Assignment 3-1

Elmo
One of the hottest toys for the past several years has been Elmo, the bright red Sesame Street character. I remember Elmo when he first hit the streets as tickle-me-Elmo. It was all over the news and parents were paying hundreds of dollars for these toys. It was THEE toy to have for Christmas that year. I thought it was just a fad. Well, it wasn’t. I went to a Halloween party this year with almost no notice. I quickly went to Walmart with my wife to look for a costume. We wound up walking out with Elmo suits that were supposed to be for toddlers. They just fit over our heads and went about halfway down our chests. They were very snug. The costumes were a big hit at the party and I actually had someone come up to me at the party and ask me for my Elmo suit. They said that their child loves Elmo and they would be a hero if they brought it home. By the end of the party, I had to cut the openings for the arms as I am not a toddler and the person that wanted the suit had already left.
Sesame Street has always been a great place for children to visit. The show does a good job teaching children valuable lessons. What is interesting is that Elmo is a relatively “new kid” on the block at Sesame Street. According to Sesame Street, Elmo’s “personality wasn’t fully formed until Kevin Clash began performing the character in 1985” (“Elmo,” 2008). It was Clash that created the monster’s trademark giggle. A new development is that Elmo has his own segment on Sesame Street called “Elmo’s World” (“Elmo,” 2008). I think this is why Elmo has taken off so much. He has a lot of face time on the show and parents like Sesame Street so kids get to see him a lot. It has been a marketing success for Sesame Street and a hit with kids nationwide and beyond. This goes to show that pop culture can decide who will make it and who won’t. Even in the Muppet world!

Elmo. (2008). Sesame Street. Retrieved November 30, 2008, from
http://www.sesamestreet.org/onair/characters/elmo