History YMMV / SesameStreet

* AdaptationDisplacement: The songs in ''Elmopazlooza'' are obscure songs from the show, so not a lot of 90s and 2000s kids are going to recognize them.

* StockParodyJokes:
** Bert and Ernie being a gay couple, which Sesame Workshop has had to clear up several times.
** With today's increased awareness of childhood obesity, it's not uncommon to accuse Cookie Monster of being [[ExecutiveMeddling executive-meddled]] into a "Veggie Monster", something the show actually referenced.
** Cookie Monster is literally [[ICantBelieveItsNotHeroin addicted]] to cookies.

* GrowingTheBeard: Although the show was already a household name from day one, the show really started to shine in season two when the Muppets got redesigned and characterized to what we know them as today. The addition of Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt and Fran Brill to the performing ensemble also added new dimensions to the Muppet sketches.

** David probably gets hit the hardest. For several years, he and Maria were implied to have a romantic relationship, but in Season 19, they had a falling out and she married Luis instead. Now, moments like when Luis took Maria to New Mexico and David stayed behind feel like they're leading up to something. It gets worse when you learn what was going on behind the scenes. In the 1980s, Northern Calloway's health was failing, which was apparently why the writers had Maria marry Luis instead. Taking over Hooper's Store made sense when Mr. Hooper passed away, but it ended up being a way to keep Calloway working on the show when he was gaining weight and not so light on his feet anymore. His poor health and unstable behavior led to his departure after Season 20 (which, to add insult to injury, ended with Maria having her and Luis' daughter) and he passed away a few months later. And to top it all off: the reason he was left out of [[Film/SesameStreetPresentsFollowThatBird the movie]]? While working on the show, he got himself a criminal record that kept him from entering Canada. It's almost as if the PowersThatBe didn't want David to be remembered fondly.

** The show itself is quite popular in Japan, where it ran on NHK for many years. This was due to the fact that [[{{Woolseyism}} they left parts of the original dialogue undubbed,]] [[SurprisinglyGoodEnglish which would help Japanese children learn English better.]] In 2004, a [[MultiNationalShows Japanese co-production]] started, whose [[GratuitousEnglish questionable handling of the English language]] was [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks not well received]]. On top of this, [[Ride/UniversalStudios Universal Studios Japan]] not only has an entire land dedicated to Sesame Street, but Elmo is probably the most commonly seen character in the park after [[Franchise/DespicableMe the Minions]].

* AcceptablePoliticalTargets:
** While the series has poked fun at UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump, a lot of it predated his involvement in politics. This didn't begin in earnest until he launched an abortive third party presidential campaign in 1999.
*** In a 1988 episode, Ronald Grump comes to the Street and builds "Grump Tower" on Oscar's property. The episode ends with Grump being thrown in the trash.
*** In the 1994 primetime special ''Stars and Street Forever'', another {{Trumplica}} named [[OneSteveLimit Ronald Grump]], who's a human this time and played by Creator/JoePesci, tries to destroy the Street to build Grump Tower.
*** During the 2005 run of ''Series/TheApprentice'', Donald Grump came to the Street and hosted a grouchy version of the reality show. A parody Muppet of Trump was also built for the episode, intended to be a taxi cab driver, however his only featured scene was excluded from the final aired version, and he was only seen in promotional photos.
*** Outside the show, The Count became an "enemy" of Trump in the aftermath of the 2020 election, as discussed in MemeticBadass.
** Also, Fox News. In a 2007 episode, Grundgetta watches "[[MaliciousMisnaming Pox News]]" and calls it [[TakeThat a trashy news network]].

** The Russian version, ''Ulitsa Sezam'', debuted in 1996 and was an instant hit, airing on two different networks simultaneously at one point. In ended in 2010 only because the UsefulNotes/VladimirPutin regime soured on it, but it's still fondly remembered today.

** Kermit has "It's Not Easy Being Green", "Doo-Wop Hop", "This Frog", and "Caribbean Amphibian".

** The show itself is quite popular in Japan, where it ran on NHK for many years. This was due to the fact that [[{{Woolseyism}} they left parts of the original dialogue undubbed,]] [[SurprisinglyGoodEnglish which would help Japanese children learn English better.]] In 2004, a [[MultiNationalShows Japanese co-production]] started, whose [[GratuitousEnglish questionable handling of the English language]] was [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks not well received]]. On top of this, [[Ride/UniversalStudios Universal Studios Japan]] not only has an entire land dedicated to Sesame Street, but Elmo is probably the most commonly seen character in the park after [[WesternAnimation/DespicableMe the Minions]].

** Is Abby really a magic fairy or is she just playing one as a [[{{Escapism}} coping mechanism]] for the troubles in her life?[[note]]If she's only playing, then that would raise the question of what actually happened in the episodes where her magic wand is a plot device.[[/note]] It is revealed in one {{Very Special Episode}} that her parents got into a divorce and she feels a part of it is her fault.

** Zoe and Rocco. As [[Webvideo/GameTheory The Film Theorists]] suggests, Zoe uses her pet rock, Rocco, to be a {{Jerkass}} at the expense of Elmo, who gets steamrolled every time Rocco's around. Since Rocco's just a rock, these interactions imply that she's using Rocco to pick on Elmo without directly saying it herself. To add, Zoe's tone of voice often changes when she brings up something that Rocco wants to do. On the other hand, perhaps she is just playing make-believe and doesn't realise Elmo will end up getting the short end of the stick.

** Near the end of Caroll Spinney's career (and life), he found an understudy on Oscar the Grouch in, of all performers, '''''[[Film/TheMuppets Eric Jacobson]]'''''! Yes, the same Eric Jacobson who [[TheOtherDarrin has taken over most of]] Creator/FrankOz's [[TheOtherDarrin characters]]! Thank goodness he can do a near-perfect Oscar, though.

* CommonKnowledge: Elmo was not originally named Baby Monster, nor did Caroll Spinney originate the character. A small pink monster [[https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Baby_Monster had appeared in 1970]], with Spinney playing him in one appearance, but it was an entirely different Muppet. Elmo was created for the 1979-80 season, and was just informally called "baby monster" in the early planning stages. He debuted as a nameless spare monster in group scenes, then formally got introduced with the name Elmo after a few episodes, going through at least three different performers (Jerry Nelson, Brian Meehl, Richard Hunt) before Kevin Clash took over. The reason for the misconception is that Spinney, several decades after the fact, misremembered things and conflated the small, reddish Muppet he portrayed with the similar Elmo, and remembering how Elmo spent years going through different performers and characterizations before becoming a BreakoutCharacter, assumed that his own history with the earlier character was part of that chain. Spinney's 2003 memoir ''The Wisdom of Big Bird (and the Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch)'' was the main source of the "Baby Monster" confusion.

** Bob [=McGrath=] is huge in Japan, even before he was an ''SS'' cast member. Many of his albums saw an exclusive release in Japan.

* ViewerGenderConfusion: Because of his fairly non-gendered personality and his higher-pitched voice, some casual fans have mistakenly thought Big Bird was a girl (and his longtime performer having the first name [[GenderBlenderName Caroll]] might've contributed to the misconception). This isn't a new situation, either: the infamously shoddy 1979 ''[[https://toughpigs.com/strange-trip/ Adventures of Big Boy]]'' comic about the Muppets calls Big Bird "she".

** Parents who watch ''Sesame Street'' now might be uncomfortable with the show's transition into "The Elmo Show" and the degree to which Elmo has pushed all the other Muppets into the background (though in later seasons, they stopped being background characters). Children, however, ''love'' the little red menace. Complicating matters further, it isn't just a matter of adults vs. children, as some parents have grown to love and passionately defend Elmo because he makes their kids so happy.

** [[https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Episode_5022 Caroll Spinney's]] last episode of ''Sesame Street'' as Big Bird and Oscar before retiring was the Season 50 episode "The Disappoint-a-Meter". In the actual episode, it's Matt Vogel's and Eric Jacobson's vocals. In essence, those who wanted to see Spinney's last performance were disappointed themselves.
*** It may just be as well because HBO is against using a deceased person's vocals for newly-aired material.

** Episode 1520: Bert is feeling sad but can't put his finger on why, and Ernie lists a plethora of reasons why one might be sad. The last reason he lists off -- losing your best friend -- becomes excruciatingly sad in light of Jim Henson's death. Even more heartbreaking, it re-aired in Episode 2621 in November 1989, just ''seven months'' before Henson's passing.
--->'''Ernie:''' I mean, like, if I, Ernie, your best friend, went away and you thought you'd never, ever see me again. Why, then you- then- ''[sniffles]'' ...then you'd have a reason to be sad, Bert.\\
'''Bert:''' You know, Ernie, you're right. You're right, things could be a lot worse. I feel so much better! Thank you!\\
'''Ernie:''' ''[in tears]'' And I'd be gone away, and we could never, ever sit here and talk, like we're talking now, and we could never go to the beach together, and we could never go to the zoo... ''[begins crying harder]'' ...and when you were sad, Bert, old buddy, I wouldn't be here to cheer you up like I'm cheering you up now, oh, Bert! ''[sobbing hysterically]''\\
'''Bert:''' Oh, Ernie, Ernie, what's the matter?\\
'''Ernie:''' ''[sobbing]'' I'm so SAD, Bert!!!!

* HeartwarmingInHindsight: [[https://youtu.be/WMfBGyCr3JQ Matt Vogel]] was a huge fan of the show growing up, particularly with his hand puppets for The Count and Big Bird. Cut to the late 1990s; he would be the understudy and respective replacements for Jerry Nelson and Caroll Spinney as those characters.

* CommonKnowledge: Elmo was not originally named Baby Monster, nor did Caroll Spinney originate the character. A small pink monster [[https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Baby_Monster had appeared in 1970]], with Spinney playing him in one appearance, but it was an entirely different character. Elmo was created for the 1979-80 season, and was just informally called "baby monster" in the early planning stages. He debuted as a nameless spare monster in group scenes, then formally got introduced with the name Elmo after a few episodes, going through at least three different performers (Jerry Nelson, Brian Meehl, Richard Hunt) before Kevin Clash took over. The reason for the misconception is that Spinney, several decades after the fact, misremembered things and conflated the small, reddish Muppet he portrayed with the similar Elmo, and remembering how Elmo spent years going through different performers and characterizations before becoming a BreakoutCharacter, assumed that his own history with the earlier character was part of that chain. Spinney's 2003 memoir ''The Wisdom of Big Bird (and the Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch)'' was the main source of the "Baby Monster" confusion.

* CommonKnowledge: Elmo was not originally named Baby Monster, nor did Caroll Spinney originate the character. A small pink monster [[https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Baby_Monster had appeared in 1970]], with Spinney playing him in one appearance, but it was an entirely different character. Elmo, who was informally called "baby monster" in the early planning stages, debuted in 1980 as a nameless spare monster in group scenes, then formally got introduced with the name Elmo after a few episodes, going through at least three different performers (Jerry Nelson, Brian Meehl, Richard Hunt) before Kevin Clash took over. The reason for the misconception is that Spinney, several decades after the fact, misremembered things and conflated the small, reddish Muppet he portrayed with the similar Elmo, and remembering how Elmo spent years going through different performers and characterizations before becoming a BreakoutCharacter, assumed that his own history with the earlier character was part of that chain. Spinney's 2003 memoir ''The Wisdom of Big Bird (and the Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch)'' was the main source of the "Baby Monster" confusion.

* CommonKnowledge: Elmo was not originally named Baby Monster, nor did Caroll Spinney originate the character. A small pink monster [[https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Baby_Monster had appeared in 1970]], with Spinney playing him in one appearance, but it was an entirely different character. Elmo, who was informally called "baby monster" in the early planning stages, debuted in 1980 with the name Elmo, and went through two different performers (Brian Meehl, Richard Hunt) before Kevin Clash took over. The reason for the misconception is that Spinney, several decades after the fact, misremembered things and conflated the small, reddish Muppet he portrayed with the similar Elmo, and remembering how Elmo spent years going through different performers and characterizations before becoming a BreakoutCharacter, added his own history with the earlier character to Elmo's history. Spinney's 2003 memoir ''The Wisdom of Big Bird (and the Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch)'' was the main source of the "Baby Monster" confusion.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids: The ''Sesame Street: Old School'' DVD sets, compiling material from 1969 to 1984, featured a disclaimer: "These early ''Sesame Street'' episodes are intended for grownups and may not suit the needs of today's preschool child." While the sentiment being expressed was legitimate (the early years of the show were based on educational theories that got revised over the next few decades), the wording was awkward, and seemed to suggest that the show's ''content'' was too racy for children, leading to a backlash from fans.

** Even in the Sesame Street universe, Julia’s mannerisms, playfulness and limited dialogue truly stand out.

* FandomRivalry: Some fans of ''Series/TheMuppetShow'' look down a bit on ''Sesame'' fans, since it's a show aimed squarely at kids rather than an all-ages show like ''The Muppet Show''. Some of this might be generational (younger viewers being unaware of the more ParentalBonus-laden material of ''Sesame'''s first few decades), some might be cultural (particularly in the UK, where ''Sesame Street'' never really caught on).

* NeverLiveItDown: While there are plenty of people, including those who're autistic, willing to pass it off as just poor judgement, many people are equally unwilling to forgive Sesame Street for deciding to partner with Autism Speaks.

* AuthorsSavingThrow:
** Mr. Snuffleupagus was originally conceived as Big Bird's ImaginaryFriend, and so for many years there was a running joke of Snuffy wandering away just as anyone else entered the scene, and nobody believing that he was real. The writers later realized that [[AccidentalAesop this accidentally sends the message]] that "[[AdultsAreUseless grownups won't believe you if you try to tell them something important]]." This is a bad thing, so in the 1985 season premiere they decided to make other people see Snuffy too, and the adults sincerely apologized to Big Bird for not believing him.
** One criticism for Seasons 46-47 was focusing too much on a core cast of Muppets (i.e. Elmo, Grover, Abby, Cookie Monster, etc.) over others (i.e. Ernie, Bert, Baby Bear, etc.) due to the show's new half hour format. Starting in Season 48, there have been more stories that include more Muppet characters.
** [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome Removing]] Don Music was meant as a response to parents complaining that their children mimicked his CharacterTic of banging his head on the piano. This did cause backlash, however, with viewers wondering why the writers just didn't make him stop doing it.

** Big Bird is a massive racist who owns slaves as far as Reddit is concerned. He's also come to represent reckless authoritarianism via the "We Ride at Dawn, Bitches!" meme.

* FandomRivalry: Some fans of ''Series/TheMuppetShow'' look down a bit on ''Sesame'' fans, since it's a show aimed squarely at kids rather than an all-ages show like ''The Muppet Show''. Some of this might generational (younger viewers being unaware of the more ParentalBonus-laden material of ''Sesame'''s first few decades), some might be cultural (particularly in the UK, where ''Sesame Street'' never really caught on).

* FandomRivalry: Some fans of ''Series/TheMuppetShow'' find it strange for ''Sesame'' fans to enjoy a show for preschoolers rather than one for all ages.

** Zoe and Rocco. As [[Webvideo/GameTheory The Film Theorists]] suggests, Zoe uses her pet rock, Rocco, to be a {{Jerkass}} at the expense of Elmo, who gets steamrolled every time Rocco's around. Since Rocco's just a rock, these interactions imply that she's using Rocco to pick on Elmo without directly saying it herself. To add, Zoe's tone of voice often changes when she brings up something that Rocco wants to do.