Cookie Monster
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2008-07-16T23:34:00Z
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Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/Park4983133|Park4983133]] ([[User talk:Park4983133|talk]]) to last version by Diligent Terrier
{{otheruses1|the [[Sesame Street]] character}}
{{Infobox Sesame Street character
| name = Cookie Monster
| image =
| image caption =
| first appearance = [[1967]]: [[IBM]] training video <br> [[December 2]] [[1969]] ''Sesame Street''
| gender = male
| created by = [[Jim Henson]]
| voiced by = [[Frank Oz]] (American, 1969-present)<br>[[David Rudman]] (American, 2001-present)<br>[[Gerlach Fiedler]] (German, 1969-1973)<br>[[Alexander Welbat]] (German, 1973-1977)<br>[[Edgar Ott]] (German, 1977-1994)<br>[[Douglas Welbat]] (German, 1994-present)<br>[[Tōru Ōkawa]] (Japanese, [[NHK]] dub)<br>[[Kei Kikuchi]] (Japanese, [[TV Tokyo]] dub)
| portrayed by =
| aliases = Sid (previous name revealed in 2004), [[Alistair Cookie]], Arnold
}}
'''Cookie Monster''' is a popular fictional [[The Muppets|Muppet]] character on the [[children's television series|children's television show]] ''[[Sesame Street]].'' He is best known for his voracious [[appetite]] and his famous eating phrases: "Me want cookie!", "Me eat cookie!", and "Omm nom nom nom" (said through a mouthful of food). He often eats anything and everything, including danishes, donuts, lettuce, apples, bananas, as well as normally inedible objects such as salt and pepper shakers, napkins, pencils, typewriters, telephones, motorcycles, [[Peabody Awards]], trucks, a safe and the four letters in the word "food". As evidenced by his name, however, his preferred [[food]] is [[cookie]]s. [[Chocolate chip cookie]]s are his favorite kind; oatmeal cookies are his second favorite. In a song in 2004, Cookie Monster revealed that, before he ate his first cookie, he believes his name was Sid.<ref name="bbc">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4432415.stm |title=Cookie Monster curbs cookie habit |date=2005-04-11 |work=[[BBC News]] |accessdate=2008-03-02}}</ref> Showing awareness of healthy eating habits for children, since 2006 he has said that cookies are "a sometimes food" and that he also likes fruits and eggplant.
He is known to have a mother, a younger sister, and an identically-designed cousin, who all share his characteristic [[blue]] [[fur]] and "[[googly eyes]]". He also has a father, who appeared in a ''[[Monsterpiece Theater]]'' sketch promoting [[energy conservation]], [[water conservation]] and [[environmentalism]]. Both Cookie Monster's mother and father have his enormous appetite. He and his [[Sesame Street]] friends are popular motifs on t-shirts, and he has also appeared as a guest star on ''[[Martha (TV series)|The Martha Stewart Show]]''. Naturally, he was overjoyed at the fact they were making cookies.
==Origin==
The book ''Jim Henson's Designs and Doodles'' explains Cookie Monster's origin as follows: "In 1966, Henson drew three monsters that ate cookies and appeared in a General Foods commercial that featured three crunch snack foods: Wheels, Crowns and Flutes. Each snack was represented by a different monster. The Wheel-Stealer was a short, fuzzy monster with wonky eyes and sharply pointed teeth. The Flute-Snatcher was a speed demon with a long, sharp nose and windblown hair. The Crown-Grabber was a hulk of a monster with a Boris Karloff accent and teeth that resembled giant knitting needles.
"These monsters had big appetites for the snack foods they were named after. Each time the Muppet narrator, a human-looking fellow, fixes himself a tray of Wheels, Flutes and Crowns, they disappear before he can eat them. One by one, the monsters sneak in and zoom away with the snacks. Frustrated and peckish, the narrator warns viewers that these pesky monsters could be disguised as someone in your own home, at which point the monsters briefly turn into people and then dissolve back to monsters again."
As it turns out, these commercials were never aired — but all three monsters had a future in the Muppet cast. The "Crown-Grabber" was used in a sketch on ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]'', in which he ruins a girl's beautiful day. Known from then on as the [[Beautiful Day Monster]], he made a number of appearances on ''Sesame Street'' and ''[[The Muppet Show]]''. The "Flute-Snatcher" turned into [[The Frackles|Snake Frackle]], a background monster from ''[[The Great Santa Claus Switch]]'' and ''The Muppet Show''.
In 1967, Henson used the "Wheel-Stealer" puppet for an [[IBM]] training film called ''Coffee Break Machine''. In the sketch, the monster (with frightening eyes and fangs) devours a complex machine as the machine describes its purpose and construction. At the end of the sketch, the talking machine explains that its primary purpose is to produce the greatest explosion known to man. The monster promptly explodes. This sketch was also performed in October, 1967 on ''The Ed Sullivan Show''. It was also later performed on the [[George Burns]] episode of ''The Muppet Show'' using the Luncheon Counter Monster.
Two years later, Henson pulled the puppet out of the box again for three commercials selling [[Munchos]], a [[Frito-Lay]] potato chip. This time, the puppet was called Arnold, the Munching Monster. After the three ads were produced, Henson had the opportunity to renew the contract. He chose not to, because at that point he was working on ''Sesame Street'' — and that monster puppet was moving on to the next stage in his career.
Cookie Monster, still unnamed, made his ''Sesame Street'' debut in the first episode, interfering with [[Kermit the Frog]]'s "famous W lecture" by eating a model "W" bit by bit. He turns it into an "N", a "V", and finally an "I", to Kermit's frustration. He then tries to eat Kermit.
In his early appearances on the show, Cookie Monster seemed somewhat scary to younger viewers, as he personified the childhood fear of "being eaten by a monster".{{Or|date=February 2008}} However, this fearsome image did not last long, and Cookie Monster quickly became one of the most popular and beloved characters on the show.{{Or|date=February 2008}} Cookie Monster's theme song, "[[C is for Cookie]]", is one of the most famous songs from ''Sesame Street''.
==Evolution==
In 2006, in response to growing concerns about record levels of [[childhood obesity]] in the U.S.A., ''Sesame Street'' began airing segments entitled [[Healthy Habits for Life]]. In these segments, the Muppet characters of ''Sesame Street'' talk about healthy habits, such as eating properly and exercising. The ''Healthy Habits for Life'' segments spawned false Internet rumors that Cookie Monster's name had been changed to Veggie Monster or would be taken off the show entirely.<ref name="npr">
{{cite news |url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18659731 |title=Cookie Monster: A Sweet, Sensual Id, Unfiltered |first=Elizabeth |last=Blair |date=2008-02-11 |work=[[All Things Considered]]: In Character |publisher=[[National Public Radio|NPR]] |accessdate=2008-03-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-04-07-cookie-monster_x.htm |title=Cookie Monster: 'Me eat less cookies' |work=[[USA Today]] |publisher=[[Associated Press]] |date=2005-04-07 |last=Carter |first=Chelsea J |accessdate=2008-03-02}}</ref>
In a 2007 appearance on [[Martha Stewart]]'s TV program, Cookie Monster explained his new philosophy that "Cookies are a sometime food."
On [[February 10]], [[2008]], [[NPR]] host Elizabeth Blair interviewed Cookie Monster for the ''[[All Things Considered]]'' segment ''In Character''. He answered the [[Proust Questionnaire]], as well as revealing some of his favorite and non-favorite things.<ref name="npr"/><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.npr.org/blogs/incharacter/2008/02/cookie_monster_comes_to_npr.html |title=On Air: Cookie Monster |first=Trey |last=Graham |date=2008-02-11 |work=The 'In Character' Blog |publisher=[[National Public Radio|NPR]] |accessdate=2008-03-13}}</ref>
In a [[June 19]], [[2008]], appearance on ''[[The Colbert Report]]'', Cookie Monster again explained that "Cookies are a sometimes food." He also attempted to eat Stephen Colbert's [[Peabody Award]]. Colbert had asked agitatedly why Cookie Monster had "abandoned the pro-cookie agenda" and thus caused [[fruit]] to become the favorite snack of American children, according to a study Colbert had heard. Colbert criticized Cookie Monster for not wearing a cookie [[lapel pin]]. Cookie Monster also claimed to have "crazy times" during the 70's and 80's. He also referred to himself as "the [[Robert Downey Jr.]] of cookies." After eating a cookie to prove he still likes cookies, Cookie Monster asked if the Peabody Award, a round medallion on a small pedestal, was a cookie. When Colbert returned to speak to Cookie Monster at the end of the show, the award had disappeared and Cookie Monster was wiping his mouth with a napkin.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hulu.com/watch/23604/the-colbert-report-the-colbert-report-61908 |title=The Colbert Report 6/19/08 |publisher=[[Hulu]] |accessdate=2008-06-21 }}</ref>
==Casting history==
'''Main Performers'''
* [[Frank Oz]] – From 1969 to present
* [[David Rudman]] – From 2001 to present
'''Alternate Performers'''
* [[Jim Henson]] – in ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]''<ref>{{imdb name|0001345|Jim Henson}}</ref>
* [[Joe Raposo]] – in "Everyone Likes Ice Cream"{{Fact|date=February 2008}}
* [[Eric Jacobson]] – occasionally in 2001 and 2005{{Fact|date=December 2007}}
David Rudman officially became Cookie Monster in ''Sesame Street's'' 2002 season (taped 2001), but the year before that, Rudman shared the part with Eric Jacobson. Once Jacobson was cast as Grover and Bert, Sesame Workshop chose Rudman as Cookie Monster to allow for more interaction between Cookie Monster and [[Bert (Sesame Street)| Bert]]/[[Grover]]. Frank Oz still performs Cookie Monster and his other ''Sesame Street'' characters a couple of times per year.
==Merchandise==
[[Image:CookieMonsterToys1.JPG|thumb|right|100px|Cookie Monster merchandise]]
Various toys and other icons of the Cookie Monster have been produced over the years. The most obvious is a cookie jar, of which several types have been offered.
Numerous children's books featuring Cookie Monster have been published over the years:
{{div col}}
* ''[[Happy Birthday, Cookie Monster]]''
* ''Cookie Monster's Kitchen''
* ''Cookie Monster's Christmas''
* ''A Cookie Gone Wrong - Monster's Story''
* ''Biggest Cookie in the World''
* ''Cookie Monster and the Cookie Tree''
* ''Cookie Monster's Good Time to Eat''
* ''Cookie Monster's Blue Book''
* ''Cookie Monster, Where are You?''
* ''Cookie Monster!''
* ''Cookie Monster's Activity Book''
* ''Cookie Monster Mammoth Color''
* ''Cookie Monster's Book of Cookie Shapes''
* ''Monster and the Surprise Cookie''
* ''Sesame Street: Wanted, the Great Cookie Thief''
{{div col end}}
{{clear}}
==Cultural references==
*An article in ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' notes that the [[Death growl|guttural singing style]] in [[death metal]] bands is called "Cookie Monster singing".<ref>{{cite news |last=Fusilli |first=Jim |url=http://www.opinionjournal.com/la/?id=110007902 |title=That's Good Enough for Me |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=2006-02-01 |accessdate=2008-03-02}}</ref>
*In the [[Star Wars]] spoof ''[[Hardware Wars]]'', Chewchilla the Wookie Monster (the spoof's version of [[Chewbacca]]) is an obvious takeoff on Cookie Monster.
*[[Trekkie Monster]] in ''[[Avenue Q]]'' is loosely based on Cookie Monster.<ref>{{cite book |title=Avenue Q: The Book |first=Zachary |last=Pincus-Roth |publisher=Hyperion |isbn=140130298X |pages=p.84 |quote=Trekkie Monster is much like the Sesame Street character Cookie Monster—but with a more adult weakness... Marx: We wanted his name to indicate that he was obsessed, like Cookie Monster is obsessed with cookies. So we used '[[Trekkie]]' both because it sounded like 'cookie' and because Trekkies are, by definition, obsessive fanatics.}}</ref>
*In 1990 U.S. Budget Director [[Richard Darman]] wrote an introduction to the federal budget with a section "Green Eyeshades and the Cookie Monster" in which he called enormous budget "the quintessential consumer... the Ultimate Cookie Monster".<ref>
{{cite news |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE0DF1338F934A15752C0A966958260 |work=[[The New York Times]] |title=The 1991 Budget: Excerpts from Darman |date=1990-01-27 |accessdate=2008-03-29 |quote=As all monsters are, Cookie Monster is initially intimidating. His manner is gruff. His clumsiness occasionally causes damage. But quickly, Cookie Monster comes to be seen as benign - indeed, downright friendly. He has a few bad habits. He cannot resist gobbling up anything and everything that might be consumed, especially cookies. And he cannot quite control the way he spews forth crumbs. He is the quintessential consumer... the Ultimate Cookie Monster... [The budget] might be understood as little more than a compilation of cookies received, cookies crumbled, and crumbs spewed forth. Yet, apt though the Cookie Monster perspective may be, it does not suffice...}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Paul Charles |last=Light |date=1999 |publisher=JHU Press |isbn=0801860660 |edition=3rd |pages=p.235 |title=The President's Agenda}}</ref>
*In the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] animated series ''[[Family Guy]]'' episode "[[Model Misbehavior]]", Cookie Monster is shown in [[rehabilitation|rehab]]. He is a patient in a [[psychiatric hospital]], apparently trying to kick his cookie addiction. He is caught hiding a plate of cookies under his sheets, and denies having them by blaming it on a person who made his bed, named Derek. Later, [[Lois Griffin|Lois]] finds him in the women's bathroom, trying to cook a spoonful of [[cookie dough]] with a [[lighter|cigarette lighter]] in the same manner as a [[heroin]] addict.
*In the [[Food Network]] program ''[[Good Eats]]'' episode "Three Chips for Sister Marsha" (first aired [[December 13]], [[2000]]), a puppet named Maj. Wilfred D. Cookie who looks like a green version of Cookie Monster appears. Asked about his well-known "brother", he responds, "I told you never to mention that ruffian. All he knows about cookies is how to shovel them into his face."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/Season3/EA1C05.htm |title=EA1C05: Three Chips for Sister Marsha |accessdate=2008-03-29 |work=Good Eats Fan Page}}</ref>
==Om Nom Internet Meme==
Om Nom (and repeating derivatives such as Om Nom Om Nom Nom Nom Nom) is an [[Internet meme]] and an [[onomatopoeia]]. It is meant to be the sound of eating or munching <ref>[http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=om+nom Urban Dictionary]</ref>
==See also==
* [[Cookie Monster Munch]]
* [[C is for Cookie]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
{{wikinewspar|Sesame Street's Cookie Monster sent on a diet}}
{{muppets}}
* {{imdb character|0000533|Cookie Monster}}
{{Sesame Street}}
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