"Cookie deeply aware this highly problematic."

September 3, 2020 3:22 PM

"Exclusive Content" is a charming piece of fan fiction by ellen_fremedon about Sesame Street, tagged "backstage drama, issues of representation, muppet identity politics, literary adapations, kind of a lot of annotations". "In old days, Cookie think, just having monsters on television was spooky. Monsters doing classy drama was transgressive. Transgressive mean it a thing that people not expect you to do, and they think you strange when you do it. It special kind of surprise."
posted by brainwane (20 comments total)

It occurs to me that "Me Claudius" could have easily been "Me Sparticus."
posted by kaibutsu at 3:42 PM on September 3, 2020 [3 favorites]

I loved that, and the Hamilton bit had me laugh out loud so hard I startled the cat. Thank you for sharing!
posted by Athanassiel at 4:37 PM on September 3, 2020 [2 favorites]

That was great, and I would be overjoyed to watch “Me, Claudius” any time.
posted by janell at 6:10 PM on September 3, 2020

Cookie think he can guess what come next. He skip ahead. The counting very atmospheric. Sully have good appreciation for Count's range as performer.

BRILLIANT
posted by The Underpants Monster at 6:35 PM on September 3, 2020

Featuring Biff and Sully is a nice touch.
posted by zamboni at 7:11 PM on September 3, 2020 [2 favorites]

I think I'm missing the author's intent? Is it monsters all the way down? Monster Lives Matter? Or is Monsterness just another pitch angle to work Capital? Me need more explicit subtext.
posted by metametamind at 7:33 PM on September 3, 2020 [1 favorite]

I, too, am trying to limit my balsa intake.
posted by grumpybear69 at 9:13 PM on September 3, 2020 [4 favorites]

I know my Sesame/90s PBS content so well I didn't bother to click most of the links because I knew where they'd take me. A+ magnificent
posted by potrzebie at 12:11 AM on September 4, 2020 [1 favorite]

I don't know what to say except I just love it so so much.
posted by adamt at 12:33 AM on September 4, 2020 [1 favorite]

That was totally charming! Thank you!
posted by rednikki at 2:12 AM on September 4, 2020 [1 favorite]

Yeah this was good
posted by Lawn Beaver at 4:03 AM on September 4, 2020

This great! Me thought would be a quick read, but me kept reading in Cookie Monster voice and now me late for zoom.
posted by Mchelly at 5:22 AM on September 4, 2020 [19 favorites]

As to the subtext of the piece, what I took away from it was the complexities of navigating communal creative enterprises (particularly in Hollywood) as a member of a marginalized group with a lot of attention paid to intersectionality.
posted by He Is Only The Imposter at 6:42 AM on September 4, 2020 [12 favorites]

I agree with He Is Only The Imposter. Some moments where that theme shows up:

“Me refuse to do one more story where it shocking twist ending that monster not eat people."

....

“Yes, that’s it. Isn’t that a bit exclusionary?”

“No. No it not. It like---” Cookie look around room, at all the colorful acrylic faces and button eyes. “It like, when we out on Sesame Street, or at Hooper’s Store with Maria and Chris and Bob, we all just people together. But when we all in here, just us--we not only people. We muppets. That also who we are. That important.”

Everyone nod, fast or slow--Biff look around like he not notice before--but they all get it.

“And when it just me, and Grover, and Herry--we not just muppets together. We monsters. We monsters all the time. But it different, when we not also being something else.”

If you haven't been in a situation like the one Cookie's in -- where you're part of a marginalized minority, and in particular a minority-within-a-minority, talking with others about something you're making together -- it might not resonate as much with you. I think Ellen Fremedon is depicting (humorously and seriously) the dynamics that come up in that kind of conversation, the opportunities, and the stamina and creativity and courage and incremental progress involved.

Also! This was a Yuletide story. Yuletide is a yearly fan fiction exchange where people write fanfic about rare and obscure fandoms (books, TV shows, movies, songs, etc. that don't already have a ton of public fanfic written about them). You can nominate fandoms starting later this month and sign up to participate in October.
posted by brainwane at 7:22 AM on September 4, 2020 [15 favorites]

I highly recommend that folks click on Ellen Fremedon's name to read some of her other work; she is remarkably talented and creative. One of my favorite writers (and people) in fandom.
posted by suelac at 7:24 AM on September 4, 2020 [1 favorite]

I love that Cookie and Grover are BFFs. Two furry blue peas on a pod.
posted by grumpybear69 at 7:57 AM on September 4, 2020 [1 favorite]

Ellen Fremedon’s name

Just to make sure folks don’t miss it, I’d like to draw attention to this magnificent Beowulf joke.
posted by zamboni at 9:50 AM on September 4, 2020 [9 favorites]

Cookie Monster voice NEVER NOT BE FUNNY. Me love Cookie Monster voice.

Maybe no more “talk like pirate day.” Maybe now, we have TALK LIKE COOKIE MONSTER day...
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 10:32 AM on September 4, 2020 [12 favorites]

Really lovely. Thank you for sharing this!
posted by aparrish at 12:08 PM on September 4, 2020 [1 favorite]

I admit I started in with a certain reluctance until I read ...with low-nap felt skin in bubblegum pink that not even try for ethnic ambiguity. and then I knew I was in good hands.
posted by hearthpig at 6:25 AM on September 5, 2020 [4 favorites]