Favorite Bert and Ernie Sketch

[Ziffel]

I'm not sure if this has been brought up on any of the Ernie and Bert threads before or not, but a great classic one is the Ten Q one! Ernie asks Bert to count to ten with him using the letter Q. Ernie starts with one Q. Then Bert says, "Two Q." And they continue until Bert says, "Ten Q." Then Ernie says, "What was that,Bert?" Bert again says, "Ten Q." Ernie says, "I still didn't hear you , Bert." Bert says, "Ten Q! Ten Q! Ten Q!" Ernie responds with, "You're welcome You're welcome You're welcome, Bert. Kee hee hee hee hee."
I've used this gag on people from time to time ever since. But in the form of algebra instead of counting. Like I'll ask, "How much is 4c plus 4c?" Usually people don't recognize its algebra and thus don't even understand the question! After 2 or 3 more algebra questions like this they get the idea, and I then ask how much is 5 Q plus 5 Q and get the intended answer: "Ten Q!" Why, you're quite welcome.

 

[FshyFshyFshy]

WOW...that is one I haven't even thought of in YEARS!! Thanks for the great memory!

 

[Ziffel]

Why, you're quite welcome. And that's a cool avatar you have from classic Sesame Street. I can't hear you , I have a banana in my ear. Good stuff!
Speaking of bananas, I recall an Ernie and Bert skit from the 70's where the last line has Bert looking at the viewer and saying about Ernie, "He's gone bananas, right?" I can't remember which skit it was, though. I do remember the first time I saw it I was about age 5 or 6 and I didn't know what Bert meant. At that point I hadn't yet learned that bananas is sometimes used to mean crazy.

 

[Ziffel]

Actually, I think the skit where Bert says about Ernie, "He's gone bananas, right?" may be the one where Ernie puts the vase on the shelf and is afraid of it falling off. I can't remember how that one ends, but thinking it could be this way.

 

[SesameMike]

I remember one other skit in which Bert mentions "bananas" in the context of going crazy.

What happens is Bert is cold, says he feels a draft, so Ernie puts his grandmother's shawl around Bert's shoulders. For Bert that's fine, and he turns to retrieve his books, but no. Ernie continues to put extra layers of clothing on Bert despite the fact that he said the shawl alone was sufficient. It's somewhere in this frenzy Bert shouts out something like "...you've gone bananas, I don't need this!". Ernie eventually gets a muffler and winter hat on Bert.

When Ernie asks Bert how he feels now, "I, feel HOT! I feel broiling hot!"

So Ernie hands Bert an ice pack, opens a window, and turns on an electric fan to cool Bert off (while still wearing the heavy clothing). When E asks B how he feels now, B lets out an exasperated "Leave me alone!"

 

[FshyFshyFshy]

And that's a cool avatar you have from classic Sesame Street. I can't hear you , I have a banana in my ear. Good stuff!

Thanks! I think it's Ernie at his best! lol

 

[Ziffel]

Ever see the one where Lefty the Salesman sells Ernie some air from a bottle? That was Ernie at his best for me. I laugh out loud every time I think of Ernie fretting to Bert, "Ohh ohh I lost my air. ohhh. I lost my air." And Bert just standing there looking like he's thinking, "What in the world??" I love it!

 

[FshyFshyFshy]

Ohhhh yah! Boy what I'd give to see THAT one again!

 

[Ziffel]

One classic Ernie and Bert skit that came to mind has Ernie stacking some things (or placing some things on top of another object). Bert is extremely nervous and keeps saying things like, "Look out Ernie", "Oooh oooh oooh be careful", "Watch out Ernie". Ernie is counting as he places each item. I think he counts up to about ten.
I just can't recall which skit this was from. I know it's not the vase one, of course, since the vase was the only object in that skit and Ernie was IMAGINING what would happen if he put the vase on the two different shelves.

 

[SesameMike]

Ernie was counting a stack of cups and saucers. Bert was all nervous about it because they were fragile.

When Ernie is about to count them one time, an edgy B asks E to hurry up with the count. Then, in a what-am-I-saying moment, B changes his mind and tells E to count them "slowly and carefully".

At the end, Ernie is showing off by holding the stack of cups and saucers in the air and waving it around. Bert almost goes into conniptions, till Ernie lets on that he glued them together! Can't remember Bert's facial expression there, but it wasn't pretty.