The funniest Sesame sketch I've ever seen, IMHO, was the two (or three?) part "Ernie has a banana in his ear" sketch. It's a basic, classic vaudeville routine (as were some of the best Ernie and Bert sketches), but when you add puppets to it, and have as talented puppeteers as Jim and Frank working on it, it just gets EXPONENTIALLY funnier! I still crack up just picturing Bert's body language-expressed frustration as he yells "WILL YOU JUST TAKE THAT BANANA OUT OF YOUR EAR??!!" And then watching him fume when Ernie replies coolly that he can't hear him because he has a banana in his ear! ROFL. Or maybe I'm just crazy, but this is the sketch that has made me laugh the most over the years!
Ernie and Bert are my favorite Muppets on Sesame Street. It's so interesting how Ernie and Bert are complete opposites. Yes in deed, it is vaudeville. The classic situation of Ernie being the free spirited comic and Bert being the over the top serious person who just gets angry over a little joke. It's funny. And it's quite timeless too. Sometimes I feel this world is full of Berts and not enough Ernies. There's so many great Ernie and Bert sketches. One of my all time favorites is the one where Ernie wants to know what time it is, but he's too lazy to turn on the light so he opens the window and starts singing opera. At one point a voice is heard "ERNIE SHUT UP! (a rarity for Sesame to say that), It's 3 O Clock in the morning. Ernie hums happily as he shuts the windows and gets into bed. Then you can see Bert, WIDE AWAKE with his eyebrow up, just still. I love it
Another one of my favorites is Ernie needs to right a grocery list for Bert and needs something to write with. He makes a complete mess throwing anything in this toy chest in the air and finally he writes the list with a paint brush and chocolate putting. After Bert is disgusted with the mess on the floor and taking to Ernie, he looks into the camera and says "He's improving, last time he used spaghetti sauce." A true classic.
One of my somewhat recent discovery's that I found on the internet was a mid or late 80s sketch where Bert is again going grocery shopping but he can't find his keys so he tells Ernie that he will knock on the door when he's home. Ernie is calm and confident reading a newspaper. Bert wants to practice and Ernie tells him it's not necessary and he'll be listening. Bert goes out the door, forgets his money and knocks on the door asking Ernie to let him in. Ernie thinks he's practicing and telling him "Enough is enough". Bert is screaming, kicking the door, ringing the bell. And the end he says "I'm going to move out."
Remember the classic "Ernie plays the drums"? What I find interesting about this sketch is that personally I find the album version funnier and crazier then the actual filmed version. I think I bought the track on iTunes since most of the classic Sesame Street albums are on there now which is really great. Bert is more out of control in the album version. "We can make a great team Bert, now you go back out there and play the door while I play the drums". Bert can be heard yelling and shouting "Ernie, I'm going to get you for this!" while in the filmed version. Bert just sadly walks out the door.
Before I forget, I remember several Ernie and Bert go to the movies sketches. One of them Ernie gets very emotional in various ways and Bert is standing up for him while Guy Smiley (with a different voice) and Jerry Nelson performing this very angry character. At the end, Ernie is saying "Isn't this funny Bert" while roughly nudging Bert. Bert's in a huge argument with Jerry's character. "He's hitting me, he's hitting me". Jerry's character, Guy Smiley and a few others gang up on Bert. "I'm going to have you thrown out of this theater!" Bert replies "I'd like to see you try". Ernie shushes them all while eating popcorn enjoying the movies.
A great quality that I love about Ernie. Ernie is so Sweet, sensitive and innocent. Yet his has a very wicked sense of humor when he's with Bert. I have a feeling when Bert is not in their apartment and Ernie is left alone for the day. I'm pretty sure Ernie is quite quiet and reading a book. He just saves the wacky fun when Bert comes home.
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