The irony of Elmos popularity

[minor muppetz]

I have noticed a bit of irony of Elmo being popular. Maybe irony is not the correct term to use. I don't know.

Anyway, Elmo has been really popular since Tickle me Elmo was made in 1996. He was popular before, but not this popular. he did star in a few videos, including Elmos Sing-Along Guessing Game and The Best Of Elmo, but even then he was probably just as popular as Herry Monster, Mr. Snuffleupagus, and Guy Smiley.

After the success of Tickle Me Elmo, Elmo has appeared on the covers of almost every new video and album release. he was on the cover of Happy Birthday From Sesame Street, which was originally released before Elmo was created, and the albums producers didn't add any songs to the album, not even ones with Elmo (many album re-releases have had songs added or replaced). As far as I know, the last all-new video that did not feature elmo at all was 1998s The Best of Kermit on Sesame Street. Elmo has also starred in almost every new sesame street television special made after the release of tickle me elmo, often with his name worked into the title. And, of course, he starred in the second sesame street movie, which was titled The Adventures Of Elmo In Grouchland. I think it should have been titled Sesame Street Presents Elmo In Grouchland.

Now, for the irony. before Elmo was the star (if you want to consider Elmo as the current star of Sesame Street), Big Bird was the star. he was probably the character that most people would think of when they thought of Sesame Street. However, Big Bird didn't even get all of this special treatment that Elmo gets. He didn't appear on every album or video cover. There are a few videos that Big Bird didn't even appear in, like Monster Hits and Cookie Monsters best Bites.

When Random House started making Sesame Street videos in 1986, Big Bird wasn't on every cover. In fact, he didn't even appear on any video covers (released by random House) untill 1987, when The Alphabet Game was released. He didn't even appear on the original cover of Big Birds Storytime. The first Sesame Street video collection released by random house was called "my sesame street home video". An illustration of Cookie Monster appeared in the logo, so he was on every cover in the 1980s. These videos originally had opening sequences with an animated Cookie Monster eating the logo (which were cut from the sony wonder re-releases). These videos ended with an illustrated still of Cookie Monster holding a chalkboard with the credits appearing on it. Those videos did come with activity books that had an illustrated Big Bird holding the video cover, and I was at a flea market recently where I found a copy of Learning About Numbers where the cover was like on the activity books, with Big Bird holding the cover, so I am not sure if random house made two covers (one with big bird holding the picture, one without) or not. I do know that not every copy from the random hosue releases came with an activity book.

Finally. in 1990 random House started another series of videos called Sesame Songs. They had an opening sequence that had a still of Ernie, Bert, and Cookie Monster, but no Big Bird. These sequences were cut from the Sony Wonders releases as well (even the title part).

Who would like to share some comments?

 

[MrsPepper]

I'll share a few thoughts.

I guess when whoever discovered that Elmo sells, they ran with it. :/ Personally, I like him but not that much. I like him in Grouchland, because you actually see a personality, as opposed to Elmo's World, because it's so freaking structured there's no chance.
(Grr, this reminds me. My copy of grouchland is a second-hand tape that buzzes. I need a new one.)

But I suppose there needs to a be a new frontman once in awhile. Elmo is the current one. He's lasted a decade. Maybe soon we'll see that changing, who knows?

 

[minor muppetz]

I have seen some comments in a few recent Sesame Street articles at Tough Pigs where danny Horn mentioned that grover is starting to make a major comeback on Sesame Street. This is especially mentione din his review of A celebration of me, grover.

 

[MrsPepper]

I have seen some comments in a few recent Sesame Street articles at Tough Pigs where danny Horn mentioned that grover is starting to make a major comeback on Sesame Street. This is especially mentione din his review of A celebration of me, grover.

Yes, and I want to buy that DVD as well. But what you've said is very true. He IS coming back, in a big way. And that makes me happy, as he is one of the most fun, and cutest, muppets. He's shown up lot. Do you think he'll end up rivalling Elmo's popularity? Or rather, become the new "frontman". I think that eventually in time it will happen, since it could use a change.

 

[mikebennidict]

I have noticed a bit of irony of Elmo being popular. Maybe irony is not the correct term to use. I don't know.

Anyway, Elmo has been really popular since Tickle me Elmo was made in 1996. He was popular before, but not this popular. he did star in a few videos, including Elmos Sing-Along Guessing Game and The Best Of Elmo, but even then he was probably just as popular as Herry Monster, Mr. Snuffleupagus, and Guy Smiley.

After the success of Tickle Me Elmo, Elmo has appeared on the covers of almost every new video and album release. he was on the cover of Happy Birthday From Sesame Street, which was originally released before Elmo was created, and the albums producers didn't add any songs to the album, not even ones with Elmo (many album re-releases have had songs added or replaced). As far as I know, the last all-new video that did not feature elmo at all was 1998s The Best of Kermit on Sesame Street. Elmo has also starred in almost every new sesame street television special made after the release of tickle me elmo, often with his name worked into the title. And, of course, he starred in the second sesame street movie, which was titled The Adventures Of Elmo In Grouchland. I think it should have been titled Sesame Street Presents Elmo In Grouchland.

Now, for the irony. before Elmo was the star (if you want to consider Elmo as the current star of Sesame Street), Big Bird was the star. he was probably the character that most people would think of when they thought of Sesame Street. However, Big Bird didn't even get all of this special treatment that Elmo gets. He didn't appear on every album or video cover. There are a few videos that Big Bird didn't even appear in, like Monster Hits and Cookie Monsters best Bites.

When Random House started making Sesame Street videos in 1986, Big Bird wasn't on every cover. In fact, he didn't even appear on any video covers (released by random House) untill 1987, when The Alphabet Game was released. He didn't even appear on the original cover of Big Birds Storytime. The first Sesame Street video collection released by random house was called "my sesame street home video". An illustration of Cookie Monster appeared in the logo, so he was on every cover in the 1980s. These videos originally had opening sequences with an animated Cookie Monster eating the logo (which were cut from the sony wonder re-releases). These videos ended with an illustrated still of Cookie Monster holding a chalkboard with the credits appearing on it. Those videos did come with activity books that had an illustrated Big Bird holding the video cover, and I was at a flea market recently where I found a copy of Learning About Numbers where the cover was like on the activity books, with Big Bird holding the cover, so I am not sure if random house made two covers (one with big bird holding the picture, one without) or not. I do know that not every copy from the random hosue releases came with an activity book.

Finally. in 1990 random House started another series of videos called Sesame Songs. They had an opening sequence that had a still of Ernie, Bert, and Cookie Monster, but no Big Bird. These sequences were cut from the Sony Wonders releases as well (even the title part).

Who would like to share some comments?

I never really saw BB as the star of the show. everyone seemed equal to me. just my thought.

 

[minor muppetz]

Yes, and I want to buy that DVD as well. But what you've said is very true. He IS coming back, in a big way. And that makes me happy, as he is one of the most fun, and cutest, muppets. He's shown up lot. Do you think he'll end up rivalling Elmo's popularity? Or rather, become the new "frontman". I think that eventually in time it will happen, since it could use a change.

Of course, even though Grover has been coming back in a big way, Grover hasn't been the focus of very many recent street plots. I wonder if he will eventually star in an episode later this season. Or I wonder if Eric Jacopson has been busy performing his Muppet characters in various productions.

Hopefully, if he does become the next star, I wonder if us fans will start hating him more and wish for more elmo? Now that would be ironic!

 

[Kimp the Shrimp]

The Grover Revlotion will be TELEVISED

 

[BEAR]

I always felt it was pretty safe to say that Big Bird was the "star" of the show until Elmo's popularity took off. He was the center of his own feature film and Christmas special, which Elmo would later copy to an extent. The thing about Big Bird is that it never seemed like he overshadowed anyone else or stole the spotlight the same way that people would consider Elmo doing now. Regarding Grover, I think he was always fairly popular among fans and for a while maybe took a back seat with other characters to make room for "little red". Lately it does seem like he is making more of a "comeback". The thing is, when Elmo came along he sort of became the competition for both Big Bird AND Grover in different ways. Big Bird was always the central Muppet (atleast in the street scenes) and was the representation for kids watching, now it is Elmo. Grover was always known as the little furry and cute monster that we loved and wanted to cuddle with...now Elmo comes along like the new baby in the family and becomes the cute one. Carroll Spinney even goes into great detail about all this in his autobiography. Spinney had to learn to share the stage and attention with Kevin Clash as if he were a kid about to have a new baby brother.

 

[minor muppetz]

starring big bird....

Another thing to consider about Big Bird being the star is that he has probably always been in the opening. I do not know if he was in the original opening or not, but he was in every opening and closing sequence that I have seen. Elmo was in the openiong that was introduced in 1992, which also had many other characters, and a few clips of Elmo appear in the current opening, but when the opening with the main cast changed in 1998, the year that Elmos World was introduced, only Big Bird was in the opening.

Personally, I liked the opening with many of the characters the best. Why would kids want to see an opening with Big Bird and a bunch of real kids when they can see an opening with Big Bird and other muppets?

 

[furryredmonster]

Hello? Your looking at Elmo's number one fan!! lol

I think Elmo is the heart and fun and joy of SS and will be forever. Elmo is like, i do not even know how to word it. I love all the SS characters though. I watched SS this morning, and actually ELMO is not in every skit. Elmo mostly is in Elmo's World. I think every character gets a fair chance of showing. Espeacially since Elmo is quite "newer" while the older SS characters had had more time to shine.

Grover is pretty kool. I do not this any one is the "head-man" so I really do not see how Grover could be.