Today's Show Is Brought To You By The Letter E

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As a child, I, like many born between 1969 and now enjoyed Sesame Street. I got it, by virtue of living east of Canada, and in a region that supports "Western New York and Southern Ontario", in a French-English format, too...usually around two PM. I would watch both the English and French versions. My French sadly, is limited to "Chicken and wine" (Coq au vin", )shut your mouth "Ferme ta bouche!",  "MERDE!" (Damn, and no, like shut your mouth, I did not learn that from Sesame Street) and the occasional bits of helpful information from cereal boxes and tampon boxes read during epic fits of boredom. I can somewhat count to 10, (Somewhat, in that if I were asked, I'd choke and leave out numbers...been way too long) and know how to greet people. 

My favorite character wasn't Elmo, whom I see is relatively recent, perhaps maybe only as old as I. When I saw his muppeteer on a show, and saw that Elmo is voiced by a large man with a lovely Samuel L. Jackson patter, I was shocked! 

No, I adored Grover. Flower the Gosh-Darned Skunk of Many Trials and I would be settled before PBS, often with cookies and a sippy cup of juice, and would watch the furry blue caped crusader with a sense of wonder. Well, I would, I have no idea what cotton-stuffed toy skunks think. There's one for the Land Of Misfit Toys, by the way!

Grover, despite the fact that he is small, clumsy, and not necessarily a good waiter, or a superhero as we typically see them, was perfect for me. He tried, gosh darn it, he tried! And he looked so gosh-darned cute while doing it, that he charmed me. And still does, all these years later. 
I didn't realize that he was voiced by the voice of Audrey II in "Little Shop of Horrors" until years later. I see Frank Oz and Grover as separate beings even now. 

I love the little blue oddball, clumsy and sweet, and always-wide-eyed and ready to try his best. 
I don't think I'll ever stop. 

Finding an actual Grover Doll, not part of a plastic thingamabobber, was tough. I see Ernies, Elmos, Abbey Cadabeys, and Cookie Monsters everywhere. I was shocked silly by Miss Piggy in Playboy! (OY!) And last time I knew, the only Fozzie and Kermit toys were part of a Christmas thing at McDonalds in the 80's. 
But... for $10.86, I found a big, floppy, Grover, looking just as cute and blue and fuzzy as he always did. Granted, his position in the box is frightening...golly, he looks like he's being crucified! (And screaming, I should let him out of there, my imagination is running away with me!) I am shocked: I think I'm becoming a relic. All the Muppets I remember are from a time when Muppets were just Muppets. There were no "Classic Muppets"- they just were (Today's episode is brought to you by the Letter E for Existentialism! And our special guest, Fredrich Nietzsche!) Now it's Classic Muppets. Obviously, these are more for the late-20's-to-perhaps-early 50s aged parents. Well, maybe I am a relic, I hear it often enough, actually. Screw it. I will still love my Grover. Here is a cutie from the 70s... I find that this song actually works like a charm. It was used here and there in my speech therapy class. And of course, the lovely Ms. Madelyn Kahn! :)