There's a Monster at the End (And the Beginning and Middle For That Matter) of This Article!

As Sesame Street celebrates its 51^st Birthday, many fans and kids of all ages reflect on the children’s show, its rightful place as a true cultural and educational influence, and the delightful memories it holds for kids of all ages. For many, it opened up a world of diversity, where humans of all ethnicities and backgrounds lived with Muppets as one big community that supported each other and leaned together. There was the educational aspect, introducing numbers, letters, rhymes, and beginning learning concepts. For this author, Sesame Street and The Electric Company were instrumental in my education – I taught myself to read through these shows, and my love for the written word and language definitely sprouted from there.

And, as mentioned above, The Muppets. Jim Henson’s fantastic creations that went beyond puppet into magnified and relatable personalities. The childlike inquisitiveness of Big Bird, the opposite-but-best-friend support that Bert and Ernie offered each other, the grumpy and gruff yet deep-down caring Oscar the Grouch, crazy and cookie-obsessed Cookie Monster… It seemed that children were able to see pieces of themselves and others in these characters. As adult fans of the show, many of us have adopted these characters from 123 Sesame Street as their “Muppet Twins.”

For me, this is most definitely the case. And I found my Muppet Twin in the form of Grover.

Making his debut on the Ed Sullivan Show on Christmas Eve of 1967, Grover was only slightly recognizable as the lanky and lovable blue monster we know today. He was called “Gleep,” was more of a greenish-brown color, and his voice was not near the Frank Oz-ian voice Steet watchers are familiar with; that was to come later in 1970.

A rather "Gleepish" Grover, on display with Prairie Dawn, at the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington, DC. Photo © Craig D. Barton, 2018

The “official” Grover we know and love would come into his own in Sesame’s second season, bringing his fuzzy and blue persona into the living rooms of children and their families. Very much an eternal child himself, Grover is imaginative, friendly, and over-eager to help others. His intentions are good, even if the results are a bit…. Skewed. Take his waiter job at Charlie’s restaurant – always ready and happy to help, even if it takes him seven tries (and still not what the customer expects!). Super Grover is ready to save the day – even if he can’t land without crashing.

Grover is a natural worrier as well. As evidenced in the classic “Monster at the End of This Book,” Grover agonizes over the fear of a scary and abhorrent monster, only to realize that the monster in question is his loveable and furry self. Relatable to many kids and adults with anxiety, it’s a true play on the Kennedyism that “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” The fact that it’s done in such a fun and silly way, has helped many a young reader learn and laugh at the same time. In fact. Later on, we know he has conquered his fear of monsters, as the song “Monster in the Mirror” tells us:

“If your mirror has a monster in it, do not shout,
This kind of situation does not call for freaking out.
And do nothing that you would not like to see him do,
'Cause that monster in the mirror he just might be you!”

As silly as Grover can be, he also helps others embrace their own individuality. While worrisome and oft-times bumbling, one thing that Grover is, is being a monster who is comfortable in his own skin. “Fuzzy and Blue” celebrates the idea that those traits are who he is (“It’s just the way that I grew”), so why not just sing about it? When Herry Monster and Cookie Monster join in, we realize that even in our uniqueness, there are others like us – commonalities bring us together. And inclusivity is a lesson as well. Frazzle may not be blue, but he is more than welcome in the fuzzy and blue gang!



While I see many traits of Grover in myself (though not fuzzy and blue), I see a monster we could all learn from. One who overcomes fears, tries his hardest, embraces who he is, and has unconditional love for all. Seriously, is there anyone that Grover DOESN’T like? People both near… and far… could learn a lesson and learn a hug from this loveable and furry monster (who is not at all scary).

Well, look at this! This is the end of this article – I told you and told you there was nothing to be afraid of…

Do you have a "Muppet Twin?" IS it Grover as well, or is it another wonderful character from Sesame Street? We here at Communerdy would love to know who it might be and why? Feel free to drop a comment below and discuss!

(This post has been brought to you by the letters G, F, and B.)