| Category | Details |
| Episode Number | 4305 |
| Season | Season 43 (2012–2013) |
| Air Date | September 28, 2012 |
| Word on the Street | Patience |
| Guest Stars | Mario Lopez (Extra), Zac Efron |
| The "Veggie" Scandal | Cookie Monster eating carrots, cabbage, and celery |
| Cookie's Alter-Ego | "Rose-Marie" (Cookie in a blonde wig) |
| Viral Platform | Me Tube (with over a million hits) |
| Abby's Fairy School | Applesauce Treasure (Measuring weight with Blögg) |
| Super Grover 2.0 | Pulleys (Moving a piano into a robin's nest) |
| Parody Segment | Birdwalk Empire (Nucky Ducky vs. Clucky Luciano) |
| Elmo the Musical | Pizza the Musical (Intergalactic delivery to Martians) |
| Key Muppets | Cookie Monster, Elmo, Abby, Murray, Rosita, Zoe, Big Bird |
| Human Cast | Chris, Maria |
| Letter of the Day | W (Walnuts, Watermelon, Waffle) |
| Number of the Day | 2 (Sticks of butter / "Two is You and Me") |
| Educational Focus | Self-Identity, Nutrition, Patience, Simple Machines (Pulleys) |
| Sponsors | W, 2 |
Facts
Mario Lopez made an appearance as a reporter for EXTRA Sesame Street in Episode 4305. The production team designed a miniature news desk and a custom microphone with the show logo on it to copy the real entertainment news program. This parody addressed the viral internet rumor that the show planned to change Cookie Monster's name to Veggie Monster. Writers used the plot to make it clear that the character still loves cookies, but they also include healthy snacks.
Belinda Ward wrote the script to focus on the idea of identity and media literacy. The street story includes a segment called Me Tube, which features a video with over a million views. This was a sign of the growing influence of social media platforms in 2012. The character Rose-Marie was a quick-change disguise for Cookie Monster that used a blonde wig from the Sesame Street costume closet.
Zac Efron filmed the word of the day segment for the word patience. He was playing with a puppet basketball, but eventually the puppet got tired of waiting and walked away. They used a "rod-and-string" technique to make the basketball appear to stand up and walk on its own. This visual gag really drove home the abstract idea of waiting through physical comedy.
Captain Hook stopped by the classroom in the Abby's Flying Fairy School segment. The animation team created a 3D model of a pirate ship that could "sail" through the school's digital environment. The plot was all about measurement and weight using a balancing scale. To find a troll's weight in apples, the animators came up with a physical lever system to show how the scale tips based on mass.
Super Grover 2.0 used a pulley system to help a family of robins move a piano into a nest. This segment showed how mechanical advantage works. He used a bunch of pulleys to lift the heavy object with less force. The "piano" was a lightweight hollow prop designed to look like a full-sized upright piano while being safe for puppet interaction.
Birdwalk Empire was a parody of the HBO show Boardwalk Empire. The segment had Nucky Ducky and Clucky Luciano going at it over their walking style. The costume department made tiny pinstripe suits and fedoras for the duck and chicken puppets. This satire turned the adult drama's themes of territory and rivalry into a lesson about finding common ground through a shared dance.
Elmo the Musical: Pizza the Musical had Elmo traveling to Mars. They used high-def digital backgrounds to create the red planet's surface. Elmo had to deliver a pizza to Martians who spoke in a rhythmic "yip-yip" language. This episode brought intergalactic travel and planetary distance to musical theater.
Tyler Bunch did the voice for the sponsor announcement from the National Jumping Institute. This was a fictional organization created for the episode's theme of physical activity. The announcement came after the Count and Elmo sang a song called "Five By" to highlight numerical groupings.
Parent's Guide
Mario Lopez reports on Cookie Monster for a news segment that's all about the sensational. After being filmed eating carrots and cabbage, the media calls him the Veggie Monster. This title goes viral on Me Tube in no time. The story is a good example of how to think about media literacy and identity. Cookie Monster has a hard time with the narrow labels they put on him. He sings "Me Am What Me Am" to show that loving vegetables doesn't change his love for cookies. Your child learns that a balanced diet is a positive trait. They realize they don't have to fit into one category to be understood by friends.
In Abby's Flying Fairy School, the class joins Captain Hook on a math treasure hunt. This segment is a STEM exercise in measurement and weight. The fairies have to collect certain amounts of water and cinnamon. They use a balance scale to measure the weight in apples. This brings in standard and non-standard units of measurement. Your child will see that math is a useful tool for solving problems and following directions.
Super Grover 2.0 helps a family of robins move a piano into their nest. He uses a pulley to show how mechanical advantage makes a heavy task easier. This model uses trial and error to demonstrate the scientific method. The preschoolers watch Grover see a problem and test out different tech solutions. Your child is learning critical thinking skills by watching him figure out what works.
Zac Efron and Elmo explore the concept of patience. They show that waiting is a key executive function skill. Even if a basketball needs to step out before a game starts, the lesson is still important.
Murray and Ovejita cook up the letter W in the Alphabet Cook-off. They use walnuts, watermelon, and a waffle. This high-energy segment supports phonemic awareness and literacy. It's all about connecting the letter's shape with everyday things you can find around the house. Your child will learn to look for the W sound in their own kitchen. This makes mealtime into a reading readiness exercise.
In Elmo the Musical, Elmo plays a cosmic delivery expert. He's got to bring a pizza to the Martians on Mars. This segment mixes musical learning with spatial reasoning as Elmo navigates the solar system. The story shows how important problem-solving and persistence are. Elmo overcomes space-sized obstacles to make sure his delivery arrives on time. The show makes planetary distance and order accessible to young learners. It also talks about healthy habits by showing ingredients in the meal that the Martians approved.
Summary
What's the Word on the Street?: Patience
Me Am What Me Am, Street Story: While Cookie Monster waits for Chris to make a new batch of cookies, Chris gives him some carrots to eat. Cookie Monster munches the carrots when Mario Lopez from EXTRA Sesame Street arrives with some breaking news The Cookie Monster is now the Veggie Monster! Cookie wants to convince him otherwise, but the playback footage shows him eating the carrots.
When Chris brings cookie a celery snack, cookie can’t resist and dresses like a monster named Rose Marie. He plows through the celery and Mario appears again, reporting about Veggie Monster, but Cookie Monster tells them that it’s not who he is. He sings “Me Am What Me Am” to explain that he’ll always be Cookie Monster.
Celebrity: Zac Efron talks about the word “patience” while Elmo waits for him to finish so they can play basketball.
Animation: Two Kids find a wand in the woods and wish w words. The Boy is Gavin Hoyle, from Canada.
Muppets: Elmo and Abby sing “Two is You and Me”
