Sesame Street character Grover is accused of dropping the F-bomb in an episode of the show - but based on video of the scene, he definitely didn’t. The long-running PBS TV show is a staple of children’s television, using puppets to teach basics like the alphabet and numbers to young kids watching at home. Since it launched in 1969, Sesame Street has introduced a host of different puppets that have become stars of the show and cultural icons in their own right. From Cookie Monster and Big Bird to Elmo and Grover, the puppet characters are as iconic as the show itself.
Oddly enough though, Sesame Street has been in the news quite a bit this year in regards to various, arguably strange stories. First, Sesame Street sued The Happytime Murders (Melissa McCarthy’s R-rated puppet murder-mystery movie) for “tarnishing” the PBS series’ brand. Sesame Street ended up losing their case, however. Then, Sesame Street officially chimed in on the debate about whether longtime characters Bert and Ernie are gay, bizarrely insisting the puppets don’t have any sexual orientation at all. Now, before 2018 comes to a close, Sesame Street is back in the news for another weird story that has caused a debate online.
YouTube channel Droop Snoot posted a video that looks to be a downloaded Snapchat or Instagram Story on loop of the Sesame Street scene in question. The writing on the video reads, “Seriously did Grover just drop the F Bomb??” Then, the caption of the video reveals the two different sentences viewers are hearing: “Yes, yes, that sounds like an excellent idea” or “Yes, yes, that’s a f–king excellent idea.” If you listen, you can hear why some folks hear the F-word, but it’s fairly clear that’s not what Grover is really saying. Listen in the video below:
This isn’t the first time an audio clip has gone viral because people hear two different things. The Yanny vs. Laurel debate went viral in May when the internet couldn’t come to a decision about whether an audio clip of a computerized voice was saying “Yanny” or “Laurel.” However, unlike Yanny vs. Laurel, there’s a clear answer to the Grover debate. While it might sound like Grover is dropping the F-bomb in the clip, it’s incredibly unlikely the Broadcast Standards and Practices would have let a curse word slip through in any television program, let alone one aimed at children.
Still, folks online are having a good time debating whether Grover really did curse on Sesame Street, with some choosing to believe the puppet did swear just for the fun of it. In terms of all the strange instances in which Sesame Street has been in in the news this year, Grover potentially cursing is one of the more benign. Though it may lead to the writers and puppeteers/voice actors being a little more careful about how the characters’ dialogue comes off on the show.
What do you think Grover is saying in the Sesame Street scene in question? Let us know in the comments section!
