1996 "Lead Out" video with Oscar, Elmo & Rosita

[JLG]

I just stumbled on this when I was looking for Irvine clips on YouTube. I had never heard of it before. Until the ending, you could almost mistake it for repurposed footage from the actual show, instead of a specially produced video.

Ironic that Oscar would be so concerned about lead poisoning----logically, his can would be the WORST place on earth for that. With all the trash he's been collecting his entire life---and a good chunk of it originating from before lead was banned from most products---in real life his blood levels would be so high that his plasma would probably be enough to lead gasoline all by itself.

By the way, I really miss the Elmo puppet seen here. I like it so much better than the one they use now.

 

[Oscarfan]

Yeah, this is a nice little video. The songs are great in it.

 

[JLG]

Yeah, dang it. Now I can't get that silly "Lead Police" song out of my head.


It's also interesting to note that they chose to credit Bruce Cayard for the "Wash Your Hands" insert. Is that the only instance where one of the freelance animators (or filmmakers of any kind) received screen credit?

 

[Drtooth]

Jeez... that was like a 15 minute the last 30 seconds of an Inspector Gadget cartoon with all the delicacy and subtlety. The songs are actually quite good... but the set up is... strange. A Lead protest?! I especially like how everyone's in complete awe that Rosita has a nice and shiny bandaid. If they at least said "sticker" I'd understand... but bandaid?

Ironic that Oscar would be so concerned about lead poisoning----logically, his can would be the WORST place on earth for that. With all the trash he's been collecting his entire life---and a good chunk of it originating from before lead was banned from most products---in real life his blood levels would be so high that his plasma would probably be enough to lead gasoline all by itself.

I choose to believe what they said in a MadTV sketch. Oscar has a kickbutt immune system from living in trash his entire life... his entire species life, actually. But when you stop and actually think about how Grouches work, you wind up in a bizarre circle. Like, do they eat terrible food because it gives them indigestion and they like indigestion?

It's also interesting to note that they chose to credit Bruce Cayard for the "Wash Your Hands" insert. Is that the only instance where one of the freelance animators (or filmmakers of any kind) received screen credit?

I always hated that they didn't. I remember seeing the end credits of Plaza Sesamo and they credited some of them (some of them got an "unknown," like the alley cats playing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"). I'm not sure if they credit them in other home video, since I don't have many of them.

 

[cjd874]

I have been looking for this "Lead Police" video for years! I watched it somewhere (maybe the original Sesame Street Brooklyn Children's Museum exhibit) in the early 2000s. Only now do I realize that that song is a parody of the music of the Police. Chris Cerf sounds great as the lead singer, and Caroll Spinney as always delivers a delightful performance as Oscar. Thanks so much for finding it!

 

[Drtooth]

Lead Police used to be up on its own for a while. Then whoever posted it closed the account or got banned or something. That was a couple years ago. Glad to see it back (as that and Blood test are the only really good original material).

Is "Wash Your Hands Before Your Eat" up separately? I know the Hebrew dub is.

 

[cjd874]

I also find it ironic that while everyone is saying "Stay away from peeling paint," those painted doors behind Oscar's can appear to be peeling away.

 

[JLG]

I choose to believe what they said in a MadTV sketch. Oscar has a kickbutt immune system from living in trash his entire life... his entire species life, actually. But when you stop and actually think about how Grouches work, you wind up in a bizarre circle. Like, do they eat terrible food because it gives them indigestion and they like indigestion?

That's a good way of looking at it.
I've actually given some thought to the real-life implications of a world where Grouches are real, and it's a bit troubling. For instance, you KNOW they'd face constant discrimination. I mean....would you want a Grouch family living next door to you? And if you went to the emergency room...."Oh, no---a Grouch doctor?!" Or if you call the police on a noisy neighbor...."Oh, no! They sent a GROUCH cop!" And forget about it if a Grouch ran for mayor....

 

[JLG]

Another interesting ponderable:
Are Grouches a subspecies of monster, or are they simply monsters who belong to a distinct cultural group? Or are they separate from monsters altogether?

Personally I prefer the middle answer----they're a cultural group. And a very proud one.

 

[minor muppetz]

It's also interesting to note that they chose to credit Bruce Cayard for the "Wash Your Hands" insert. Is that the only instance where one of the freelance animators (or filmmakers of any kind) received screen credit?

The Alphabet Jungle Game and The Great Numbers Game both credit the various animators whose work appeared in those videos (though they don't specify who animated what segment).