Rube Goldberg Machine animation from Sesame Street

Posted by David Pescovitz, December 5, 2008 5:24 PM |


I dig this classic Sesame Street animation of a Rube Goldberg Machine with an alphabet theme.

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Discussion

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#1 posted by Robbo, December 5, 2008 6:14 PM

Oh man! Major flashbacks.

I loved when they did the retro-pseudo 1920's almost Fleischer stuff - good to see Gertie make an appearance in there.

What I've always loved was the Patty Cruickshank animations from "Make A Wish" - which is impossible to get on video. The best writing in children's television - EVAR!

Kthnxbai

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#2 posted by Mark Frauenfelder, December 5, 2008 6:28 PM

Beautiful! I wonder who did it?

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#3 posted by Anonymous, December 5, 2008 7:45 PM

Just as I started this video, I heard Mungo Jerry's In The Summertime start in the other room and it fit perfectly.

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#4 posted by Johnny Cat, December 5, 2008 8:35 PM

I remember this, vaguely. But all I could think of when the crucifix showed up was "T. T is for turtle." via Barbrady.

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#5 posted by Blaine, December 5, 2008 9:16 PM

Looks like this video supports sex, violence and tobacco use...

I'm outraged they show this to children.

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#6 posted by Takuan, December 5, 2008 9:44 PM

a bird flies in through an open window from the dark and fleeting, passes through the warmth and light of the room and then out a window into the dark.

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#7 posted by misshallelujah, December 5, 2008 10:09 PM

Brilliant! I remember these from a great time watching Sesame Street as a child. I also recall, with great fondness, a segment where they had a little red ball going down a whole series of tracks and tunnels teaching kids to count "1, 2, 3"... but I have never been able to find videos of it again, ever.

But speaking of Rube Goldberg machines, though, I must plug this series of delightful contraptions used as eyecatches on the Japanese kids' show Pythagoras Switch: Part One, Part Two. I never get sick of watching them. My personal favorite is the one in which they used a whole series of water-filled glasses to play the theme ditty. Awesome!

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#9 posted by Frank W, December 5, 2008 11:37 PM

@ Blaine: That's irony, right?

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#10 posted by Blaine, December 6, 2008 7:31 AM

Frank: It might be... I don't know any more.

I'd say 'yes' but then we'll get smacked down by someone with the real definition of "irony" - which is pretty specific.

Sarcastic is a safe word. For both our purposes and rough sex play.

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#11 posted by airshowfan, December 6, 2008 11:52 AM

But can it go downwind faster than the wind?

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#12 posted by GeekMan, December 6, 2008 5:05 PM

#1 - I also was wondering if anyone else saw Gertie.

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#13 posted by Anthony, December 6, 2008 5:13 PM

Weird sensation watching this ... The audio triggered strong memories -- the letters matching the sound effects -- but I have absolutely no recollection of the images at all! Anybody else experience this?

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#14 posted by dhasenan, December 6, 2008 8:24 PM

This doesn't really fit my definition of a Rube Goldberg machine -- for instance, why would bubbles rising from a vat of liquid cause a person to start playing a saxophone?

It's a series of unrelated things happening in a temporal sequence that happens to match, more or less, the spacial sequence of those events. Nothing more. Sorry.

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#15 posted by wolfiesma, December 7, 2008 10:14 AM

MissHallelujah,
Were you remembering the classic pinball sequence with the funky soundtrack? This is a compilation of all the different clips of that sequence. It also has some pseudo-Rube Goldberg elements.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnBAMQhtjEk

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#16 posted by sammich, December 7, 2008 7:03 PM

Well... in the UK this would be instantly defined as a Heath Robinson contraption...

Check out wikipedia to see who came first, if that matters...

whichever it is, there should be more of it...

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#17 posted by Anonymous, December 17, 2008 7:43 PM

Does anybody out there remember the pinball number count on sesame street as non animated? Me and my hubby remember watching it but it wasn't a cartoon it was all real!

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#18 posted by Anonymous, April 30, 2009 12:58 PM

misshallelujah, I realize this is almost half a year from when you posted your comment, but the video you are referring to, with the red ball counting 1-2-3 is here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67khDZ0P7Xo

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