Special Guests! (Part 2 of 2)

Right off the bat, it doesn't get much better than RAY CHARLES groovin' with Ernie and Bert!

Click to view... "Take it Bert!"

Okay!  Now that I'm calm again, the next thing I want to talk about is CARTOON guests.  There were many in the early days, and it was weird.  Why was Jughead on Sesame Street?

Other animated guests included the Pink Panther, Beetle Bailey, and BATMAN.

Click to view... Crossing the street the RIGHT way.

Obviously a cartoon character could not visit the street in person, mostly because a cartoon character is NOT a person.  But sometimes even human guests would make appearances without ever setting foot on the Street itself.  Take Fonzie, for example.

Fonzie was very good at teaching important lessons, but I don't understand why he couldn't show up to teach them in person.  It's not like he was too busy to ever make paid appearances or anything.

Click to view... Toothbrush for a friend.

But when a special guest actually DID visit the Street, including in the secret interview area that I mentioned in Part 1...

...how come it was always an interaction between the guest and a puppet?  If you were James Earl Jones, wouldn't you like to have a conversation with Mr. Hooper?  Helen Reddy could have sang a song with Bob.  Linda could be there too, translating for the deaf, as usual.  (What's sign language for "I Am Woman?"  I bet LINDA would know, especially since she is one.)

That little interview area was the setting for a lot of great songs and moments.  It would be nice if they were still making use of it.

Click to view... Be My Echo.