Tell Me How to Get to Sesame Street – Celebrity Edition

Question: How does a blogger go from writing a post about the “Top Ten R-Rated Robert De Niro Moments” to writing a post about “Sesame Street”?

Answer: YouTube

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been suffering from a bit of “writer’s block” lately (blogger’s block?).  You see, in case you haven’t noticed, this website is called “TV Recappers Anonymous.”  And since most of the shows I love to recap have either wrapped up for the season (Gossip Girl, Lost, The Vampire Diaries, Grey’s Anatomy, Big Love) or won’t start airing for at least a couple of weeks (True Blood, Entourage, Mad Men), I find myself at kind of a loss for “write-about-able” topics.

So, tonight, I initially planned to do this blog post that I’d been planning for a while, but had just never got around to writing.  In it, I would select the most raunchy, f-bomb laden YouTube clips from Robert De Niro films, and post them here for your viewing pleasure.  (Because nothing says “funny” like a potty mouth Robert De Niro threatening to perform random acts of violence on your tushy . . .)

“You talkin’ to me?  Because I’m the only one here . . .”

So, being the “super creative” gal that I am, I headed to www.youtube.com and typed in the words “Robert De Niro.”  And, to my surprise, the FIRST video that popped up was this one . . .

Thanks bazblack!

You gotta love Elmo!  De Niro basically offers to do Taxi Driver and Raging Bull impersonations for him, and he chooses . . .  the cabbage.

“Great source of riboflavin!”

Oh, and the “twist” ending?   With the TWO Elmos?  That was pretty much the most disturbing thing I’ve seen De Niro do, since that movie Hide and Seek . . .

Unintentional creepiness factor aside, this clip got me to wondering about what other celebrities might have recently made guest appearances on Sesame Street.  Here were some of the more amusing ones I found . . .

(Thanks to SesameStreet for posting these!)

Ricky Gervais

If I am ever having trouble sleeping, remind me NEVER to call this guy . . .

As I was watching this, part of me kept waiting for the rest of the cast of the UK version of The Office to pop out from behind Elmo’s bed and start conversing with the camera, documentary-style.

Jake Gyllenhaal

This is the first time in my entire life, I can honestly say that I have ever been envious of an octopus . . .

I guess there’s a first time for everything!

Paul Rudd

If ever an actor was MADE for celebrity guest appearances on Sesame Street, it’s Paul Rudd.  He’s just a BIG goofy kid all the time!  I heart him!

“By the way, does this Earth make me look fat?”

Matthew Fox

After watching this clip, I’m pretty sure Matthew Fox wins the award for Celebrity Most Uncomfortable with Being on Sesame Street . . . That being said, this clip was trippy enough to be a Flash Sideways on Lost . . .

Picture this. Dr. Jack Shepard opens his father’s casket in the Season Finale . . . and his Dad’s bones start TALKING TO HIM!  Oh, and Elmo would TOTALLY be the new Man in Black . . . or Red . . . or whatever.

Sarah Jessica Parker

In this fun clip, Sarah Jessica Parker is waiting for “Big.”

And, in the words of Carrie Bradshaw, “Super Grover couldn’t help but wonder, how BIG is Big?”  (Yeah, it actually gets THAT risque.)  Like that first clip with De Niro, this one also has a “twist ending.”  See if you can guess what it is . . .

Neil Patrick Harris

Those of you who watched the episode of Glee in which he appeared as guest star, know that Neil Patrick Harris can sing.  What you might not know is that he also enjoys wearing way-too-small-for-his-body white wings and has a shoe fetish .  . . 

So, there you have it, seven surprisingly adult-themed celebrity guest appearances on Sesame Street.  Now aren’t you glad I didn’t end up doing that post on De Niro?  I’ll probably end up writing it tomorrow. 🙂

Anatomy of a Trailer: Sex and the City 2

I was a big fan of the original HBO series, Sex and the City (based loosely on a book by Candace  Bushnell of the same name),  which ran from 1998 through 2004.  Aside from being titilatingly naughty, hysterically funny, and breathtakingly sexy, the series had a lot of really insightful things to say about what it meant to be a single woman during the early 21st century.

As I grew older (I was still in high school when the show first aired.  So, my friends and I couldn’t talk about, much less do the things shown on the show without blushing), the series became increasingly relevant to my daily life.  Even though Sex and the City has been off the air for nearly six years now, I still find myself recalling episodes and quoting lines from the show when discussing dating and relationship problems with my friends and family.  Oh, and did I mention it was FILLED with hot naked men?

When the first Sex and the City movie came out in 2008, I’ll admit that I was a bit underwhelmed.  Sure, the characters were all there, and the fashion was amazing.  Yet, it just seemed to be lacking some of the humor, fun, and light-heartedness of the original series.  And let’s face it, there WASN’T NEARLY ENOUGH SEX!!!!

So, when I heard they were making a sequel to the film, in the iconic words of Carrie Bradshaw, herself, “I couldn’t help but wonder,” are the producers of this film simply beating a dead horse (a botoxed horse, clad in Jimmy Choo horseshoes and a Vera Wang saddle, but a dead one nonetheless)?

Take a look at the trailer, and see what you think . . .

Here’s what I saw:

:11 – Growing up just outside New York City, one of the things I always loved about Sex and the City was that, it was, at its core, a love letter to Manhattan.  Too many television shows and films nowadays claim to take place in Manhattan, but are actually taped in L.A. or someplace in Canada.  I liked being able to watch the show and pick out actual places I’ve been and things I’ve done in NYC. Of course, seeing as I was a student during the entirety of the Sex and the City run, I couldn’t afford most of the places the SATC girls hung out (and, mostly, still can’t).

That being said, I love that this trailer opens with gorgeous aerial shots of NYC, shown to the tune of Jay Z’s and Alicia Keys’ “Empire State of Mind.”  The song has become a bit overplayed of late, in my opinion, but it works really well here.

:24 – One of my gripes with the original film was that, over time, the Sex and the City girls became too rich and successful and, as a result, much less relatable.  It seems like this trend will continue into the second movie.  Why does Carrie need two door men?  Isn’t one enough, Mrs. Big?

:33 – Here, it looks as though Charlotte has started her own baking business from her home, which, undoubtedly, will be instantly successful and make her into the next Martha Stewart / Rachael Ray.  I doubt any of these women have ever heard the term recession, much less experienced one. 

:35 – It appears as though the girls are attending a ritzy New Year’s Eve party in this scene.  I can tell because Gidget the Humping Dog (one of the best parts of the first movie, in my opinion) is wearing one of those goofy silver top hats that are acceptable and fashionable precisely once a year, during the hours of 8pm to 12:01 am, and then must be taken off . . . FAST!

:43 – So glad Carrie got to keep her obnoxiously-sized clothing closet from the first film, which is probably bigger than my entire apartment.  (Think I am bitter?  YES I AM!)

:51 – This looks like another fancy wedding.  I wonder who’s getting married this time . . .

:53 – Woo hoo!  Samantha Jones is SINGLE AGAIN, and ready to mingle with this hot bartender guy!  Does this mean more raunchy sex scenes?  Here’s hoping . . .

:57 – Fashion Police Alert!  Is it just me, or does Carrie look like a very skinny Magic 8 Ball dressed in an eggplant – colored mumu?

1:02 – And . . . now we are at the airport.  Where are we going ladies?  (I’ve read rumors that Carrie & Co. travel to Morocco during the film.  I’m not sure if they are true.)

1:04 – Now the ladies are riding camels and trekking through the desert? WTF!!!  I am hoping this is some sort of bizarre dream sequence.  Because, if not, ladies and gentlemen, I think we have just jumped the shark! 

Sex and the City 2 hits theaters May 28, 2010.  Are YOU going to see it?