The Post-Hooper Generation: Your Thoughts on the Man Behind the Store

[D'Snowth]

It seems like a vast majority of us here are of the post-Hooper generation of SST, like myself personally (being born in 1989, a good eight years after the explanation of Mr. Hooper's death), and it's gotten me to thinking - for those of us who grew up after the Hooper years, what were your thoughts when you finally saw, or heard about the man behind the store with his namesake? How did you first hear about him? What did you first see him in?

For me, the very first time I ever saw Mr. Hooper was in 2001, when A&E aired the documentary about the show, and we saw a segment where Caroll Spinney talked about how he felt the show was at its finest when they decided to explain death to the kids by reminding Big Bird that Mr. Hooper died, the beginning of the segment began with the screen split into 9 blocks, each block revealing Big Bird saying words like "Looper", "Sooper", "Dooper", until the middle block revealed Mr. Hooper exclaiming "Hooper! Hooper!" Then seeing the clips from "Just Because", it was then I realized the portrait I always saw on the wall by Big Bird's nest was his sketch of Mr. Hooper. I don't quite remember, but I think I was always aware that "Hooper's Store" was once ran by a man named "Hooper" anyway.

The first time I ever really got to watch Mr. Hooper as part of the cast was a couple of years later, when an old-school friend of mine sent me a copy of Christmas Eve on Sesame Street as a Christmas gift; before then, I had read about Mr. Hooper being considered the "grand-father figure" of the show, and I really got that vibe as I watched the special, particularly his big moments with Ernie and Bert where they each "secretly" trade their most prized possessions for a present for their best friend, though in the end, his presents to them were said possessions. After watching the special, it kind of made me wish I grew up during the Hooper years, because he really seemed like the kind of character who would've been one of those "first best friends", along with the likes of Gordon, Susan, Bob, etc.

In watching volume one of the old-school sets, it almost seemed to me that it took a little while for him to mellow into the grand-father figure role that he was described as... I don't know why, but I kind got the vibe that didn't seem completely personable, but then again, that's the first impression you can get about quite a few people until you get to know them... like my math teacher for my four high school years, he was elderly gentleman who didn't seem to have much personality when I first met him, then by the time it came for me to graduate, I realized that he was that grand-father figure to me, and even though math was the subject I hated the most, he alone made it a bit more bearable.

I don't remember much of Mr. Handford growing up... I remember he ran Hooper's during the 90s and all, but I don't think he had as much of an impact as Alan has... in a way, it's almost as if Mr. Handford was sort of a forgotten character. Sometimes I wonder though, if anything that should happen resulting in Alan's departure, what kind of character would run the store next? And what kind of audience appeal who he/she have?

But that's all besides the point... again, post-Hooper-oomers, share your Hooper experiences here.

 

[minor muppetz]

I don't remember much of Mr. Handford growing up... I remember he ran Hooper's during the 90s and all, but I don't think he had as much of an impact as Alan has... in a way, it's almost as if Mr. Handford was sort of a forgotten character.

The two actors who played him didn't even get their own pages in the 40th anniversary book (just pictures and acknowledgements in the "coming and going" section). And unlike Mr. Hooper and David, there was no on-screen explanation for Mr. Handford's departure (he wasn't even mentioned by name in Alan's debut episode... though they did mention a previous owner).

 

[Snuffylover]

I was born 2 years before Mr. Hooper's death, but I have no memories of him. All my memories of the show come from probably 1984 on up. I do however wish that I would have gotten to see him more. He really did seem like an awsome guy with a fantastic witty personality. I was however fortunate enough to see a lot of episodes with him in them years back when Noggin was airing old episodes of Sesame Street.

 

[HeyButtahfly]

I knew about Mr. Hooper because of our recorded-off-of-TV copy of "Christmas Eve on Sesame Street" that my older sister and I would watch every year at Christmas time from as far back as I can remember. And I read the book that was based on the episode that explained his death. Otherwise, until YouTube came along, I hadn't seen Mr. Hooper on the actual show.

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

Yeah. I haven't seen much of Mr. H on the show. My first memories of him came from 'Christmas Eve on Sesame Street' and his book appearances. It's nice that we can watch eps/inserts with him online though.

 

[Drtooth]

Can I just be creepily honest here? For the longest time, I SWORE there was some sort of curse on Hooper's store. I mean, Mr. Hooper died, David died (outside of the show, just after he left anyway)... I watched with unease, fearing the worst for every character who would take one role of owner of Hoopers. This was sometime in the early 90's, when I was watching it with my at the time baby sister. I put 2 and 2 together and didn't like the odds.

Luckily, everyone who worked for the store since has just left the series, or has been written off or something.

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

The scary thing is you might be right there. Seems like Alan may be next to go. In most of the recent eps it seems like Chris does everything at Hooper's so they may not have much of a need for Alan. Plus I think he heard that he was on a different show as well.

 

[StreetScenes]

i remember mr. hooper from christmas eve on sesame street, too. i don't think i ever wondered who he was, or ever wondered why i never saw him in an episode. so despite growing up post-hooper, i knew him, and when i started watching stuff on youtube, he counted as someone i knew from childhood. really, the christmas eve special captures each character so perfectly (except for the absence of luis) that it's all the introduction you need to a character--you know them as well from that hour as you would from years of watching the show.

i remember david & gina running the store, and a little of the first mr. handford. but their appearances didn't seem to be as closely identified with the store as much as mr. hooper's or alan's appearances. (by that i mean using the concept of a store, and the things in it, to teach or build stories around, and primarily identifying their characters when not at work through their management of the store).

now that i think about it, chris and to some extent alan, are more like the other neighborhood grownups than the type of relationship a neighborhood store owner would have with the kids. mr. hooper was the only one whose relationship to the other characters was that nuanced, partly because of his acting ability, and partly because of the way they used to write different grownups to have different characters and personalities and relationships to kids/muppets, unlike the generic advice/reassurance cameos the cast tend to get these days.