Cookie Monster after season 1

[fuzzygobo]

Cookie Monster Ad

The only time I've seen it at the Museum was way back in 1996, and I think somebody loaned it as part of a temporary exhibit. However, the vintage Henson commercials are part of their permanent collection. Still worth the trip if you ever make it out here.

 

[BEAR]

I guess when they came up with the idea of having the monster character, the writer at the time said "Okay, but don't have him talk too much"

 

[Ilikemuppets]

That sounds like a really awsome commercial. I wish I could see that one.

 

[SesameMike]

Cookie Monster PSA

There is also a 1975 commercial that does feature Cookie Monster. He's sitting at a table at a country club, and way back in the distance is a bulldozer coming closer.

I seem to recall there were two versions of that commercial: a 30 second and a 60 second. I seem to recall that it was fairly common, in the 1970s at least, for ad campaigns to have 30 and 60 second versions of the same commercial.

The 60 second film was exactly as you described it. The 30 second version, while conveying the same basic idea, was probably a whole different filming. For example. CM said in the shorter one something like "First me eat meat and fish to give me protein and strength, and vegetables for vitamins!..." without the breaks in between. Some lines were omitted, like the one about blowing whistle giving him strong lungs.

At the end where the front-end loader dumps the myriad of cookies on CM's head, it is possible to spot a waiter at the controls for a second or two. This waiter was wearing the same (red?) uniform that delivered CM's other entrees. This may be only noticible on the long version, since the shorter one IIRC faded out quicker.

 

[Was Once Ernie]

I would say Cookie Monster was first rebuilt around Season 3 or 4. It was a dramatic change. The original monster had a flexible mouth with his eyes clearly on Frank's knuckles, at the top of the head. The new Cookie had a wider, flat mouth, and his head no longer came to a point with the eyes. He was also a much brighter blue, which could either be because it was different fur, or the original monster puppet had faded.

Ernie was rebuilt around the same time. They were never quite able to match the smile of the original, which had a mouth that did not completely close (meaning, there were gaps... not two flat surfaces that came together perfectly).

They also rebuilt Bert around the same time, giving him movable eyebrows which changed the shape of his mouth.

By the way, the prototype for Ernie goes back to Sam & Friends. There was a character with the same shape head and ears, but he had hair covering his eyes. I don't know that character's name, but I'm sure someone here does.

 

[BEAR]

When Cookie Monster was first introduced on Sesame Street, he was just a googly-eyed monster in a sketch with Ernie where Ernie was eating some cookies and milk. The only words that the monster said were "milk" and "cookies". From then on, he developed a sweet tooth and changed his name to The Cookie Monster.

 

[minor muppetz]

By the way, the prototype for Ernie goes back to Sam & Friends. There was a character with the same shape head and ears, but he had hair covering his eyes. I don't know that character's name, but I'm sure someone here does.

I believe that Muppets name is Moldy Hay. Did you ever see that muppet (or any other Sam And Friends characters) in person? I know you said that you don't think any of the Sam And Friends characters were used at the end of The Muppet Movie, so you wouldn't have seen him there.

 

[Andrew T]

Ernie was rebuilt around the same time. They were never quite able to match the smile of the original, which had a mouth that did not completely close (meaning, there were gaps... not two flat surfaces that came together perfectly).

They also rebuilt Bert around the same time, giving him movable eyebrows which changed the shape of his mouth.

By the way, the prototype for Ernie goes back to Sam & Friends. There was a character with the same shape head and ears, but he had hair covering his eyes. I don't know that character's name, but I'm sure someone here does.

One feature that distinguished the original Bert puppet (at least from the current) was a nose that drooped down when seen from the side.

Did Ernie's outfit change from the original orange-and-purple-striped sweater to the red-and-blue striped one he wears today at the same time he was rebuilt?

 

[MuppetDude]

Yeah, Ernie (and many others) were rebuilt for the second season. You can tell by Ernie's eyes, shorter hair, and his red nose.

 

[BEAR]

Yeah, Ernie (and many others) were rebuilt for the second season. You can tell by Ernie's eyes, shorter hair, and his red nose.

But...but...Ernie's always had a red nose.