Monday, April 05, 2004
Red Scar Remains On Yellow Bird
Nearly 20 years after his ill-advised trip to Red China, Big Bird continues to suffer the fallout.
"You know, I felt at the time I was just trying to bring the world together. I didn't really see it as a political trip at all."
Yet the images of America's once favorite bird, dancing and singing with a host of communist children on the Great Wall of China remains an indelible image, one the bird is still trying to shake.
"I recognize now that the trip was a mistake, admittedly so was joining in the burning of Western books, attending the mass beheading of enemies of the state, speaking out in support of the Chinese government after the Tiananmen Square incident and later the release of my album, 'P is for Proletariat', but I've moved on. I wish America could too."
Former invisible friend Snuffleupagus disagrees, "He might be yellow on the outside, but that big chicken is as red as they come. Just last year he tried to organize a worker's strike on the set of Sesame Street. Oscar was on board, so was Elmo and all Bird kept doing was invoking the name of Mr. Hooper and what he would have wanted. Pissed me off like crazy."
Big Bird denies the allegations, "We were not a communist movement, just trying to get a fair wage for the workers, nothing more, Mr. Hooper always supported the idea of workers controlling the means of production and deserving a fair wage for that. I'm not a communist."
Co-worker Bert disagrees. "Bird and I were at a bar not too long ago and I'm working this one chick (cause, I'm not gay you know) and he comes over and starts saying (expletive deleted) about Karl Marx and the Cultural Revolution. This chick takes off faster than rocket. I would have kicked his (backside) but I don't fight in my chaps."
Will Big Bird ever shake the red blanket that now hangs over his career? He thinks so.
"Eventually people will put this behind them and realize I was just trying to do some good for the world." He continued, "Look, I'm not a communist ok? Just let everyone know that."
Big bird, we just did.
"You know, I felt at the time I was just trying to bring the world together. I didn't really see it as a political trip at all."
Yet the images of America's once favorite bird, dancing and singing with a host of communist children on the Great Wall of China remains an indelible image, one the bird is still trying to shake.
"I recognize now that the trip was a mistake, admittedly so was joining in the burning of Western books, attending the mass beheading of enemies of the state, speaking out in support of the Chinese government after the Tiananmen Square incident and later the release of my album, 'P is for Proletariat', but I've moved on. I wish America could too."
Former invisible friend Snuffleupagus disagrees, "He might be yellow on the outside, but that big chicken is as red as they come. Just last year he tried to organize a worker's strike on the set of Sesame Street. Oscar was on board, so was Elmo and all Bird kept doing was invoking the name of Mr. Hooper and what he would have wanted. Pissed me off like crazy."
Big Bird denies the allegations, "We were not a communist movement, just trying to get a fair wage for the workers, nothing more, Mr. Hooper always supported the idea of workers controlling the means of production and deserving a fair wage for that. I'm not a communist."
Co-worker Bert disagrees. "Bird and I were at a bar not too long ago and I'm working this one chick (cause, I'm not gay you know) and he comes over and starts saying (expletive deleted) about Karl Marx and the Cultural Revolution. This chick takes off faster than rocket. I would have kicked his (backside) but I don't fight in my chaps."
Will Big Bird ever shake the red blanket that now hangs over his career? He thinks so.
"Eventually people will put this behind them and realize I was just trying to do some good for the world." He continued, "Look, I'm not a communist ok? Just let everyone know that."
Big bird, we just did.
