C Is For Cookie

"C Is For Cookie", by Joe Raposo, is a song performed by Cookie Monster (Frank Oz), a Muppet character from the preschool television series Sesame Street. It was first performed in Season 3, although it had been released on The Muppet Alphabet Album. Along with Kermit's "Bein' Green" and Ernie's "Rubber Duckie", it is one of the show's most recognizable songs. The original version was made in 1971 and was one of the few Sesame Street sketches directed by Jim Henson.

Album cover of 'C Is For Cookie'

History

According to the Muppet Central articles on the "Songs from the Street Boxed Set, people really liked cookies. In 1971, Jim Henson and his performers teamed with Jerry Juhl, Joe Raposo and Jeff Moss to write a sketch on each letter of the alphabet".[1] C Is For Cookie derives from this project. Actress Candice Bergen sang the song when she visited Sesame Street.

A version was included on Sesame Street Fever. A 12" promo single included disco remixes by Larry Levan and Roy Thode.[2]

In 1993, a new operatic version was taped, featuring opera singer Marilyn Horne as Cleopatra in an Egyptian setting, with a pyramid made entirely out of cookies in the background. At the end of the song once "Cleopatra" is carried away out of sight, Cookie Monster appears in Egyptian attire and pulls a cookie off the pyramid, causing it to collapse with a huge crash while he eats it.

Since then, several authorized and unauthorized versions of the song have been produced, including "funky" and "sweet" versions released on the 2003 record Cookie Monster & the Girls.[3] Laura Pace's review of the home video Elmo's World: The Street We Live On noted 'the bizarreness of "C is for Cookie" done in Aida-style opera'.[4] A short reprise of the song is also performed by Cookie Monster and the cast of Sesame Street on the 1975 album Bert & Ernie Sing-Along. In addition, since the advent of YouTube, there have also been recordings of the song, regular and operatic, in reverse, under such titles as "C Is For Cookie Reversed" or "Cheese Good For Fleas" (which is what the phrase "C is for Cookie" sounds like dubbed backwards).

Concerned about increased obesity rates in children, PBS announced that for its 36th season Sesame Street will have Cookie Monster promoting a more healthy approach to diet and nutrition. Cookie Monster listened to another character's song about cookies being a sometime food. At the end, Cookie Monster declared 'Now is sometimes!' and ate a cookie. This is nothing new however, as Cookie also did a rap music video called "Healthy Food" in the mid-1980s where he sings about healthy food like bread, fruits and vegetables with assorted muppets (most of whom are themselves singing, googly-eyed breads, fruits, and vegetables). Later, Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean accompanied Cookie Monster in a remake of the song. He also promoted the image of healthy eating in a song called "A Cookie is a Sometime Food", featuring Hoots the Owl.[5]

Sheet music of the song has been published by the Hal Leonard Corporation, and others. The toy "Letter of the Day Cookie Jar" features Cookie Monster saying a short phrase about each letter. For "C", he says "C is for Cookie". He also adds that a donut is a 'C' if you eat part of it.

References
  1. "Muppet Central Articles - Songs from the Street Boxed Set". muppetcentral.com. Retrieved 2008-05-19.
  2. "Cookie Monster & The Girls / Pointer Sisters - C Is For Cookie". Discogs. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  3. "C Is For Cookie - Cookie Monster & The Girls: Available at www.tunes.co.uk, the dance specialists". Archived from the original on 2005-11-30. Retrieved 2008-05-19. (via Internet Archive)
  4. Vancheri, Barbara (2004-09-07). "DVD/video shelves overflow with children's favorites and also-rans". www.post-gazette.com. Retrieved 2008-05-19.
  5. "CTV.ca: Cookie Monster advocates healthy eating". www.ctv.ca. Archived from the original on 2007-03-11. Retrieved 2008-05-19.
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