Sesame Street

The longevity of Sesame Street has seen some inevitable turnover through the years, some less controversial than others, but the latest loss will have most everyone in a nostalgic fit. Sonia Manzano, best known as the iconic Maria, will say goodbye to Sesame Street after a whopping 44 years on the air.

At some point, we’re not sure when, Sesame Street stopped being a low-key educational children’s program and started being an educational children’s program that finds time to create internet-friendly parodies of whatever pop culture event is huge in a given week. So yeah, of course the show has made an Avengers-themed sketch and of course it’s called The Aveggies: Age of Bon Bon and of course it recasts Cookie Monster as the Hulk.

At some point in the SNL writer’s room, everyone must have realized that guest host Taraji P. Henson plays a monstrous character named Cookie on the smash hit Empire and, a few Cookie Monster jokes later, they were scrambling to call the producers of Sesame Street. Yes, SNL put Henson’s Cookie on the world’s most famous children’s program and the results are kind of spectacular.

Because there is nothing small children still learning to read love more than ultra-violent fantasy epics, Sesame Street has created a Game of Thrones parody. And we’re not talking about a simple excuse to dress up some Muppets in medieval garb. There are some serious George R.R. Martin deep cuts in this strange little sketch, which marks the first and probably last time that Sesame Street will obliquely reference brutal massacres, beheadings, and regicide.

We've seen 'Sesame Street' take on the likes of such TV-MA fare as 'Sons of Anarchy,' 'Boardwalk Empire' and 'Homeland,' but can it master deductions when it comes to 'Sherlock'? Okay, it isn't exactly the great detective, but Benedict Cumberbatch himself making deductions with 'Sesame Street' muppets is the next best thing!

Just when you thought Subway sandwiches had proven the most bizarre and atonal tie-in for 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,' in comes 'Sesame Street!' Watch Cookie Monster (excuse us, Cookieness Evereat) try to eat his way through 'The Hungry Games: Catching Fur' in a bullseye parody of the blockbuster franchise!

We've seen 'Sesame Street' take on everything from 'Sons of Anarchy' to 'Boardwalk Empire,' but the long-running PBS series' "Homeland" parody might be the most spot-on yet. Bringing Carrie, Brody, Saul and the rest to life as "Homelamb," you might be surprised by the adult humor 'Sesame Street' manages to cram into its latest parody.

In celebration of the destruction of the Defense of Marriage Act this past Wednesday, next weeks's cover of The New Yorker will feature an illustration by Jack Hunter depicting 'Sesame Street' residents and best friends Bert and Ernie, cuddling on the couch and watching the news.

Cookie Monster got arrested yesterday for shoving a toddler. Obviously it was a man dressed up as Cookie Monster, and it happened in Times Square, where basically nothing good will ever happen, but still, come on Cookie Monster!

As it turns out, Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash is an innocent man after all -- the 'Sesame Street' veteran was recently accused of having an affair with a 16 year old some seven years ago, but now the accuser has recanted the allegations.

Today is not a sunny day on Sesame Street. Kevin Clash, the voice actor and puppeteer behind Elmo, the show's most popular character, has taken an indefinite leave of absence following allegations the he had sexual relations with an underage boy.

Hey, did you hear there was an election yesterday? It was kind of a big deal, you know, presidents and what not. With Obama being reelected, people were pretty quick to start poking fun of the losers, as well as the ultra-conservatives who said they'd be moving abroad. Oh, and gay marriage and the legalization of marijuana passed in several states. Of course, memes are a great way to do this. Here