Elmo - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.

org/wiki/Elmo

Elmo
Elmo is a Muppet character on the children's television
Elmo
show Sesame Street. He is a furry red monster with a
falsetto voice, who hosts the last full fifteen-minute Sesame Street character
segment (five minutes after 2017) on Sesame Street,
"Elmo's World", which is aimed at toddlers. He was most
often puppeteered by Kevin Clash. Following Clash's
resignation in late 2012, he has been puppeteered by Ryan
Dillon.[2][3]

Contents First 1980 (Season

History appearance 11)

Popular culture Portrayed Principal

by performers
Criticism and controversy
Ryan Dillon
Casting history
(2013–present)
Principal performers
Kevin Clash
Alternate performers
(1985–2014)
International puppeteers see all below
References Birthday February 3
External links
Information
Species Sesame Street

History Muppet Monster

Gender Male
Elmo is self-described as three-and-a-half years old and his
Family Louie and Mae
birthday is on February 3.[4] Elmo characteristically avoids
(parents)
pronouns in reference to himself, instead referring to
Daisy (sister)
himself in the third person (e.g. saying "Elmo wants this"
Mimsy (cousin)
instead of "I want this").[5] Sesame Street staff writer
Cousin Pepe
Nancy Sans once described Elmo's origins: "There was
(cousin from
this extra red puppet lying around and the cast would pick
Mexico)
him up sometimes and try to create a personality, but
Elmonosuke
nothing seemed to materialize."[6]
(cousin from

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The puppet, originally known as "Short Red", was Japan)

performed by Jerry Nelson in the background of episodes Elmer (cousin
from the early 1980s, Brian Muehl from 1980 to 1984, and from Texas)
Richard Hunt from 1984 to 1985. However in 1985, Aunt Sue
Richard Hunt was so frustrated with the puppet, he Elmo's Grandma
squeezed it and threw it at Kevin Clash, who then and Grandpa
performed Elmo. He said that Elmo should be a character Selmo
who is kind and a loving character. Sans continues that Elmo's Great
"...one day [in 1985], Kevin Clash, a talented puppeteer, Grandmother
raised him up and brought energy and life into Elmo and Elmo (great-
from that day forward we would all write for Elmo. Kevin's great
performance inspired the writers to develop Elmo's grandfather and
character".[7] John Tartaglia, Matt Vogel, and Jim Martin namesake)
have all been secondary performers for the character, Uncle Jack
providing movement for Elmo's arms and legs, particularly Aunt Jill
in green-screen shots. Jesse (cousin)
Chester (cousin)
Alongside Cookie Monster, Elmo has appeared in The
Chester's
Furchester Hotel, where he is taking an extended stay
parents (aunt
because of his fascination with the Furchester Hotel. His
and uncle)
father Louie is the brother of Funella Furchester.
Funella
Furchester
Popular culture (aunt)
Furgus Fuzz
After becoming a regular guest on The Rosie O'Donnell
(uncle)
Show, Elmo began touring the talk-show circuit. He has
Phoebe
appeared on Martha Stewart Living and Martha, The Tony
Furchester-Fuzz
Danza Show, Rove Live, Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!,[8] and
(cousin)
The View. Elmo and a developmental expert gave
Ollie (cousin)
babysitting tips on the June 18, 2005 episode of Teen Kids
Nationality American
News. He has also appeared on Emeril Live, helping
Emeril make (non-alcoholic) eggnog during a Holiday Fur/skin Red/Red[1]
Special shown in December 2008. Kevin Clash and Aaron color
Neville were also guests on this show. On a special episode
of Oprah called "The Faces Behind the Famous Names", Kevin Clash and Elmo appeared at the
same time.[9]

Elmo was the star of the 1999 full-length, theatrically released motion picture The Adventures
of Elmo in Grouchland. He also starred in the film Elmo Saves Christmas.

Elmo also appeared in a fifth-season episode of The West Wing along with his friends Zoe and
Big Bird. In that episode, Elmo receives a medical checkup from Abbey Bartlet, the First Lady

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(who is making a guest appearance on Sesame Street),

and cheekily questions her about the validity of her
medical license.

Elmo also appeared in the eighth season episode of

Scrubs, "My ABC's", along with Oscar the Grouch, Grover,
and an Anything Muppet named "Ex Ray". All four
characters are in separate fantasies of J.D.'s in the
episode. Elmo and Rosita film a PSA in
2004 with then-Senator Hillary
At the request and with the assistance of Rep. Duke Clinton
Cunningham, he testified before the House Appropriations
Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and
Education in April 2002, urging support for increased funding in music education.[10]

Emeril and Elmo's Healthy Start was a special featuring Elmo and Emeril Lagasse that aired on
November 4, 2005 at 8 p.m. as part of the Food Network's second annual "Cook With Your Kids
Week". The special was produced in conjunction with Sesame Workshop's Healthy Habits for
Life program.

In 1996, a Tickle Me Elmo doll became a fad toy.[11]

In the 2003 Pixar movie Finding Nemo, one of the names Dory calls Nemo is "Elmo".

Elmo has also made many appearances on The Simpsons. In Missionary: Impossible, he chases
Homer Simpson. In Bart-Mangled Banner, he is Bill Clinton's cellmate. In Stop or My Dog Will
Shoot!, Chief Clancy Wiggum shows a shirt where Big Bird is killing Elmo. In the episode How
the Test Was Won Clancy's son Ralph finds a rat and says "I'm playing with Elmo". In the
episode The Color Yellow Ralph has a drawing of himself with Elmo and Buzz Lightyear from
the Toy Story franchise.

Criticism and controversy

Fans of Sesame Street have complained that Elmo's prominent status has caused roles to be
greatly reduced for some older characters, such as Oscar the Grouch, Big Bird, Count von
Count, Prairie Dawn, Grover, and Cookie Monster. Some fans also blame Elmo for the
permanent departure of Kermit the Frog from Sesame Street.[12] Elmo has been referred to as
the "Little Red Menace" by Sesame Street traditionalists.[13]

In its FAQ, the Sesame Workshop addresses the allegation that Elmo referring to himself in the
third person will teach children improper English, by stating that this behavior "mimics the
behavior of many preschoolers. Like 3-year-olds, he doesn’t always have the skills or knowledge
to speak proper English."[5]

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Casting history

Principal performers
Kevin Clash (1985–2014)
Ryan Dillon (2013–present)

Alternate performers
Caroll Spinney and Jerry Nelson (1970s)
Brian Muehl (1980–1984)
Richard Hunt (1984–1985)

International puppeteers
Kōji Ochiai (Japanese NHK dub of Sesame Street)
Kenta Matsumoto (Japanese, TV Tokyo)
Davide Garbolino (Italian version of Elmo's World)
Eduardo Garza (Mexican Spanish, Latin Spanish dub of
Elmo's World)
Igor Cruz (Mexican Spanish)
Sabine Falkenberg (German)
Hein Boele (Dutch dub of Sesamestreet)
Jogchem Jalink (Puppeteer of the Elmo replica puppet
Rafa and Elmo (right)
used on the Dutch version of Sesamestreet)
Tomasz Bednarek (Polish version of Elmo's World)
Damon Berry (Takalani Sesame, known as "Neno")
Christophe Albertini (5, Rue Sésame)
Ariel Doron (Rechov Sumsum)

References
1. Sesame Street (2014-09-16). "Sesame Street: Lupita Nyong'o Loves Her Skin" (https://www.yo
utube.com/watch?v=xIC2hHECZ6Y#t=88). YouTube. Retrieved 2014-09-17.
2. "Ryan Dillon is the New Voice of Elmo" (http://dailyentertainmentnews.com/tv/ryan-dillon-is-th
e-new-voice-of-elmo/). DailyEntertainmentNews.com. 2013-04-02. Retrieved 2014-06-29.
3. "Elmo left behind on 'Sesame Street' as puppeteer Kevin Clash exits amid underage sex
scandal" (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/elmo-actor-leaves-sesame-street-article
-1.1205900#ixzz2GWzezE00).
4. "This Week in Sesame Street: Elmo's Birthday" (http://www.sesameworkshop.org/our-blog/201
2/02/03/this-week-in-sesame-street-elmos-birthday). Sesame Workshop.

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5. "Why does Elmo refer to himself in the third person? Won't this teach kids improper English?"
(https://web.archive.org/web/20110927021430/http://www.sesameworkshop.org/faq?p_p_lifec
ycle=0&p_p_id=faq_WAR_sesameportlets4369&_faq_WAR_sesameportlets4369_action=addq
uestion&_faq_WAR_sesameportlets4369_category=About%20the%20Television%20Program&
_faq_WAR_sesameportlets4369_faqtype=faq&p_p_lifecycle=0&p_p_id=browsefaq_WAR_sesa
meportlets4369&_browsefaq_WAR_sesameportlets4369_category=About%20the%20Televisio
n%20Program). Frequently Asked Questions. Sesame Workshop. Archived from the original (h
ttp://www.sesameworkshop.org/faq?p_p_lifecycle=0&p_p_id=faq_WAR_sesameportlets4369&
_faq_WAR_sesameportlets4369_action=addquestion&_faq_WAR_sesameportlets4369_categor
y=About%20the%20Television%20Program&_faq_WAR_sesameportlets4369_faqtype=faq&p_
p_lifecycle=0&p_p_id=browsefaq_WAR_sesameportlets4369&_browsefaq_WAR_sesameportle
ts4369_category=About%20the%20Television%20Program#) on 2011-09-27. Retrieved
2008-10-29.
6. Rhoades, Shirrel. "Being Elmo" (http://tropiccinema.blogspot.com/2011/12/being-elmo-rhoade
s.html). Tropic Cinema. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
7. Shon, Debora (2006-01-31). "Sesame Street will spend this weekend in Poughkeepsie" (http://
www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060131/LIFE/601310301/1005).
Poughkeepsie Journal.
8. "Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!" (https://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=3
5&prgDate=09-30-2006&view=storyview). NPR. Retrieved 2014-06-29.
9. "A Guy's Guide to Oprah: 'Barbie, Marc Jacobs, Jimmy Choo, and Elmo' " (https://web.archive.o
rg/web/20120219082624/http://aguysguidetooprah.com/2008/06/barbie-marc-jacobs-jimmy-c
hoo-and-elmo.html/). Aguysguidetooprah.com. June 2008. Archived from the original (http://w
ww.aguysguidetooprah.com/2008/06/barbie-marc-jacobs-jimmy-choo-and-elmo.html) on
2012-02-19. Retrieved 2014-06-29.
10. "Mr. Elmo goes to Washington" (https://web.archive.org/web/20121011091903/http://articles.
cnn.com/2002-04-23/politics/elmo.hill_1_elmo-instruments-congressional-committee?_s=PM%
3AALLPOLITICS). CNN. 2002-04-24. Archived from the original (http://articles.cnn.com/2002-0
4-23/politics/elmo.hill_1_elmo-instruments-congressional-committee) on 2012-10-11.
Retrieved 2014-06-29.
11. "Just Tickled" (http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20143226,00.html). People
Magazine. Vol. 47 No. 1.
12. "Jumptheshark.com" (https://web.archive.org/web/20071010051720/http://www.jumptheshar
k.com/topic/sesame-street-general-comments/1767). Archived from the original (http://www.j
umptheshark.com/topic/sesame-street-general-comments/1767) on 2007-10-10.
13. "Elmo dethrones Big Bird" (http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_412445.html)
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20100823084740/http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pitt
sburghtrib/s_412445.html) 2010-08-23 at the Wayback Machine, Kim Lyons, Pittsburgh
Tribune-Review, Jan. 11, 2006

External links
Tickle Elmo (https://web.archive.org/web/20061108122509/http://www.sesameworkshop.org/s
esamestreet/tickle/)
Elmo's World (https://web.archive.org/web/20061108123353/http://www.sesameworkshop.org

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/sesamestreet/elmosworld/)
Downloadable 15-minute interview with Elmo voice and puppeteer Kevin Clash from
Wisconsin Public Television (https://web.archive.org/web/20070519061939/http://www.wpt.or
g/blog/2007/02/be-more-tuned-in-podcast-kevin-clash.html) - Kevin Clash talks about how he
became Elmo and how the Muppet is able to affect children's lives
"Sesame Street: A YouTube Interview with Elmo" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZHSDj
tD-dg) - Sesame Street Official Channel, YouTube
Cinderelmo (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0218892/) on IMDb

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