The Dark Side of the Sesame Street

Does anyone think it’s a little strange how the theme tune to Sesame Street is a load of kids singing about how to get to a street? They are singing it in unison, as if they have been asking it for some time. It’s almost rhetorical.

I find it chilling, but then children singing together has always scared me. Film-makers know it too. Listen to the opening music in Amityville Horror or the chanting in Nightmare on Elm Street. No doubt about it, the Sesame Street music makes me uneasy.

First, its their disjointed speech that makes me think something’s not right. “Come and play…” That’s odd – a lot of kids saying it at the same time. There is no answer. I wonder what they mean. Do they sound drowsy? Perhaps euphoric? I can’t hear any adult voices. They reassure you that everything is, in their own words, “A-OK”, but it doesn’t sound very convincing.

“Friendly neighbours there that’s where we meet,” they explain. Why do they meet at the neighbours? Surely it makes more sense to stay home with their parents until someone shows up. Where are the parents? Perhaps they are stuck in Sesame Street. Perhaps the last message they got out before they were incapacitated was a text which read: “We R in Sesame St. Go 2 nxt door and w8. M&D”

The children then ask for directions, but it takes two attempts to get the question out.

Then everything goes quiet.

There is not a sound, apart from the faint wheeze of someone playing a harmonica. From the proficiency of the playing I would guess it’s an adult and it sounds like he or she is on their own. Where have the children gone? Why were they looking for Sesame Street? Were they trying to get back there? Were they trying to get away from the harmonica player?!?! Good god, someone please answer.

And still the playing continues, almost in guiltily, like someone whistling to mask an earlier incident.

Next week: Blues Clues. It’s almost as if they want us to find out. It seems too easy.