How Sesame Street tried to change the world

Summary

Forever Ago Podcast Episode Summary: "How Sesame Street Tried to Change the World"

Released November 27, 2024 by American Public Media

In the "Forever Ago" episode titled "How Sesame Street Tried to Change the World," hosts Joy Dolo and Truman explore the remarkable history and enduring impact of the iconic children's television program, Sesame Street. Through engaging storytelling and insightful discussions, the episode delves into the show's origins, its innovative approaches to education, the challenges it faced, and the profound changes it brought to children's programming and education.

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Introduction: Setting the Stage

The episode opens with a playful advertisement for the Joy Dolo School of Acting, introducing a whimsical subplot featuring a giant green capital letter E seeking to land a role on Sesame Street. This creative narrative sets the tone for the episode, blending humor with educational insights.

• [00:00] Joy Dolo: "Oh, Truman, come here. My commercial is about to be on."
• [00:03] Truman: "Cool. I'll turn the TV up."

Acting Class: Letter E's Audition Journey

Joy Dolo introduces a unique storyline where Letter E, a character aspiring to join Sesame Street, enrolls in an acting class taught by Joy. This subplot serves as an allegory for the larger themes of education and personal growth, paralleling Sesame Street's mission to educate and inspire children.

• [02:07] Joy Dolo: "Welcome to Forever Ago from APM Studios. I'm Joydolo, here with my buddy Truman from Minneapolis, Minnesota."
• [02:20] Truman: "I think for sure. Rocco."

Letter E's Emotional Range Training: Joy and Truman guide E through mastering various emotions, highlighting the importance of emotional intelligence—an essential component of Sesame Street's educational approach.

• [03:15] Truman: "I think so, yeah. If they have the space, if they have the people who will watch them that can teach good morals. Teach to not lie, teach to not cheat. They could change the world."
• [04:08] E: "Um, sad. That's a tough one for an E. How about engrossed or entertained or even envious?"

Historical Context: The Birth of Sesame Street

The hosts provide a rich historical backdrop, situating Sesame Street in the context of 1960s America—a time of significant social and economic challenges. They discuss the disparities in education and the desire to use television as a tool to bridge the educational gap for children from underprivileged backgrounds.

• [05:28] Truman: "But some people thought, hey, if we could just help get those kids ready for school earlier in life, they'd break the cycle."
• [05:01] Joy Dolo: "It's a story full of big gambles, wild ideas, haters and doubters, and ultimately a huge win."

Joan Ganz Cooney's Vision and Leadership

Central to the episode is Joan Ganz Cooney, the visionary producer behind Sesame Street. The discussion highlights her innovative approach to educational television and her determination to create a program that was both entertaining and instructive for children.

• [17:14] Joy Dolo: "Well, to make a difference, this new show had to do three things. One, it had to be educational. Two, it had to show kids a world that looked like theirs. And three, it had to be super fun or else they definitely wouldn't watch."
• [17:08] E: "Oh, E. For an experiment. I love it. What happened next?"

Innovative Production Techniques and Collaboration

The episode delves into the groundbreaking production methods employed in creating Sesame Street. This includes collaboration with renowned puppeteer Jim Henson and the integration of experts in child development to ensure the content was both engaging and educational.

• [19:11] Truman: "At first, Jim Henson didn't want to do a kids show. His dream was to make puppet shows for grownups. But Joan was super convincing."
• [19:44] Joy Dolo: "H, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, B, W, X, Y, Z. Just put it right there, Dudley."

Challenges and Overcoming Criticism

Despite its innovative approach, Sesame Street faced significant criticism and obstacles. Critics argued that the show was too fast-paced and flashy for children, and the interracial interactions on the show were controversial during the Civil Rights Movement.

• [22:03] E: "I knew it. I wasn't worried at all."
• [22:05] Truman: "There was pushback, though."

Impact and Legacy: Educational Outcomes

Ultimately, Sesame Street proved to be a resounding success, significantly improving educational outcomes for its young viewers. The show not only enhanced early childhood education but also set new standards for inclusivity and diversity in children's programming.

• [22:43] Joy Dolo: "Actually, it helped all kids who watched it do better in school, regardless of how much money their families had, which was a big win for them."
• [23:11] Truman: "But it did not break the cycle that led to some families struggling more with money and jobs."

Conclusion: Continuing Influence and Legacy

The episode concludes by reflecting on Sesame Street's enduring legacy and its ongoing influence on both education and entertainment. Through the lens of Letter E's journey, listeners are reminded of the characters and educational values that have made Sesame Street a beloved institution.

• [23:30] E: "Not cookie."
• [24:08] Truman: "That's amazing."

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• [03:15] Truman: "I think so, yeah. If they have the space, if they have the people who will watch them that can teach good morals. Teach to not lie, teach to not cheat. They could change the world."
• [17:14] Joy Dolo: "Well, to make a difference, this new show had to do three things. One, it had to be educational. Two, it had to show kids a world that looked like theirs. And three, it had to be super fun or else they definitely wouldn't watch."
• [22:43] Joy Dolo: "Actually, it helped all kids who watched it do better in school, regardless of how much money their families had, which was a big win for them."

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Final Thoughts:

"Forever Ago's" exploration of Sesame Street provides listeners with a comprehensive understanding of how the show was conceived, the innovative methods that brought it to life, and the significant impact it has had on generations of children. Through engaging narratives and insightful discussions, the episode celebrates Sesame Street's role in shaping educational television and fostering a more inclusive and effective learning environment for young audiences.

Transcript

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, Truman, come here. My commercial is about to be on.

[Truman]

Cool. I'll turn the TV up.

[Joy Dolo]

Scarlett Johansson. Viola Davis, Timothee Chalamet. Joy Dolo. Some of the finest actors in our modern age. But only one offers an acting class taught out of the back of a discount shoe store. And that one is Joy Dolo. Learn from the actress. Time magazine once called late with her monthly subscription payment. And critics say who? At the Joy Dolo School of Acting, you'll master all the emotions. Happy, sad, angry, confused. How do I update my payment info on the Time Magazine website? By the end, you'll be ready for any role. So call now or I'll be so sad. Aha. Fooled you. Acting.

[Truman]

That was an awesome commercial, Joy.

[Joy Dolo]

Thanks.

[E]

Hello, Is this the Joy Dolo School of Acting? I just saw your commercial, and I need your help.

[Joy Dolo]

Is that a giant green capital letter E?

[E]

Yeah, I get that a lot. Mostly because I am a giant green capital letter E. And right now, I need E for experts to help me with my next audition.

[Truman]

What are you auditioning for?

[E]

To play the letter E on Sesame Street.

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, wow. Well, you came to the right place. Class is about to begin.

[E]

I'm double E for extremely excited.

[Joy Dolo]

Welcome to Forever Ago from APM Studios. I'm Joydolo, here with my buddy Truman from Minneapolis, Minnesota.

[Truman]

Hello.

[Joy Dolo]

And also one giant green letter E. Hi. Today we're talking Sesame street, because E here is hoping to land a big part on that show. Truman, do you have a favorite Sesame street character?

[Truman]

I think for sure. Rocco.

[Joy Dolo]

Rocco. Okay. Can you. If someone has never seen Rocco, would you describe what Rocco is?

[Truman]

So Rocko is Elmo's friend Zoe's pet rock.

[Joy Dolo]

Yeah. And Rocco drives Elmo nutty.

[Truman]

Cause Zoe thinks Rocko is real, but Elmo knows that Rocco is a rock.

[Joy Dolo]

Do you think that Rocco's a rock, or do you think that Rocco's real?

[Truman]

I think Rocko has a beautiful personality.

[Joy Dolo]

He's just very calm.

[Truman]

Yes, Just a very, like, kind of shy but very funny when you get to know him type guy.

[Joy Dolo]

I have an embarrassing question for you. Can you do an impression of Rocco?

[Truman]

There's my impression.

[Joy Dolo]

Spot on. Spot on. Do you think that TV shows are capable of changing the world?

[Truman]

I think so, yeah. If they have the space, if they have the people who will watch them that can teach good morals. Teach to not lie, teach to not cheat. They could change the world.

[E]

Oh, I want to change the world. To empower. I've got to be on Sesame Street.

[Joy Dolo]

Well, letter E. We're going to Help you get that part. And the Joy Dolo school of acting methods says to truly understand a part is to immerse yourself in the history. In this case, the history of Sesame Street.

[E]

Eee. Exciting.

[Joy Dolo]

We're also going to work on your range of emotion. Show me happy.

[E]

Ah, I'm elated.

[Joy Dolo]

Show me mad.

[Truman]

Grr.

[E]

I am enraged.

[Joy Dolo]

Show me sad.

[E]

Um, sad. That's a tough one for an E. How about engrossed or entertained or even envious?

[Truman]

Wait, can you only do feelings that start with the letter e?

[E]

No. Well, maybe yes. I can only emote in letter E. And I can't think of a word for sad that starts with E. H.

[Joy Dolo]

That'll definitely limit you. Let me think about it. For now, back to history.

[Truman]

You might know Sesame street as a cute show with talking puppets like Elmo, Big Bird, and Oscar the Grouch, plus.

[Joy Dolo]

Friendly humans who interact with the puppets.

[Truman]

But Sesame street actually started as a wild experiment to see if a TV show could help kids become successful adults.

[Joy Dolo]

It's a story full of big gambles, wild ideas, haters and doubters, and ultimately a huge win.

[E]

Oh, elaborate, please. I'm all ears.

[Joy Dolo]

To understand why anyone would think a TV show could change the world, we need to go way back to America. In the 1960s.

[Truman]

Rock and roll was pretty new.

[Joy Dolo]

Ford released the iconic Mustang muscle car.

[Truman]

People called each other on phones that were attached to the wall with a long curly cord.

[Joy Dolo]

Americans were about to send the first humans to to the moon. There was a feeling that American smarts could solve anything.

[Truman]

But there was a lot that needed solving.

[Joy Dolo]

One big problem was that even though lots of people had plenty of money, others were struggling to pay their bills. And researchers discovered that kids who grew up poor struggled later in life.

[Truman]

They often fell behind in school, and.

[Joy Dolo]

They didn't make as much money when they were adults. Then their kids would grow up with less money too. It was a cycle.

[Truman]

But some people thought, hey, if we could just help get those kids ready for school earlier in life, they'd break the cycle.

[Joy Dolo]

They'd do better in school, get better jobs, make more money, and their kids would be better off. Problem solved.

[E]

Oh, E for enticing idea. But how do you execute such an all encompassing plan?

[Truman]

That's where TV comes in. Lots of people had TVs back then. In fact, more Americans had TVs in their homes than toasters or telephones.

[Joy Dolo]

Speaking of which, I just found this old 1960s TV in my closet. Let's switch it on and see what TV was like back then.

[Truman]

Color TV was still new in the 1960s, but there were only a few channels you could watch.

[Joy Dolo]

And unlike today, where you can watch pretty much whatever you want whenever you want, back then there were set TV schedules. A show would come on at a certain time and that was it. You either watched it at that time or you missed it.

[Truman]

And if you felt like turning the TV on at a random hour, you had to watch whatever was playing at that time.

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, like this show. Hey kids, it's Squiggles the Clown here on Topsy Turvy Town, the show where fun is always on top. In a little bit, I'm gonna throw.

[E]

A pie in mean old Mr. Beansworth's face.

[Joy Dolo]

But first, have you seen these nifty.

[E]

Topsy Turvy Town toys available now?

[Joy Dolo]

This one of me has real pie throwing action. Geez, that's a toy commercial wrapped in a show. Let's change the channel. It's the rugged wrestler and outlaw turned sheriff. Look rustler, I'm taking this loot and riding off and you can't stop me. Oh yeah, My fists of fury and my lasso of the law have something to say about that. Get back here.

[E]

E. Gads. There was a lot of advertising and fighting on TV back then. Where were the educational shows?

[Joy Dolo]

Back then, there were only a handful of educational shows and they usually weren't popular. Still, kids in the late 1960s were watching a ton of TV.

[Truman]

By some estimates, preschoolers were watching an average of 54 hours of TV a week. That's like eight hours a day.

[Joy Dolo]

Which leads us to a fateful morning when one little girl was watching TV and it would inspire something huge. The little girl was a three year old named Sarah Morrisette. It was around 6:30 in the morning. Back then, TV didn't even have shows until 7:00am before that, it just showed a single image called a test pattern. Usually a test pattern was just a picture of some circles and squares. Sarah didn't care. She stared at the TV screen, glued. Her dad, Lloyd found her like this. Sarah, what are you doing?

[Truman]

Watching.

[Joy Dolo]

But there's nothing on right now.

[Truman]

I know.

[Joy Dolo]

Lloyd thought to himself. Wow, TV can really grab a kid's attention. What if we could use that power for good?

[Truman]

A few days later, he told that story to a woman named Joan Ganz Cooney. And it sparked an idea in her that would change the world.

[E]

Wow, this reminds me of the time I was eyeing an elephant who was entertaining an exasperated eel.

[Truman]

Um, letter E. How is this like watching an elephant try to entertain an eel?

[E]

Both experiences had me at the edge of my seat. So what eventually happened?

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, you'll find out right after we play a round of first things first. So this is the game where we take three things from history and try to put them in order of which came first, second, and most recent in time. Today's three things are characters from Sesame Street. So we've got Elmo, the lovable red monster, Snuffleupagus, the furry elephant creature, and the Count, a vampire who loves numbers. Oh. 1. Ha ha ha. 2. Ha ha ha. 3 characters. Ha ha ha. That was a good impression, huh?

[Truman]

That was a great impression.

[Joy Dolo]

Truman, which do you think started on the show first, which was second, and which showed up most recently?

[Truman]

So I know that Elmo is a big part of Sesame street and a face seen throughout the world.

[Joy Dolo]

Yep.

[Truman]

So I'm guessing that Elmo came first. Okay, that's my first guess.

[Joy Dolo]

That's good. That's an educated guess.

[Truman]

Yeah. And then I remember count very, very well from lots of things, and so I'm guessing he came second because I saw him more on the show. And then I'm guessing Snuffaloris.

[Joy Dolo]

Snuffleupagus.

[Truman]

Snuffleupagus.

[Joy Dolo]

Have you seen Snuffleupagus? Do you know the big furry elephant?

[Truman]

I know I've seen him, but I don't remember where I was.

[Joy Dolo]

Probably on Sesame Street. You didn't see him at the grocery store?

[Truman]

Yeah, yeah, that's where I saw him. That's true.

[Joy Dolo]

Well, that's cool, too. Cause if it's probably, like, the most recent, then it probably wouldn't be in your memory storage.

[Truman]

Yeah, that's why I'm guessing order number one, Elmo came first. Number two, count. Number three, Snuffleupagus.

[Joy Dolo]

Okay, Elmo won count second, and cephalopagus third.

[Truman]

Correct.

[Joy Dolo]

Okay, we'll hear the answers at the end of the episode right after the.

[Truman]

Credits, so stick around.

[Joy Dolo]

We're working on an episode all about jobs that people used to have in the past but don't exist anymore today. But we want to know, what job do you think will exist in the future that doesn't exist today? Like a mechanic for flying cars. Truman, what do you think? Any ideas about jobs of the future?

[Truman]

I think that we're going to automate a lot of jobs, so I think we're going to have jobs that help AI in, like, proofreading AIs work.

[Joy Dolo]

Ah. To make sure that AI is getting it correct. Yeah, I see. That's a really good guess. And that's probably going to happen. Listeners, record yourself describing what job you think will exist in the future and send it to [e-mail] contact. And while you're there, you can send us episode ideas, questions and drawings. Like maybe you want to draw a picture of your favorite Sesame street character. Or me hugging a Sesame street character. Me and Elmo best friends. Draw that picture. It's exciting.

[E]

Brains on Universe is a family of podcasts for kids and their adults. Since you're a fan of Forever Ago, we know you'll love the other shows in our universe. Come on, let's explore.

[Joy Dolo]

Forever Ago. I'm their biggest fan. I also love smashboom Best, a fun.

[E]

Debate podcast for kids and families.

[Joy Dolo]

Listen, I will play you smashboom Best. You will love to refresh your memory.

[E]

The ugly duckling goes like this.

[Joy Dolo]

A bunch of duck eggs hatch and the cute little ducklings go quack, quack, quack. Mother duck is super happy with her eggs when quack. The last one explodes and out comes this zorp. Where did the signal go? Must find smashboom Best. Now.

[E]

Listen to smashboom Best wherever you get your podcasts.

[Joy Dolo]

Hey friends. Molly Sandon and Mark here with some very big news. Drum roll please. We're hitting the road in search of adventure, fresh air, and you. That's right. We're going to be live at the Boulder theater in Boulder, Colorado on Sunday, April 27. Our science themed live stage show takes the audience on an adventure through the brain, complete with magic tricks, dance moves, out of body experiences, mystery sounds and a game show. Molly, you almost left out the most important part. Yeah, Molly, don't forget the big party. Oh, right after the shows, we're throwing a Brain Tastic bash. Join us afterward for a VIP party where we'll play games, guest mystery sounds, pose for photos, and give as many high fives as humanly possible. Snag a spot by purchasing a VIP pass when you buy your show ticket. Oh, that reminds me, I've got to start training. These hands aren't gonna high five by themselves. Five and good idea. And remember, spots are limited, so grab your tickets [e-mail] events.

[E]

The Soul to Story podcast is about how teaching kids to read went wrong. But now we have a story about a school district where things are going very right.

[Joy Dolo]

Let me make sure my friends are sitting criss cross applesauce hands in their lap. I've never had a child that couldn't read.

[E]

How did they do it?

[Joy Dolo]

When I tell some of my other colleagues that May be at other schools that this is what I do. And they would say, are you kidding me? New episodes of Sold a Story are.

[E]

Available now in your podcast app.

[Joy Dolo]

This is forever ago. I'm Joy.

[E]

I'm Truman, and I'm a giant green capital letter E. Joy is educating me about acting so I can land a role on Sesame Street.

[Truman]

Hmm.

[Joy Dolo]

I still need to teach you to act sad. Let's try this. What's the saddest memory you have?

[E]

Oh, probably the time I unexpectedly elbowed Ed Sheeran at an Earth Day event. I was so embarrassed.

[Joy Dolo]

Good. Channel that into acting sad.

[E]

I am feeling entirely. Gah. I can't do it.

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, don't worry, E. We'll keep working on it. But back to Sesame Street. So far, we learned that researchers in the 1960s wanted to help kids from poorer homes do better in school.

[Truman]

And TVs were everywhere. So people started wondering if you could use TV to teach these kids. That's where the mastermind of Sesame street stepped in.

[Joy Dolo]

Her name was Joan Ganz Cooney. Joan was a go getter TV producer who had many important documentaries for grownups, but nothing for kids. She wanted to test the idea that TV could teach.

[E]

Oh, E. For an experiment. I love it. What happened next?

[Joy Dolo]

Well, to make a difference, this new show had to do three things. One, it had to be educational. Two, it had to show kids a world that looked like theirs. After all, if they couldn't relate to it, they'd be less likely to watch. And three, it had to be super fun or else they definitely wouldn't watch.

[Truman]

Three simple things, but no easy task.

[E]

Sounds like the time I tried to enter an eggplant into an envelope and enshrine it on Mount Everest.

[Joy Dolo]

Uh, sure. So, first step, educational. Joan rounded up the top experts in child development. Together, they figured out how to best teach kids basic things like counting and letters.

[Truman]

Next, make it relatable. Joan and her team wanted to reach kids who lived in cities, so they set the show on a typical New York City street.

[Joy Dolo]

At the time, cities like New York were struggling. Lots of families living in the city were poor, and the schools there often didn't have enough money to spend on high quality resources.

[Truman]

But Joan wanted kids to see cities in a positive light.

[Joy Dolo]

She also wanted to have actors on the show who were black and actors that were white. So black and white kids would see themselves in the characters.

[Truman]

This seems normal to us now. But having actors of different races on a kids TV show was a big deal back then.

[Joy Dolo]

In the 1960s, black Americans were Fighting to be treated the same as white Americans. This became known as the Civil Rights Movement. Joan hoped kids would see black and white people in the show treating each other as equals and they'd learn to do the same.

[Truman]

So that leaves the last goal. Make a show that's entertaining.

[Joy Dolo]

Luckily, Joan had a secret weapon.

[E]

An egg. Oh, an eagle? No, an engine.

[Joy Dolo]

It wasn't an E word. It was a man who made some of the most entertaining puppets ever. Jim Henson.

[Truman]

At first, Jim Henson didn't want to do a kids show. His dream was to make puppet shows for grownups. But Joan was super convincing.

[Joy Dolo]

He agreed to be a part of her experiment. Jim worked with writers and puppeteers to dream up all kinds of characters for.

[Truman]

The from a fuzzy grouch living in a garbage can to a seven foot tall, fluffy yellow bird. Joan also enlisted the help of songwriters, musicians and animators to make cool cartoons, catchy songs and skits. A, B, C, D, E, F, T.

[Joy Dolo]

H, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, B, W, X, Y, Z. Just put it right there, Dudley. Okay, today I would like to show you the letter D. Now, this is the capital D. And where's the small D? Dudley? I ate it for dinner. Well, get me another one. Yeah, okay. There you go. Thanks. Now, as Dudley suggested, the word dinner begins with a. Dudley, mind your manners. Don't you with your mouth open means so. Oh, boy, are you square. You don't move. You're always the same, all four sides the same length. 1, 2, 3, 4, all four corners. Square is a box. I have three sides and I can make them as long or as short as I want. Then they tested it over and over again. They'd play the show for kids and notice the exact spots kids got bored.

[Truman]

Then they'd go back and redo those parts to make them even more fun.

[Joy Dolo]

And then they play the new version for kids to see if it had worked. By the end, they had created the most well researched, most tinkered with, most elaborate kids TV show ever.

[Truman]

And they called it Sesame Street.

[E]

Wow, what an exceptional tale. But I gotta say, when you talk about all this tinkering and studying all these people weighing in it, it sounds like too many cooks in the kitchen. A recipe for an E. Epic fail.

[Joy Dolo]

A lot of people thought it would fail. It cost millions of dollars to make. And remember, the people who made Sesame street didn't just want it to be good. It had to be so good, it would change lives.

[Truman]

The first episode of Sesame street aired on November 10, 1969.

[Joy Dolo]

Sally, you've never seen a street like Sesame Street. Everything happens here. You're gonna love it. Play games to. Hi, Bob. Say hello to Sally. She just moved into the neighborhood. Hi, Sally. Bob.

[E]

Nice to see you.

[Joy Dolo]

Lots of people tuned in. Almost 2 million households.

[Truman]

And guess what? They loved it. Critics loved it, too.

[Joy Dolo]

The team could have easily made a flop, but instead, they made magic.

[E]

I knew it. I wasn't worried at all.

[Truman]

There was pushback, though.

[Joy Dolo]

Some parents and teachers said the show was too fast paced and too flashy, that it was bad for kids attention spans.

[Truman]

Others didn't like that the show had white and black actors working together in Mississippi.

[Joy Dolo]

Officials banned the show for that reason. But the officials got so much pushback from the public, they quickly changed their minds.

[E]

Yeah, but the people who created Sesame street weren't just trying to make a good show. You said it was an E for experiment. Did it do what they wanted it to do? Did it help poor kids do better in school?

[Joy Dolo]

Actually, it helped all kids who watched it do better in school, regardless of how much money their families had, which was a big win for them.

[Truman]

But it did not break the cycle that led to some families struggling more with money and jobs.

[Joy Dolo]

Right. It didn't stop poor kids from struggling altogether either. Since the 1960s, we've learned a lot more about why some kids have a harder time than others. Turns out there are a lot of complicated reasons for this. And there's no simple fixed.

[Truman]

But still, Sesame street did a lot of good. And it's still doing good today.

[E]

Okay. Wow. I feel E for energized.

[Joy Dolo]

I know. Imagine if the show was a flop. We'd never get to know Bert and Ernie. Imagine if Cookie monster was canceled after one season.

[E]

Not cookie.

[Joy Dolo]

Imagine if, dare I say it, the most popular emuppet never existed.

[E]

Elmo.

[Joy Dolo]

Yes, imagine no Elmo.

[E]

I feel so emo just thinking about it. Wait, I found my sad word. Emo.

[Truman]

Emotional.

[E]

Joy, you're a genius.

[Joy Dolo]

That's what my resume says and my business cards and the vanity license plate on my car.

[E]

Thanks, Joy and Truman. I am ready to give this audition E for everything I've got. See you tomorrow after I get this part.

[Joy Dolo]

Sesame street has been brought to you today by the letter A. What a great episode of Sesame Street.

[Truman]

Yeah. It's so fun to think that the show was such a huge gamble when it started, for sure.

[Joy Dolo]

Researchers wanted to find a way to teach preschoolers basics like numbers and letters before they got to school, Especially kids living in poorer homes in cities who needed a little extra Help. It took a visionary like Joan Ganz Cooney to figure out that a TV show could do that.

[Truman]

Yeah, and it's amazing how they took ideas from scientists and teachers and entertainers to make something that was both fun and educational.

[Joy Dolo]

Totally. Speaking of Sesame Street, I wonder how our pal E did at that audition today.

[E]

Joy Truman, E for exciting news.

[Truman]

You got the part of E on Sesame Street?

[E]

Sadly, no. But I did get a part. Get this. I am playing the number three. Yeah. Look, I may be a capital E, but if I turn this way, I look just like a three. The casting director thought I was so convinced they gave me a recurring role, I'm gonna be a number.

[Truman]

That's amazing.

[Joy Dolo]

Way to show range as an actor.

[E]

Thanks. Now I have to go home and practice getting into character.

[Joy Dolo]

Three is me. I am three.

[E]

Three, you see?

[Joy Dolo]

Not an E. Oh, and when you're famous, don't forget to tell them who trained you. I take coupons. I bet that's another actor who wants my help. Hello, Joy Dolo, School of Acting. Joy Dolo speaking. Time magazine. I told you, the check is in the mail. This episode was written by sand and Totten. It was produced by Nico Gonzalez Whistler and Ruby Guthrie. It was edited by Shayla Farzon. Fact checking by Nico Gonzalez Whistler. Engineering help from Alex Simpson with sound design by Rachel Breese. Original theme music by Mark Sanchez. We had additional production help from the rest of the Brains on Universe Team.

[E]

Molly Bloom, Rosie Dupont, Anna Goldfield, Lauren.

[Truman]

Humpert, Joshua Ray, Mark Sanchez, Charlotte Traver.

[Joy Dolo]

Anna Wegel and Aron Wolda Selassie. Beth Pearlman is our executive producer. And the executives in charge of APM Studios are Chandra Kavadi and Joanne Griffith. Okay, Truman, are you ready to hear the answers for First Things First?

[Truman]

Yes, I am.

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, my gosh. Roll up your socks and put a napkin in your lap. Here comes the answers. As a reminder, your order was Elmo and then the Count.

[Truman]

Yes.

[Joy Dolo]

And then Snuffleupagus is the most recent.

[Truman]

Correct.

[Joy Dolo]

All right, let's see what is going on. Okay. You did pretty good. You did pretty good.

[Truman]

I did.

[Joy Dolo]

First up was actually Snuffalupagus.

[Truman]

Really?

[Joy Dolo]

Yeah. So snuffleupagus was from 1971.

[Truman]

Interesting.

[Joy Dolo]

Yeah. Mr. Snuffalupagus is also called Snuffy. And he's not an elephant, even though he has a trunk. He's just like a made up creature. For a long time, people on Sesame street thought he was just Big Bird, imaginary friend. Because Snuffy would hide whenever Big Bird tried to bring other people over to see him.

[Truman]

Yeah.

[Joy Dolo]

But finally other people saw him, and he soon became a key part of the Sesame Gang.

[Truman]

That's awesome.

[Joy Dolo]

So, yeah, Snuffleupagus was first. He did great.

[Truman]

Completely biffed it.

[Joy Dolo]

But I'll tell you what, you didn't Biff. You got number two, right?

[Truman]

Yes.

[Joy Dolo]

It was the Count. Count Von count is from 1972, so, like, a year later from Snuffleuppies.

[Truman]

Really?

[Joy Dolo]

Yeah. So he's a vampire, like, Muppet who loves counting, and he lives in a creepy castle with some bats, and he drives a wicked cool purple convertible car called. Do you know the name of his car is?

[Truman]

I don't. Wait, wait, is it, like, the counter or something?

[Joy Dolo]

That's a really good guess. The counting. It's called the Count Mobile.

[Truman]

Oh, yeah. I, I, I could have gotten that, too. The Count Mobile. Makes sense.

[Joy Dolo]

Yeah. And it has purple bat wings.

[Truman]

That's so cool. Why is he trying to be like Batman, though?

[Joy Dolo]

He's copy. Copycat.

[Truman]

Copycat.

[Joy Dolo]

The Count is a copycat.

[Truman]

But he's a vampire.

[Joy Dolo]

He's a vampire copycat.

[Truman]

He's a vampire copycat.

[Joy Dolo]

He's a vampire cat.

[Truman]

We're just repeating each other.

[Joy Dolo]

Yeah, we are. But last but certainly not least is Elmo.

[Truman]

Yay.

[Joy Dolo]

Elmo wasn't invented until 1980.

[Truman]

Really?

[Joy Dolo]

And that was the most recent. Even though he's been around a long time, he wasn't the Elmo we know right away. A few different puppeteers used the Elmo puppet, but he was a minor Muppet until one young puppeteer gave Elmo his falsetto voice and bubbly personal.

[Truman]

That's so interesting.

[Joy Dolo]

Can you do an Elmo voice?

[Truman]

I would try it, but I would rather not embarrass myself.

[Joy Dolo]

I honor you and I respect that.

[Truman]

But would you like to try it.

[Joy Dolo]

Elmo?

[Truman]

My name's Elmo.

[Joy Dolo]

Yeah. That was really good. So after that, Elmo grew to be one of the most recognizable children's characters of all time. So out of all three of those, what surprised you the most?

[Truman]

I think the fact that surprised me the most is that I got all of them wrong. Except for Count.

[Joy Dolo]

Except for Count. You got the Count?

[Truman]

I got Count. Right. I'm happy about that, though. I think he died. About the Count Mobile.

[Joy Dolo]

Yeah. I feel like you did a really good job, though, because, like, I, I would think Elmo would be the oldest one because that's the one that's the most iconic.

[Truman]

Yeah, he's like Elmo.

[Joy Dolo]

Yeah, he's like he is Sesame Street.

[Truman]

He. He like, he's the one that goes on all the interviews.

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, yeah. Join us next week for a new episode, all about the jobs that don't exist anymore.

[Truman]

Thanks for listening.

[E]

The Soul to Story podcast is about how teaching kids to read went wrong. But now we have a story about.

[Joy Dolo]

A school district where things are going very right. Let me make sure my friends are sitting, crisscross out applesauce, hands in their lap. I've never had a child that couldn't read.

[E]

How did they do it?

[Joy Dolo]

When I tell some of my other colleagues that may be at other schools that this is what I do, and they would say, you kidding me?

[E]

New episodes of Sold a Story are available now in your podcast. Apparently.