLwqZM

Joan Ganz Cooney, you’re the one

You helped make childhood lots fun

Hey Sesame Street, I grew up awfully fond of you!

woh woh, bee doh

Joan and friends, joy of joys,
Your show brought smiles, so much better than toys

Sesame Street was my very best friend, it’s true!

doo doo doo doooo, doo doo

CHORUS:
Every day when I
Made my way to the TV
I found a show that was 
Fun, engaging and funny 
(rub-a-dub-a-dubby!)

Sesame Street, you’re so fine
And I’m lucky that you were mine
Sesame Street, I was awfully fond of,

Joan and Friends, I was awfully fond of,

Joan Ganz Cooney, I am awfully fond of You!

(doo doo, be doo!)

(Sung to the tune  of… well, you know!) :) 

Thanks so much to all of you - I’m nearly 47 and Sesame Street, the song, "Rubber Duckie", Ernie and Bert, Big Bird and all the rest are still with me today.

1969.

We landed a man on the moon. Threw a little bash at Woodstock.

And started something pretty special on that street where the air is sweet and the sky is always sunny.

Enter a likeable chap named Gordon, who takes a girl named Sally, on a little tour to meet some of the residents.

Hello Susan, Bob, Mr. Hooper, an 8-ft.-tall goofy yellow bird.

Where is that singing coming from?

That’s Ernie and Bert’s place. Gordon explains if you hear singing it’s because Bert is taking a bath.

Other characters soon follow: Buddy and Jim, Alice Braithwaite Goodyshoes, Kermit the Frog, Cookie Monster, Jennie, and the Anything Muppets.

It was the very first performance of "One of these things." (Is Not Like The Other.)

That makes sense since it was the first show.

And when Ernie and Bert introduce a cartoon about the letter E…well the rest is Extraordinary.

(Kermit here, in his classic moment, written by Joe Raposo, would go on to be an international star.)

Not to mention Big Bird who, despite making the cover of Time Magazine, never let it go to his head.

Before Joan Ganz Cooney and Jim Henson, children’s television was mainly about a freckly marionette and his pal Buffalo Bob.

Howdy Doody’s format was followed into the 1960s by Captain Kangaroo and Bozo’s Circus.

Along came a show that recognized the power of television as a learning tool, and aired it all in a racially mixed neighborhood where everyone got along.

Suddenly learning was entertaining and smart.

What a concept.

Today, it’s seen in 140 countries, including South Africa, where Kami, the HIV positive muppet is bringing his message and smiles into countries where AIDS is destroying lives and spirits.

Many happy returns Sesame Street.

What a grand celebration and a sweet reminder of the most entertaining show for kids AND adults. I loved Grover as the waiter! And, I always looked forward to the special human guests. 

Thanks for the memories. 

In their new book, Superfreakonomics, Levitt and Dubner discuss the rapid, unprecedented rise in social violence that occurred in the US between the 1950’s and 70’s. They trace a possible cause to the advent of television. Children, watching innocuous shows like Ozzie and Harriet and Leave it to Beaver were slipping a gear, because so much time spent in front of the tube meant they were missing out on getting emotional needs met. The attentive, funny, caring messages of Sesame Street filled a gap that might never have been met otherwise.

Among all the program’s accomplishments, the road to Sesame Street has led directly to the White House. And now to children in the MidEast. 

Everything’s A-OK with Sesame Street. What an achievement for Joan Ganz Cooney and all her collaborators. Congratulations, and keep going. The kids will come around again.