My Life as a Furry Red Monster - Kevin Clash [24]
Elmo, whose popularity among toddlers and preschoolers had been borne out by the success of the Tickle Me Elmo toy two years earlier, was going to be the focus of the last fifteen minutes. The target audience would be two- to four-year-olds—in other words, Elmo’s peers. The creators consciously geared it to this younger audience, while retaining the award-winning Sesame Street sensibility. And so, “Elmo’s World” got its own set—that childlike crayon drawing brought to life through state-of-the-art animated special effects. Elmo would interact with two friends who would let him do all the talking: Dorothy, his goldfish, and Mr. Noodle, a silent film–era tramp inspired by the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, brilliantly brought to life by the talented Bill Irwin.
When I learned that Elmo was being given his own show within Sesame Street, I was elated. Professionally it meant new challenges, including the opportunity for me to indulge my urge for creative risk-taking. There would be no adult narrating or explaining Elmo’s point of view; rather, Elmo would lead the child through the show. Each episode would be like a playdate between the child and Elmo. I felt that the intimacy of “Elmo’s World” would be a tremendous teaching tool. And I knew it would be a lot of fun to draw on my own imagination in bringing Elmo to life in this new way.
“Elmo’s World” first aired on November 16, 1998, and was an instant success. Elmo’s vivid color and high-pitched voice held children’s attention, as did the fascinating set design and the show’s thoughtful, interactive structure. This furry little guy truly represented a three-and-a-half-year-old—someone the youngest viewers could identify with. His interests—making friends, learning to dance or make music, brushing his teeth—were their interests, and he struggled with the same issues as they did, from sharing toys to going to the doctor or trying a new food.
Children (and their parents, teachers, and caregivers) fell in love with Elmo. It didn’t take long for the cherry-red Muppet to skyrocket into the realm of my heroes, Kermit, Big Bird, Grover, Bert and Ernie, and Oscar the Grouch.
MY MOM AND dad were creative, but not just in the artistic sense. They frequently called on their imaginations in their day-to-day roles as parents, teaching and disciplining us in some nontraditional ways.
Dad took care of our lawn as best he could, but there was a shady, barren patch beneath a large weeping willow tree that was nothing but dirt. My father put it to use in his own unique style. Before I learned to read, my father would take me out into the backyard and stand me near that dusty patch of soil. He’d take a stick he’d whittled to a sharp point, and he’d scratch out the alphabet in the dirt. While he formed the letters, he’d say them out loud and have me repeat them. When he was done with the Z, he went right back to the beginning to the letter A and made up a twenty-six-word story using one word beginning with each letter. “Alex Bagby Can Dance Everywhere Feet Go Hopping…”
Imagine my surprise when, many years later, when I first heard Big Bird sing the alphabet as a word because he didn’t understand what the letters represented! “ABC-DEF-GHI-JKL-MNOP-QRSTUV-WXYZ! It’s the most remarkable word I’ve ever seen.”
My dad was not a speech giver, even when it came to discipline, and as the father of four rambunctious kids, he did have to discipline us from time to time. If he wanted to make a point, he preferred doing rather than talking, which is how he came to teach us a lesson involving self-control and a very important, very cold bottle of ginger ale. We never went hungry, but sometimes we had to get creative with whatever was left in the refrigerator. Mom and Dad always sacrificed to make sure we were well fed and clothed, putting our needs