Sesame Street on the Subway, Seventies Style

I love vintage Sesame Street. And I especially love this video, which is recognizably the New York City subway system, except it's the 1970s and there are dancing muppets. I will admit to having no first hand knowledge of the 1970s subway here in NYC - I wasn't born yet - but my understanding is that the city was a bit scarier and darker than it is today. And that darkness is reflected just a bit in this video ...

The muppets do things muppets are supposed to do - they sing and dance and smile - but there is also a tension in the air here that one doesn't really expect of Sesame Street. Elmo would be out of place here. Instead, we have the random beatnik muppet, and the old lady who breathlessly insists that "you could lose your purse or you might lose something worse on the subway." There is the suggestion that it's hot, and claustrophobic, and the dancing is more a reflection of the chaos contained within those subway cars than a true celebration. And poor Kermit, who should have taken the local instead of the express! How many of us have done that at one time or another? The character I really sympathize with here, though, is Bert. Poor Bert doesn't want to take part in the dancing. He just wants to avoid getting hit. He doesn't like all these random people touching him, and he's doing his best to avoid it. Bert represents order and sanity in the midst of the madness and chaos. At the end of the video, it's not clear if he's bewildered or relieved or both. I sympathize here because when the break dancers start up on the D train, I'm usually wondering if there is some place I can duck and hide to avoid getting kicked. There are other Sesame Street takes on the subway, but I think this one is the most interesting and surreal. And I do get a kick out of it in spite of picking up some dark undertones. If I have to be subject to subway entertainment of the singing and dancing variety, I'd prefer it to come from Kermit and friends than from anyone else!

*FYI - I had meant to do a post about subway preachers a few days ago, following a particularly annoying experience - but then my internet broke, and the moment seemed to have passed. I'm sure it will come again, though. In the meantime, Bert, Kermit, and friends are a good substitute!