The Adults and Snuffy

[fuzzygobo]

It's too bad Mr. Hooper never got to see Snuffy. The closest he came once Snuffy passed by the store, Hooper lost his glasses. The nearly-blind Hooper thought Snuffy's trunk was Maria's fur coat.

But Snuffy was real to the kids. Once a whole bunch of them got to play London Bridge with him, and Joey (A,B,C, COOKIE MONSTER!!!) got to recite the alphabet with him.
Now even if the adults wouldn't believe Big Bird, they'd believe the kids, wouldn't they?

 

[D'Snowth]

Did the kids ever mention Snuffy to the adults? I can't recall any specific occasions where they might have... and even if they did, at that time, I'm thinking the adults probably would have shrugged it off as kids being kids.

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

Yeah. That's what someone mentioned a while ago. They would believe kids have active imaginations as well (in fact that's why they didn't believe Telly when he told them he saw Snuffy). Again, they really needed someone more serious and unimaginative like Bert to see Snuffy and break the news to them.

I often think of that scene on "Christmas Eve on Sesame Street" where Patty was there with Big Bird and Snuffy when he did that experiment to see how Santa gets down the chimney. When Snuff got stuck in the barrel that would have been the perfect time for either BB or Patty to get the adults to see him. I guess BB was so worried about the Santa Claus issue, he didn't think of that. Lol.

Oh, in answer to your question, D'Snowth. I do remember in the Star Wars episode David was with the kids and they were looking for someone shaggy and one of the kids did mention Snuffy and Dave said, "No. Snuffy's imaginary." So I guess you're right on that.

 

[D'Snowth]

Now I'm kind of wondering if there's been any in-universe mention of how the adults used to think Snuffy was imaginary... I really can't think of any such occasions where that may have happened, I'm betting in this day and age, they probably try to avoid mentioning it in order not to confuse little kids... similar to how in more recent times, there's been a back-and-forth between Gordon always being bald, and him having once had hair.

I guess when a show's been on for this long, and there's been so many changes, you have to use creative licenses to maintain some form of continuity, at least as far as the current generations of kids are concerned.

 

[minor muppetz]

I just remembered that the storybook adaptation of Christmas Eve on Sesame Street makes it a bit ambiguous as to whether Kermit can see Snuffy. I've only read/looked in the book a few times, but the various plots and subplots (like the Ernie and Bert subplot and the Cookie Monster subplot) are all featured back-to-back-to-back without any scenes in-between them. Anyway, in the book, the Snuffy scene comes after the scene where Big Bird reads the list of explanations he was given, and although Kermit is not illustrated into the Snuffy scene, the last image of Kermit before that scene shows Snuffy right in front of Kermit as Kermit looks down at his list. I assume that in the book's depiction he perhaps looks down before Snuffy appears, turns his head, and leaves without noticing, but I would assume that the adults would believe Kermit if he did see Snuffy. Keep in mind the book came out in 1981 or '82.

And I wonder if he really did get stuck. He asks if Big Bird knows how Santa gets out (and Big Bird thinks he found out how Santa gets down the chimney based on Snuffy getting his legs in the barrells, when Snuffy didn't get his whole body in). He probably did get stuck, but something tells me he wasn't stuck that badly (I wonder how Jerry Nelson or whoever was inside the costume at the time felt when his legs were in the barrell). And even if Big Bird did go out to get one of the adults for help Snuffy would have probably managed to get his legs out by the time an adult agreed to help. If I was Big Bird I'd probably just say that "a friend" got his legs stuck, as opposed to Mr. Snuffleupagus.

I recall reading an article from a few years ago about Buffy St. Marie, which said that Buffy was the only adult who did see Snuffy. That's the only time I've read about her seeing Snuffy, but if she saw Snuffy, she should have told the other adults. Surely they would believe her. And I think her people in Hawaii saw or believed in Snufflepaguses, which the adults didn't when they visited and heard a legent of Mt. Snuffleupagus.

There probably wasn't such an episode, but considering Olivia wasn't in the episode where the adults saw Snuffy, it would have been funny if they did an episode where the others tell Olivia they saw Snuffy and she didn't believe them. Considering her behaior on the subject in episode 1836 (and the voting episode) she seems like she'd be too stubborn in her disbelief to believe even the testimony of the other adults.

I've mentioned how when Big Bird talks about Snuffy to the other Muppets they don't have the same annoyed reactions, but it is interesting how in episode 2096 Big Bird seems to only care about the adults seeing him. None of the Muppets are involved (except Elmo). Frank may have been busy with the start of his directing career, Jerry (and maybe also Richard) might have been busy with Fraggle Rock, and Jim might have been busy with everything, but it's still a shame they didn't try to work around their busy schedules for such an important episode (Kermit could have reported on Snuffy's sighting).

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

I recall reading an article from a few years ago about Buffy St. Marie, which said that Buffy was the only adult who did see Snuffy. That's the only time I've read about her seeing Snuffy, but if she saw Snuffy, she should have told the other adults. Surely they would believe her. And I think her people in Hawaii saw or believed in Snufflepaguses, which the adults didn't when they visited and heard a legent of Mt. Snuffleupagus.

I wouldn't doubt it. Think about it. Buffy. Snuffy. These 'Uffy' people have to stick together. Lol.

Now I'm kind of wondering if there's been any in-universe mention of how the adults used to think Snuffy was imaginary... I really can't think of any such occasions where that may have happened, I'm betting in this day and age, they probably try to avoid mentioning it in order not to confuse little kids... similar to how in more recent times, there's been a back-and-forth between Gordon always being bald, and him having once had hair.

Yeah. I know what you mean. It seems like after the episode where he was revealed and whatever the heck happened in the following ep (I know that one is one of those long lost SS treasures), they sort of forgot about the whole thing.

Anyway, in the book, the Snuffy scene comes after the scene where Big Bird reads the list of explanations he was given, and although Kermit is not illustrated into the Snuffy scene, the last image of Kermit before that scene shows Snuffy right in front of Kermit as Kermit looks down at his list. I assume that in the book's depiction he perhaps looks down before Snuffy appears, turns his head, and leaves without noticing, but I would assume that the adults would believe Kermit if he did see Snuffy. Keep in mind the book came out in 1981 or '82.

Yeah. I read that recently and I wondered about that as well, but maybe book illustrations aren't canon with the actual show. That's probably as good a theory as any.

There probably wasn't such an episode, but considering Olivia wasn't in the episode where the adults saw Snuffy, it would have been funny if they did an episode where the others tell Olivia they saw Snuffy and she didn't believe them. Considering her behaior on the subject in episode 1836 (and the voting episode) she seems like she'd be too stubborn in her disbelief to believe even the testimony of the other adults.

Yeah. That would have been neat. It was interesting after seeing the segment that D'Snowth or whoever it was mentioned with her interactions with Snuffy and Alice, it seems like just out of the blue she knew about them. That was a bit strange.

 

[minor muppetz]

Watching the segments with Big Bird trying and failing to convince the adults that Snuffy is real can be both funny and frusterating at the same time (but it feels less frustrating knowing that the adults would eventually see Snuffy), but it's really funny whenever another character sees or hears Snuffy, can't prove it, and becomes convinced they didn't see or hear Snuffy.

Like in episode 1186 when David hears Big Bird and Snuffy having a conversation behind Big Bird's doors, David runs to the other adults to tell them, but when they go to Big Bird's nest area, the two are gone. And then David overhears them come back and almost bursts through the doors only to stop himself and leave. Too bad he didn't decide to just open the door (sure, it'd be rude to enter without knocking, but then he brought the cast there without knocking when he didn't know Big Bird wasn't home).

Or in episode 826 when it's reversed: Snuffy sees the adults and tells Big Bird they are all there and wants to meet them, but when they get to the arbor all the adults decided to leave to get ready to have a picnic, and Big Bird thinks Snuffy imagined Big Bird's friends being there. And then Snuffy sees them all come back and tells Big Bird, only for them to once again leave before they come back. At least Big Bird didn't react with annoyance like the adults did whenever Big Bird tried and failed to get the adults to meet him.

I'd like to see the clip where Bob sleeps on the street while Snuffy wears striped overralls and wakes up just as Snuffy leaves, telling Big Bird that he saw Snuffy, only for Big Bird to think he was imagining when he mentions the stripes (as Big Bird didn't know Snuffy was dressed in stripes).

It seems a bit awkward looking at old cast photos which have Snuffy right out of view, either behind them or besides them as they look straight-on. First time I saw them, I thought it looked like the adults were purposely looking away from Snuffy (well the actors had to in order to stay in character). It even made me think maybe they were just playing a trick on Big Bird, pretending not to believe in Snuffy (but that would be a mean trick to maintain for 15 years).

 

[sesamemuppetfan]

Sorry to bring up a really old thread, but there's a thought that's been hitting me for years.

As you all know there was of course the episode where Big Bird and Snuffy almost end their friendship due to the adults convincing Big Bird that Snuffleupaguses don't exist. While the 2 large Muppets are sadly hugging each other goodbye, Snuffy's teardrops start soaking Big Bird's feathers, which leads to Big Bird reaching the conclusion that Snuffy must be real if the tears are real. In my personal opinion, THAT should have been when the adults would finally see that Snuffy was real. I just don't see how they kept up with this gag for I don't know how many more years after that episode! Does anyone else agree?

 

[Luke kun]

Heh! Who remembers the BGM for Snuffy back in the 1970s? That BGM was creepy.

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

Sorry to bring up a really old thread, but there's a thought that's been hitting me for years.

As you all know there was of course the episode where Big Bird and Snuffy almost end their friendship due to the adults convincing Big Bird that Snuffleupaguses don't exist. While the 2 large Muppets are sadly hugging each other goodbye, Snuffy's teardrops start soaking Big Bird's feathers, which leads to Big Bird reaching the conclusion that Snuffy must be real if the tears are real. In my personal opinion, THAT should have been when the adults would finally see that Snuffy was real. I just don't see how they kept up with this gag for I don't know how many more years after that episode! Does anyone else agree?

In that case, Michael Earl or Mary Robinson wouldn't have had the fun of being involved.