May 24, 2003
Muppet Book Club
"Cookie Monster and the Cookie Tree"
Book : Part 1 -- Part 2 -- Part 3
Commentary : Part 4 -- Part 5 -- Part 6
Speak for the Trees
Karabeth:
I'm a little disturbed by the ending. Cookie Monster is made out to be an untrustworthy promise-breaking ravenous tree-raping jerk. I think that over the years he's been tamed a bit to be a more sympathetic character.
Danny Horn:
Untrustworthy, promise-breaking, ravenous -- all those I agree with.
I take issue with characterizing it as a rape, though. The tree doesn't seem violated to me, just irritated. It says, "Slow down! Take it easy!" -- which sounds to me like he's just annoyed that Cookie is bending the rules and not sharing. Its frustrated grimace at the end looks to me like what everybody does when Cookie Monster tricks them and steals all their cookies.
The tree seems annoyed to me, but not traumatized.
Karabeth:
No means no -- er, "Slow down! Take it easy!" means "Slow down! Take it easy!" in this case.
Does Cookie Monster listen, or care that he's ravaging another living thing? No. He just gobbles and gobbles, and then leaves the tree naked and angry. It made me very disappointed in Cookie Monster. I think, on the show, that he cares more about other people's feelings.
Danny
Horn:
Yeah, taking a part of the tree's body is definitely more of a violation than taking somebody's cookies off a plate. I agree with that.
What I was saying about the tree's dialogue is just that "Slow down" feels different to me than "Hey, get off me" or some other expression of horror/trauma. I interpret the tree's dialogue to mean that it's okay for Cookie Monster to eat the cookies; he's just doing it too fast.
Although, now that I think about it, that is kind of like making out with someone, and then having them go farther and faster than you wanted them to. Which, you're right, would make Cookie Monster a tree rapist. Eesh.
Tom Holste:
I'm sorry, I still can't see it. Let's assume for a minute that trees can talk and have feelings. The leaves and the fruit would be like the hair, right? A tree wouldn't be screaming in pain every time a leaf or an apple fell from it. It'd be like having your hair cut. Basically, the tree is annoyed because Cookie Monster just gave him a really atrocious haircut. But the "hair" (ie the leaves and the cookies) will grow back eventually.
Jessica Evans:
Okay, this did bother me as a child, and so I think I can speak up here to say that Cookie Monster is forcibly taking something from the tree, thus causing it great discomfort, maybe pain. That might not be "rape" to you, but it sure comes close to my definition.
John
Hamilton:
As a kid, I was turned off by this book's ending -- I guess I wasn't alone! And I suppose the Warner Brothers cartoons with similar scenes didn't bother me because those characters always seemed to either really deserve it or be "in on the joke." Here, the benign tree -- whose bitchiness wasn't even its own fault -- is assaulted, however comically, without an opportunity to even up the score. I still love the book, of course, but this was just something that always stuck in my memory.
Scott Hanson:
I suddenly have the urge to go out and violate a cookie tree.
Is Cookie Monster raping the Cookie Tree? From his point of view (although he never pauses to worry about it), I believe he is. The real question is, does the tree mind? Clearly the cookie tree exists to provide sustenance in the form of cookies. In this case, The Cookie Monster, in the symbiotic relationship developed between the two, is doing his part by eating the fruits of the cookie tree, and spreading its seeds/crumbs around in his fur.
However, this serves more as a metaphor to humans and what we are doing to the Earth. The same relationship exists between the Earth and humans, but are we smart enough to use only what we need in order to live and prosper? Of course not. For thousands of years, we've been raping this planet and taking more than we need. It makes no sense to devour all that we have, and leave nothing for future generations. But still we do it, because we are greedy.
So to answer the question, does the Cookie Tree mind that it's being raped? Or rather, does the Cookie Tree feel as though it is being raped? I think the Cookie Tree, like the Earth, is smart enough to realize that it will outlast the cookie monsters. It was happy before the cookie monsters came along, and it will be happy after they are gone. But it being truly zen-like and void of conflict, it brushes the incident aside and lives on to the next day. After all, while the tree may be essential to the cookie monsters, the cookie monsters are not essential to the tree.
Holy shit, this just became my new favorite book.
What We've Learned
Ryan
Roe:
I'm trying to figure out what the real lesson is here, but I can't really decide.
Is it "Don't try to change people, because they'll always revert to their old ways"?
Is it "You can get your way by tricking people"?
Or is it "Monsters are the only people who can successfully wear pants like Herry's"?
Jogchem Jalink:
The lesson I got out of this is that you can have anything, as long as you pretend that you're willing to share. Then you can use some sneaky plan to get more.
Chris Smigliano:
I would think this book would be an excellent story for people in law school. If you can find a loophole, take advantage of it!
Julia
Noomen:
If you're trying to reform your wicked ways, Bert and Ernie are not the friends that will support you all the way.
Nate Downs:
If you are going to rape a cookie tree, beware you could get crumbs. A rubber tree would be a safer alternative.
Emmy Miklasevich:
If I learned anything, it is this: If you have cookies, and Cookie Monster is around, just give in and let him have the cookies. It will take too much effort to save your cookies, and in the end, he will win.
Of course, this would make for a short book.
Jessica
Evans:
I read this book to my daughter Emileigh this afternoon. She was mostly quiet throughout the story, only commenting at the part where Cookie Monster goes into town to find someone to share. She mentioned that he must be feeling sad because he didn't get any cookies, and he loves cookies. I asked if his feelings were hurt when the tree didn't believe he would share, and she said no, he just wanted those cookies no matter what.
At the end of the story, here's what our conversation was like:
Me: So, what did you think?
Emi: The witch was mean.
Me: Oh?
Emi: Yeah, she made the tree sad.
Me: How?
Emi: Look at the tree's face.
Me: Well, look at Cookie Monster!
Emi: Yeah, that wasn't good to do.
Me: What?
Emi: He ate all the cookies! Look at the tree... no cookies left.
Me: Why wasn't that good to do?
Emi: It is better to share.
Me: Who is the hero of the story?
Emi: Cookie Monster!
Me: Cookie Monster? But you just said he ate all the cookies, and that wasn't good to do.
Emi: But he saved the day.
Me: He did? How?
Emi: From the witch. She is mean.
Me: What do you mean?
Emi: Cookie Monster ate all the cookies before the witch got them. You know, the tree looks nice. It wasn't the tree's fault.
Me: But... the tree belongs to the witch. Did Cookie Monster still save the day, even though he took something from the witch that belonged to her? And what about the tree?
Emi: Well, there aren't really Cookie Trees, so the witch couldn't really have one of those. Cookie Monster saved the day because he kept the witch from winning!
Me: So, even though what he did wasn't good, he is still the hero?
Emi: Yeah! Better than the witch!
Me: But...
Emi: He is Cookie Monster. (*pointed look*)
It seems that even though she didn't approve of Cookie Monster's actions, she felt that what he did was better than letting the witch have her way. So I guess the moral of the story is, even if our friends do something wrong, we still love them, and want them to be happy.
Prior bonds override current events. Especially when it comes to Cookie Monster.
Book : Part 1 -- Part 2 -- Part 3
Commentary : Part 4 -- Part 5 -- Part 6