mister noodle

In a pathetic attempt to get some rest for both me and Nate, I broke one of my parenting rules and plopped down in front of the television. And thanks to Comcast On Demand, we could watch endless episodes of Sesame Street at the touch of a button. It's been 20-some years since my Sesame Street days, and I was reintroduced to old friends - like Snuffy, Gordon, and Maria - and seeing lots of new faces. Most were the typical Sesame Street fare - friendly humans with overly acted emotions, goofy muppets with crazy eyes and fur, you know. But what's the deal with Mr. Noodle? Many of you are probably quite aware of Mr. Noodle, but for those of you new to modern day Sesame Street, he's a slapstick-style mime who hangs out behind Elmo's shade and attempts to act out something related to the show's theme but is usually off target. For instance, when Elmo asks what animals live on a farm, Mr. Noodle acts out an elephant and a monkey before finally correctly choosing to be a chicken. Am I just too old for Mr. Noodle? He just seems weird to me, and unlike the other humans on The Street. And if Mr. Noodle were behind my shade, I don't think I'd be too pleased!