"Can You Tell Me How To Get?"

Dean waxes rhapsodic on the subject of Sesame Street and in particular, Cookie Monster. As far as he's concerned, it hasn't lost any of its luster over the years. Indeed, he throws down the gauntlet:

I remember when Sesame Street was subversive, and they aren't subversive anymore. But they are still the single best kids' show that ever existed. I defy you to give me a better example.

I won't take up that challenge because I can't really think of any examples off the top of my head. But I will say this: Somebody (Noggin, I think) runs a show called "Elmo's World" that mixes and matches newer and older skits and pieces. It isn't very difficult to spot the difference in terms of both tone and quality. And it was the subversiveness of the older shows in which I principally delighted when I was a kid - the smart-assedness of Ernie, the hapless and short-tempered Bert, the neurotic hysteria of Grover, the gentle cynicism of Kermit and the single-mindedness of Cookie Monster. Everybody has mellowed out. That, to me, is a shame. (And for the record, I detest Elmo himself.)