| Elmo is one of Sesame Street’s most famous characters. He is a red Muppet monster with big eyes and an orange nose. Elmo is the host of the final segment on Sesame Street, called Elmo's World. Elmo’s World is aimed at toddlers. He is accompanied by his pet Dorothy, a goldfish, and the always silent Noodle brothers.
Elmo is supposed to be around three and a half years old, and always refers to himself in the third person. He has been described as being overtly optimistic and very nice. Many people believe that Elmo’s popularity grew with the “dumbing down” of Sesame Street. Elmo’s origin has been described by Sesame Street writer Nancy Sans in the following way: "There was this extra red puppet lying around and the cast would pick him up sometimes and try to create a personality, but nothing seemed to materialize.” There have been numerous puppeteers who have played Elmo, however it was Kevin Cash who brought life in to Elmo. The Elmo doll named ‘Tickle Me Elmo’ was introduced in the holiday season of 1996. Other of Elmo toys include the Hokey Pokey Elmo, Limbo Elmo, and Let’s Pretend Elmo.
Elmo has also made some part time appearances on The West Wing and as a special feature on Food Network’s, "Cook With Your Kids Week" alongside Emeril Lagasse. He also played the lead in the motion picture ‘Elmo in Grouchland’ that released in 1999. Elmo has become very popular with kids all over the world; with his shows being translated languages. |
