Facebook helped get Betty White a hosting gig on SNL, and now Sesame Street wants to get in on the viral action. They’ve posted a 4-minute video to their YouTube account of Cookie Monster auditioning to host Saturday Night Live.
Despite my love of Sesame Street, I didn’t want to watch this video. I’m kind of tired of viral campaigns, and let’s face it: An hour and a half of Cookie Monster on SNL doesn’t sound like a good idea at all. However, the video may have won me over a little bit.
The basic premise is that Cookie Monster recreates the entire show, including monologue, a sketch, Weekend Update, and a musical act. He does a pretty good job distilling an episode of SNL down into its basic (and best) parts. I even caught myself laughing out loud a couple of times during the video.
Sure, my brain may be partially melted due to a multitude of toddler-mandated 5 AM Sesame Street viewings, but Cookie’s MacGruber parody, “Macarooner,” was kind of hilarious. And sure, Monster Gaga singing “Cookie Face” as the musical guest is a little obvious, but the cookie dress is a nice touch (a better touch? Cookie recreating Gaga’s actual Kermit dress from a few years back, although I imagine that would be disturbing to a lot of viewers).
Sesame Street seems to be taking this pretty seriously, and on some level it makes sense, as both shows are New York City television institutions that have been on the air for decades. On the other hand, it’s Saturday Night Live and Sesame Street: despite the slight overlap of exhausted parents, they don’t exactly cater to the same demographic. But with over 11,000 people already “liking” this on Facebook, the movement is already gathering steam.
Here’s what I propose: if Cookie Monster is trying to be like Betty White, then pull a Betty White. Give the fans what they want, create a crapload of publicity for both shows, but don’t have the entire episode hosted by a Muppet. Bring some flesh-and-blood folks in and make it an event. Jason Segel is doing that new Muppet movie; why not bring him in along with other Sesame Street characters and Muppets from the Jim Henson universe? Cookie Monster, Kermit, Oscar, The Count. They can all be represented along with Segal and the regular cast.
It may not be an hour and a half of cookie puns, but it may be an episode worth seeing.
Clacked by Kona Gallagher 
on Nov 23, 2010 @ 20:38 EST5EDT
I had to stop the video at “bordering on glutton” just to laugh.
I don’t know if this would work as a hosting gig, but it would be great if during someone else’s monologue, Cookie Monster would walk in and try to steal the spotlight.
Don’t underestimate the fact that a lot of SNL’s audience grew up on Sesame Street. Any 20-something, 30-something, or 40-something can probably recite and/or sing along to dozens of SS routines!!
This is one of the most pathetic publicity grabs ever. Have donations to PBS dried up that much? Or are the Nielsen ratings for Sesame Street that low?
If that puppet hosts Saturday Night Live, it will kill the show. Although at this point, I guess, it’d be a mercy killing.