► Sesame Street Gets Repaved

Since November 1969, Sesame Street has been delighting children of all ages with its amusing furry puppets. For those of us who grew up on this memorable street, we came to love the amusing creatures while learning everything from our ABC's to our 123's to how to be good friends. These were songs and dances to keep us going. In the last 10 years the street has been repaved from its cobblestone origins to sleek asphalt. The furry blue Cookie Monster, who taught everyone about the letter "C" with his infamous song "C is for Cookie," no longer eats cookies. Instead he eats vegetables and occasionally has a cookie. Family Guy famously mocked this change with an episode in which Cookie Monster is placed in cookie rehab.

Not only has Cookie Monster been overhauled, but Elmo has become a big player. Elmo used to be this furry little red creature with an androgynous voice that was in scenes about being friends with everyone else. Yet, things have changed, and Elmo has been elevated to celebrity status at which he sings songs with Katy Perry, has Elmo's World and gets tickled by everyone.

Sesame Street has always been aware of its cultural surroundings. For example, in the '70s it had an interracial cast; in 2003, Sesame Street introduced Kami, an HIV-positive muppet. They have always included celebrity guests on the show like Johnny Cash, Barbara Bush, Christopher Reeves, YoYo Ma and even Michelle Obama. Most recently Katy Perry controversially appeared alongside Elmo in a risqué dress, according to Sesame Street standards.

So how is Sesame Street still relevant? Aside from having modern celebrities on the show playing, learning and teaching with everyone's favorite muppets, Sesame Street does spoofs. Their most recent spoof on Old Spice, "Smell Like a Monster" featuring Grover, has become a YouTube hit. It doesn't matter if Grover does not have Isaiah Mustafa's abs or actually smells like anything other than musty laundry, Grover is nonetheless amusing.

Sesame Street has spoofed more than just Old Spice. They have brilliant spoofs of Mad Men, True Blood ("True Mud"), Highschool Musical ("Preschool Musical"), and Law and Order: SVU ("Law & Order: Special Letters Unit") among may others.

While some spoofs like Bruce Springsteen ("Bruce Stringbean") are classics that have been around for years, YouTube has made it possible for adult viewers to revisit them. . The show is still culturally and socially valid regardless of how old we are as viewers. Additionally, Sesame Street is still socially aware of what is popular with the masses and makes the most of it.

Sesame Street has been around for longer than most of us, yet it still manages to captivate and amuse us.