Sesame Street doesn’t really do TV and movie parodies anymore, do they? I completely understand that the show has to keep changing and evolving to reach its target audience. But I do miss those parodies! When they really worked, they hit the bullseye of the “This is entertaining for kids AND adults!” vibe that the show is famous for.
Any time Sesame Street produced a parody of a movie or TV show that was exceptionally adult in nature, you’d always see a few raised eyebrows. “Grover’s in a parody of Game of Thrones?! Do kids even know what that is?!” Answer: I hope not, but “Game of Chairs” is still a cute sketch that kids probably had fun watching.
Back when I was a preschooler in the ‘80s, there were plenty of Sesame spoofs of pop culture I wasn’t familiar with. At the age of three, I certainly had never seen Chariots of Fire, but I thought it was hilarious when Grover and Herry called each other “old chap” and “old bean” and then raced down the beach with their bare blue feet in “Chariots of Fur.”
(I still haven’t seen Chariots of Fire. Should I?)
And then there was the Love Boat sketch. The real Love Boat was a kitschy romantic comedy TV series, in which every episode found an assortment of celebrity guest stars boarding the Pacific Princess cruise ship and having various romantic misadventures. It was nowhere near as dark and twisted as Game of Thrones, but even so, I had no idea what it was when I was a small child. In fact, I’m pretty sure it had ended its run by the time I was in my prime Sesame-viewing years, around 1984-86.
Actually, let me Google that to make sure. One moment…
Whoa! The Love Boat aired until 1986?! But it’s so seventies! You’re telling me it overlapped with The Golden Girls?! And Perfect Strangers?! And Leo & Liz in Beverly Hills?!?! Well, that shows what I know.
Anyway, Sesame Street did a Love Boat spoof, and it’s great, and I thought it was great when I was a preschooler even though I didn’t know why it existed. Here it is:
First of all, did you catch the lyrics to the “theme song?” The singer says “You’re a guy or a girl or a goat who’s in love and afloat on a boat…!” That’s good stuff. (Hey, here’s a fun fact: The lyrics of the real Love Boat theme song were written by Paul Williams!)
How delightful it is to see Ernie as the star of this sketch! And he’s not irritating Bert or hanging out with Rubber Duckie. He’s expressing, with hilariously overstated passion, his intense feelings for the boat he’s on. Seriously — find someone who looks at you the way Ernie looks at this boat.
Of course, it’s understandable that Ernie would have affectionate feelings for the boat. He’s the captain! Or so it would seem, as indicated by the fact that he’s wearing a captain’s hat and jacket. Although I suppose it’s possible that it’s just a quirky affectation and Ernie just likes being That Guy Who Dresses Like a Captain. Come to think of it, that might be better… I’m not sure I’d trust Ernie to captain a cruise ship.
Then we meet Amanda, performed by Fran Brill. I don’t think she’s supposed to be based on any particular Love Boat regular. She’s more like one of those guest passengers who would show up every episode with their own romantic entanglements.
Note that Amanda calls Ernie “Ernest.” When I was a little kid, I was confused by this, because I didn’t realize “Ernie” is a nickname for “Ernest,” because I was a kid, and kids are stupid. As an adult, I find it extremely funny.
Amanda appears to have feelings for Ernest, based on the hopeful way she reacts when he says “You know what I love? I love –” and then her disappointment when she finishes that sentence with “ — this boat.” But she gets over it quickly due to her own love for the boat. She loves it so much she kisses it! There’s NO WAY that’s sanitary!
So hey, look at that. Amanda just went through an entire amusing romantic comedy arc, just like the ones on The Love Boat, but instead of taking up an hour-long TV show, it all happened in a matter of seconds. Gosh, the Sesame Street writers are efficient!
Oh, but did you think we were done with conflict? Hardly! Richard Hunt performs another passenger who seems pretty cranky because Ernie and Amanda love the boat so much it’s COMIN’ OUTTA HIS EARS!
But once again, there’s a lightning-fast denouement, because he loves the boat too! And he kisses the boat like Amanda did, many times! Wow, he’s exposing himself to some MAJOR bacteria!
Also a fish and a bunch of other passengers love the boat, including one who pokes her head through a porthole who I’m pretty sure is Forgetful Jones’s companion Clementine. Everyone LOVES THIS BOAT! And they can’t stop talking about it! It’s possible there’s some kind of weird aphrodisiac in the food being served at the buffet on the lido deck.
Oh, and I haven’t even mentioned my favorite thing about this sketch! The movement of the Love Boat on the ocean causes the characters to slide back and forth across the deck, which is especially funny when they slide all the way out of the frame and back.
I’d love (LOVE!) to know exactly how they did this. At first I thought maybe it was just the camera rocking from side to side, but there are shadows moving near the top of the set. So maybe there are crew members physically tilting the set? Please let me know if you have any theories! (Or if you know for real!)
This sketch doesn’t teach any fundamental concepts like the letter E or how postage stamps are made, so it’s tempting to question the educational value. Did the Sesame Street people just make this because it was fun? I’d like to think so!
But also, the concept of “love” was a big curriculum goal on the show around this time, so I assume the point of this sketch was to teach children what love is. So, what is love? Love is loudly declaring that you love something!
Whatever the end goal, it’s such a fun sketch. And such a beautiful vision of a perfect world. No, really! Just imagine if all of us, from all walks of life, could put aside our unpleasant feelings and come together and joyfully share our love of a boat!
It wouldn’t even have to be a boat! We could all love a train or a hot air balloon.
Click here to come aboard — we’re expecting you — on the Tough Pigs Discord!
by Ryan Roe – Ryan@ToughPigs.com
