Sesame Street’s 9th anniversary was an exciting one – not only did we get a full 60 minutes exploring the little-seen laundromat next door to Hooper’s Store, but we also got an introduction to future celebrity Sigourney Weaver!
Remember, this is 1978 – a full year before Weaver’s rise to stardom in the film Alien. I’m still not sure how Jon Stone knew that Weaver would be a household name before the rest of us, but I’m sure glad he did. Without this special, who knows what would’ve become of the Working Girl star? Maybe she’d become a working girl herself!
In any case, the laundromat is like a character itself in this special, what with its washers and dryers and change machines. I often question what the educational value was in the uncut 12-minute take of the spin cycle, but I also know better than to question Sesame Street’s methods.
I also question why Sigourney Weaver was only seen reading her script for Alien. Shouldn’t she have been talking about Sesame Street‘s history, or singing a song about the letter D? It’s almost as if she didn’t know she was on a Sesame anniversary special.
Furthermore, I didn’t appreciate when she scolded me for staring at her while she was trying to do her laundry. I tried to tell her that she’s supposed to be giving us a tour of the Sesame Street Laundromat, but she kept telling me that there weren’t even any cameras nearby. And that if I didn’t leave right away, she’d call the cops.
I guess I’m not any sort of children’s educational television expert, so maybe this was secretly a lesson about cooperation or the number 8 or something. Whatever the case, Sigourney Weaver was excellent in this special.
Click here to lose a sock on the ToughPigs forum!
by Joe Hennes – Joe@ToughPigs.com
