Cookie Monster

From Freepedia

This article is about the Sesame Street character. For other uses of the term, see Cookie Monster (disambiguation).
Image:CookieMonstersMom.jpg

Cookie Monster is a popular Muppet character on the children's television show Sesame Street. He is covered with blue fur and has "googly eyes", but he is most known for his voracious appetite. He can (and often does) eat anything and everything, but his favorite choice of food above everything else is cookies. The character has been performed by Frank Oz and David Rudman.

Contents

Origin

Cookie Monster was derived from a one-off Muppet which appeared in an episode of The Ed Sullivan Show. A short sketch depicted a monster that greatly resembled Cookie Monster (albeit with frightening eyes and fangs) who devoured a complex machine. After being informed that the machine was a bomb, the monster promptly exploded. According to Frank Oz, the character's original name was 'Sid'.

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In his early appearances on the show, Cookie Monster seemed somewhat scary to younger viewers, as he personified the childhood fear of "being eaten by a monster". However, this fearsome image did not last long, and Cookie Monster quickly become one of the most popular and beloved characters on the show. Cookie Monster's theme song, "C is for Cookie", is one of the most famous songs from Sesame Street.

History and evolution

Cookie Monster has a deep, growly voice, and speaks with a simplistic diction (e.g., "Me want cookie!"). He is at his most gentrified when presenting Monsterpiece Theater, a reference to the real-life Masterpiece Theatre, as "Alistair Cookie", a reference to broadcaster Alistair Cooke. Cookie Monster has been performed from his earliest appearances until 2000 by Frank Oz and in Oz's absence by David Rudman. Cookie Monster's voice is similar to the Star Wars character Yoda also voiced by Oz, although the voice of Grover (also by Oz) is closer.

Since Sesame Street's major reformat in 2002–2003, Cookie Monster has hosted a regular segment called "Letter of the Day". In each episode he is presented with a cookie, upon which is written the letter of the day, in icing. Despite his best intentions, and various implausible schemes, he always succumbs to temptation.

To counter concerns that the character encourages poor eating habits, there are a number of Healthy Habits for Life segments and plotlines in which Cookie encourages viewers to have a balanced diet, albeit that cookies continue to form Cookie Monster's staple foodstuff. An April 7, 2005 Associated Press article noted that Cookie Monster may be eating more healthy cookies, as opposed to chocolate chip. On April 15, 2005, Sesame Street producers announced that Cookie Monster will be eating healthy foods and advocating "cookies are a sometimes food". However, the idea of Cookie Monster setting a good example for children with respect to their eating habits has been used since the 1970s with public service announcements and individual sketches.

International

Sesame Street is localised for some different markets, and Cookie Monster is often renamed. In Sweden, he is "Kakmonstret"; in Israel, he is "Ugifletzet" ("עוגיפלצת"); in the Netherlands, he is "Koekiemonster"; in Mexico, he is the "Monstruo Comegalletas"; in Spain, his name is "Monstruo de las Galletas"; in Germany, he is "Krümelmonster" (Krümel means Crumbs); in Norway, his name is "Kakemonsteret"; and in Taiwan, his name is "Pingkan Kuaishou" ("餅乾怪獸"). He is not re-named in the UK however, despite the fact that the word cookie has a different usage there.

Books

Numerous children's books featuring Cookie Monster have been published over the years:

Cultural references and parodies

  • In the 1990's, many Grindcore and other Metal bands began employing what are known as Cookie Monster Vocals, named after the Cookie Monster's guttural vocalisms.
  • The character of the Trekkie Monster in the Broadway musical Avenue Q.
  • Parodied as addicted to cookie dough in Family Guy, season 4, episode 10.

See also

References

External links

Retrieved from "http://en.freepedia.org/Cookie_Monster.html"


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