University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

N is for News: the image of the journalist on Sesame Street

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N is for News: the image of the journalist on Sesame Street

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N IS FOR NEWS:
THE IMAGE OF THE JOURNALIST ON SESAME STREET

by

Ashley Bernee Ragovin

__________________________________________________________

A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
(JOURNALISM)

May 2010

Copyright 2010 Ashley Bernee Ragovin
ii
Table of Contents
Abstract iii
Chapter 1: The Sesame Street News Flash 1
Chapter 1 Endnotes 4
Chapter 2: Kermit the Frog, Reporter 5
Chapter 2 Endnotes 7
Chapter 3: Kermit the Frog as the Crusading Reporter 8
Chapter 3 Endnotes 14
Chapter 4: Kermit the Frog as an Investigative Reporter, 16
a.k.a Comedic Relief
Chapter 4 Endnotes 19
Chapter 5: Kermit the Frog as the Pack Reporter 20
Chapter 5 Endnotes 25
Chapter 6: The Curmudgeon 26
Chapter 6 Endnotes 29
Chapter 7: Conclusion 30
Chapter 7 Endnotes 32
Bibliography 33
Appendix: Episode Summaries 35
iii
Abstract
This paper will examine the relationship between children’s television and
their perception of the news media as a result of their consumption of news via
popular culture. Specifically, the research will concentrate on Sesame Street, and the
“Sesame Street News Flash,” a recurring segment that mimics the format of adult
television news. Through the “Flash,” I will demonstrate how popular stereotypes of
the TV reporter and conventions of television news are communicated to a vast
audience of young viewers and examine the implications of these images.
Kids will eventually become adult consumers who will remember their
childhood impressions, thus likely influencing their feelings about the news media.
This research will address why the portrayal of the journalist on this program is
important, and how it likely shapes viewers’ perception of the news media based on
the show’s widespread cultural influence and longevity. I will also discuss the
perception of the television news media by children in general, and compare and
contrast that to the portrayal of the journalist’s image in television historically
through a range of various familiar stereotypes.
Audiences have been subjected to a barrage of on-screen journalists
throughout the history of television and film, imprinting the notion of who the
journalist is and his/her role in the mind of the public. Rarely does this memory
discern between the real and fictional portrayals. Time and again, fiction and reality
mingle together in the public consciousness, creating an impression of the news
media where the two are indistinguishable from one another. Real-life journalists are
iv
steeped in the public’s expectation, an expectation based largely on their fictitious
counterparts. In turn, the public psyche and collective understanding of journalism
become predicated upon whether these fictitious images are negative or positive, and
shape the perception of the real-life journalist on a societal level correspondingly.
1

With Sesame Street, this notion is particularly significant for two reasons:
first, because the program’s target age range is preschoolers, ages 3-5, the role of the
journalist as portrayed on the show is almost certainly defined for the program’s
viewers for the first time. This will most likely be their earliest exposure to news
content that they can comprehend, as well as their first encounter with the format
itself. Second, the program has become a vast cultural flashpoint for an
economically, racially, and geographically diverse audience across the globe for 40
years. Studies have shown that the majority of the program’s lessons and messages,
which inevitably include those regarding journalists and news, have been far-
reaching and long-lasting: Sesame Street’s quantifiable effects on viewers’ social
behavior and academic skills have been found to endure for as many as 12 years,
across cultures and countries. To date, there have been adaptations of the show in 19
different countries including Brazil, China, Germany, Norway, Mexico, Poland,
Russia and Spain. Each reflects the local values and educational priorities of the
culture, while retaining the foundation and format of the original American version.
2

1
Saltzman, n.d.

2
“Consistent patterns of data collected over 30 years indicate that Sesame Street holds significant positive effects
for its viewers across a broad range of subject areas. Measureable effects can endure for as long as 10 to 12 years,
and many have been found to be consistent across cultures and countries as well” (Fitch 1999).
1
Chapter 1: The Sesame Street News Flash
The first Sesame Street segment to emulate real-life news was a prototype of
what would later become the recurring news segment known as the “News Flash.”
The prototype was called "Sesame Street Sports," and debuted on the program in
1971. Kermit the Frog reports live from the scene of the latest breaking story, in this
case, the scene of the Tortoise vs. Hare Race. He wears a plaid coat, less formal
attire than his later-to-be-seen reporter trench coat and fedora, and as usual, he is
unaware that he is on-camera when he first appears.
1

The “Sports” segment was followed by a small number of regular “News
Flash” skits that aired the same year, until the “News Flash” then became a recurring
series, with new segments running until the 1980s. The segments continued to
appear regularly as reruns on the show until 1988. Since then, the sketches have
become increasingly rare, having been replaced with guest appearances from real-life
journalists, and other, timely segments.
2
The “breaking story” is usually a well-
known nursery rhyme or fairytale, with a bit of a twist on the commonly known
narrative. In other cases, Kermit reports live from moments in history, such as the
Boston Tea Party. And while the “Flash” functions as an entertaining way for kids to
begin to understand the news via familiar tales, it is also an educational tool that is
used to teach fundamentals like grammar, and important social concepts, such as
cooperation
3
and the importance of reading.
The show’s “News Flash” became the signature segment through which
Sesame Street represented the image of the journalist. The recurring clip was a news
2
bulletin that interrupted the “regular” program and mimicked the format of real-life,
grown-up news. Kermit the Frog is the program’s roving reporter, portraying the
journalist to viewers wearing his trench coat and matching hat, and peppering his
urgent language with journalistic catchphrases and jargon out in the field. Kermit’s
appearance and demeanor, when combined with the format of the skit, culminate to
create an authentic, albeit fictitious and kids-only, news show.
4

As a portrayal of news media, the “Flash” is crucial, since for young children
it will be their first encounter with any format of television news, an otherwise
foreign, adult program.
The skits span two to five minutes, featuring Kermit the Frog in his full
reporter garb, interrupting the regularly scheduled program to bring viewers the fast-
breaking story of the day. The “News Flash” graphic blazes on screen
5
, with a
voiceover announcing: “We take you now to Kermit the Frog, with another fast-
breaking news story.” The stodgy, authoritative voice speaks over staged Morse code
dispatches, and the iconic sound effects of the news wire. The camera takes viewers
to Kermit the Frog, the program’s probing reporter, who is always live at the scene
of the story. Usually distracted during the opening shot of the story, Kermit often is
first seen speaking to someone from production who is off-camera, so he is facing
the wrong way, or discussing the specifics of the shoot before he realizes the camera
is already rolling. Then, he quickly jumps into reporter mode to perform his stand-
up in character, identifying himself professionally, by always stating, “This is Kermit
the Frog, with Sesame Street News.” He then proceeds to explain the details of the
3
story with the same urgency and enthusiasm a real-life reporter would be expected to
convey.
Relentless in pursuing the story, Kermit always attempts to enlighten both
viewers and his interviewees by asking prying questions. In an effort to bring the
story to life for the audience, he is enthusiastic and speaks with a sense of
importance as he describes to viewers exactly what is happening. He often repeats
what the interviewee has just told him, in order to reiterate the information for his
young viewers. He constantly refers directly to the audience as well, requesting that
his subjects “explain to the viewers at home” or “tell the audience” how they feel
about the story. Kermit also finds it his duty to impart his higher knowledge
obtained because of the proximity only a reporter can achieve, and aid viewers in
navigating the stories’ narratives. While the skits’ subjects can be educational at
times just by their very content, Kermit often explains new concepts to viewers and
to the subjects of his interviews.
The image of the journalist conveyed by Kermit touches on several familiar
depictions of the on-screen journalist, many simultaneously. In the “Flash,” Kermit
embodies the TV reporter dynamically, bringing the various stereotypes to life. The
pack reporter, the crusading reporter, and both the investigative reporter as a victim,
as well as the investigative reporter as a comedian, are commonly used depictions of
the journalist in contemporary film
6
and Kermit can be caught portraying each of
these personas while he reports from the field.

4

Chapter 1 Endnotes
1
Segment: Breaking News Tortoise vs Hare (See full transcript in Appendix)

2
Muppet Wiki Sesame Street News Flash n.d.

3
Cooperation; see Appendix

4
www.sesamestreet.org all News Flash segments (Sesame Street Workshop 2008)

5
Most sketches began with a logo and "News Flash" written over a cloud with stars and a lightning
bolt against a black background. The theme song, written by Joe Raposo (registered with BMI as
"Kermit News Theme"), was composed of the trademark Morse code-like sounds with an urgent-
sounding adaptation of the Sesame Street theme and the announcer (Jerry Nelson’s voice) usually
saying "We take you now to Kermit the Frog with another fast-breaking news story!" The colors on
the logo occasionally varied; one version had it in black and white, and it would sometimes be
superimposed over footage with Kermit talking with someone off-camera, usually with a basic color
scheme. In the mid-80s skits, the "News Flash" text would flicker on and off. A few of the sketches
originally did not begin with a logo or announcer. One known early sketch had an alternate logo with
a title card that read "news bulletin" in large, white lowercase letters over a blue screen. (Muppet Wiki
Sesame Street News Flash n.d.)

6
Good, Howard. Outcasts: The Images of Journalists in Contemporary Film, The Scarecrow Press,
Inc. London 1989
5
Chapter 2: Kermit the Frog, Reporter
The “Sesame Street News Flash” reports content appropriate for children in a
format relevant to contemporary news. Content that is familiar and understandable to
preschoolers, such as counting, grammar and nursery rhymes, are often the Flash’s
focus. Young viewers get to participate in “news” consumption via material they can
understand. This contributes to a generally positive impression of the news because
it is accessible, relatable, and informative. A study conducted about content patterns
in the news found that enjoyment can influence children’s exposure to television
programming in general, including the adult news, and that there is a positive
relationship between viewing and liking news programming. Further, children who
viewed news programming for entertainment purposes tended to prefer neutral
stories or background and information stories, rather than those about war coverage
or disturbing content. Stories that lead to a feeling of vulnerability or sadness led to
news avoidance altogether, or the seeking out neutral stories. These findings seem to
point to an interplay between children’s viewing intentions and their emotional
reaction to content.
7

The use of the “News Flash” skit in repetition also contributes to its positive
impact on the young viewers’ perception of the news. By repeatedly using the same
format, the audience grows familiar with both the content and method of delivery,
giving viewers an increased affinity for it than if the skit was just a one-time
occurrence. Repetition provides a “sense of mastery” of the segment’s “special
conventions.” This sense of mastery is essential to the learning process because it
6
allows the child to feel competent and thus able to move on to the next stage of
learning.
8

The “News Flash” recurs with a set of its own conventions that include: the
anchor, reappearing to deliver the news every time; the storyline, a recognizable, and
often-parodied fairytale or nursery rhyme; and the format itself, the proverbial news
broadcast, distinguishable by its regular use of the same field reporter interviewing
subjects and drawing conclusions about the facts he uncovers. The “News Flash”
often returns to the same story for multiple reports; there are numerous visits with
Cinderella, Old MacDonald, The Three Little Pigs, and a series of interviews with
Don Music.
9
Because the audience responds positively to segments that are
repeatedly used, the audience’s perception of the repeatedly aired “News Flash”—
and consequently, the news—would be a positive one, as well.
10
Thus, children gain
a positive experience with television news early on if consuming it via the Sesame
Street “News Flash.”

7

Chapter 2 Endnotes
7
Smith and Katherine Pieper 2008

8
Truglio 2001

9
Muppet Wiki Sesame Street News Flash n.d.

10
“Varying the content while keeping the format constant promoted familiarity with format
conventions. One of the main instructional advantages was that it had the potential to entice the
viewing child to attend to what was new in each succeeding application of the format by making it
‘stand out’ against the familiar background more than if the entire presentation were novel. As a
result, there was the potential for learning and concept formation to be enhanced…summative
research on Sesame Street subsequently showed that the greatest learning gains were associated with
goal areas that had received the greatest emphasis...viewers often to derive special pleasure from their
familiarity with a repeatedly used format, from a sense of mastery of its special conventions, from the
game-like challenge of making guesses from format clues and then confirming their accuracy, and
from the program’s frequent use of comic twists, especially when these were parodies of familiar
formats” (Truglio 2001).
8
Chapter 3: Kermit the Frog as the Crusading Reporter
…There is still a greater reward in the reporter’s life. It is the
consciousness of having played a part in the affairs of life, for a
distinct public good.
-- Chautauqua Institution
Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle 1984

On one level, the series of “Flash” segments can be considered a parody of
the news, with Kermit the Frog reporting from the scene of popular fairy tales,
nursery rhymes, and common children’s narratives like Pinocchio
11
and Humpty
Dumpty.
12
The well-known stories frequently deviate from their predictable plot
lines with unexpected twists, a characteristic often typical of satires. When Kermit is
reporting live from the nursery rhyme, “Hickory Dickory Dock,”
13
he stands
valiantly in front of the infamous grandfather clock and explains the familiar tale:
just before the clock strikes one, a mouse is expected to run up the clock, which will
strike one, and then the mouse will run down.
Kermit yells, “Okay! Send in the mouse!” but to his dismay, in walks a cow,
who declares she is much too big to climb the clock. Kermit, frustrated with the
interruption, apologizes to the audience and assures viewers the mouse will be
arriving any second. Then, in walks a duck, who quacks, “just show me the clock
and tell me what to do, QUACK!” Kermit is losing patience, explains this is not
Hickory Dickory Duck, and looks fretfully into the camera, to say, “Hang in there
time-piece fans, because in just a moment, the mouse will be here.”
9
Unfortunately, it’s a horse that arrives next: “Out of my way, frog, I’m going
to run up that clock of yours.” To which Kermit replies, “You can’t do that you’re a
horse!” The horse, unfazed, states, “I know but the mouse couldn’t make it.” He
takes a running start as a horrified Kermit looks on, and barrels into the clock,
destroying it.
“There you have it, folks. The horse has just ran up—err through—the clock
and the clock has struck about seventeen…this is Kermit the Frog signing off.” The
duck makes a wise quack, “I’ve heard of killing time but this is ridiculous!” So, as if
yelling to production, Kermit loses it, saying, “How come I always get these nursery
rhyme things?! I can’t keep going like this! I’m getting outa here!”
14

While the skit is a silly and entertaining reprieve from the normally
educationally driven Sesame Street, there is something more serious to consider. The
portrayal of the journalist by Kermit parallels one of the many images proliferated by
Hollywood. Here, Kermit is the altruistic, truth-seeking journalist who wants to
serve the audience and abide by the professed journalistic values upheld by the
reporter as a crusader
15
. He is eternally striving to achieve one task—seeking and
sharing the truth through “reliable processes of inquiry and verification”—and
conveying the details of each story by working within conventional formats of news.
When the plan deviates from its intended course, Kermit is upset, self-deprecating,
and dejected at having fumbled the story.
16

Kermit is intent on getting the scoop, and getting it right, but often this
proves to be an impossible mission. Sometimes the story itself is the obstacle; in one
10
case, a soft-news story prevents the desired outcome. When Kermit reports from a
day care center in which he interviews children,
17
the “News Flash” logo appears as
expected, but this time the voiceover introduces the segment by saying, slower than
usual, and hesitantly, “We take you now to Kermit the Frog with a slow-
breaking…human…interest…story.” This is a nod to the hard news reporter’s
general distaste for human interest stories, and Kermit is no exception. He asks
Muppet Baby Monsters about their career aspirations, but he is clearly aware of the
story’s lack of news worthiness and becomes exasperated at its banality, ending up
feeling misunderstood and ineffectual.
18

Kermit expresses distaste for stories that do not allow him to utilize his full
intellectual potential and thus enlighten the audience, and deliver a truth that they
wouldn’t otherwise have access to. He becomes intolerant when he is forced to
report on the types of stories that do not allow him to fulfill this duty. In a segment
where Kermit conducts man-on-the-street interviews in order to find out and report
back what makes people angry,
19
no one will talk to him, as they all hurry past him.
All the passers-by say they are too busy to stop, and he becomes increasingly
impatient. After several rejections, Kermit, looking defeated, spots a young boy and
before he can even get the whole question out, the kid says, “Sorry I’m late for the
game, so long!” Kermit looks directly into the camera with his signature scrunched-
up muppet face, and conveying frustration and defeat, he lets out a furious, stifled,
growl. Two more people, including his good friend, Grover, pass by only to blow
him off for lack of time as well. One lady even preempts his question by saying, “I
11
already have one, thank you,” hurriedly assuming this is a sales frog and not an
investigative reporter.
Finally Kermit loses control as he yells, “Cut! Cut! I’ve had it!” During his
rant a man stops to ask Kermit, “Are you angry?” Kermit, thinking he may calm
down, replies, “Yes I’m angry! And would you like to know why?” The man
apologizes and says he has no time; now Kermit explodes in a fit of rage and yells
into the camera to sign off: “This is Kermit the ANGRY Frog reporting! And would
YOU like to know why I’m angry?! I’ll tell you why I’m angry!” Just then, sound is
cut by production and the cheerful voiceover returns to announce, “That’s all the
time we have today with Kermit the Frog,” leaving Kermit to become a talking—
actually, screaming—head, going ballistic on-camera with no sound as the program
fades to black. This image is parallel to the popular depiction of the journalist as an
emotionally unstable person, ready to fly off the handle at any moment, and
continuously outraged by the lack of public respect.
20

Kermit’s pieces as a crusading reporter frequently leave him exhausted and
frustrated, but he continues his efforts in pursuit of worthwhile news stories and the
greater public good. Had Kermit been permitted to report as a foreign
correspondent, away from the nursery rhymes and fairy tales that characterized his
familiar beat on Sesame Street, he may have ended up like many of his crusading on-
screen journalist counterparts; most cinematic reporters in this category tended to
become burn-outs, like Ben Hecht’s now-infamous Hildy, who is left jaded and
12
cynical from a lifetime of chasing something as elusive as truth, only to uncover the
moral reprehensibility of society.
21

Because the journalist “sees the powerful up close with all their warts and is
subject to manipulation because he or she is their conduit to the public…reporters
used cynicism as a way of coping with their jobs. Those journalists who turned their
experiences into fiction commonly wrote of burned-out journalists whose idealism
had turned sour, a theme alluded to in the stage version of The Front Page in which
Hildy tells his colleagues that they will end up as ‘gray-headed, humpbacked slobs,
dodging garnishees when you’re ninety.’”
22
Cinema has upheld this particular theme,
either with reporters who enlighten the naïve and bring the self-righteous back down
to earth, as in The Front Page, or by showing reporters embracing a higher cause and
returning to their idealism, like in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, Meet John Doe, Call
Northside 777. This vacillation between honoring the reporter’s aims and attacking
the portrayal of the journalist as a cynic is an attempt to “teach audiences to strive for
a healthy balance between cynicism and idealism.”
23

While ever the crusader, Kermit the Frog also embodies other recognizable
images of the cinematic journalist. Although certainly not a mirror image of Capra’s
whiskey-slugging, wise-cracking newspaper man, Kermit inhabits some of the traits
that have become “identifying symbols, and ultimately clichés, of onscreen” madcap
journalists, becoming a sort of a screwball-“lite” reporter at times.
24

One of the signature traits of the screwball journalist is winning over a female
character. In addition to his always-present trench coat, fedora, and broadcaster’s
13
microphone, Kermit even manages to get the girl occasionally. In “News Flash:
Sleeping Beauty,”
25
Kermit reports from inside the castle where the fairy tale
princess is asleep, waiting for the prince to wake her with a ceremonial kiss. The
prince arrives, does his princely duty, and she wakes in a cloud of smoke, which
clears to reveal she has turned into a frog. Kermit, thrilled by the newly developed
scoop, exclaims, “Folks! Folks! We’ve just seen history in the making! The prince’s
kiss did wake the princess but it turned her also into…a…hmm…beautiful young
frog.” The little frog princess gazes up at Kermit with sleepy, bedroom eyes and
says, “Howdy, Handsome.” The prince looks around confused, but Kermit is smitten,
and she tells Kermit she is starving, having been asleep for a hundred years, and
inquires about breakfast. He suggests a “nice delicatessen,” saying “C’mon,
sweetheart,” as he walks just about out of frame. In the last instant, he shouts over
his shoulder, “Hey, listen, we return you now to your regularly scheduled
programming,” as he leaves behind an awestruck prince.
26

Here, Kermit falls “in love with the scoop he was pursuing; the story and the
love interest became one,” and he momentarily personifies one of Capra’s screwball
reporters—even if only temporarily—who is witty and astute enough to get the
scoop and the girl… minus the flask, of course.
27

14

Chapter 3 Endnotes
11
Episode 0878, Season 7, March 24, 1976

12
Episode 0705, Season 6, December 27, 1974

13
Episode 0710, Season 6 January 3, 1975

14
Episode 0710, Season 6 January 3, 1975

15
The reporter as a crusader, first coined by Alex Barris as one of eight categories of the journalist’s
image as constructed in film, is defined by his ability to perform “worthwhile functions” in his/her
community, and upholds the notion that only the journalist is capable of revealing the truth and
putting the good of society before any other goal. Barris’ crusading reporter often confronted corrupt
politicians head-on and exposed scandals at any cost, even his life (Barris 1976). In Sesame Street,
Kermit’s “crusades” speak to less-severe themes than political corruption and exposing social evils,
but are conducted nonetheless with the same quest for truth and pursuit of journalistic integrity
through a special codified ethical means, all in the name of public service.

16
Good, Journalism Ethics Goes to the Movies 2008

17
Episode 2613, Season 20, May 17, 1989

18
Kermit News Flash, Daycare, Season 20, May 20, 1989 (Muppet Wiki Sesame Street News Flash
n.d.): Kermit interviews baby monsters about what they want to be when they grow up. Voiceover
(News Flash logo): “We take you now to Kermit the frog with a slow-breaking…human...interest
story,” connoting the soft-news like nature of the piece (Only “news stories” are “fast-breaking”).
Kermit proceeds to interview baby monsters; he gives a cookie to the baby after each successful
interview. Cookie monster then pretends to be a baby monster so he can get a cookie too, but has to
make something up on the spot, so he says he wants to be an orthodontist and demands a cookie.
Kermit knows the gig and gives him a set of teeth to chew on instead. Still, despite Kermit’s
astuteness, he is still misunderstood because as he says, “these are to chew, “ the cookie monster says
“kusoontheit” as if he sneezed. Kermit gives his usual exasperated look into the camera, and signs off
with a weary expression, knowing the futility of the story. (Sesame Street Workshop 2008)

19
Episode 0869, Season 7, March 11, 1976

20
Episode 0869, Season 7, March 11, 1976; This segment did not start with the News Flash title card,
but featured the usual theme music at the beginning and end of the sketch, with the announcer
referring to Kermit as the “reporter on the street.”

21
Ehrlich 2004

22
Ibid

23
Ibid

24
Barris 1976

15

25
Episode 0713, Season 6, January 8, 1975

26
Sesame Street Workshop 2008

27
Capra films like It Happened One Night added to the Front Page “formula” of the journalist’s
image and plot-line by injecting laughter and romance as the tool of social critique, rather than
directly scrutinizing the methods of the media (Ehrlich 2004).
16
Chapter 4: Kermit the Frog as an Investigative Reporter,
a.k.a Comedic Relief
Often, when the journalist is portrayed in a comedy on-screen, he is the target
of the jest, subject to mockery and ridicule by the subjects of his own interviews.
Specifically, it is the character of the television reporter above all other types of
journalists that receives the brunt of this degradation, “universally branded with the
mark of Cain” and wholly depicted as “silly,” clumsy, foolish, and not in command
of the situation.
28

As much as he wishes to embody the seriousness of his craft and journalistic
integrity, Kermit can easily be found reducing himself to circumstances beneath this
noble goal for the entertainment of those he is trying to interview, or merely as the
unsuspecting target of a joke. On an anonymous tip, Kermit braves a storm
29
to
investigate a report that “some strange person” has been standing out in the snow
“for a long time.” Amidst flurrying snow and howling winds, Kermit assures viewers
that they will “see it first on his news program and asks people passing by if they
have been standing out there for “a long time.” He talks to several people, all of
whom respond that they have only been out “a short time,” and, unsuccessful,
Kermit returns viewers to the regular program. The skit is a three-part sketch,
“interrupting” the regular program with updates from our reporter frog who gets
colder and more frozen with each interruption, ending up waist-deep, and eventually
buried completely, in the snow. Ice-covered and motionless, he stutters that he will
“p-p-pursue every lead” until able to find this mysterious fellow in the snow; just
17
then, a giggling prankster arrives. He is struggling to hold back laughter, and finally
reveals to Kermit that he’s the one who made the call to the station. When Kermit
asks him to disclose the identity of the one who has been standing in the snow “a
long time,” the now-hysterical boy bursts out, “YOU!” A sneezing, freezing Kermit
signs off, visibly hurt and shocked at both irony and the insolent offense, having
become the joke of his own story.
In another “fast-breaking news story,” Kermit is at the children’s zoo
30

asking people about their favorite animals. He happens to be standing in front of
three attention-craving pigs who are disgruntled that pigs are not among people’s
favorite animals. Finally, Kermit turns to the pigs at the end of the skit, and asks
them what their favorite animal is, and they all say frogs, because they say “ribbit,”
hop around, and are green. Kermit, slightly amused and flattered, is about to sign off
when one of the pigs asks him to hop around “just a little.” Kermit is hesitant, but
can’t resist indulging them, so he hops up and down while saying “ribbit, ribbit.”
Then, mid-hop, he tells the pigs “well you guys have good taste, I’ll give you that,”
as he abandons his professional credibility in exchange for indulging his fans and his
ego, and hops off as the segment ends. He has merely become entertainment.
31

Not only is Kermit subject to pranks and reduced to entertaining rather than
reporting, he also fails to get the respect he, like most reporters, believes he deserves.
When Kermit interviews Elmo about his new game idea,
32
he explains pedantically
to Elmo that an idea is a “thought that exists in the mind,” and that, as a reporter, he
is interested in the youth’s new ideas for games. Elmo says he does have an idea—
18
it’s for a new game. Kermit is thrilled, until he learns Elmo wants to play “The
Reporter Game.” Although Kermit insists this isn’t a good idea—in fact, he says “it’s
a BAD idea,”—Elmo ignores him, strips Kermit of his microphone (a reporter’s
ultimate symbol of power), and speaks to the audience playfully: “This is Elmo for
‘Sesame Street News!’ Haha! Haha.” Kermit gets frustrated because he is losing
control over the interview, and the two continue to wrestle over the microphone.
Clearly, young Elmo does not regard Kermit as someone of authority or deserving of
respect. This disregard for his position as a reporter only makes Kermit cling to his
role more, hoping to establish himself as a source of importance, but not succeeding.
According to Joe Saltzman, Director of the Image of the Journalist in Popular
Culture, many representations of the journalist in forms of popular culture dating
back to the late nineteenth century were negative portrayals, perpetually
downgrading the profession as a whole, beginning with novels and short stories.
Because of this depiction, journalists have since pined for acknowledgment from the
public that their jobs were significant. Although they could appear to be immune to
criticism of the press in general, most journalists “were deeply hurt by their failure to
gain respect.”
33

19

Chapter 4 Endnotes
28
The film industry portrayed the television reporter as “an almost unbroken chain of unflattering
and/or ridiculous characters.” Seventeen feature films containing TV reporters examined in study
were found to have two-thirds which were depicted as “silly, callous, disgusting, evil, unscrupulous,
insensitive, and/or sensationalistic.” Examples: In Cold Turkey (1971), Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding
are radio comedians who depict “bumbling network newsmen, ‘Paul Hardly’ and ‘Walter Cronic’
covering a small town, the members of which have sworn to a man to quit smoking. The silly-
obnoxious school is represented by a television newsman in Airport 1975 (1974). Upon learning that a
giant Boeing 747 has experienced a mid-air collision and is circling nearby, the newsman dashes out
to the local airport, where rescue efforts are being planned. He bursts into the control tower,
interrupting efforts to communicate with the plane and he is tossed out despite his cries about
infringement on the ‘public right to know.’ Later, while describing in purple prose the rescue effort to
be attempted, the television newsman has his report comically interrupted as a helicopter takes off
beside him, the strong winds generated by the helicopter’s blades buffeting the newsman and
drowning out his voice.” When a newsman meets a man from space in Visit to a Small Planet (1960),
the space man has the ability to make the news commentator blather “Mary Had a Little Lamb” while
on the phone with his network boss and also to convince his boss not to fire him despite low ratings
(Taylor 1976).

29
Episode 0750, Season 6, February 28, 1975 Part 1: Kermit has received a phone call which tells him
that there is someone who has been standing out in a terrible snow storm for a long time. Kermit asks
everyone who passes by, "Are you that person?" But everyone he asks has been out in the snow for
only a short time. Kermit refuses to give up, however, and tells us to stay tuned (Muppet Wiki Sesame
Street News Flash n.d.). Part 2: Kermit, now shivering a little, is still looking for the person who's
been standing out in the snow for a long time. He even asks Farley, too. Still no success yet. Part 3:
Kermit is now buried up to his neck in snow, colder than ever. He calls the attention of passerby
Harvey Kneeslapper, who tells Kermit that he is the one who made the call, which was a prank call.
As it turns out, Kermit was the one standing out in the storm.

30
“News Flash: Favorite Animals”; No Earliest-known air date available, (Muppet Wiki Sesame Street
News Flash n.d.)

31
Ibid

32
Episode 2228, Season 18 Air Date November 19, 1986 (Horn, Tough Pigs Anthology 2003)

33
“The contradictory portrayal of the journalist as part hero, part scoundrel can be found in American
popular literature of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries when a new class of fiction emerged in
America that took the journalist for its hero.73 Historians point out that the educated classes from the
beginning were critical of the new wealth and power of the press. They complained that the mass-
circulation dailies, with their big, black headlines screaming of murder, misfortune, and madness,
pandered to the semiliterate and poisoned the atmosphere of American life. Journalists, longing for
public acknowledgment that their jobs were important, were cut to the quick by this kind of criticism.
They may have appeared to be indifferent to the attacks on the press, but most were deeply hurt by
their failure to gain respect. Because of this, the novels and short stories of the late nineteenth and
early twentieth centuries featuring journalists continually attacked and downgraded the profession”
(Saltzman n.d.).
20
Chapter 5: Kermit the Frog as the Pack Reporter
In innumerable movies, television programs, and novels, reporters travel in
packs to cover fast-breaking news by harassing their subjects and shoving their way
into breaking news events. Since the depictions of aggressive print journalists,
audiences have gotten to know the pack reporter as the one who chases after their
beloved movie heroes and accosts the innocent victims of crime or trauma. This
portrayal has negatively affected the journalist’s image over the years. In
representations of print journalists, however, this fervor was usually understood as
good-spirited eagerness, primarily because the reporters couldn’t be seen by the
public. More recently, these characters have come to be seen as more threatening
than overzealous; they have become out-of-control, armed with microphones and
cameras that they thrust into the faces of real people.
34

Although Kermit travels and reports alone, when chasing after his stories he
does not escape being cast as a pack reporter. As a journalist who is principally after
the story, he might confront the innocent in times of tragedy, loss and emotional
turmoil—a familiar depiction of the journalist in both fiction and real life
35
. Before
Ben Hecht wrote The Front Page with Charles MacArthur, he worked as a Chicago
newspaperman himself, committing offenses as reprehensible as his fictitious on-
screen journalists. Hecht smuggled burglar’s tools in his hidden coat pockets—
especially sewn in for this covert purpose—in order to break into homes of the
bereaved in his quest for photographs of the victims and their killers.
36
Despite
Kermit’s overall nature as the loveable mouthpiece for education and public service,
21
his character still falls into this inevitable, negative depiction of the some segments
of the media. He plays the reporter who is part of a larger, harassing herd, relentless
in its hounding of innocent victims.
In Kermit’s report, “The Three Little Pigs: The Day After,”
37
Kermit
interviews some very emotionally-raw little piggies who are less-than-thrilled to
have their lives probed. Kermit introduces the segment with his signature persuasive
reporter voice, saying that he is “standing beside the homes -- or should I say the
former homes -- of the Three Little Pigs!” As one of the pigs approaches, Kermit
meets him with indifference and asks unapologetically, “Excuse me, pig! Pardon me,
pig! Uh, pig! Kermit the Frog here, ‘Sesame Street News’... I was wondering, I can
see that your house, which was made of straw, was, uh, virtually, uh, it doesn't exist
anymore. Can you tell our audience how you feel about that, please?”
Appalled, the first pig retorts, “Can I tell you how I FEEL about that? What
kind of a DUMB question is THAT? I'm ANGRY! Mmmmmm! That's how I feel
about that! How would YOU feel if some big wolf came along and huffed and puffed
and blew YOUR house down, huh? ANGRY! That's how you'd feel!” Satisfied with
the pig’s telling, emotional account, Kermit replies apathetically, “Yes, OK, angry.”
Further incensed at Kermit’s reporter-like insensitivity, the pig growls, “Oh you
newscasters! Grrrrrr!” as he stalks off.
The skit ends on a positive note, with the final pig inviting the two displaced
pigs into his still-intact, brick living quarters. This incident also serves to illustrate
the meaning of specific emotions to its young audience, in that “angry,” “sad,” and
22
“proud” are all defined vividly through the skit. Sesame Street often depicted public
figures for its young audience in order to define their societal roles; who is a police
officer, who is the postman, etc. This particular segment also sends a message about
who the reporter is in society. Interestingly, it is one of the rare instances where a
societal figure that is generally regarded as a public servant is negatively portrayed
on Sesame Street.
This portrayal certainly remains consistent with a very commonly used image
of the journalist in popular culture.

Maybe because it is likely the “most dominant,
[and therefore] damaging,” image of the journalist propounded by television, film
and literature, the anonymous reporter who hounds people and their stories as an
uncaring pack reporter is an inescapable pitfall,
38
even for the lovable Kermit the
Frog.
While most fiction easily conveys the “sleazy side of the journalist” (and
does so with good reason, as such depictions are based in reality, however crudely),
it almost always fails to portray the opposite, more good-natured image unless the
character is serving a cause higher than himself. The “journalists’ professionalism
gets left out of contemporary fiction and film,” so after the public consumes the film
or television show, it is likely to judge journalists much more harshly than before.
39

Despite Kermit’s portrayal of certain negative stereotypes of the journalist,
Sesame Street seems to be an exception to this rule. Kermit embodies a positive
image of a reporter. While he does, at times, inhabit some of the “unsavory”
characteristics of the journalist that we often see in both reality and fiction, he seems
23
to function as both a comic relief for viewers, as well as a way to let the young
audience in on the joke—a way to sort of prep them on society’s view of the
journalist. Whether the public accuses the journalist of maligning the facts or
carelessly getting them wrong, promoting deviant behavior, or imposing a “world-
wide condition of ‘moral slavery’ on the unsuspecting, people love to hate the
journalist.”
40

It seems logical that the program would introduce this notion to its audience,
however softly, to remain consistent with the overarching concept of the show.
Sesame Street attempts to prepare its young viewers for the social constructs of the
world they will enter upon adulthood. In addition to teaching academia, Sesame
Street has always emphasized the importance of fostering social skills as part of its
stipulated curriculum. For example, identifying the role of the family, the roles of
different individuals within one’s neighborhood, city or town are common themes.
Understanding the structure and function of different social institutions that children
will encounter like an airport, the post office, and consequently, the news, are also
part of the program’s specified goals.
41

Despite veering into “pack journalist” territory occasionally, Kermit can be
generally regarded as a trustworthy character, made evident by his reporting ethics
and his own declarations of integrity. It is the greater societal distrust of the news
media by and large, that seems to be echoed on the children’s program, even if only
seldomly and delicately. The most palpable example of Sesame Street reflecting the
24
public’s negative perception of the media
42
is the curmudgeony news program, the
aptly named “Grouch News Network.”

25

Chapter 5 Endnotes
34
(Saltzman n.d.)

35
“The journalists most people remembered were anonymous, played by nondescript actors, who
chase after a story by rudely invading people’s privacy. Reporters become bit players, part of an
intrusive pack of harassing journalists, many armed with lights, cameras and microphones. The public
watched uncomfortably as these obnoxious reporters filled the movie and, especially, the TV screens.
They poke their cameras into people’s faces, yell out questions, recklessly pursue popular actors – the
kind who used to play journalists once cheered by audiences” (Ghiglione-Saltzman 2005)

36
Ghiglione 1991

37
Episode 2096 Season 17 Air Date November 18, 1985

38
Saltzman n.d.

39
Ghiglione 1991

40
Ibid

41
Fitch 1999

42
“Hollywood has given us reporters corrupted by cynicism, ambition, and drink, careless of others’
lives and reputations, and ever reluctant to let the truth stand in the way of a good story… ‘small
wonder that many moviegoers don’t love or trust newspaper people; from the first film production of
The Front Page to the latest, over 30 years of movies have stated that reporters blithely invent the
news while ignoring what really happened, and that the newsroom is a giant nursery seething with
infantile beings.’” (Good, Outcasts: The Images of Journalists in Contemporary Film 1989)
26
Chapter 6: The Curmudgeon
We take you now to Grouch News Network: “GNN interrupts this
program, just cuz we feel like it, so there!”
-- Sesame Street Workshop 2008

On this lesser-used segment, instead of the “News Flash” interrupting with
the usual voiceover and Kermit the Frog, the grumpy voice tells the audience, “GNN
interrupts this program, just ‘cause we feel like it, so there!” Anderson Cooper of
CNN makes a cameo
43
filling in for Oscar the Grouch, the regular news anchor on
GNN. He emerges, microphone in hand, from Oscar’s notorious trashcan, to
interview some legendary—and very grouchy—newscasters. Walter Cranky and Dan
I’d-Rather-Not, two curmudgeons who will do anything to foil Cooper’s attempts at
an interview about the letter G, make the whole interview a near impossibility.
Cooper is investigating whether the letter G is a “g-g-g-good” or “g-g-g-grouchy”
letter, so he asks Dan if he’ll share his opinion, but the spoilsport can only muster a
whiny, drawn-out “I’d rather nooooot.” Cooper asks Walter Cranky the same
question, eliciting only a cantankerous, growly “Grrrrrrrrr.” This charade continues
as Cooper exclaims that he’s “been in some tight situations, but nothing like this.”
Despite the tough interviewees, Anderson does his best to present both of the
potential sides of the letter G to the audience by explaining that some think it’s a
“grouchy letter, because of words like ‘goo’ and ‘gross.’ But, some think it’s not
grouchy because it begins nice words like ‘good.’” Examples of G words scroll by
on a ticker at the bottom of the screen, mimicking the sports scores or the NASDAQ
27
on the “real” news. Just when Cooper is at his wits end, Oscar returns. He says he’ll
just have to answer the question himself, because that’s what you do when you don’t
get the answer—make it up. That’s “Grouch Journalism,” Oscar says, adding that
“Of course, it’s a grouchy letter!”
Cooper explains that he couldn’t get the interview because Cranky and I’d-
Rather-Not refused to answer the question, but Oscar is pleased, and simply replies,
“Yeah, that’s what made them great.” The Grouch then signs off, promising an
appearance from Diane Spoiler up next time, and invites Cooper to return to the
show. Cooper insists he would never, saying that he would hate to have to
experience this type of bad reporting and frustration again. Cooper’s staunch
disapproval only thrills Oscar further, who responds enthusiastically, saying that is
the kind of attitude that will get him a job at GNN! Cooper yells, “No way!” on his
way out, to which Oscar yells back, “You’re hired!”
44

“Grouch Journalism” is a way to show young audiences an example of bad
journalism, a way for Sesame Street to mirror the way the media are often perceived
beyond the children’s program. Oscar personifies the antithesis of Kermit; he is the
renegade journalist, the outsider “who in his anger comments on the fakeries, the
falsities of society;…he holds no particular hope for society’s betterment. He views
the world and especially the institutions of government and big business as
inherently corrupt. Resolutely independent, he shuns convention and obligation and
scorns officially sanctioned truth and morality.”
45
To give balance to the dreary
28
shadow Oscar casts over the skit, Anderson Cooper portrays good journalistic ability
and intent, rejecting the bad habits and intentions of the curmudgeon network.

29

Chapter 6 Endnotes
43
Several real-life journalists appeared on the show, always to illustrate positive social concepts in a
fun way; the real-life journalist is never portrayed negatively. These cameos further illustrate the
intermingling between reality and fiction, and also serve to introduce the program’s young audience to
real news figures. Cameos and references to real journalists on Sesame Street: Dan Rather aka Dan
“I’d Rather Not” (reference), Walter Cronkite aka Walter Cranky (reference), Diane Sawyer aka
Diane Spoiler (reference), Anderson Cooper (appearance), Matt Lauer (appearance), Al Roker
(appearance), Ellen Degenerus (appearance), Candice Bergen (appearance), Larry King (appearance),
Conan O’Brian (appearance). (Sesame Street Workshop 2008)

44
Sesame Street Workshop 2008

45
Ehrlich 2004
30
Chapter 7: Conclusion
Sesame Street’s positive portrayal of the news media is in sharp contrast to
most popular culture depictions. There are visible remnants of such negative
stereotypes such as the pack reporter, curmudgeon, and outlaw reporter. Still, the
overall impression of the “news” that reaches Sesame Street’s audience can be
categorized as wholly positive. Its repetition creates predictability for children, the
applicable content forges a relationship between toddlers and the news, and the easy
delivery allows for effortless consumption of educational and entertaining material.
Because it slyly played on the modern journalistic figures and situations, as well as
contemporary issues, the program was able to help children think about the stories in
new ways while providing basic education, all while keeping parents entertained as
well.
Despite the reinforcement of certain negative stereotypes of the news media,
the program itself creates a positive way for children to consume news in a
predictable format. The stereotypes in Sesame Street are consistent with the
television images of the journalist in most television shows and movies, but the
educational context allows the reception of these stereotypes to be understood in a
positive light.
This effect is powerful because once children outgrow the program, they will
eventually move on to adult news. A study revealed that 40% of children report
watching TV news several times a week, and about one-third read the paper more
than once a week; more than half of these young news consumers said they felt
31
angry, sad, or depressed after watching the news. These feelings are not surprising
when, although children rely on predictability and routine to foster social skills and
thrive academically, news is defined by the “strange, odd, extraordinary, bizarre and
abnormal.”
46
This disparity between their reality and what is portrayed on the news
creates negative attitudes toward the media; when coupled with the vast number of
off-putting images often seen in movies and on TV.

32

Chapter 7 Endnotes
46
Saltzman, Joe “Kids See the Darnedest Things” Words and Images, USA Today November 2008
33
Bibliography
Barris, Alex. Stop the Presses! The Newspaperman in American Films. New York:
A.S. Barnes and Company, 1976.

Chautauqua Institution, Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle. The Chautaquan.
Princeton University: M. Bailey, 1984.

Ehrlich, Matthew. Journalism in the Movies. Chicago: University of Illinois Press,
2004.

Fisch, Shalom M. Children's learning from educational television: Sesame Street
and Beyond. Routledge, 2004.

Fitch, Shalom et al. Rosemarie Truglio, Charlotte F. Cole. The impact of Sesame
Street on Preschool Children: A review and synthesis of 30 years of research.
Research synthesis essay, Lawrence Earlbaum Associates, Inc.: Media
Psychology, 1999.

Ghiglione, Loren. "The American Journalist: Fiction versus Fact." IJPC. 1991.
http://www.ijpc.org/ghiglione.htm (accessed March 18, 2009).

Ghiglione-Saltzman, Loren Ghiglione and Joe Saltzman. "Fact or Fiction:
Hollywood Looks at the News." IJPC. 2005.
http://ijpc.org/hollywoodlooksatthenews2.pdf (accessed March 18, 2009).

Good, Howard. Journalism Ethics Goes to the Movies. Plymouth, UK: Rowman and
Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2008.

—. Outcasts: The Images of Journalists in Contemporary Film. Metuchen, NJ and
London: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 1989.

Horn, Danny. Tough Pigs Anthology. April 2003.
http://toughpigs.com//anthkermita00.htm (accessed March 15, 2009).

—. Tough Pigs Anthology. May 2003. http://toughpigs.com//anthcontents.htm
(accessed March 18, 2009).

Muppet Wiki Sesame Street News Flash.
http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Sesame_Street_News_Flash (accessed 3 2,
2009).

34
Saltzman, Joe. "Analyzing the Images of the Journalist in Popular Culture: a Unique
Method of Studying the Public’s Perception of Its Journalists and the News
Media." Image of the Journalist in Popular Culture.
http://www.ijpc.org/AEJMC%20Paper%20San%20Antonio%20Saltzman%2
02005.pdf (accessed March 15, 2009).

Sesame Street News Flash: The Snowstorm (3-part sketch).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCMuuXsTe5E&feature=related
(accessed March 22, 2009).

Sesame Street Workshop. Sesame Street. August 5, 2008. http://sesamestreet.org
(accessed March 2009).

Smith, Stacy, and Emily Moyer-Guse Katherine Pieper. "News, Reality Shows, and
Children's Fears: Examining content patterns, theories and negative effects."
In The Handbook of Children, Media and Development, by Sandra Calvert
and Barbara Wilson. West Sussex: Blackwell Publishing, 2008.

Taylor, Curson Maxwell. The Newspaper Movies: An Analysis of the Rise and
Decline of the News Gatherer as a Hero in American Motion Pictures, 1900-
1974. Ann Arbor, MI: University Microfilms International, 1976.

Truglio, Shalom M. Fisch and Rosemarie T. G is for Growing: 30 Years of Research
on Children and Sesame Street. Lawrence Earlbaum Associates, 2001.
35
Appendix: Episode Summaries
Episode summaries (Sesame Street Workshop 2008); Transcripts (Horn, Tough Pigs
Anthology 2003) Videos (viewed from Sesame Street Workshop at Sesamestreet.org
or YouTube where indicated). Air dates are earliest known appearances of the skit;
some dates unavailable.

1. Arabian Nights: Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves: Kermit interviews Ali Baba,
who can't seem to figure out the magic word starting with the letter S to open
the door to the cave. When Kermit says goodbye to the viewers, he
accidentally blurts out "open Sesame (Street News)," to which the rock opens
and forty thieves come out, stealing Kermit's watch and all his clothes.

2. Ballet: Ballerina's Body: Kermit points out different parts of ballet dancer
Suzanne Farrell's body, and watches her drink a glass of milk.

3. Cooperation: Kermit is sent to the park for a report on co-operation, except
that there's nobody around to interview. At that moment, monster reporter
Telly turns up to conduct the same interview. They end up cooperating by
interviewing each other (Sesame Street Workshop 2008).

4. Don Music:Old McDonald: Don Music successfully writes "Old McDonald"
with a little help from Kermit and some barnyard animals.

5. Don Music: Row, Row, Row Your Boat: With Kermit's help, Don Music
manages to rewrite the tune to "Drive, drive, drive your car."

6. Don Music:Yankee Doodle: Kermit helps Don Music finish the "Yankee
Doodle" song, then because Don finds the idea of calling feathers macaroni
ridiculous, they rewrite it to be a song in which Yankee Doodle stays at home
cooking for his pony, puts "fat spaghetti" in a pot and calls it macaroni. Little
Chrissy and the Alphabeats then come in and perform the song with Don.

7. Dr. Nobel Price: Herman the Hoppity-Hop: It's green, wears a trenchcoat,
does news reports... and it even talks. Dr. Nobel Price has invented an exact
mechanical replica of Kermit.

8. Dr. Nobel Price: Speaking Stick: Warren Wolf, who is substituting for
Kermit, is the first newsperson to witness Dr. Nobel Price's latest invention, a
stick that makes your voice sound louder. It bears a striking resemblance to
Warren's microphone...
36
9. Dr. Nobel Price: The Tinkle Table: Dr. Nobel Price wants to show off his
latest invention, a piano, but it's already been invented. Kermit even knows
how to play it.

10. Fairy Tale: Sleeping Beauty's Kiss: The prince kisses Sleeping Beauty, but
rather than waking her up, falls asleep himself (Sesame Street Workshop
2008).

11. Favorite Animals at the Children’s Zoo: At a zoo, Kermit asks the patrons
what their favorite animals are. He happens to be standing by a cage with
three attention-craving pigs, who desperately assume the mannerisms of each
animal mentioned. One pig finally calls the attention of a little boy who
apparently loves every animal. As it turns out, the pigs' favorite animal is the
frog. Skit opens with Kermit on-cam, but telling jokes to the pigs he is about
to interview without realizing he is rolling, as always. “What did one goat say
to the other goat?” Butt-out! Laughter. And, “what did the buck say to the
doe? I love you, deaaaarly!” (Laughter) “Oh, hi ho!” as he turns around. He
tells the viewers that the question of the day is, what is your favorite animal
to watch at the children’s zoo…a kid comes around, and Kermit introduces
himself, squeezing in “of Sesame Street News,” while he looks into the
camera, and then asks the a few kids the question. All the pigs in the
background are disappointed because they are saying everything but pigs.
Then the pigs ask Kermit to ask them what their favorite animal is; he
humors them, and they say frogs, because they hop around, and say ribbit,
and are green. Kermit, slightly amused, is about to sign off when one of the
pigs asks him to hop around, “just a little.” Kermit is hesitant, but can’t resist
indulging them, and so he hops and says “ribbit,” and, mid-hop, says, “well
you guys have good taste, I’ll give you that.” (Sesame Street Workshop
2008)

12. History: George Washington's Father's Cherry Tree: Kermit interviews the
father of George Washington, who is annoyed that George keeps chopping
down his cherry trees and then telling the truth about it.
3

13. Holiday: Santa Claus: Kermit witnesses how Santa Claus comes down the
chimney, but not before a chimney sweep enters the chimney first.

14. Monsters at School: That is How We Look: Kermit is at the first day of
school for monsters, where the monster teacher and his monster students sing
a song about how different they look. At the end of the song, the monster
teacher let his students play and Kermit joins them in a game of tag.

3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCWaKIqxYUI
37

15. Mumford's Big and Small Trick: The Amazing Mumford has a new trick,
where he will make Thumbelina big and The Big Bad Wolf small. He makes
Thumbelina big, but doesn't make the wolf smaller -- instead, Kermit is the
one who shrinks. Transcript:

Announcer We take you now to Kermit the Frog with another fast
breaking news story!
Kermit Kermit the Frog here, of Sesame Street News, and today we're
about to watch a trick done with two famous fairy tale
personalities. And to do the trick, we have The Amazing
Mumford!
Mumford Tah-DAH!
Kermit Now, Mumford -- what exactly are you going to do?
Mumford I call this my Big/Small Trick!
Kermit Mmm hmm.
Mumford And, to begin with, I have Thumbelina here. Yes, and she's
from the fairy tale Thumbelina.
Kermit Uh huh. And Thumbelina, I see that you are small.
Thumbelina That's correct!
Kermit Uh huh. And you must be the Big Bad Wolf!
Wolf Hey! How'd you know it was me?
Kermit Well, because you're big, and I've seen you in numerous fairy
tales, such as, uh, Little Red Riding Hood, and the Three Little
Pigs!
Wolf Yep!
Mumford So, my trick is simple. I'm going to turn these two around -- so
that Thumbelina is big, and the Wolf is small.
Kermit Wow! Okay, ladies and gentlemen, if this trick works,
Thumbelina will be big, and the Wolf small. Let's watch.
Mumford All right. Here we go! A la peanut butter sandwiches!
[ Mumford waves his magic wand, and there's a huge puff of
smoke.]
Mumford Oh, fruitcake! The trick didn't work! Wolf, you're still big!
Wolf That's right!
38
Thumbelina Hey, wait -- I'M big, too!
Mumford Hey, well, what do you know! You ARE big! Well, at least
half the trick worked. Let's celebrate! Come on, I'll take you
out to lunch. We'll go to Cicero and Sal's, they've got a great
salad... [ Mumford leads them offstage.]
Wolf Oh, good!
[As Mumford, Thumbelina and the Wolf leave the stage,
Kermit runs on -- shrunk down to a couple inches.]
Kermit Hey, Mumford! Look what you did to me! How could you do
this? Uh... This is Kermit the Frog, returning you to your
regularly scheduled program! MUM-FORRRRRD!

16. Nursery Rhyme: Little Bo Peep: Part 1: Kermit encounters a distressed Little
Bo Peep, whose sheep is missing. They both observe every sheep that walks
by - the first sheep has its tail in front (on its face); the second one has its tail
in the middle (on its back), and the third one has no tail. The fourth one does
have a tail where it should be: behind. However, this indignant sheep claims
to be Mary's little lamb. Kermit tells us to stay tuned for updates on the
search for the lost sheep.

Part 2: Bo Peep has had no luck in finding her sheep; instead she encounters
Gladys the Cow pretending to be a sheep, and Fred the Wonder Horse
pretending to be a dog. Kermit decides to give up on the search, and returns
us to our regularly scheduled program.
4

17. Oogle Family: Although this sketch does not begin with the News Flash logo,
Kermit is reporting from a theatre auditorium wearing a tux with his
reporter's uniform slung over the seat next to him. In what is described as the
musical event of the century, music lovers from around the world have
gathered in tribute to the Oogle Family -- that is, words that rhyme with
"oogle," such as bugle and googol. The featured piece of music was written
by Sir Chrissy Von Koogle and played by Old McDoogle on the bugle, one
of the world's foremost concert buglers, who is accompanied by Mr. Cookie
Monster, one of the world's finest googlers. Together, they perform "Old
McDoogle had a Bugle", sung to the tune of "Old McDonald had a Farm"
(Sesame Street Workshop 2008)

4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp4HatIMuOY
39
18. Rainy Day: Kermit asks Telly and Juliet how they spend a rainy day. Telly
enjoys practicing his bassoon, while Juliet loves to play pretend. Against his
will, Kermit gets to play the part of the White Rabbit.

19. Cinderella: At the Ball Episode 0516 Season 4, April 30, 1973: Kermit
interviews Cinderella and Prince Charming, who are dancing at the ball.
After Cinderella leaves, at midnight, she leaves one glass slipper behind. The
prince wants to use it to find Cinderella...so he can have the other slipper as
well. He then accidentally breaks the one he found. "Well, easy come, easy
go," he says. Transcript:

Announcer And now, for another fast-breaking news story, we take you to
Kermit the Frog!
Kermit [ Kermit is dancing with a female frog. ] So, listen, uh...
what's a nice girl like you doing in a palace like this anyhow,
hmm? Oh. Ahem. Pardon me. [ Noticing the camera, he
ditches the girl. ] Uh -- hello there, this is Kermit the Frog of
Sesame Street News, and I'm speaking to you now from the
palace where Prince Charming is back there dancing with
Cinderella. Right at this very moment. Let us see if we can get
a word with the happy couple, huh?
[ Kermit tries to get the dancing couple's attention, circling
around and around them. ]
Kermit Uh, pardon me, excuse me, Prince Charming, uh, pardon me,
uh, this is Kermit the Frog of Sesame Street News, uh, Prince
Charming, uh, Kermit the Frog, uh, Cinderella -- can I, hold it
one second...
[ Kermit finally gets Cinderella's attention. ]
Kermit Listen, hey, can I ask you, uh, to describe your outfit for our
home audience out there?
Cinderella Oh, well, I'd love to.
[ The Prince shoves Cinderella out of the way. ]
Prince Why, yes, I'd be delighted to. You see, I have on my
magnificent sky blue velvet suit with tapered trousers, and
ruffles at the neck and wrist.
Kermit Uh, yeah, that's very nice, Prince Charming, but, uh...
[ The clock begins to chime. ]
Cinderella It's twelve o'clock already!
40
Kermit Oh...
Prince On my waist is the golden belt encrusted with rubies and
twinkly things.
Kermit Yeah, uh...
Cinderella I have to LEAVE! [ Cinderella runs off. ]
Kermit But...
Prince Now, on my head is the crown, with the family jewels.
Kermit Uh, Prince Charming, I think there's...
Prince Now, of course, here on my fingers, the terribly expensive
turquoise ring that Dad gave me.
Kermit Listen, Prince Charming, Cinderella just left.
Prince Oh.
Kermit Yeah.
Prince Hey ho! What's THIS?
Kermit Oh, look at that!
Prince Why, it looks like... a glass slipper!
Kermit That's Cinderella's glass slipper!
Prince It's beautiful! I must find that girl!
Kermit Oh! Oh, yeah -- you want to find the girl, because then you
can marry her, and live happily ever after! Right?
Prince Wrong! Then I can get the other slipper, and have a PAIR!
One for each foot... OOOPS!
[ The Prince drops the slipper, which smashes on the ground. ]
Kermit Oh... you broke it... now you'll never be able to find her and
live happily ever after... Prince?
Prince Mm. Easy come, easy go.
Kermit Oh.
Prince The Prince is free to dance! Who'd like to dance? Get your
tickets!
Kermit Well, uh, this is Kermit the Frog of Sesame Street News, and
I'm returning you now to your, uh --
41
Prince [ to Kermit: ] Would YOU like to dance with me? No, I
suppose not...
Kermit ... returning you to your regularly scheduled program.
Prince Line up right here! Come right in!

20. Fairy Tale: The Pied Piper of Hamelin Episode 0519 Season 4 May 3, 1973
The Pied Piper has trouble luring mice with his music -- but Kermit lures
them by whistling.
5

21. Frog on the Street: Episode 0536 Season 5 November 19, 1973 Kermit
interviews a little girl about the sounds animals make. When he asks her what
sound a frog makes, she replies "Wiggit! Wiggit!" which doesn't amuse
Kermit.

22. Nursery Rhyme: Jack and Jill Episode 0669 Season 6 November 7, 1974 Jack
needs someone to go up the hill with him. First he chooses Mervin, then
Francine and Gladys the Cow. Finally Jack chooses Jill, who refuses go up
the hill with him again, so he asks Kermit to fill in.
6

23. Fairy Tale: The Princess and the Cookie: Episode 0671 Season 6, November
11, 1974 Kermit interviews a servant who tells him that the queen wants to
test the maiden by placing a cookie under the mattresses to see if she can feel
it. The "princess" (Cookie Monster) not only feels it, but also eats the cookie
and the mattresses (Sesame Street Workshop 2008).

24. The Tortoise and the Hare: Episode 0676, Season 6 November 18, 1974
Although it didn't feature the News Flash logo, Kermit covers the race
between the tortoise and the hare for a one-time Sesame Street Sports
broadcast, which served as prototype for Sesame Street News. Everything
goes smoothly, until the race begins. The hare dawdles, since the tortoise is
so slow that the hare will have time to win. Kermit rushes to the finish line so
that he can see the results...and is crowned the winner (Sesame Street
Workshop 2008).

5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wljPHtQ3dXM

6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIoWt_i1Pd8

42
25. Nursery Rhyme: Little Miss Muffet: Episode 0677, Season 6, November 19,
1974 Kermit meets Little Miss Muffet, who sits on her water bed, eats
crunchy granola, and is not afraid of the spider, who ends up frightening
Kermit away.
7

26. Cinderella: Prince Charming: Episode 0684 Season 6, November 28, 1974
Kermit interviews Prince Charming, who is looking for Cinderella. The
prince tries to see whose foot matches the glass slipper. However, the shoe
fits someone unexpected. Kermit: "Boy, these fairy tales are starting to get
me down."
8

Announcer We take you now to Kermit the Frog with another fast
breaking news story!
Kermit [ Kermit talks to Cinderella and the Stepsisters. ] Now, listen,
when we get the cue, don't wave at the camera, and try not to
act stupid, okay?
Stepsisters Yeah. Okay.
[ Kermit realizes the camera is on him. The girls instantly start
waving at the camera and acting stupid. ]
Kermit Oh. Hi ho, this is Kermit the Frog of Sesame Street News,
with another up to the minute update of the exciting Cinderella
glass slipper story! Now, as you recall, Prince Charming gave
a big party the other night, in which he fell in love with
someone who left at midnight, leaving behind a beautiful glass
slipper! And ever since then, the Prince has been combing the
countryside, looking for the girl whose foot fits that slipper.
Kermit And -- excuse me, right now, here comes Prince Charming
right now, excuse me, Prince Charming, Kermit the Frog of
Sesame Street News, can I ask you a few questions, sir!
Prince Why, yahs, you can, Dad always tells me to be nice to the
media.
Kermit Mm hm. Mm hm. Uh, pardon me, who's that behind you, sir?
Prince Oh, that's my, uh -- ahem -- lackey. [ to the Lackey: ] Sit! [
The Lackey sits. The Prince turns back to Kermit: ] Shoot.

7
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnkaW4oU3lQ

8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuUxpEHTdL8
43
[ The Prince strikes a dramatic pose, looking off into the
distance. ]
Kermit Uh huh. Yeah. Well, I understand you've been combing the
countryside, and so far, you have...
[ Distracted, Kermit tries to see what the Prince is looking at. ]
Kermit ... uh, so far, you have not found the girl whose foot fits that
slipper, is that right, sir.
Prince That is true, frog. I have not yet found my... True Love.
Stepsisters Over here! Heh heh.
[ Again, Kermit is distracted by the Prince's pose. ]
Kermit Yeah. Well, okay, well, right now you're down to the very last
cottage in the kingdom...
Prince Yahs...
Kermit And that is the one that belongs to Cinderella and her two
wicked stepsisters!
Prince Yahs, where is that cottage, can you tell me?
Kermit Uh, it's right behind you, sir.
Prince Hm?
Stepsisters Yoo hoo! Hello!
Prince Aha. Ladies, ladies! Please step over there by the bench with
your feet out. Yahs, thank you, skedaddle along, skedaddle... [
to the Lackey: ] Heel.
[ The Stepsisters and Cinderella line up. ]
Prince All right, ladies, all right, now who shall be first? Lackey, take
the first wicked stepsister please.
Stepsis #1 Oh! Here I am!
Prince Try it on her foot. Ohhh... I'm sorry, wicked stepsister number
one, but that slipper is much too big for you.
Stepsis #1 Awwwww.
Cinderella Heh heh. Heh heh.
Stepsis #1 Try the other wicked stepsister. Her foot's bigger than mine!
44
Prince Right, right. Raise your foot. Now, let's see here. Ohhh...
wicked stepsister number two, your foot is bigger than hers,
but it is still not big enough for the glass slipper.
Prince All right, Cinderella, your turn?
Cinderella Me?
Prince Yahs, you, dear.
Cinderella Ohhh, let it be me, let it be me...
Prince Mmmmm... Ohhh, no, your foot isn't big enough either.
Cinderella Oh.
Prince Well, that's funny. Hm. Now, your foot was big, your foot was
bigger, and your foot was the biggest of all... However, no
one... fit the slipper...
[ The Prince starts to cry. ]
Cinderella Awwww... wait, you want the biggest foot of all?
Prince I want my True Love!
Cinderella Well, somebody else in our cottage has the biggest feet of all!
Prince Oh?
[ Cinderella whistles. ]
Kermit Holy cow.
Prince ... Could this be my True Love?
[ A cow enters. ]
Cow Yes?
Prince Oh! Put your foot up, please. Lackey -- quickly! Ah! It FITS!
Cow It does?
Prince My True Love!
[ Everyone gasps as the Prince embraces the Cow. ]
Kermit ... These fairy tales are beginning to get me down. Uh, this is
Kermit the Frog, returning you to your regularly scheduled
shoe. Uh, show.
Prince Hmm. Funny. You looked different that night at the palace.

45
27. Fairy Tale: Mirror, Mirror Episode 0685, Season 6, November 29, 1974: The
Wicked Witch from the Snow White story plans to fool the mirror into saying
that she is the fairest -- but she hasn't counted on Kermit hiding behind a
curtain. When she sees him, she realizes that he really is pretty good-looking.
Video: Big Bird's Story Time

28. Little Red Riding Hood: The Woodsman: Episode 0691, Season 6, December
9, 1974: Kermit witnesses how the mailman, the salesman and the woodsman
knock at the door while the Big Bad Wolf chases Little Red Riding Hood
around the bed. Eventually, the Woodsman shows up, and Red and the Wolf
chase him for cutting down a maple which was their favorite tree.

29. Fairy Tale: Rapunzel: Episode 0692, Season 6, December 10, 1974: Prince
charming arrives to rescue the princess in the tower, and Kermit asks what
his plan is, but he refuses to tell. He yells at Kermit to be quiet, and just as he
begins reciting the nursery rhyme, he notices Kermit talking to the camera
about the plan and says, “Frog!” and then Kermit apologizes for interrupting
and the prince goes back to wooing the princess to let down her long hair.
The princess can’t hear him, and even though he is yelling at the top of his
lungs, she finally hears him, and lets it down, but it’s a wig so it all falls to
the ground. Now she is bald and he has no hair to climb. Kermit tries to sign
off but the ensuing chaos distracts him, and the music comes on over his
voice, cutting away.

30. Weather Report Episode 0693, Season 6, Simon Soundman does a weather
report using sounds for different kinds of weather. News anchorman Kermit
fires him and calls for another weatherman, who has a more "visual"
approach to reporting the weather.

31. Nursery Rhyme: Hey Diddle Diddle Episode 0694 In a take on the "Hey
Diddle Diddle" nursery rhyme, Kermit interviews Natalie the cow and her cat
manager as she prepares to jump over the moon. Natalie plans to break the
usual cow stereotype by doing this jump. After the cat plays a fanfare on his
fiddle, she makes the jump and crash lands back to Earth, where she is
praised.

32. Nursery Rhyme: Old Mother Hubbard Episode 0696: Kermit is talking to
someone off-camera again, this time telling jokes: whistling, he says, “that’s
my Bob White; and now you wanna hear my swallow? (imitates a bird); and
uh, here’s duck (ducks down out of frame and back up);” then realizes he is
on, and then: “Oh! Ah! Kermit the Frog with Sesame Street News, here. And
today we’re reporting on that old nursery rhyme, Old Mother Hubbard.” He
is shooting this stand-up live, inside the woman’s house, and just as he is
46
explaining the nursery rhyme, which in its traditional form “doesn’t rhyme
very well,” in comes Mother Hubbard with her dog. She goes to the cupboard
which is in fact bare, and then tries to console her dog, all the while unaware
that a news crew is in her kitchen. Kermit approaches to ask her a question,
and the woman, clearly startled, comes back with several things that rhyme
with bone—a phone, a throne, a stone—and as Kermit reports that these
things do indeed rhyme, but they are not what the dog wants.

Then the dog gets on the phone, in perfect English, and orders Chinese
Takeout. He asks the frog to stay for lunch. Kermit signs off, “Returning you
now to regularly scheduled programming.” The old lady falls out of frame,
the dog says to the take-out person on the other end of the line, “make that
one less eggroll,” to which Kermit says, “I can eat her part.”

33. Don Music: Mary Had a Bicycle Episode 0698 Don Music tries to write
"Mary Had a Little Lamb", but he can't come up with a word that rhymes
with "snow". Kermit suggests that Don try another angle, which leads to Don
writing the hit song "Mary Had a Bicycle". Don sings the song, with back-up
vocals from the Monotones. Sing Yourself Silly, Old School Vol 2

34. History: Christopher Columbus: Episode 0700: Kermit interviews
Christopher Columbus before he begins his voyage to discover America.
Kermit tries to tell him that the third ship is tied to the dock, but it's too late --
the dock breaks free, and takes Kermit along with the ship.
9

35. The Three Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf: The Pig's Straw House Episode 0702,
Season 6, December 24, 1974: Kermit interviews one of the Three Little Pigs,
the one who built a straw house. The Big Bad Wolf comes to blow it down,
but the house is actually strong. Transcript:

Anncr And now we take you to Kermit the Frog for another fast-breaking
news story!
Kermit [ to off-screen: ] Hey, Jeff, how's the wife? What? She's on
camera? Oh, I'M on camera! Oh! Ahem. Hi there, Kermit the
Frog, uh, Sesame Street News, reporting to you today from the
house of the Three Little Pigs. And today we're expecting the Big
Bad Wolf to drop around, but first... hark, I believe this is one of
the Three Little Pigs here...
Pig [ humming ] Dee da da dee... Pig of my heart...
Kermit Uh, pardon me, Pig...

9
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXtF3ljgVTk
47
Pig Mmm? Yes.
Kermit Excuse me, could I ask you a few -- Kermit the Frog, Sesame
Street News...
Pig Oh! Oh! Yes. [ The Pig brushes himself off. ]
Kermit Can I ask you a question or two? Uh, for instance, could you tell
me what this house is built of?
[ The Pig over-emphasizes all of his answers, hamming it up for
the camera. ]
Pig Ahem. STRAW.
Kermit Uh huh. Straw.
Pig STRAW.
Kermit Yes, uh, well, could you tell us exactly why you built your house
out of straw?
Pig Because -- ahem -- because straw is light and easy to carry. And
when we get hungry, we can nibble on a wall or two, even.
Kermit Well, don't you think it would've been better to build a house out
of wood, or bricks, or something like that?
Pig Why?
Kermit In case somebody like, oh, I don't know, maybe a Big Bad Wolf
were to come along, and huff and puff and blow the house down?
Pig Blow this house down?
Kermit Yeah, well...
Pig I worked four DAYS on this house! This is a STRONG house!
Kermit Yeah, but...
Pig Blow this house down! Blow THIS house down! Ha, ha!
[ The Pig enters the house, chuckling to himself. ]
Pig Oh, I gotta tell the guys that, that's a good one! Ha, ha!
[ The Pig opens the door again to shout at Kermit. ]
Pig 'Tis to LAUGH!
[ He slams the door. ]
Kermit He seems to take the whole subject rather lightly, but, uh... hark!
What do I see coming now?
48
Wolf [ The Wolf enters, humming: ] I'm gonna cook you for sup-per...
Kermit It's a large shaggy thing... uh, pardon me, are you indeed the Big
Bad Wolf, himself?
Wolf Oh, I am IN-DEEEEED!
[ The Wolf breathes on Kermit, who coughs at his bad breath. ]
Kermit Uh, yeah, well, uh -- whew! -- can you tell me, uh, exactly, uh,
what you have in mind, coming around here today?
Wolf Oh, yeah. Well, you see, this is where the Three Little Pigs live.
Kermit Uh, true.
Wolf And I got some business with them, cause I'm gonna make them
an offer they can't RE-FUUUUSE!
Kermit [ coughs ] Yeah. Well, do you mind if we from Sesame Street
stand around to watch?
Wolf Okay, but you better stand back.
Kermit Okay. I'll just go right over here, by this tree.
[ Kermit hides by a nearby tree as the Wolf pounds on the door. ]
Wolf Little pig, little pig, open the door!
Kermit Whoa, whoa, wait a minute, hold it... [ Kermit runs up to the
Wolf. ] Just one second, there's a tradition here, the Big Bad Wolf
is supposed to say, "Little pig, little pig, let me come in!"
Wolf Oh, yeah...
Kermit That's the line. Mm hmm. [ He goes back to the tree. ]
Wolf Little pig, little pig, let me come in!
Pig [ inside ] Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin!
Kermit Somehow I thought he would say that.
Wolf Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll BLOWWWW your house in!
Kermit Stand by, folks, here it comes!
[ The Wolf huffs and puffs, and starts to blow. ]
49
Kermit Wow. There he goes, folks! The Wolf is huffing and puffing... and
it's really quite a -- [ the tree blows away ] -- good heavens, it's
really quite a breeze he's got going here... Let's see if he's able to
blow the house down here -- [ another tree blows away ] -- He's
really blowing hard -- [ the fence posts blow away ] -- Talk about
strong breath, folks! -- [ ZIP! The fire hydrant is next ] -- My
heavens! -- [ Kermit is struggling against the wind ] -- Remember,
you saw it here on Sesame Street, folks! As you can see, the house
is still standing, and -- [ the lamp post tips over ] -- Whew! The
Wolf is still blowing, and so this is Kermit the Frog, and the Wolf
is now returning me to Sesame Streeeeeeeeeeet.........

36. Nursery Rhyme: Humpty Dumpty Episode 0705, Season 6, December 27,
1974: Sirens, commotion, etc. with humpty on the wall at the scene of the
crisis. Kermit is a frantic reporter “recapitulating” the story—“as you may
remember, humpty dumpty sat on a wall…” etc. as he recites the nursery
rhyme. “Wait a minute, there’s one of the king’s cows, I believe it is
supposed to be just the king’s horses, here,“ as he shoos away the cow who
neighs and pretends to be a horse, to interview the actual horse.

Kermit employs the most reporter-like voice inflection and language—he
uses phrases like “speaking to you from the scene of the accident” and
“matter-a-fact, if you look back there now, you can see they have the bottom
and middle parts together,” and “well folks, as you can see..” and “we’re
gonna get a word in with one of the king’s horses now.” He speaks frantically
like a real reporter on the scene would do. He always identifies himself
“Kermit the Frog here with Sesame Street News” asking, “how does it feel to
have it all together again?” Just then, Kermit gives him a congratulatory slap
on the back, and knocks him off the wall breaking him all over again. The
crew rushes in again, and as Kermit is apologizing they are yell to “get the
frog outa here!” Kermit, blamed for the incident, epitomizes the image of the
nuisance reporter who messes things up and just makes more work for the
authorities, who are doing their jobs properly.

37. Nursery Rhyme: Hickory Dickory Dock Episode 0710, Season 6 January 3,
1975: Kermit is unaware that filming has begun: “Do you have the time? Oh!
Hi ho there clock-lovers, this is Kermit the Frog for Sesame Street News…”
He goes on to explain that he is in front of the clock made famous by the old
nursery rhyme. He explains that it is almost one o’clock, and what will
happen is a mouse will run up the clock, it will strike 1, and then the mouse
will run down. “Okay, send in the mouse!” Kermit yells.

50
In walks a cow, who says, “Yes, I am a cow and am much too big to run up
that clock.” Kermit, annoyed, says, “no one asked you to run up that clock.”
The cow explains he just came in to check the time, and must be getting back
to the barn. Kermit apologizes to the audience for the interruption, and just
then in walks a duck.

“Just show me the clock and tell me what ta do,” the duck quacks. Kermit:
“What you can do is get outa here because I’m waiting for the mouse t come
run up the clock here,” and the duck says, “are you sure you wouldn’t want a
hickory dickory duck? Ha ahahaha!” and he quacks his way off cam.

Kermit looks into the camera, disgusted by the interruption and says, “hang
in there, time-piece fans, because in just a moment the mouse will be here.”

A horse comes clopping in:

“Out of my way frog, I’m going to run up that clock of yours.”

Kermit: “You can’t do that you’re a horse!” “I know but the mouse couldn’t
make it.”

The horse get a running start as a horrified Kermit looks on. The horse barrels
into the clock, destroying it.

Duck: “I’ve heard of killing time but this is ridiculous!”

Kermit: “There you have it folks, the horse has just run up, make that run
through, the clock, and the clock has struck about seventeen. This is Kermit
the Frog signing off.” Then, as if yelling to production, Kermit says, “How
come I always get these nursery rhyme things! I can’t keep going like this,
I’m getting outa here!”

38. Fairy Tale: Sleeping Beauty Episode 0713: Kermit is facing backwards again,
and starts his stand-up as usual, with “OH, hi there, Kermit the Frog here for
Sesame Street News, and today I am at the bedside of the world famous
Sleeping Beauty.” Kermit proceeds to explain that she has been asleep for
one hundred years, referring to the audience as “folks”

After explaining that they are expecting the prince to arrive today and
awaken her with a magical kiss, the prince appears, and Kermit is now off
screen doing VO as the prince nears the princess, then finally kisses her.

51
The kiss generates a puff of smoke and she turns into a ribbetting frog with a
princess hat, and in pops Kermit to declare, “folks! Folks! We’ve just seen
history in the making! The prince’s kiss did wake the princess but turned her
also into a…ahem…beautiful young frog.

The little princess frog looks at Kermit and says, “howdy handsome,” as the
prince looks around confused. She asks Kermit about breakfast, since she has
been asleep for a hundred years, and he says, “sure this way there’s a nice
delicatessen, cmon sweetheart.” Just as he is almost out of shot with the
princess, he shouts, “Hey listen, we return you now to your regularly
scheduled programming,” leaving the prince to search confusingly under the
blankets where the princess was sleeping.

39. Nursery Rhyme: Jack Be Nimble, Episode 0723, Season 6, January 22, 1975:
The voiceover begins with a slight deviation from the usual script: “And now
for another fast-breaking news story, we go to now to our roving reporter,
Kermit the Frog.”

Kermit: “I’m getting pretty tired of all this roving, too…OH! Hi Ho! Kermit
the Frog here, and I’m standing next to a candle stick which may give you
some clue as to which fast-breaking news story we’re here to report on. Jack
is there, and Kermit explains his duties. Jack goes UNDER the candle stick,
and Kermit says, “That was wrong. That was wrong. What you did was jack
be nimble, jack be quick, jack duck under the candle stick. That’s no good.”

Jack goes for round 2, this type he runs around the candle. Jack tells Kermit
to get off his case, but Kermit says, “Listen, Jack if you wanna work in a
world-famous nursery rhyme you gotta do it right.”

Jack does it properly, he complains about his broken bones, and then walks
off with a cow who is saying, if you think that is bad, you should try jumping
over the moon. Kermit signs off, “We now return you to your regularly
scheduled programming,” and remarks to someone off camera that “these
nursery rhymes get weirder and weirder every time…Weird. Weird!”

40. Fairy Tale: Rumpelstiltskin Episode 0724, Season 6, January 23, 1975:
Trench coat-clad Kermit peers around a corner with a hand-held microphone
and states his location and story. Kermit uses the same leading questions and
language as he does in each Flash, mirroring the typical news reporter to
convey the story to the viewers. He implores viewers to call and assist the
emperor’s daughter via a hotline: “If anyone has any information regarding
the name of Rumplestiltskin…” etc. Crazy viewers call in with the wrong
information, anonymously, and Kermit gets mixed up and taken by
52
Rumplestiltskin when he decides to hide in the baby carriage. He gets
mistaken for the woman’s baby and viewers are left with Kermit yelling,
“Unhand me!” to no avail; the infamous Rumplestilskin rolls him out in the
baby carriage giving no authority to his claims. Transcript:

Anncr We take you now to the king's castle, where our reporter, Kermit
the Frog, is about to cover a historic meeting between the Miller's
Daughter and Rumplestiltskin.
Kermit Hark! This is Kermit the Frog here, speaking to you from the
King's palace. And I'm here with the Miller's Daughter -- who's
right back there -- and in a few moments, Rumplestiltskin is going
to arrive, and he's going to take away her little baby, unless the
Miller's Daughter can guess his name. Let's talk to her for a
moment if we can. Pardon me, ma'am!
M's D Mmmm?
Kermit Ma'am... Kermit the Frog here, Sesame Street News, ma'am... I
was wondering... could you come out here, and answer a couple
questions, if you don't mind?
M's D Mmmm?
Kermit I understand that you're, um -- ahem -- I understand that you're
waiting for Rumplestiltskin, is that right?
M's D Yes, that's right.
Kermit Mm hmm. And if you can't guess his name, he's going to take your
baby away. Right?
M's D Yes, that's right. I made a deal with him, and boy, am I sorry
NOW!
Kermit Yeah. And the fact is, you don't know Rumplestiltskin's name, do
you?
M's D No, I don't... do YOU?
Kermit Uh. Well, no, actually, I don't.
Kermit But I do have a surprise for you and our Sesame Street audience...
M's D Mmm?
53
Kermit Because we have set up a hotline -- we've set up a hotline, boys
and girls, right here to the castle -- and if anybody here knows any
information regarding Rumplestiltskin's name, if you will call us
here at Sesame Street 5-55 -- that's Sesame Street 5-55 -- call us
here if you have any information, and you may save this lovely
young lady's baby.
M's D Please! Oh!
Kermit [ The phone rings... ] Ah! Sesame Street News?
Caller 1 Hello, Kermit?
Kermit Yes?
Caller 1 Rumplestiltskin's name is Fred. Fred Rumplestiltskin. He used to
be friends with my cousin Janice.
Kermit Oh, that's wonderful! Thank you so much! [ He hangs up. ]
M's D Oh, thank you!
Kermit Do you hear that? Rumplestiltskin's name is Fred! The baby is
saved, isn't that wonderful, that a total stranger would call -- [ The
phone rings again. ] -- What's that? Uh... Sesame Street News?
Caller 2 Hi, Kermit -- I watch ya all the time on television...
Kermit Oh, well, thank you!
Caller 2 Rumplestiltskin's real name is Otto. Otto Rumplestiltskin. He used
to play tag in the mud with my brother Dino.
Kermit You mean... it's not Fred? Well, who is this speaking, please?
Caller 2 None of your business. Let's just say it's a friend. [ He hangs up. ]
M's D But... I don't HAVE any friends!
[ The phone rings again. ]
Kermit Well, maybe this will clear things up, here... uh, Sesame Street
News?
Caller 3 Hello, Kermit?
Kermit Yeah
Caller 3 Yeah, you tell the Miller's Daughter that Rumplestiltskin's real
name is Barry. Yeah, Barry Rumplestiltskin. He works at the car
wash -- you know the one, near Smith's drug store.
Kermit ... He does?
Caller 3 Yeah. So long. [ He hangs up. ]
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Kermit Uh...
M's D Oh, my...
[ There's a knock at the door. ]
Kermit Oh, good heavens -- that's Rumplestiltskin at the door now!
M's D Oh, no...
Kermit I must betake myself to a hiding place, here... and I'll watch the
action from there... Let's see, if I just, uh... Oh -- here's a good
looking place to hide. I'll get right in here.
[ Kermit hides in an empty baby carriage. ]
R'plstkn Well, there we are, Miller's Daughter! And here I am, right on
time! Well! Have you guessed my name yet?
M's D ... Is it Fred?
R'plstkn Fred? You must be thinking of Janice's cousin's friend Fred. No,
it's not Fred.
M's D Well, then, is it Otto?
R'plstkn Otto? No, that's MY cousin -- the one who likes to play tag in the
mud.
M's D Hm. Then it must be Barry!
R'plstkn You mean the guy at the car wash?
M's D Mm hmm!
R'plstkn Mm mmm, no way, not Barry!
M's D No?
R'plstkn Well, there you are, three strikes, and you are OUT!
M's D Oh...
R'plstkn My real name is... you ready for this?
M's D Yes.
R'plstkn BRUCE!
M's D Bruce?
R'plstkn Bruce Rumplestiltskin! That's right! Well, a real easy one, you
missed it. So. Where's the kid?
M's D Oh, he's out hunting dragons with his father.
55
R'plstkn Mm hmm, that's what they all say. You just don't mind if I look
around, do you?
M's D No, go ahead.
R'plstkn Hmmm, let's see. If I was a baby in this castle, where would I be?
[ He spots Kermit in the baby carriage. ] THERE he is!
Kermit Listen, I'm not her baby! Uh -- tell him who I am, please!
M's D Uhh... He likes a twelve o'clock feeding!
R'plstkn Gotcha!
Kermit I like a WHAT?
R'plstkn Awww, kitchy kitchy coo! You're a cute one!
Kermit Kitchy kitchy coo yourself! Uh... this is Kermit the Frog, I'm
going to return you to your regularly scheduled program...
R'plstkn Let's go home! Home with Uncle Bruce!
Kermit Uh, wait a minute. Where are you taking me? Listen, I can explain
this whole thing away!
R'plstkn You can visit on weekends!
Kermit Wait, unhand me!
R'plstkn Oh, we'll play, and have fun...

41. The Three Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf: Five Little Pigs Episode 0737, Season
6, February 11, 1975: Kermit tries to tell the story of the Three Little Pigs,
but five pigs show up. He realizes he's encountered the wrong group of Pigs -
- one of these Pigs went to market, and one stayed home. Just as he's got
things straight, the Big Bad Wolf shows up, and huffs and puffs Kermit
away.

42. Man in Snowstorm: Episode 0750, Season 6, February 28, 1975: “Part 1:
Kermit has received a phone call which tells him that there is someone who
has been standing out in a terrible snow storm for a long time. Kermit asks
everyone who passes by, "Are you that person?" But everyone he asks has
been out in the snow for only a short time. Kermit refuses to give up,
however, and tells us to stay tuned.

Part 2: Kermit, now shivering a little, is still looking for the person who's
been standing out in the snow for a long time. He even asks Farley, too. Still
no success yet.
56

Part 3: Kermit is now buried up to his neck in snow, colder than ever. He
calls the attention of passerby Harvey Kneeslapper, who tells Kermit that he
is the one who made the call, which was a prank call. As it turns out, Kermit
was the one standing out in the storm.”
10

43. The Three Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf: The Count Counts the Three Little
Pigs Episode 0758, Season 6, March 12, 1975: Kermit's interview with the
Three Little Pigs is interrupted by the Count, who wants to count them. When
he counts the pigs, thunder and lightning crash, and the pigs, thinking it's
going to rain, go inside and refuse to be interviewed. When the Count's
counting puts an end to the interview, Kermit goes to interview the residents
of the next house... the Seven Dwarves Sesamestreet.org

44. Holiday Mix-Up Episode 0777, Season 6, April 8, 1975: Kermit interviews
Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and a witch -- they are all confused about who
they are and what holidays they belong in. Online: Sesamestreet.org

45. What Makes People Angry? Episode 0869, Season 7, March 11, 1976:

Announcer: “We take you now to Kermit the Roving Reporter, and his
people-on-the-street interview” (this is a departure from the usual
announcement) as we cut to Kermit, talking to an off-camera officer,
explaining who he’s reporting for, “Sesame Street, it’s a kids’ program…Oh,
uh…SHH! This is uh Kermit the Frog here, Sesame Street News, and today
we are out on the street and we are going to find out what makes the average
man on the street angry.”

Just then he stops a woman, and asks her, “Excuse me, miss, can you tell me,
what is it that makes you angry?” “No, I don’t have time, I’m on my way to a
ping pong tournament.” She runs along.

A man comes by, Kermit asks him the same question, but the man says,
sorry, he doesn’t have time he is going to a party. Kermit is looking defeated,
a kid comes along, and before he can even get the whole question out, the kid
says, “sorry I’m late for the game, so long!” Kermit looks directly into the
camera with his scrunched face of frustration and lets out a frustrated, but
stifled, yell. Two more people, including his friend grover, pass by only to
blow him off for lack of time. One lady says, “I already have one, thank
you,” hurriedly assuming this is a sales frog and not a reporter.

10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCMuuXsTe5E
57
Another frustrated mumble out of Kermit, and he yells, “Cut! Cut! I’ve had
it!” While he is ranting on and on, a man stops and says, “are you angry?”
Kermit says, yes I’m angry and would you like to know why?” The man
apologizes and says he has no time, to this Kermit explodes and yells into the
camera to sign off: “This is Kermit the ANGRY Frog reporting and would
you like to know why I’m angry?! I’ll tell you why I’m angry!” Just then the
cheerful voiceover returns, “That’s all the time we have today with Kermit
the Frog,” and Kermit is a talking (screaming) head going ballistic with no
sound as it fades to black.

46. Fairy Tale: Pinocchio Episode 0878, Season 7, March 24, 1976: Logo with
voiceover: “we take you now…” Kermit on-camera talking to camera man
about the shot, “better get a wide shot because his nose is long and we don’t
wanna blow it—the picture, not the nose…” Shortly, he realizes they are
rolling and gets into his reporter character. Pinocchio is a hard-to-get world-
famous celebrity that Kermit must report on, but Pinocchio is looking for air-
time and keeps going with lies to show off and grow his nose. He ends up
physically pushing Kermit out of the picture with his lengthening nose.
Reporter has no real control over the subject of the interview. Kermit
eventually falls out of the sky because he begs Pinocchio to shorten his nose,
which he does, but this leaves Kermit hanging in mid-air with nothing.
(Sesame Street Workshop 2008)

47. Arabian Nights: Aladdin and His Lamp Episode 0927, Season 8, November
30, 1976: Aladdin is distressed that his lamp won't work until Kermit informs
him that he needs to add a light bulb, plug in the cord and turn the switch. All
the while, the Genie wisecracks about his job and trying to get some sleep
inside a lamp. Transcript:

Kermit Aw, it's so dark in here, I can't see a thing... where's that camera
cable around -- whoop! [ CRASH! ] It's right down there
somewhere. Hey, could somebody turn on a light in here? Huh?
Turn on some lights! [ They do. ] Oh. Ahem. Hi ho, this is
Kermit the Frog, speaking to you for Sesame Street News -- and
tonight, I'm speaking to you from the home of Aladdin, the owner
of that world famous magic lamp. And here he is now, hello,
excuse me, Mr Aladdin.
Aladdin Oh, hi, Frog! You can call me Al!
Kermit Okay, Al -- can you tell us, Al, you're rubbing your magic lamp
there, I see...
Aladdin Yes!
58
Kermit Yes. Why are you doing that?
Aladdin Well, because it doesn't work! Until you arrived, I was completely
in the dark.
Kermit Is that right.
Aladdin Here. I'll try rubbing it again.
[ POOF! With a puff of smoke, the Genie appears. ]
Genie Hey knock off with the rubbin', will ya? I'm tryin' to sleep in this
lamp!
Kermit Look at that, folks.
Aladdin That's the Genie. Genie -- this is the frog. Frog, Genie. Genie,
frog.
Kermit Uh, yeah.
Aladdin Frog, Genie.
Genie How ya doin', frog.
Kermit Yeah, I recognize you by your light brown hair. [ chuckles ]
Aladdin Ha, ha. Ha, ha.
Genie Very funny.
Kermit Uh, listen, Genies can do anything, why don't you fix Aladdin's
lamp, here?
Genie Hey, come on, I'm a Genie, not an electrician! What do I know
from lamps?
Kermit Oh. Uh, y'know, Aladdin, I think I got -- I see one thing that's
wrong with your problem here.
Aladdin Do you? What's that, frog?
Kermit Well, you see, your lamp doesn't have a lightbulb.
Aladdin Ohhhhh!
Kermit See, that kinda lamp needs a lightbulb up there.
Aladdin A lightbulb, up there! That's a good idea! I'll just go get a
lightbulb!
Kermit Okay.
Genie Yeah, he needs a lightbulb, and I need another job. Ya ever try
livin' inside a lamp?
59
Kermit Is that right? Pretty dark, huh?
Aladdin Here's a lightbulb! Here we go!
Kermit Yeah, well, just screw it in the socket up there.
Aladdin All right. I'll do that. How's that? Well?
Kermit Okay, uh...
Aladdin It still doesn't work!
Kermit Yeah, but --
Genie To think I coulda worked for Ali Baba instead of this dingaling.
Aladdin We'll just wait here until it works.
Kermit Well, Al... there's another thing here. Al?
Aladdin Mmm?
Kermit See, the lamp has a plug. See? It has an electric plug there... and,
yeah, it's just sitting on the table...
Aladdin This is a PLUG?
Kermit Yeah.
Genie It has ta be plugged in!
Kermit It has to be plugged in to the outlet.
Aladdin Plugged in?
Genie Aw, brother...
Aladdin Plugged in?
Kermit You've got an electric outlet back there, you gotta plug it in.
Aladdin Ah! All right. I'll try this.
Kermit Mm hmm.
Aladdin Here goes!
Genie Do you believe this dingaling?
Kermit Well, not really, but, uh...
Aladdin Okay! Lamp, do your stuff!
Kermit Um... Al?
Aladdin No, it still doesn't work, frog!
Kermit Al?
60
Genie Brother...
Aladdin Yes?
Kermit Al...
Aladdin I'll just keep waiting...
Kermit Well, Al, did you try turning on the switch?
Aladdin The what?
Kermit The switch -- there's an electric switch up there, on the lamp.
Aladdin There is?
Kermit Mm hmm.
Aladdin Where -- oh, you mean THIS switch over here!
Kermit Yeah, see, right there? You gotta turn that on, and that makes the
electricity go to the bulb.
Aladdin Well, I'll be. Sounds crazy to me, but I'll try it! Here goes! [ He
switches the lamp on. ] My lamp! It works! WOW!
Kermit Isn't that wonderful!
Aladdin Wow! It sure is wonderful.
Genie It is NOT wonderful! Not with me! You know I can't sleep with
the light on! Alaka-ZAM!
[ With a puff of smoke, the Genie disappears. ]
Aladdin Oh, my Genie is gone. But my lamp works! And you fixed it,
frog!
Kermit Okay, that's wonderful. This is Kermit the Frog, returning you to
your studios, okay?
Aladdin Oh, don't go yet...
Kermit I'll see ya around, Ali Baba.
Aladdin You have to fix my magic toaster! And my magic hot comb! Oh,
frog... Wow. My lamp works.

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48. Fairy Tale: Princess Chooses a Prince Episode 0952, Season 8: A princess
says that the one she has chosen to be her prince has bulgy eyes, small ears,
and a funny voice, is wearing a hat and coat...and is a frog. Kermit is the only
one who fits that description, so she kisses him, thinking he'll become a
prince. In a puff of smoke, she turns into a frog. Kermit invites her to "the
hop" and she accepts. Transcript:

Anncr We take you now to Kermit the Frog for another fast-breaking
news story!
Kermit Hi ho, this is Kermit the Frog, speaking to you from the Beautiful
Princess' palace, where the story is that today she is going to
choose from among her loyal subjects. She's going to choose one
of them to be her prince.
[ A small group of eager subjects squabble in the background. ]
Kermit And we are waiting now for the Beautiful Princess to make her
appearance, here... [ fanfare ] I think I hear her coming now.
[ The Princess floats in. The subjects bow. ]
Kermit Awww, look at that, that's the Beautiful Princess!
Kermit Excuse me, Beautiful Princess, Kermit the Frog here, Sesame
Street News, I wonder if you could just answer a couple of
questions for our viewers out there...
Princess Certainly, little froggie.
Kermit Do you know which of your subjects you're going to choose to be
your prince?
Princess Well, I don't know, but I can give you a clue...
Subjects Clues! Clues...
Kermit She's going to give us a clue! Oh, wonderful. Just speak into the
microphone... What is the clue?
Princess Ahem. He has bulgy eyes.
Blue Bulgy eyes! I have bulgy eyes.
Green 1 Yeah, I have bulgy eyes too. Yeah.
Orange 1 Aw. That lets me out. [ He exits. ]
Purple 1 Yeah, well, me too. I don't have bulgy eyes. I might as well leave.
[ He exits. ]
Kermit Uh huh... Well, a couple of people who don't have bulgy eyes just
left back there, Princess...
62
Princess Sorry, fellas!
Kermit Can you tell us anything else about him?
Princess Well, he has a funny voice.
Kermit A funny voice...
Purple 2 Oh! I have a funny voice!
Blue Funny voice! Ho ho! Yeah, mine's pretty funny!
Green 1 Yeah, but I don't have a funny voice... [ He exits. ]
Green 2 I'm afraid, uh, mine's not too funny either, so, uh... [ He exits. ]
Kermit Okay, well, look at that, a couple more people who did not have
funny voices just left...
Kermit What else can you tell us about the prince?
Princess Well, I can tell you that he has such small ears that you can hardly
see them.
Kermit Small ears, huh?
Orange 2 Well, ha ha! Heh!
Purple 2 Well... um... I have big ears...
Blue You're tellin' ME!
Purple 2 That lets me out, huh? Okay, well, it was nice being here... [ He
exits. ]
Blue So long!
Kermit Well, uh... there again, okay, one more person there with big ears
just left, uh, what else can you tell us about him, Princess?
Princess He's wearing a hat and coat.
Blue Hey! A hat and coat!
Kermit A hat and coat...
Blue I'M wearing a hat and coat! Heh heh heh! It's ME!
Orange 2 Oh... I'm not wearing a hat or coat. I guess it's not me.
Blue It's not!
Orange 2 I'd better leave. [ He exits. ]
Blue Sorry! [ Excited, Blue rushes to the Princess' side. ]
Kermit Well, uh, listen, Princess, we're narrowing the field down.
63
Blue Ho ho! It's me, right?
Kermit There's almost nobody left here... Is there anything else you can
tell us about him?
Princess Just one more thing.
Kermit Oh, what's that?
Blue What's that?
Princess He's a frog.
Blue ... Oh. Oh, well. Guess I'm outta luck, I, uh... thought I had a
chance for a minute there, I... sorry.
Kermit Okay, well, another person left there who isn't a frog, we'll just see
who's left here, uh... um... there's nobody left here, uh... wait a
minute. I'M a frog.
Princess I know. I read in a book that if a Princess kisses a frog, he turns
into a handsome prince!
Kermit Yeah, but, uh, wait a minute...
Princess And here I go!
[ The Princess kisses Kermit. There's a puff of smoke... ]
Kermit Well, as you can see, I'm not about to change into any handsome
prince, but, uh...
[ Kermit turns, and finds that the Princess has turned into an
orange frog.
Princess Needeep! Needeep.
Kermit Holy cow! Uh... listen, uh... you're a rather attractive young frog
there, uh, Princess... Ahem. Wanna go to the hop?
Princess Okay!
Kermit Ah! C'mon.
Princess Mmm. [ Kermit and the frog Princess leave together. ]

49. The Six Dollar Man Episode 1141, Season 9, March 27, 1978: Kermit
explores the lab of Professor Nucleus Von Fission, who has just built a robot
called the Six Dollar Man, out of parts which cost him six dollars total. The
robot destroys the lab, while Von Fission laughs. Kermit is horrified, but Von
Fission explains, "What do you expect for six dollars?"

64
50. Fairy Tale: The Elves and the Shoemaker Episode 1316, Season 11,
November 26, 1979: Kermit interviews the elves, who give the shoemaker
various gifts that are not shoes, but rather things that rhyme with "shoe."
Transcript:

Announcer We take you now to Kermit the Frog with another fast-
breaking news story!
Kermit Hello, hello, this is Green Frog, calling CTW Central, do you
read me? Hello? Hello, ten-four! Oh! Uh. Hi ho, this is Kermit
the Frog, speaking to you from the cottage of the Poor Little
Shoemaker and his wife. Now, as you recall, the Poor Little
Shoemaker used up all his leather to make his last pair of
shoes, and now he has no more leather, and no more shoes.
[ The upstairs door opens, and we see the Shoemaker's
shadow. ]
Shoemaker Hey, will ya keep it down, I'm tryin' ta SLEEP up here!
Kermit I'm sorry about that!
Shoemaker Awright!
Kermit Okay!
Shoemaker Okay! [ He slams the door. ]
Kermit Hmm. Very touchy. In any case, uh -- I think somebody is
coming in here now, let's see whom it is.
[ The front door opens, and the Three Elves enter. ]
Kermit Ah ha! Pardon me, uh, this is the cottage of the Poor Little
Shoemaker, uh, can I ask whom you are?
Squeaky Gee, guys, look! It's Kermit the Frog, from Sesame Street
News!
Kermit In person.
Squeaky Gee, we watch you every night!
Kermit Oh, good.
Elves Yeah, yeah!
Squeaky Oh, uh. We're elves. And I'm Squeaky!
Sneaky I'm Sneaky!
Leaky And I'm Leaky.
65
Kermit Uh huh, well, I'm sorry to hear that, but I've heard of you
elves, you come to people's houses in the middle of the night
and help them out, is that right?
Squeaky You got it, frog! When they wake up in the morning, there's
presents from us!
Kermit Ah!
Squeaky Hey -- we oughta bring them on in here.
Elves Right! Yeah.
Kermit Well, viewers, you heard it, right from the elves' mouths --
these elves are going to work all night, and when the Poor
Little Shoemaker wakes up in the morning, he's gonna have a
whole bunch of new shoes to sell. Ah, let's watch -- here
comes the first shoe now!
[ Sneaky enters, struggling with a heavy cauldron. ]
Kermit Pardon me, uh, Squeaky?
Sneaky I'm Sneaky.
Kermit Oh, Sneaky, I forgot, uh -- what is this thing, here?
Sneaky It's STEW! What's it look like, a trampoline?
Kermit Stew? No, wait a second, you're supposed to bring a SHOE!
Now, stew rhymes with shoe, but you're supposed to bring a
SHOE!
[ As Kermit is talking to Sneaky, Leaky comes up behind him
and accidentally smacks him with an inflatable canoe. ]
Leaky Uh... sorry about that...
Kermit Uh, listen, what is this? This is a CANOE!
Leaky Yeah.
Kermit Now, canoe also rhymes with shoe, but you're supposed to
bring a SHOE, not a canoe! Uh, listen, Squeaky...
Leaky No, no, I'm Leaky. This is my canoe.
Kermit ... A leaky canoe?
Leaky Yeah.
Kermit Phew...
[ Squeaky enters, carrying a stuffed kangaroo. ]
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Kermit Now, wait a minute! That's a KANGAROO! Now, kangaroo
also rhymes with shoe, but you guys are supposed to bring
SHOES, not stews and canoes and kangaroos! Come on now!
[ All the shouting wakes up the Shoemaker and his wife, who
come down onto the stairs. ]
Shoemaker Awright -- what is going ON down here? Can't a man and his
wife get some sleep? What is this?
Wife Oh, look, Poor Little Old Shoemaker husband, dear! It's the
ELVES!
Shoemaker Ah!
Kermit Yeah, there seems to be some sort of a problem... they were
supposed to bring you shoes, but instead they brought you,
uh...
Wife Look, stew! Ah, and a canoe! Oh! And a darling kangaroo!
[ The Elves giggle proudly. ]
Kermit Yeah, but you don't understand... you see, the, uh...
Shoemaker Hey, Squeaky! Hey, all this stuff looks terrific! This is
wonderful!
Kermit Wait a second... You know these guys?
Wife Oh, sure... Last time, they brought us some glue, and a
honeydew, and a tube of shampoo... oh, yeah, and a case of the
flu...
Shoemaker Yeah, yeah!
Kermit Yeah, but you still don't have any leather, and you don't have
any shoes. What about your shoe business?
Shoemaker Well, to tell you the truth, frog, I was never good at the shoe
business. I think maybe I'll be a lawyer. Hey, that's it! I'll be a
lawyer! Okay, line up for stew, guys!
[ Kermit watches as everyone lines up for stew. ]
Wife All right, I'll get bowls!
Shoemaker Here we go!
Kermit Well, uh... this is Kermit the Frog, speaking to you from the
cottage of the Poor Little, uh, Shoemaker, or the Poor Little
Lawyer, and, uh...
Shoemaker You're trespassing!
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Kermit Yeah... returning you to your regularly scheduled program.
Shoemaker Get outta my house, frog!
Kermit Yes, there's no business like shoe business, folks.
[ Kermit leaves, frustrated. ]

51. Nursery Rhyme: Peter Piper's Family Episode 1563, Season 12, May 6, 1981:
Kermit goes to Peter Piper's Pickled Peppers Patch to interview Peter Piper,
but he only gets to meet other members of his family, whose names all begin
with a common letter. Transcript:

Anncr We take you now to Kermit the Frog with another fast-breaking
news story!
Kermit Now, y'see, Charlie, there's gonna be a lot of "puh" sounds in this
interview. No, "puh". That's the sound of the letter P. See the sign
right there? See those big P's, there? Piper's Pickled Peppers. No,
that's Piper's Pickled Peppers. Uh... what's that, Charlie? Wipe off
the microphone? Oh. [ He wipes it off on his coat. ] Oh, uh... hi
ho there! This is Kermit the Frog, and I'm speaking to you from
the pickled pepper patch of Peter Piper, who's famous for picking
a peck of pickled peppers.
Kermit And as a matter of fact, here comes Peter Piper now. Excuse me,
pardon me, sir, but are you indeed Peter Piper?
Porter Nope! Nope, I'm his brother, Porter Piper.
Kermit Uh... Porter Piper. I see. But you have also picked a peck of
pickled peppers.
Porter Well, all we Pipers pick pickled peppers. We're pepper pickers.
Kermit I see. Uh huh.
Porter But Pete gets the publicity.
Kermit Oh.
Porter Excuse me, I gotta go pick a peck. Pardon.
Kermit Oh, okay. All right. So, uh, so that was Porter Piper.
Kermit But, oh! Oh! Peter Piper, I presume?
Potter No, sorry, pal. I'm Potter Piper, his other brother.
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Kermit Oh, I see, uh, Porter Piper and Potter Piper... but no Peter Piper.
Well, let's see, uh, what do you call this place we're standing on,
sir?
Potter Oh, it's where we put the pickled peppers after picking. Yeah, it's
our pickled pepper pile. Oh, excuse me, I gotta go pick a peck.
Kermit A pickled pepper pile. I see. Oh, uh, pardon me, uh, sir -- or
madam, I suppose... I guess you're not Peter Piper.
Piper Oh, positively! I'm his sister, Piper Piper.
Kermit Piper Piper?
Piper Is there an echo here?
Kermit But, listen, tell me, after you've picked these pickled peppers, what
do you do with them?
Piper Oh, we pack them.
Kermit I see. So sometimes you're picking pickled peppers, and
sometimes you're packing peppers.
Piper Mmm.
Kermit Uh... what do you pack them in, Piper?
Piper Paper.
Kermit I should have guessed.
Kermit Ah, well, let's see, uh... Oh! Pardon me, sir. You -- YOU must be
Peter Piper!
Poppa Nope, nope! I'm his father, Poppa Piper.
Kermit Poppa Piper. Well, you certainly have quite a family here.
Poppa Oh, yep, yep, yep. There's, uh, Peter Piper, and, uh, Porter Piper,
and Potter Piper, and, uh, Piper Piper...
Kermit Yeah. And who's this, right here?
Poppa Oh, that's our dog, Pepper Popper.
Kermit Uh, Pepper...
Poppa Pepper Piper. Right.
Kermit Pepper Piper. I thought that's what you meant.
Poppa Right.
Kermit And who's this thing, here?
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Poppa Oh, that's our pig, Porker Piper. Yup, and we got a parrot...
Kermit A parrot.
Poppa Yep, a parrot called Polly Piper.
Kermit Polly Piper! I should have known.
Poppa Mm hmm. She pecks pickled peppers.
Kermit She PECKS them! Oh ho! Very good! Uh huh!
Poppa Yep! Well, I gotta go pick a peck.
Kermit Right... This is ridiculous. Oh! Now, wait a second. Pardon me,
are YOU Peter Piper, or what? Don't tell me you're his nephew.
Parker No, I'm his cousin, Parker Piper.
Kermit Now, wait a minute! I came here to meet Peter Piper! I've met
Porter Piper, Potter Piper, Piper Piper, Poppa Piper, Pepper Piper,
Porker Piper and Parker Piper, all picking peppers, and WHERE
IS PETER PIPER?!?
Parker Ah. He's in Portland, pressing pants.
Kermit Oh, phooey. [ Kermit sighs, and sits down in the pile. Peppers fall
on his head. ] Well, from the pickled pepper pile in Piper's
Pickled Pepper Patch, this is Kermit the Frog, returning you to the
program in progress... Anybody got a letter Q?
[ A pepper basket falls on his head. ]

52. Nursery Rhyme: The Old Woman Who Lives in a Shoe Episode 1836,
Season 15, November 21, 1983: Kermit looks for the Old Woman who Lives
in a Shoe. At first he ends up visiting The Young Man who Lives in a Glove,
and the Young Woman who Lives in a Hat. When he reaches the shoe, it
turns out the old woman needs a babysitter for her kids, and what better
candidate than Kermit?

53. Don Music: Can You Tell Me How To Get To Yellowstone Park Episode
1845, Season 15, December 2, 1983: Don Music tries to rewrite the "Sesame
Street Theme" on a stormy night. He succeeds with the help of Kermit and is
joined by Little Chrissy and the Alphabeats.

54. Nursery Rhyme: Mary and Her Little Lamb Episode 2059, Season 16, March
28, 1985: After an interview with Mary, the lamb follows Kermit the Frog.
Transcript:

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Announcer We take you now to Kermit the Frog with another fast
breaking news story!
Kermit Hi ho, Kermit the Frog here for Sesame Street News. You all
remember the poem: Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was
white as snow, and everywhere that Mary went, the lamb was
sure to go? Remember that? Well, do you remember the part
where it followed her to school? Well, this is Mary's school
back here, and -- oh, look, there comes Mary, and the little
lamb is following her! Oh, Maaaa-ryyyy!
Mary Hm? Oh.
Kermit Uh, Kermit the Frog of Sesame Street News here, I was
wondering if I could ask you a couple of questions.
Mary Oh, well, certainly.
Kermit Uh huh. Well, how did it go in school today?
Mary Oh, it was wonderful.
Kermit Mm hmm. And, uh, with the lamb?
Lamb It's not baaa-aaaa-aaad.
Mary Isn't he cute?
Kermit Bad, huh. Yes, he's very cute. [ The lamb starts nudging
Kermit with his nose. ] But, uh, actually, I was wondering,
maybe we should step over here away from the lamb...
Mary Oh, sure.
Kermit So I can ask you the questions.
Mary Okay.
[ Kermit and Mary move a step away, but the Lamb follows,
nudging Kermit more agressively. ]
Kermit Oh. Uh. It's coming along, though.
Mary Felix, c'mon.
Kermit It does follow you everywhere, doesn't it?
Mary Oh, if a lamb likes you, he'll follow you anywhere.
Kermit Yeah, well, he's, uh -- heh heh --
Mary Boy, he likes you too!
Kermit Yeah, he's a cute little guy, isn't he? Yeah. Mm hm.
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Mary Felix, c'mon.
[ The lamb keeps nudging and nibbling on Kermit. ]
Kermit Yeah, well, uh, tell me, uh, what did you learn in school today,
Mary?
Mary We learned that one plus one is two. Cut it out, Felix.
Kermit Yes, so you learned to --
Lamb Aaa-aaa-add!
Kermit To add, yes. Er, uh. That's very good. Where did you get this,
this little guy, anyhow, Mary?
Mary Oh, I got him from my father.
Kermit From your father, from your, uh --
Lamb Daaa-aaad!
Kermit Dad. Yes. Um.
Kermit Well, don't you think it's probably time you went on home,
now, Mary?
Mary Oh.
Kermit And we can watch the lamb follow you home, don't you think?
Mary Sure. Boy! He just likes you a LOT!
Kermit Yeah, he does...
Mary Come on, come on... we're going home... [ Mary leads her
lamb away. ]
Lamb Baa-aaa-aaa! Baaa! Baaaa!
Mary Come on...
Kermit Bye bye, now. Bye bye.
Lamb Baaaaa!
Kermit Bye bye, little lamb. Okay. Well, this is Kermit the Frog, and
I've been talking to Mary and her little lamb, and, uh --
[ The lamb comes back and baaa's in Kermit's face. ]
Lamb Baaaaa-aaa!
Kermit Yes, you were supposed to go home with Mary.
Lamb Baaaaa! Baaaa! [ The lamb starts pushing Kermit. ]
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Kermit No, go on home! Go on home! I'm ticklish, now... Oh! Would
you cut that out? Now, listen!
Lamb Baaaa!
Kermit Uh, this is Kermit the Frog, and I'm --
Lamb Baaaa-aaaa!
Kermit I'm being followed by Mary's little lamb, and returning you to
your regularly scheduled -- wha-aaaa!
[ The lamb pushes Kermit off screen. ]

55. The Three Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf: How the Three Little Pigs Feel
Episode 2096, Season 17, November 18, 1985:

Announcer: “And now a Sesame Street News Flash. We understand that
some unfortunate piggies have been left homeless. We take you now, live to
our reporter on the scene, Kermit the Frog.”

Kermit, facing the wrong way, “Hi ho, this is Kermit the frog and, err (turns
around) Hi ho, this is Kermit the Frog and I’m standing here beside the
homes, or the former homes, of the three little pigs. Here comes one now.

Kermit asks, “Excuse me, Mr. pig, I see your house which was made of straw
is uh, virtually doesn’t exist anymore. Can you tell our audience how you feel
about that?”

Pig: “How do I feel about that?! I’m angry! (Growls) That’s how I feel about
that, what kind of dumb question is that! How would you feel if some big
wolf came along and huffed and puffed and blew your house down, huh?
Angry!” He huffs out.

Kermit: “Well, yes, that is one angry pig.” Another one comes along, he asks,
“I see that your house, which once made of sticks, is virtually demolished
here. Can you tell our viewers how you feel about that please?”

2
nd
Pig: “How I feel?” Kermit: “Mmmhmm,” Pig: “My house is in rubble
here, and you’re asking me how I feel? How can you be so cruel as to ask me
that? The house is in rubble here, and you’re asking me how I feel?! I feel
sad, that’s how I feel. You newspersons! How would you feel if a big wolf
came by and blew and huffed and puffed on your Lillie pad?

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Kermit says, yes he would feel sad, too. (“There goes one sad pig..”)Then he
comes upon the third pig, whose house survived because it was made from
bricks. He asks the third pig how he feels about having his house nice and big
and strong? The pig says he feels proud, because it took a long time to build
and the wolf couldn’t blow it down. Then the two others come along, and he
invites them in for a few lemonade drinky-poos; they all go inside and Kermit
signs off, “This has been Kermit the Frog reporting to you on the emotional
state of the three little pigs. Two of whom were left temporarily homeless as
the result of some serious huffing and puffing, from an alleged large wolf.” In
pops a wolf: “WHAT DO YOU MEAN, ALLEGED?” Kermit has no time to
answer before the wolf blows him out of frame, yelling “This is Kermit the
Frog signing off”

56. Don Music: Whistle, Whistle, Little Bird Episode 2164, Season 17, February
20, 1986: Don Music tries to rewrite "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." He
succeeds and is joined by a country-western band.

57. Ideas for Games Episode 2228, Season 18, November 19, 1986: Kermit
interviews Elmo about his new game idea; he explains that an idea is
something that exists in the mind, and that he is interested in people’s new
ideas. Elmo says he does have an idea for a game—he wants to play
“reporter game” and tries to take Kermits microphone, playfully saying to the
audience: “This is Elmo for Sesame Street News haha.” Kermit is frustrated
with losing control over the interview, and attempts to get back his
microphone he is yanked off screen.

58. Dr. Nobel Price:The Great Poonga-Poonga Episode 2258, Season 18,
December 31, 1986: Dr. Nobel Price reveals his latest captured creature,
which turns out to be a live rabbit.

59. Ballet: Counting Battements Episode 2291, Season 18, February 16, 1987:
Kermit and Grover watch Suzanne to twenty grand battements

60. Alice in Wonderland Episode 2313, Season 18, March 18, 1987: Kermit
interviews Alice, from the Lewis Carroll tales. For this adventure, she drinks
a beverage that makes her grow. Then Kermit eats a cupcake that causes him
to shrink. Transcript:

Announcer We take you now to Kermit the Frog with another fast
breaking news story!
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Kermit Yeah, well, where's the White Rabbit? Late again, huh? Well,
we'll just have to start without him. What? Oh! Hi ho, this is
Kermit the Frog, speaking to you from Sesame Street News, in
Wonderland -- where anything can happen, and it usually
does! And with me is Alice here...
Alice Hi.
Kermit Yes, and Alice, you've been having some pretty strange
adventures here, haven't you?
Alice Yeah, I'll say.
Kermit Uh huh. And, uh -- incidentally, you're kinda small, even for a
little girl, aren't you?
Alice Yeah. Musta been somethin' I ate.
Kermit Uh huh. Well, uh, tell me, Alice, what is your next amazing
adventure going to be?
Alice Well, I'll tell ya, Kerm. I have this little bottle of water that
says: Drink me.
Kermit Little bottle. Yeah.
Alice And I'm, uh, gonna drink it.
Kermit You are! Is that it, huh?
Alice Yep. Drinking the water.
Kermit Okay, well, it's probably gonna be pretty exciting, uh, won't it,
folks? She's going to drink the water, and then, what's going to
happen?
Alice I don't know. We'll see.
Kermit Uh huh. Well, that's Wonderland, folks! That's Wonderland,
you never know what's going to happen when you drink some
water, so, uh... there she goes, she is drinking the water.
[ Alice drinks some water... and quickly grows to Kermit's
size. ]
Kermit Hmm, wait a minute. What's happening?
Alice Wow.
Kermit Wha-ho! You got big fast, didn't you?
Alice I did, I did.
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Kermit Yeah... uh, listen, uh, look how big she is, she took a drink and
she really -- she really got big!
Alice You know, that was curiously refreshing.
Kermit Yeah?
Alice I think I'll drink some more.
Kermit Uh... you sure?
[ Alice drinks some more... and grows even bigger. ]
Kermit My goodness!
Alice My my!
Kermit This is curiouser and curiouser! You're bigger now, you know!
Alice I know, I know I'm bigger.
Kermit Yeah.
Alice Well, uh, I might as well finish this drink.
Kermit Well, do you think that's smart? I mean, there's a fairly low
ceiling in this place...
[ Alice gulps down the rest of the water... and gets even
bigger... ]
Kermit Look out for the ceiling, Alice!
[ Alice hits the ceiling with a huge CRASH! Plaster falls down
onto Kermit's head. ]
Alice Oh, no.
Kermit ALICE!
Alice Oh, dear.
Kermit You hit the ceiling!
Alice I know.
Kermit Are you okay?
Alice I'm okay. I'm sorry about the ceiling, though.
Kermit Well, how do you feel?
Alice I... I feel very big!
Kermit Well, you are certainly the biggest little girl I've ever seen!
Alice This is the biggest I've ever been.
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Kermit Yes, well, you're certainly -- you're real big!
Alice I am big.
Kermit Yeah. Well, you know, Alice, I think I'm getting a stiff neck
just from talking to you...
Alice Oh.
Kermit So I think the interview is over.
Alice Oh, okay. Well, I'll see ya later, Kerm.
Kermit Okay, Alice.
[ Alice thumps away. ]
Kermit Whoa! She is -- she is big, folks. I have seen big in my life,
but she is really BIG! Uh... wait a second... Hmm... She left a
cupcake here. Look at that, I think maybe I'll just take a little
bite of this... [ He takes a bite of the cupcake. ] Oh! That
tastes... rather strange...
[ Kermit shrinks, all the way down to a couple inches. He
struggles with his microphone to finish the report. ]
Kermit Whoa-oa-oa! Uh... this is Kermit the Frog, and, uh... How am I
going to explain this back at the office? Eesh...

61. London Fog Episode 2404, Season 19, January 21, 1988: In London, Kermit
tries to talk about the London Fog, but is interrupted by the London Frog, a
Grenadier Guardsman carrying "The Famous London Log," and a London
Hog. By the time he's ready to talk, the Fog has evaporated, and the others
gather around to dance the London Clog.

62. Old McDonald: Spaceship Episode 2448, Season 19, March 23, 1988: News
Flash Logo flashes as Kermit is talking to the pig prior to doing his stand-up.
Once he realizes cameras are rolling, he introduces the story: “This is the
very farm made famous by the rhyme, ‘Old McDonald had a farm, ee-i—ee-
i—oh…” McDonald is filling in the blanks, as he is present for an interview.
Kermit points out his “unusual accent” and establishes that he is Scottish.
Kermit says McDonald has a very big surprise, and says he has a spaceship.
Kermit says, “Well Old McDonald has a farm and a reported space ship but I,
of course have not seen it” (alluding to a reporter’s need for objectivity and
healthy skepticism). Then Kermit asks him to describe the spaceship; just as
he is describing a “red disk that flies” a dog pops into frame carrying a red
Frisbee in his mouth, and McDonald yells, “There it is!” Kermit says that it’s
a Frisbee, disappointed, and asks “We came all the way out here to see a
77
Frisbee?!” It is another disappointing, false lead for Kermit the reporter. Just
as McDonald leaves, Kermit is alone on camera, and something comes in
from the sky. Aliens come out of a real spaceship singing and Kermit gets
caught in a melee of the singing Yip Yap Martians doing an alien rendition of
“Eee I Eee I ohhhh” song.

63. Don Music: The Alphabet Song Episode 2475, Season 19, May 5, 1988: Don
Music successfully "writes" the Alphabet Song, with help from his
surroundings including Kermit.
11

64. Little Red Cookie Hood Episode 2487, Season 20, November 22, 1988:
Kermit starts his stand-up facing away from the camera by mistake as usual,
then turns around to speak to camera and state his location, his story etc.
“Little Red Riding Hood should be here any moment now, and we are hoping
for an exclusive look at that basket of goodies and we’re gonna find out
what’s inside the basket.” Riding Hood (Cookie Monster) comes in, alarmed
that Kermit may be a wolf in frog clothing; he assures her that no he is
Kermit the Frog, and turns to camera to say “of Sesame Street News” and
tells her they are here for an “inside peek” at the basket’s contents. She says,
for Sesame Street News? SURE!

Kermit goes close into the camera to speak to audience, saying “this is an
exciting moment as Little Red Riding Hood goes inside to reveal what’s
inside the basket.” Just then, Little Red asks who he is talking to. Kermit tries
to explain, but she says never mind and goes on to show that there are only
cookies in the basket to make her sick grandma feel better.

Kermit is again disappointed, but this time it’s because there is no chicken
soup; he goes on to explain that when people are sick, they want healthy
things like chicken soup and fresh vegetables (functioning here as a truth
conveyer, educator, etc.)

Ever the reporter, Kermit goes on to see if he can get an interview with the
granny, too; the wolf answers the door, dressed as Dr. Wolf, and Kermit
flees, saying let’s just forget the granny story.

Granny comes to the door: “Who was that?”

Wolf: “Oh, just some frog from Sesame Street News” Here, the wolf is
adopting the familiar tone of contempt for pesky reporters.

11
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er_dDJDAPU0
78
65. Little Red Riding Hood: Directions Episode 2503, Season 20 December 14,
1988: Kermit, using a pull-down map, tries to give Little Red Riding Hood
directions to her grandmother's house. But she seems preoccupied with
brushing lint from her red cloak. In the end, Red joins her grandmother, the
Big Bad Wolf, and a cab driver for a picnic. Transcript:

Announcer We take you now to Kermit the Frog with another fast
breaking news story!
Kermit [ Kermit is facing the wrong way. He realizes his mistake and
turns around. ] Oh! Uh. Hi ho, Kermit the Frog here for
Sesame Street News, and I'm standing in the forest here,
waiting for Little Red Riding Hood, who's supposed to be
coming this way on her way to her grandmother's house! And,
uh -- hark! I think that's her coming now.
[ Little Red Riding Hood enters, humming. ]
Little Red Uh oh. I think I'm lost. Excuse me, Mr Frog?
Kermit Uh, yes, Kermit the Frog of Sesame Street News, ma'am?
Little Red Hello.
Kermit Hi.
Little Red Could you please tell me how to get to Grandmother's house?
Kermit Oh, I would be very happy to. Matter of fact, I happen to have
a map of the entire area, right over here...
Little Red Oh, great!
Kermit If you'll just step over here, I'll show you... [ Kermit reaches
up and pulls down a map. ] ... this map of the entire area. You
see, right here --
Little Red Uh huh.
Kermit This is the entire area.
Little Red Uh huh.
Kermit Now, where we are is, we're standing in the woods, right here,
you see?
Little Red Mm hmm.
Kermit Now, in order to get to Grandmother's house, which is right up
here...
[ As Kermit explains, Little Red gets distracted brushing off
her cape. ]
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Kermit ... you have to walk down this road right here, till you come to
the shopping center. And then, um...
[ Kermit notices that Little Red is distracted. ]
Kermit Excuse me, uh, Miss Riding Hood...
Little Red Yes?
Kermit You're not listening to me.
Little Red Oh, I'm sorry. I had some lint on my pretty new red cape.
Please, please. Go on.
Kermit Well, I will, but I think I'd better start all over again, because
you weren't listening.
Little Red Oh, okay. Uh huh. Thank you.
Kermit Well, starting all over again, you see, we're in the woods, here.
Little Red Mm hmm!
Kermit Now, to get to Granny's house, you have to go down this road
here, until you come to the shopping center. [ Little Red starts
brushing more lint off her cape. ] That's where you have to
make a left turn, go through the covered bridge, until you... uh,
Miss Hood.
Little Red Hmm? What? Oh. Hiya.
Kermit You're not listening!
Little Red Oh, I'm sorry.
Kermit Now, how do you expect to get to Granny's house, if you don't
listen?
Little Red By taxi.
Kermit Taxi?
Little Red Yeah, I just hop a taxi. TAXI!
[ A taxi immediately screeches up, and Red gets in. ]
Taxi Driver Yeah, where to?
Little Red Could you please take me to Grandmother's house?
Taxi Driver Grandmother's? Uh, that's by the railroad track, right?
Little Red Well, I'm not sure...
Taxi Driver Eh, never mind. We'll find it! Heh heh heh. Okay!
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[ The taxi speeds off, leaving Kermit behind. ]
[ The Big Bad Wolf approaches. ]
Wolf Hey, Mac! I've kinda lost my way here.
Kermit Wait a second! Are you the Big Bad Wolf?
Wolf You got it, frog! Hey - would you happen to know the way to
Grandma's house?
Kermit Well, as a matter of fact, I do, and I'll be happy to tell you, if
you'll only listen to me.
Wolf Hey, I'd be glad to listen! I wanta find out real bad! If I don't --
there'll be no story!
Kermit Yes, right. Okay. Well, I happen to have a map of the entire
area right over here. Now, you see, we're in the woods right
here...
[ Granny enters, moaning. ]
Granny Oh me, oh my...
Wolf Why, Grandma! What do you know! I was just trying to get to
your house.
Granny Oh, were you! Well, I was too! But I got lost...
Wolf Well, hey... this frog here said he knows the way!
Granny You DO?
Kermit Yes, I do, and I'd be happy to tell you all, if you'll just listen to
me.
Wolf Hey, Mac, I'm ALLLLLL ears!
Granny And I'm all ears too, Mac!
Kermit Uh, okay... well, now, let me just tell you all. You see, we're in
the woods right here...
Granny [ not paying attention to Kermit ] Speaking of ears, you got an
awful big set of ears! They're kinda cute, too, heh heh.
Wolf Awwww... well, thank you there, Granny... I was just kinda
admiring that hairdo of yours...
Granny Oh, were you! I just had it changed recently! I had it a
different way for years! I had trouble with my hairdresser, you
see...
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Kermit Hey, listen... uh... Will both of you PIPE DOWN and LISTEN
TO ME?
[ The taxi pulls up again. ]
Taxi Driver Yeah, uh... where are we?
Little Red I told you it was left at the shopping center!
Taxi Driver No, no... if we'da gone left, we woulda gone through the toll
bridge...
Little Red No, no, no, no, no...
Taxi Driver It would have cost ya an extra quarter!
Little Red Oh, look, there's Grandmother... Grandmother!
Granny Mm hmm?
Little Red Do you turn left or right at the shopping center to get to your
house?
Granny What shopping center?
Wolf I thought you turned at the video arcade!
Little Red No, no, no.
Kermit Uh, listen... QUI-ET!
Kermit Listen, nobody's going to find out how to get to Grandmother's
house unless you listen to ME!
Taxi Driver Well, uh... okay, man! I mean, frog. We're all ears.
Little Red Yeah.
Kermit Okay. Well, let me just show you on the map, over here. You
see, right now, we're in the woods right here... Now, when you
go out of this...
Wolf Aw, why don't we just forget all this going to Grandma's stuff,
and have a picnic here?
Little Red Okay. Although I know it was at the shopping center...
Kermit Now, when you get to the... uh... what's going on?
Little Red We're having a picnic! If you'd been listening, you would
know what we're doing!
Taxi Driver Yeah! Pass the mustard, will ya?
Kermit Uh... This is Kermit the Frog returning you to your regularly
scheduled... program...
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66. History: The Boston Tea (“T”) Party Episode 2574, Season 20 March 23,
1989: Kermit is looking around for the camera, and when he finds it, “Hi ho,
Kermit the Frog with Sesame Street News with Great Moments in History,”
he says, going on: “the year? 1773. The place? The BOSTON HARBOR!
And WE….ARE…HERE!!!!!” He yells this into the sky, thrilled to be
reporting from a moment in history, not a fairytale, just as a man walks by.

Kermit: Would you mind telling us what is going on here today?

Man: Certainly. All us colonists are getting together to throw our tea into
Boston Bay.

Kermit: And would you mind telling us, whyyyy you are doing that?

Man: Not at all; see the king is making us pay a tax on our tea. And we don’t
like it.

Kermit: What?

Man: So to show him how angry we are, we’re throwing anything that starts
with the letter tea into the water. I myself am throwing all my ties into the
bay.

Kermit: Ties?? No, no no, no, I thought that….

Man 2: Hey Boss, what should I do with these turnips?

Man: Yeah, yeah throw them in the bay. Man 2: Righty-o. Kermit: Turnips?

Another man shows up with tamales, and the man directs him to throw them
overboard as well. Kermit is stuttering , and he tells them to wait a minute but
no one pays attention. After a little girl throws her toboggan into the bay,
Kermit loses it and says, “Hold on just wait a minute everybody! I’ll say
there is something wrong. This is not what happened at the Boston Tea Party!
To begin with, the king didn’t put a tax on the letter T, or things that start
with the letter T, he put a tax on TEA! The stuff you drink, the beverage!”
“You’re supposed to be throwing tea into the bay! I’m sure I read it in the
history books,” says an exasperated Kermit.

The man asks if Kermit is sure, and announces, “The frog here says we’re
supposed to be throwin’ tea into the bay, the stuff you drink!” The people run
off to get the tea, and it is then Kermit tells the camera, “Why is it that I’m
83
the only FROG in broadcasting that has to put up with stuff like this, huh?!”
Just then, a few folks return with tea bags, and as Kermit points out that it
wasn’t supposed to be tea bags, they pay him no attention so Kermit signs
off, “This is Kermit reporting from a very silly Boston Tea Party.”

67. The Invisible Man Episode 2604, Season 20 May 4, 1989: Kermit interviews
the Invisible Man, who tap dances for him, and later introduces his family
which crowds Kermit. All that is seen of the Invisible Man and his kin are
their hats.
12

68. Alphabet Mine Episode 2612, Season 20, May 16, 1989: Kermit the Frog
reports from an alphabet mine where they dig Js. The miners tell him various
words that begin with J and Richard presents him with his own J. (Later
reruns of this sketch had banjo music added in the background.)

69. Monsters at School: What Monsters Want to Be When They Grow Up
Episode 2613, Season 20, May 17, 1989: Kermit, doing a "slow-breaking
human interest story," asks monsters at a daycare center what they want to be
when they grow up, and every time they tell him, he rewards them with a
cookie. Cookie Monster, posing as a baby ("Cry cry cry, sniffle sniffle
sniffle"), claims he wants to be an orthodontist. However, Kermit gets wise to
Cookie's scheme, and instead rewards him with a wind-up toy pair of false
teeth.

70. Fairy Tale: Jack and the Beanstalk Episode 2617, Season 20, November 14,
1989: Kermit is coming to viewers live, from the beanstalk itself, climbing up
to his exclusive interview with Jack to discuss the goose that layed the golden
egg, the magic harp, and the one other thing he can’t remember just yet. He is
struggling to climb and report simultaneously, and a man coming down the
stalk tells him that Jack isn’t up there anymore. “You must be Jack,” Kermit
says. He’s right. Jack advises him not to keep going up, but Kermit replies,
“Sesame Street News never blows a story, and I can still talk to the goose that
lays the golden egg, or the harp that sings, or that third thing, I can’t
remember what that was.” Kermit emerges from a cloud to the top, and hears
the infamous fe-fi-fo-fum and remembers the “third thing” was a giant, and
he signs off quickly, “We return you quickly to regularly scheduled
programming as I make my way down the beanstalk! Down, down!”

71. Miami Mice Episode 2640, Season 21, December 15, 1989: Kermit appeared
in his reporter persona in a Miami Mice sketch (which used the regular
Miami Mice intro instead of the News Flash logo). Kermit tries to interview

12
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84
the mice about adventure (probably for another news program other than
Sesame Street News), but finds it difficult to do so when he's interrupted by a
jet plane, an animal stampede, and a giant monster all making their way
through the office.
13

72. Monsters at School: The First Day of School Kermit Episode 2682, Season
21, February 13, 1990: reassures kindergarten student Cookie Monster that
there's no need to be afraid on the first day of school. As he's about to leave,
the teacher mistakes him for a student and tells him to sit down.

73. The Three Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf: The Big Bad Wolf's School for
Huffing and Puffing Episode 2691, Season 21, February 26, 1990: The wolf
teaches Kermit how to huff and puff like him. The wolf tests Kermit's
blowing skills by having him move three ping pong balls by taking a deep
breath and then blow them away with his mouth. Next, the wolf wants Kermit
to blow down a straw house, but Kermit can't do it. On the third try, the wolf
secretly helps him by blowing on the house and they both blow the straw off
a monster couple's house . The wolf congratulates Kermit on his great job at
blowing, but now Kermit has to deal with the monster couple, who are not
very pleased with what just happened.

74. Cinderella: Fairy Godmother Episode 2749, Season 22, November 15, 1990:
Cinderella's Fairy Godmother tries to make a beautiful ball dress appear on
Cinderella without success: the gown ends up on Kermit instead.

Announcer We take you now to Kermit the Frog with another fast
breaking news story!
Kermit [ Kermit is talking to the horse. ] I see. So that used to be a
pumpkin, and you used to be a mouse, huh? [ The horse
snorts. ] Mm. I wonder if the audience would believe that. Uh.
Oh! Hi ho, this is Kermit the Frog of Sesame Street News, and
I'm standing here, uh, next to the horse that used to be a
mouse, and on this side right here, we have -- Cinderella!
Cinderella That's me! [ giggles ]
Kermit Uh huh. And over here, we've got Cinderella's Fairy
Godmother!
Godmother Righto!

13
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85
Kermit Mm hmm. And this is a very exciting moment, because in just
one second, Cinderella's Fairy Godmother is going to make a
beautiful gown so Cinderella can go to the ball and meet the
prince! Mm?
Godmother Yes. She'll hop in that coach over there --
Kermit Right...
Godmother And she'll go to the Prince's place!
Kermit Aw, that sounds just wonderful. So, Fairy Godmother -- do
your stuff!
Godmother Right!
Kermit Okay. Tighten in on her there, folks.
Godmother Eye of worm, more or less, make Cinderella a beautiful dress!
[ She waves her wand, and there's a puff of smoke... ]
Cinderella Ewwwww! This is no dress! This is a BATHING SUIT! I can't
wear THIS! Ewwww!
Godmother Oh, dear... I'm so sorry, Cinderella. I made a mistake, didn't I?
Cinderella Uh huh.
Godmother Well, I'll have to try it a-gain!
Kermit Ah hah, do you see that, folks? She is going to try a-gain.
Carry on.
Godmother Ahem. Eye of worm, more or less, make Cinderella a beautiful
dress! [ She waves her wand again, and in another puff of
smoke... ]
Cinderella PAJAMAS? Ewwww! What IS this? I can't wear this to the
ball! Ewwww!
Godmother I'm sorry, Cinderella, I made a mistake. I'll try a-gain.
Kermit Ah ha, you see that, folks, Cinderella's Fairy Godmother is
going to try a-gain; she is not going to give up.
Godmother No, no. All right, but I'll use my super duper magic words for
this! Ahem. Nose of bat, possum thigh... lion's foot, and ten
french fries! Tail of mouse, fur of teddy -- make Cinderella a
DRESS already! [ She waves her wand, and in a puff of
smoke... ]
86
Cinderella Ewwwww! I'm in my RAGS again! Oh, no! Ewww, ewwww,
ewww, ewwwww! [ Horrified, Cinderella runs back into the
house. ]
Godmother Oh, I'm so sorry, Cinderella -- please... [ The Fairy
Godmother follows Cinderella. ]
Kermit [ wearing Cinderella's dress: ] Ah, wait a second... uh,
Cinderella! Come back here!
[ The two Coachmen approach, and drag Kermit to the
pumpkin coach. ]
Coach #1 Okay, Cinderella -- let's go! You're gonna be late for the ball!
C'mon!
Kermit I've got her dress on! No, no! I'm not Cinderella! She's inside
the house!
Coach #2 Come on, you look lovely...
Coach #1 You're gonna be the belle of the ball!
Kermit Wait a second! I don't WANT to go to the ball!
Coach #1 Yeah, don't worry about a thing.
Kermit Uh, this is Kermit the Frog, returning you to your regularly
scheduled program... this is embarrassing...
Coach #1 Think we can do anything about her face?
Kermit No, no, no. What kind of food do they serve there, anyhow?

75. Fairy Tale: Seven Emotional Dwarves Episode 2787, Season 22, January 8,
1991: Kermit meets the Seven Dwarves, seemingly from the Snow White
story. However, in this version each is named after (and represents) an
emotion. (Kermit ad-lib: "Hey Dulcy, we got the wrong dwarves again!")
They are named Cheerful, Sad, Lovey, Angry, Proud, Surprised and Fearful.

76. Nursery Rhyme: Old King Cole Episode 2887, Season 23, November 26,
1991: Kermit witnesses as Old King Cole calls for his pipe and bowl (both of
which he rejects), followed by his fiddlers three (along with a drummer, a
saxophone player, and a bass player).
14

14
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVaRaXEiDd4
87
77. The Tortoise and the Hare's Rematch Episode 3056, Season 24, January 18,
1993: The hare challenges The Tortoise to a rematch: this time, the Tortoise
comes equipped with a jet-pack. Transcript:

Announcer We take you now to Kermit the Frog with another fast-
breaking news story!
Kermit I don't know why they call it the Tortoise and the Hare. I
mean, why don't they just call it the Turtle and the Rabbit?
Hm? Oh. Hi ho, Kermit the Frog, here to report on what is
being billed as the Race of the Century, a rematch between the
Tortoise and the Hare. Now, as you track fans will recall, the
first time these two met, the Hare was a heavy favorite! But
the Tortoise, using a strategy which he called "slow but
steady," won the race! And now these two competitors will
meet again. In just a moment...
[ The crowd starts to jeer and boo as the Hare arrives. ]
Hare Aw, who ASKED ya? Whatta YOU know?
Kermit Let's see if we can get a word with him. Excuse me, Hare --
Kermit the Frog, Sesame Street News -- uh, could you give us
a prediction on the outcome of today's race?
Hare Yeah! I'm gonna WIN!
Kermit Mm hmm, and, uh, why is that?
Hare Whatta you think? Because I'm FAST!
[ ZIP! The Hare zooms off screen. ZIP! He screeches back up
to Kermit. ]
Kermit Wow!
Hare FAST! See?
Kermit Yes, indeed, and yet, last time, you lost the race.
Hare I took a nap, okay? This time I'm gonna WIN! Ya know
WHY?
Kermit Um...
Hare Because I'm FAST!
Kermit Mmm, yes, I think you mentioned that already, uh...
[ The crowd starts to cheer. ]
Kermit Wait a second, listen to that roar, I think here comes... Here
comes the Tortoise! The Tortoise, ladies and gentlemen!
88
[ The Tortoise crawls in. ]
Hare Yeah, LOOK at this guy! Pathetic! PaTHETic! I'm FAST, he's
SLOW! I'm FAST, he's SLOW! FAST! SLOW! FAST!
SLOW! Nyah nyah ny-nyaah nyaaaaah!
Tortoise Ex-cuse me... [ The Tortoise exits. ]
Hare Ha ha! He's giving up before he even STARTS!
Kermit Well, ladies and gentlemen, it does seem to be true, the
Tortoise does seem to have left the track!
Referee Runners to the starting line!
Hare Ex-cuuuuuse ME! [ The Hare ZIPS! to the starting line. ]
Kermit Well, ladies and gentlemen, the race is about to begin, and
there is no sign of the Tortoise.
Hare Ha ha! He's not even gonna TRY!
Referee On your marks!
Hare That's no Tortoise... he's a CHICKEN!
Referee Get set!
[ Just behind the starting line, the Tortoise is rigged up with a
rocket. ]
Tortoise Ex-cuse me...
Referee GO!
[ The Tortoise starts up his rocket, and blasts through the
starting line. ]
Hare What was THAT?
Kermit That, folks, was FAST!
[ The Tortoise circles the track, and blasts through the finish
line. ]
Referee The WINNER!
Kermit The Tortoise! The Tortoise is the winner once again, ladies
and gentlemen!
Hare What do you mean, he's the winner? He wasn't -- he didn't
even --
Referee Yes, he was, and he did!
89
Hare Hey, somebody look up under the rule book! Look under C for
CHEATING! He -- he didn't -- I wasn't -- they, they -- I
couldn't -- that wasn't FAIR!

78. The Three Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf: The New Three Little Pigs Story
Episode 3080, Season 24, February 19, 1993: The Big Bad Wolf plays a
game of "Three of These Things" with Kermit and the pigs. Since Kermit
doesn't belong with the pigs, the wolf blows him out of the picture.
Sesamestreet.org

79. Waiting in Line Episode 3093, Season 24, March 10, 1993: Kermit talks to
people waiting in line for a football game being held at the SuperGame
Stadium

80. Old McDonald: Health Farm Old MacDonald Episode 3094, Season 24,
March 11, 1993: opens a health resort for his animals.

81. History: The First Day of School in History Episode 3114, Season 24, April
8, 1993: Kermit goes back in time to witness the very first day of school,
taught by a caveman teacher (Mr. Moses) with caveman students (such as
Oog, Argh, and Runk). Today the students learn about the letter N. The
teacher presents a stone carved N to Kermit... which accidentally lands on his
flipper.

82. They Live in Different Places, But They Both Love Me Episode 3118,
Season 24, April 14, 1993: Kermit interviews a bird who sings about how her
parents still love her even though they don't live together anymore (though it
is not directly stated whether her parents are divorced or separated).

83. Fairy Tale: The Princess and the C Episode 3120, Season 24, April 16, 1993:
Instead of a pea, this princess sleeps on things beginning with C.
15

Announcer We take you now to Kermit the Frog with another fast
breaking news story!

15
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90
Kermit Hi ho, Kermit the Frog here, speaking to you from the palace
of the Princess in that famous story of The Princess And The
Pea. Now, as you know, the Princess in that story was so
sensitive, that when a single pea -- like this one right here --
was placed in her bed, she couldn't sleep all night long,
because she could feel it through a whole pile of mattresses.
How about that. A single little pea like this one. [ He eats the
pea. ] Mmm-mmm. Needs salt. Anyhow, behind me now is
the door to the bedroom where the Princess has been tossing
and turning all night long. And any minute...
[ The guards play a fanfare. ]
Kermit Oh, here comes the Princess now!
[ The Princess enters, yawning. ]
Kermit Ah, good morning, Princess! Kermit the Frog here, of Sesame
Street News, can you tell me -- how did you sleep last night?
Princess Ahhh... like a log!
Kermit I see. Okay, folks, you heard it right here, she slept like a log...
now, wait a second, how could you sleep like a log? What
about the pea?
Princess What pea?
Kermit The pea under your mattress. The pea, you're supposed to keep
tossing and turning all night long! Didn't you feel the pea?
Princess ... No.
Kermit Well, aren't you the Princess from The Princess And The Pea?
Princess Noooo, I'm the Princess from The Princess And The C,
froggie! Here, I'll show ya!
[ She goes back into her bedroom. ]
Kermit But... but... The Princess And The C?
[ The Princess brings him a big letter C. ]
Princess Here it is!
Kermit But... that is a C, all right, but I don't suppose you slept on
that.
Princess Well, sure... along with all the other stuff.
Kermit The other stuff? What other stuff?
Princess Vic! Tony! Bring out the bed.
91
Vic Okay!
Tony Okay.
Kermit What... I don't believe this. Who booked the wrong Princess
on this show? Who's the talent coordinator here?
[ Vic and Tony wheel out the Princess' bed, which is covered
in things that begin with C. ]
Vic Okay! Here we go.
Kermit Uh, excuse me, Princess, you actually sleep on all of this?
Princess Why, yeah. Each of these things starts with the letter C. It's
kinda like my trademark. A cactus -- see?
Kermit A cactus, yeah...
Princess A coconut...
Kermit Mm hmm. Coconut.
Princess A clarinet... and back there is a crocodile... and here's a clock.
Kermit Crocodile... and clock. But, uh, you actually sleep on the
clock, but, uh, why?
Princess Why?
Kermit Mm hmm.
Princess Hey, I'm a Princess! I gotta kingdom to take care of! I gotta
deal with ogres, and giants, and witches! I gotta be TOUGH,
froggie! And sleeping on this stuff MAKES me tough!
Kermit Uh, yeah, well, I can see that.
Princess Yeah, you oughta try it sometime.
Kermit Uh, well...
Princess Here, why don't you lie down on that coconut?
Kermit Well, I'd love to, but I'm afraid we're all out of time.
Princess Aw, c'mon -- Vic, Tony! Put the frog on this stuff. Yeah.
Kermit Uh, this is Kermit the Frog... wait, wait a second... What are
you doing to me?
Princess Yeah, you're gonna love it, froggie!
[ Vic and Tony grab Kermit, and force him to lie down on the
bed. ]
92
Vic There ya go, frog!
Princess Hey, Vic -- slide that clarinet right under him, yeah...

84. (No known episode number) Kermit follows the Tortoise v. Hare race.
Transcript:

Kermit Hey, Benny, put two dollars on Goody Two Shoes in the 4th. Hm?
On camera? No, on Goody Two Shoes. Oh, I'm on camera. Oh!
Ahem. Kermit the Frog here for Sesame Street Sports, and we're
coming to you now from the famous race between the Tortoise
and the Hare -- or the Turtle and the Rabbit, as they're sometimes
known to sports fans -- and the race is about to begin here. We'd
like to have a couple of words with some of the racers... here's Mr
Rabbit here.
Kermit Pardon me, Mr Rabbit! Kermit the Frog, Sesame Street Sports
here -- can I ask you a couple of questions?
Rabbit Oh, yeah, sure, sure.
Kermit Well, some people say that you're the fastest animal on paws. Is
that correct?
Rabbit Oh, yeah, Jumpin' Jack Rabbit, they call me. Hey, you wanna see
fast, frog?
Kermit Yeah, I certainly would.
Rabbit THIS is fast!
Kermit Let's see it.
[ ZIP! The rabbit zips away. ]
Kermit Wow! That is really, uh -- [ ZIP! He goes by in the other direction
] -- You're not kidding, that is -- [ ZIP! ] -- That is really fast,
folks, that is really fast, and you saw it here on Sesame Street
Sports, uh, but here comes the other runner right now, this is the
Tortoise, or the Turtle...
[ The Turtle approaches -- and walks right into Kermit without
noticing. ]
Kermit Uh, pardon me, uh, Mr Turtle, uh, excuse me, excuse me, this is
Kermit the Frog of Sesame Street Sports here, can I ask you a
couple of questions, Mr Turtle?
Turtle Hmmmmmmmm?
93
Kermit I was wondering, uh, some people say that you're too slow to win
this race, uh, what do you say to that, uh, Turtle, are you too slow
to win this race?
Turtle I don't ... know ...
Kermit Uh huh, well, that doesn't --
Turtle ... why ...
Kermit Oh.
Turtle ... they ... say ... that ...
Kermit Yeah, well, it, uh --
Turtle ... I'm ...
[ Kermit isn't sure whether to wait for the Turtle to finish or not.
He puts the microphone to the Turtle's mouth, takes it away, puts
it back. Finally, he takes it away. ]
Kermit Well, I just...
Turtle ... slow ...
[ Kermit is saved by a trumpet fanfare. ]
Kermit Oh! I think the race is about to begin. In one second, you're going
to see it here, folks.
Anncr Will the racers report to the starting line for the feature race!
Kermit Yes, folks, it's going to happen in just one second, folks! And
remember, you saw it here on Sesame Street Sports!
Anncr They're at the starting mark... and... they're OFF!
Kermit And they're off, folks! And they're off! And there goes the race!
And the Turtle is heading on down the track! Look at the Turtle
go! The Turtle is actually moving out, folks! But the Rabbit -- the
Rabbit hasn't moved! The Rabbit is still at the starting post! Folks,
let's go over and talk to that Rabbit -- can we? Uh, pardon me, Mr
Rabbit -- the Turtle's already moved out -- he's heading out down
the track, and you're just standing here, can you tell us, uh,
exactly, uh, why you're just standing here, huh?
Rabbit Hey, listen, I'm so fast, I can afford to just hang around here for a
while, and STILL win this race! Now, buzz off, frog!
Kermit Well! You heard it on Sesame Street Sports, folks! But I think I'm
gonna head on down to the finish line and see who actually wins
this race, huh?
94
Rabbit [ sings: ] Camptown Races five miles long, doo dah, doo dah,
Camptown Racers sing this song, all the doo-dah day...
Kermit Well, here we are at the finish line, folks...
Anncr The winner of the race is... KERMIT the FROG!
Kermit What?
[ Animals crowd around Kermit adoringly, and drape a wreath of
flowers over his neck. ]
Animal The frog won, yay! The frog won! Terrific, frog!
Animal Great race, froggie!
Animal Did you see that? That was terrific!
Kermit Thank you, uh...
Animal I knew you could do it!
Animal Wow! That was great!
Kermit This is Kermit the Frog... uh, the new champion... returning you to
your studio...
Animal Look at the legs on that frog! Is that powerful!

85. (No known episode number) Kermit Interviews the Three Little Pigs about
emotions. Transcript:

Announcer And now, a Sesame Street News Flash! We understand that some
unfortunate piggies have been left homeless! We take you now
live to our reporter on the scene, Kermit the Frog!
Kermit [ facing the wrong direction: ] Hi ho, this is Kermit the Frog,
and... hm? [ He turns around to face the camera. ] Hi ho, this is
Kermit the Frog, and I am standing beside the homes -- or should
I say the former homes -- of the Three Little Pigs! And... oh, look,
here comes one of those pigs right now... uh, excuse me, pig!
Pardon me, pig! Uh, pig! Kermit the Frog here, Sesame Street
News... I was wondering, I can see that your house, which was
made of straw, was, uh, virtually, uh, it doesn't exist anymore.
Can you tell our audience how you feel about that, please.
Pig #1 Can I tell you how I FEEL about that?
Kermit Mm hm.
95
Pig #1 Aww, what kind of a DUMB question is THAT? I'm ANGRY!
Mmmmmm! That's how I feel about that! How would YOU feel if
some big wolf came along and huffed and puffed and blew YOUR
house down, huh? ANGRY! That's how you'd feel!
Kermit Yes, okay, angry.
Pig #1 Ohhh, you newscasters! Grrrrr. [ The angry pig stalks away. ]
Kermit Yes, well, that's one angry pig, as well he might be.
Kermit And, uh, looking a little further here, I think here comes another
pig... Uh, pardon me, pig, I see that your house, which was made
of sticks, was virtually demolished! Can you tell our viewers how
you feel about that, please?
Pig #2 How do I feel? How can you be so cruel as to ask me that? Here,
my house is in rubbles, and you ask me how I feel?
Kermit Mm hmm.
Pig #2 SAD, that's how I feel! Oh... you news persons... how would YOU
feel if some big wolf came by and blew and huffed and puffed on
your lily pad, huh? How would YOU feel?
Kermit Well, I, I guess I would feel sad.
Pig #2 Sad! Right!
Kermit I guess. Yeah. Sad it is, then.
Pig #2 Sad... [ The sad pig exits. ]
Kermit Uh... okay, well, there goes one sad pig.
Kermit But, uh, there seems to be another house left standing here, this
house here which is made of bricks... and there is one of the pigs
left out there...
Pig #3 No, no, Muffin, Muffin, tell them to put the satellite dish on the
other side of the squash court --
Kermit I see this is the owner of the brick house, which seems to be just
fine, uh, pardon me, pig, I was wondering if you would tell our
audience how you feel about your house sitting here nice and solid
and strong!
Pig #3 Oh, well, how do I feel?
Kermit Mm hmm.
Pig #3 Why, I feel... PROUD!
Kermit Proud.
96
Pig #3 Why, yes, proud. It took a long time to build this house -- it IS the
strongest house on the block -- and the old wolf couldn't blow this
down if he TRIED to! Yes, I'd say I feel very, very... proud.
Kermit Mm hm. Mm hm.
[ The other pigs approach, grumbling. ]
Pig #3 Oh, fellas! What seems to be the problem?
Pig #2 Ohhh... my house got blown in...
Pig #1 Rrrrr... Mine too!
Pig #3 Well, gee, my house is still standing just fine... SAAAAAY! Why
don't you fellas join me and Muffin for a little while?
Pig #2 Really?
Pig #3 She just made some lemonade, we could have a couple drinkie-
poos by the pool?
Pig #2 Hey! That makes me HAPPY!
Pig #3 Awwww...
Pig #1 That makes me happy too!
Pig #3 Mmmm. Don't fall into the conversation pit!
[ The Pigs all file into the house. ]
Kermit Well, it looks like everybody ended up feeling nice and happy, so
this has been Kermit the Frog, reporting to you on the emotional
state of the Three Little Pigs, two of whom were left temporarily
homeless as a result of some serious huffing and puffing from an
alleged large wolf.
[ A Big Bad Wolf rushes up to Kermit. ]
Wolf What do ya mean, ALLEGED?
Kermit Uh... well, uh...
[ The Wolf huffs and puffs, and blows Kermit off screen. ]
Kermit This is Kermit the Frog, signing ooooooffffff.....

Abstract (if available)

Abstract This paper will examine the relationship between children’s television and their perception of the news media as a result of their consumption of news via popular culture. Specifically, the research will concentrate on Sesame Street, and the “Sesame Street News Flash,” a recurring segment that mimics the format of adult television news. Through the “Flash,” the paper will demonstrate how popular stereotypes of the TV reporter and conventions of television news are communicated to a vast audience of young viewers and examine the implications of these images.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Ragovin, Ashley Bernee (author)

Core Title N is for News: the image of the journalist on Sesame Street

School Annenberg School for Communication

Degree Master of Arts

Degree Program Journalism (Print Journalism)

Publication Date 05/05/2010

Defense Date 04/25/2010

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag children and news,IJPC,journalist,Kermit the Frog,kids and news,news for kids,OAI-PMH Harvest,pop culture,portrayal of journalist,Sesame Street

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Saltzman, Joseph (committee chair), Celis, William (committee member), Smith, Stacy (committee member)

Creator Email aragovin@gmail.com,ragovin@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-m3007

Unique identifier UC176300

Identifier etd-Ragovin-3639 (filename),usctheses-m40 (legacy collection record id),usctheses-c127-325208 (legacy record id),usctheses-m3007 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-Ragovin-3639.pdf

Dmrecord 325208

Document Type Thesis

Rights Ragovin, Ashley Bernee

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Repository Name Libraries, University of Southern California

Repository Location Los Angeles, California

Repository Email cisadmin@lib.usc.edu